GLITCH [CONNOR]

Hold Me

The three investigators had been called to Captain Fowler's office. The Captain was sitting on his desk, Faye stood directly in front him with Connor on her right and Hank on her left. At that moment, she was wearing her Detroit Police bomber jacket proudly but she feared that whatever Fowler was about to say was going to make her tear off the jacket. The android had his eyes closed but they flickered open, he had probably just made a report to CyberLife. She wanted to know what was said during those reports, how much Connor let on. If he were to say the wrong things during one of his reports, it could have devastating consequences for them both. "You're off the case." It was the first thing Fowler said since they stepped into his office. "The FBI is taking over."

"What?" Hank was shocked, Faye was petrified and Connor was equally as dismayed, he knew exactly what that meant for him. "but we're on to something." Hank defended the three, Faye had been paralyzed with shock as the events played out in her mind, they were going to send Connor back, search through his memory to see why he failed and in there, they'll find her. They'll report it and Faye will lose everything, Connor, her job, her freedom. "We- we just need more time. I'm sure we can-" Hank was cut off by the Captain.

"Hank, you don't get it," Faye was on the verge of tears and a full out panic attack, "this isn't just another investigation. It's a fucking civil war!" Fowler exclaimed, "it's out of our hands now. We're talking about national security here."

"Fuck that!" Faye was so thankful that Hank was standing up for them because she had a hard time just breathing at that point, "you can't just pull the plug now. Not when we're so close!" The Lieutenant knew that they didn't need that much more to find out where Jericho was, he wanted to do everything in his power to help his partners.

"You're always saying you can't stand androids!" Fowler called out as he gestured towards Connor who had his attention towards the ash-blonde woman next to him, he wanted to hold her, tell her that they were going to figure it out, comfort her, but he couldn't all because of the colour of his blood. "Jesus, Hank, make up your mind. I thought you'd be happy about this."

"We're about to crack the case!" Hank leaned forward, he was practically begging, "I know we can solve it! For God's sake Jeffrey, can't you just back me up this one time?" Fowler sighed, his tone became that of a calmer one.

"There's nothing I can do. You're back on homicide. Cox too." Fowler then looked towards Connor, " and the android returns to CyberLife." Those few words drained all the colour from Faye's face. She felt like she was going to pass out.

"I'm sorry, Hank, but it's over." Fowler's words were final. Hank wanted to continue arguing but he knew there was no point. So with a clenched fist, he stormed out of Fowler's office towards his desk. The pale Faye practically stumbled out of the glass-encased office. Left was the android. He wanted to say something, tell the Police Captain that they could solve the case but there was no point arguing. If the human Hank couldn't convince then than surely the android Connor couldn't either.

Hank was sitting in his chair in front of his computer, Faye had grabbed the chair from a close desk and sat down next to Hank's desk. Connor walked down towards his partners, one sat typing something on his computer in frustration and the other had her face buried in her hands. The android sat down on Hank's desk, making Faye look up from her hands. He saw her eyes, they were shiny and tears were hanging on for their dear lives. "We could've figured it out." Connor was frustrated, "if only we had more time."

"But we don't." Faye's eyes turned up towards Connor's as she spoke, "and now, you'll be sent back." Her voice cracked, "decommissioned." Her hands started to tremble, "deactivated." Her breathing quickened, "destroyed." Now the tears were dangerously close as she started hyperventilating, "killed." She started hyperventilating, she was having a panic attack.