𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐎𝐃𝐄

Chapter 5

 A cool breeze hit your exposed skin as you stepped foot outside the warmth provided by the Manfred household. Birds chirped from the treetops, almost masking the distant honking of car horns and whirring of police sirens. What else to expect from a city such as Detroit?

Connor turned to face you as the door clicked shut, blocking your only exit. You took a split second to remind yourself of your situation and your role in it. You were an android. A (supposedly) brainless object meant to perform any task put before it. You squint your eyes shut, focusing on keeping your LED indicator at blue.

"(Y/N)?"

You opened your eyes to find Connor standing just two feet away from you, arm outstretched as an invitation to take it in your own. "Let's go for a walk, shall we?"

His uniform was in its usual pristine condition, teal LED lapel flickering in contrast to the dark fabric that made up most of the jacket. The little tuft of hair in front of his face bounced with each step he took toward the garden gates. You held back a smile when he resorted to flicking it back into place with his opposite hand. As you studied him, you failed to notice him doing the same to you.

It wouldn't surprise you if the RK800 was designed to look harmless, like a puppy. But you knew that he would be capable of so much more than negotiation if the occasion so arose.

You cringed at the thought of it being him to end Daniel's life, which in retrospect, it came close to having been.

Out of the corner of your eye, you caught sight of the bulb-shaped glass dome that was Carl's art studio. From behind the outwardly tinted glass, you spotted the painter himself strapped to his art-aid as he worked his brush across the broad canvas. At the foot of the machine was Markus, no doubt waiting for an instruction to carry out. Though his main focus should have been Carl in that moment, your synthetic heart skipped a beat as his eyes met yours, either of you refusing to look away.

"How are you holding up after the incident?" Connor began as soon as you walked through the wooden garden gate. You focused back on the grassy trail in front of you while simultaneously wondering how silly you looked; two androids with arms awkwardly linked together on a leisurely stroll through the garden.

You stared blankly at the bed of red roses to your right, blatantly avoiding the question. "My master has wiped most of my memories from the recent 48 hours. He believes that my main focus should be the tasks given by him and nothing more," You say, clenching your fist and focusing on converting your yellow LED back to pale blue.

Connor squinted but maintained his perfect posture. "I am aware that you are a deviant, (Y/N). There's no use in denying it any longer."

Fuck. You squinted as you internally pictured every possible outcome from this situation. You could be interrogated by the police (or worse, CyberLife itself), taken apart, or shut down. What scared you most was having to say goodbye to Allen and evidently, Markus and Carl. You considered them all family but it never really occurred to you that they might not care with you no longer in the picture. "S-so what? You're going to arrest me?"

"On the contrary. I was created to hunt deviants such as yourself; However, having one as an ally might just be what I need to solve future cases." The look on his face resembles one of a smug gambler who knew he had won a game way before the end of the first round. Connor's poker face was shoddy at best.

"What are you implying?"

"Nothing at all. I only suggest that if you want to keep playing house with your owner that you deliver what I demand of you." You furrowed your brows, looking away from the beautiful scenery before you to glare up at Connor. "And if I don't-" "-Failure to comply will lead to immediate shutdown." He interrupted, already knowing what you were getting at. You sighed. This was better than death, you supposed.

"So what's my job exactly?"

"You understand deviants on a deeper level than both humans and compliant androids. I will come to you if I have any questions or concerns on cases. If I find that you are withholding information from me, I will report you to the proper authority, but not before erasing our interactions from your memory chip."

It felt like you had just been sucked into a poor-quality action film. Comply or die were your only options and you weren't sure you liked either of them. You felt like screaming at your situation but remained as stoic as possible. If he wasn't supposed to be seen with you, then why bother?

And that's when it hit you.

"Connor, are you going against orders to see me without CyberLife's permission?" You asked, feeling a shift in the power as you spoke. He blinked once, the cogs turning in his head. Finally getting somewhere, you grinned smugly to yourself.

"It was in the best interest of the mission. I do not require commands for certain-" "Bullshit, Connor," You interrupted. "I know for a fact that you're as strictly programmed as the rest of the androids that CyberLife spits out of its factories, probably even more. I wouldn't be surprised if you had a camera strapped to your eyeballs with Elijah Kamski himself watching from the other side!"

The more you thought about it, the more it made sense. Maybe he wasn't quite deviant, but he had made a conscious decision. That was progress in the plainest use of the term. You silently reached out and let the holographic skin of your palm melt away as you reached for his arm. You could help him. You could free him.

Connor clenched his jaw and slapped away your incoming hand. "I am no deviant, (Y/N). I have never been, never will be, and the day will never arrive when I allow one such as yourself to attempt to outsmart me. Good day, (Y/N). We will meet again soon." And with that, he gave one last sneer over his shoulder before strutting out of the garden and back into whatever government funded vehicle he had stumbled out of in the first place. 

(A/N: EDITING LATER but it doesn't matter cause this book is so shitty I'm going to die. For a few weeks I'll only be able to write on weekends and don't think I don't hate going on hiatus because I do and I love you guys so much but I have stupid school stuff to take care of and no one else is going to write that stupid paper on stupid Dorian Gray and his stupid perfect face.)