According to Captain Fowler, there were rumours going about that a group of androids were going to break into a famous and influential human-only restaurant on the other side of town. You weren't sure where he heard such certain rumours, but Captain Fowler put you, Lieutenant Anderson, and Connor on the case to investigate the situation and and find evidence on this possible break in, before anybody was hurt or worse; killed. The only problem was how to go about it.
Of course, staking out the restaurant was a simple enough task, but the problem was Connor. The main reason your group had been succeeding on the Deviant cases so far, and had gotten anywhere at all was because of Connor's deductive skills. Without him there to evaluate and reconstruct the scene, you weren't sure if you would be able to stop the Deviants, assuming that there was going to be more than one. You weren't even sure if they would turn up at all, considering the rumour had gone this far. But you couldn't deny that it was quite possible, considering the number of androids rising up against their owners. That strange symbol you saw at the Cyberlife break in scene was now being seen all over Detroit; And like you had initially assumed, it was a symbol of a revolution.
At the present moment, you and Connor stood beside the Lieutenant's desk, going over what little evidence there was of this potential break in. And the fact again, that it was at a no-android location.
"Connor..." The Lieutenant started. "I don't think you have any choice but to sit out of this one. Even if the owners are in on it, the customers aren't going to be, and they don't want to be sitting next to an android in a no android location."
You and Connor spoke at the same time.
"I'm not going without Connor!"
"I can't let [F/N] go alone!!" You both stared at each other.
"Connor... you know the only way to get to that part of town is by train. It's strictly a no android location, even outside the restaurant," You insisted. "The whole district is against androids. It may be old fashioned now, but it is the rules, and they have laws there. I can't deny that."
"I can't afford to sit out of this one," Connor protested, "I have a mission and I intend to accomplish it, by any means possible." You don't reply so he continues, "I can preconstruct events. You need me on this case. That's why Cyberlife sent me..."
"I know Cyberlife sent you, you're saying that constantly. But I'm not sure if there is anything we can do about this. I agree that we need your evaluation skills, but do you have any idea how we're supposed to sneak you onto that train?!"
"Oh, for fucks sake, you fight like a married couple." Hank interrupted you both. You felt your face turn red. "Just decide on something and let's get a move on. Jesus christ..."
You both went silent in thought, then an idea came to you. It may not work, but it was worth a try.
"Connor..." You muttered, "Rather than trying to sneak you onto the train as an android... why don't you just become human for a bit?"
---
You and the Lieutenant stood outside one of the rooms, waiting for Connor to come out.
"Are you sure this is going to work [F/N]?"
"I don't know..." You admitted sheepishly. "It really depends on how good Connor's acting skills are..."
You both looked up as Connor exited the room. He wore one of the Lieutenant's old suits, a slightly smaller fit that still seemed a little big for Connor. The suit was black, the white inside collar of the shirt poking over the top. He rolled up the cuffs on the sleeves slightly. He had brushed the locks of his hair over to cover the LED on his right temple. He undeniably looked human, but the question was if he could act like it.
"Do I appear... human?"
"You look human to me Connor..." You walked over to straighten his tie.
The three of you now stood at the station, waiting for the next train. The train only allowed humans, meaning Connor would have to stay disguised the entire time. You could tell this made him a little uncomfortable. After all, androids were not allowed to be outside without their uniform. But you were on a case, and Connor was right when he said you needed his reconstruction abilities. You also weren't lying when you mentioned you wanted him on the case. It made you feel more comfortable, knowing an android was on your side, but you also wanted him there for other reasons. You looked at him now, standing idly beside you, staring into the distance. You nudged him.
"Relax Connor. Remember... you're human now."
"Y-Yes..." Connor attempted to relax his stature, but he still looked a little stiff. You had no more time to correct him though, as the train pulled into the station and you lined up to board. All it took was to show your tickets before your group was allowed to enter.
As you stood on the train, the Lieutenant quietly told you both that other investigators would be there in disguise, as well as actual customers to the restaurant. He wanted you both to be as discreet as possible, and not let anyone know that there could be a potential android break in. The only people who were aware of the potential were some of the senior staff members, and the manager.
To remain as discreet as possible, you and the Lieutenant also dressed formally. The Lieutenant wore one of the few suits he owned that did not come with moth-eaten holes. You wore one of your favourite dresses, that was too formal to wear to most places. It was long enough that it wasn't revealing, but short enough that it was easy to move around in. You had the gun that Connor gave you, strapped on the inside of your thigh. It wasn't active, but loaded, and you knew how to activate it in case you needed to use it. The Lieutenant went over the plan with you both, before you would reach the restaurant.
"When we get to the scene, I'm going to go ahead. I've organized to meet some of the other investigators, and we're going to act like it's an after work meetup." Lieutenant Anderson looked between you both. "I want you two to wait five minutes, then go in after me. [F/N], you will show your ID to the employee at the front desk. She has been informed about the potential break in, and will take you to a good place to keep an eye out."
"Wait!" You interrupted, feeling your cheeks flush, "They're going to think we're on a date or something..."
"I know." Hank looked exasperated, "That's the idea."
Sticking to the plan, you and Connor left the station a few minutes after Hank, walking in the direction of the restaurant. So far, no one had suspected a thing about Connor. He looked just as human as any of them, albeit a little stiffer than most. Although this was only a pretend 'date' you had never actually been on one before, making you feel quite nervous. You weren't really sure how you were supposed to act. Even if the employee at the counter knew you were just on an investigation, the other people at the restaurant would really think you were dating. You shook your head. You weren't supposed to be thinking about this right now. You were supposed to be focusing on the case. You glanced up at Connor. He didn't even look nervous or the least bit apprehensive. Of course he wouldn't. You looked down again. You knew Connor wouldn't feel anything about this situation, as much as you wanted him to. Even if he looked human, and sounded human, in his heart and thoughts he still believed himself to be a machine.
You reached the restaurant right on the time Hank had wanted you to. You entered and waited in a line, then when you approached the counter, you showed your ID to the human employee. She smiled at you, and you quickly put it back into your bag.
"Excellent. I'll show you to your table."
It was a table placed near the window, where it was easy to see outside the restaurant, and the entire inside. A vase filled with fresh flowers was placed in the middle of the table, on top of a red tablecloth. You had never been to a fancy place like this before, and it made you feel quite uncomfortable. Once seated, you tried to calm your nerves and focus on the case. You could see the Lieutenant at another table across the room, looking every bit the part of a man drunk after work. You didn't think he was acting. You turned your attention back to Connor, who sat quite stiffly across from you. You didn't know how you were supposed to act on a date. You were relieved when a waitress came over, and poured water for you both. You turned back to Connor.
"Even the workers here are human... it's been a long time since I've seen that." You said quietly. Connor brought the glass of water to his lips.
"It is quite surprising. I guess places like this do still exist..." You watched him take a sip of water.
"I thought androids couldn't drink water..." You muttered, watching him curiously. He put the glass down and smiled at you.
"I can't... I'm only pretending." He winked at you. You felt your face turn red. You quickly looked down, hoping he wouldn't notice. You didn't know he could do that. Androids can wink? What was that?! Connor actually winked at you!! You tried to maintain the act, but you couldn't stop your heart racing. Connor did notice.
"Are you okay [F/N]? Your heart rates are unusually high."
"U-Umm... y-yeah... I'm fine, s-sorry..." You tried to calm down. This was not going well at all. You just wanted this investigation to be over. You felt very embarrassed and self conscious in a place like this. You knew you must have looked very strange, and very flustered at this current point. Suddenly you felt something cold over your hand on the table. Connor was holding your hand. This surprised you again.
"Connor... why are you...?"
"You did this for me once before too... didn't you?" You thought he had forgotten about that. That time when you held his hand when you felt like it was the right thing to do. You looked at his face, and he didn't look away.
"Stay calm. Remember what I told you in training?" He said quietly.
"You told me to keep calm and focused when I'm dealing with deviants..."
"Yes... Don't worry so much..."
"Easy for you to say..." You mumbled, taking a bite of the food that had just arrived at your table.
"You know..." He said very quietly. He pulled his hand away, "Even... even androids... even we get..." His voice trailed off.
"Get what?" He shook his head. He continued his pretend act on his food, pretending to eat slightly. You wondered what he had been trying to say. Even androids get what...? Scared? Nervous? You wondered what was really going on in his mind. What he was really feeling in times like these. It would make you happy if he could feel as nervous as you felt. You were about to ask him what he said again, when you heard a smashing noise. Before you realised what was happening, glass flew across the room. The Deviants really were going through with the break in after all. You could hear people screaming as they ducked under the tables. The other investigators were prepared. You could see Hank pull out his gun behind you. Connor moved, a little protectively in front of you. You quietly pulled out the gun you had strapped on your thigh and held it tightly. You hoped that you'd had enough training.
You could see four deviants. From the sounds behind you, it seemed there were more. You could hear the other investigators helping to get the customers out. The deviants didn't waste any time. They started practically tearing the place apart, graffiting their symbol of revolution wherever they could. Connor fired a bullet at one of their legs, but it only grazed. The deviant leapt at Connor, and Connor took it on. They both flew at each other with great speed, and you could only watch in awe as bullets fired everywhere, neither of them hitting the target. In your peripheral vision, you saw another deviant leap towards Connor, holding a knife, aimed for his throat. Connor was completely focused on the other deviant.
"Connor, watch out!!" You charged for the Deviant. You fired a bullet and it hit the Deviant's arm, leaving it incapacitated. You aimed to fire again, but the Deviant was quick. It practically flew at you, fast even without the use of its arm. You couldn't see the deviant's face. They all had deactivated skins, and wore hoods. You felt the knife gash your shoulder. You didn't know how deep it was, but it hurt badly. You gritted your teeth and tried not to scream against the pain. You fired blindly, but knew it didn't hit the target. The Deviant got behind you, pushing the knife to your throat. Connor was fast. He pointed the gun at the Deviant.
"Don't move or I'll shoot!" Behind Connor, you could see the investigators arresting the other Deviant. You stood frozen in time, the cold metal pressed to your throat, your gun pointed at the Deviant, Connor's gun pointed at the Deviant. None of you moved. Suddenly, you hear the bang. The Deviant behind you crumples to the ground, blue blood seeping from his head. You fell, gasping for air, a line of blood running from the small cut on your throat. Behind you, Lieutenant Anderson stood, putting the gun he just fired back in the holster. The other Deviants were being arrested, the only major damage to the restaurant being the smashed windows and upturned tables. You breathed with relief. You looked up to see Connor's face; But you were not expecting what you saw on it. He looked completely furious. He threw his gun to the side, as he approached you. You backed away instinctively.
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" He glared down at you as you sat crumpled on the floor, to shocked to move. "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!"
"I-IF I HADN'T STEPPED IN YOU WOULD BE DEAD CONNOR!"
"I CAN HANDLE IT. I AM DESIGNED TO HANDLE IT." He shouted, "YOU'RE LUCKY YOU'RE STILL ALIVE, YOU COULD'VE GOTTEN YOURSELF KILLED!"
"WHAT DID YOU EXPECT ME TO DO CONNOR?!" You gestured to the gun you were still holding. "YOU TRAINED ME YOURSELF. DO YOU JUST EXPECT ME TO SIT BACK AND WATCH?!"
"YES!" He growled. "THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO DO." You flinched back from his gaze. The other investigators were all watching. He glared at all of them, then back at you. "It is my duty and mission to stop the Deviants, not yours [F/N]. If you had just left it to me..."
"Well fine then!!" You snapped. "I guess you just don't need me on this investigation then." You stood up. You felt so angry. After you had stepped in to help Connor, this was how he reacted. "Goodbye Connor." You ran away. You didn't look back. You felt embarrassed. You knew you were being immature, but you so badly wanted to be able to help Connor. When you saw that Deviant lunge towards him, you acted without thinking. You wonder if Connor really could have stopped the Deviant, if you hadn't shot first. You hated how little he trusted you. You hated how he acted like you were useless. You just wanted him to be proud of you.
You walked dizzily back towards the station. You clutched at your bleeding shoulder, but for some reason, that was currently the least of your concerns. How would you show your face at work now? You gulped, considering the possibility of returning and apologising. You'd be out of your training if Captain Fowler heard about this. After everything you had worked so hard for, you didn't want to take any chances. You turned back towards the restaurant. Someone was walking towards you. It was Lieutenant Anderson. You sighed.
"Look, I'm sorry..." You started.
"You listen to me." He demanded. "You have nothing to apologise for." This took you by surprise. You stood there in silence for a moment.
"I never told you this Lieutenant, but Connor has been training me... he taught me how to use a gun; How to shoot the Deviants." You gritted your teeth. "I thought I could do it. I thought I could show him how much I learnt. But I was wrong." You sat down on a bench nearby. The Lieutenant sat down beside you. You twisted the gun you still held in your hands.
"You wouldn't know, but Connor acts differently when you are on the case... almost... well... almost human." The Lieutenant mumbled. You looked up at him. Was he trying to comfort you? "I don't really know how to say it, but just, well... I think the boy cares for you." You raised your eyebrows.
"Look, maybe you should try and see it from Connor's perspective." He continued, "To him, if he gets injured, he can just get new parts or be replaced... but you... well... you can't be replaced. He doesn't want to risk you getting yourself killed out there."
You looked down at the gun you held in your hands for a long time. Did that mean that Connor... cared? He didn't want you to die? The Lieutenant sat beside you quietly, while you thought over his words. But you couldn't think. Your head was pounding. Everything was pounding and your body felt heavy. Suddenly, you saw red dripping, discolouring the metal of the gun. You heard the Lieutenant call your name. You dizzily reached up and touched your shoulder. Your hand was red from the blood. You couldn't see. Everything was fading; dark, light, dark. Colours flashed over your eyes. Suddenly the ground became very close; And all faded into darkness.