Wind caressed their faces during their walk through the dog park, Sumo played on the open space. They could notice some other dogs and their owners and this only added its charm to the place. It was kind of popular area for people from the neighborhood owning dogs.
The rolled leash in Connor's hand made a characteristic sound when the metal parts hit each other in the rhythm of his steps.
He stopped at one of the benches, made sure Sumo was in his range of view and sat down, putting the leash down. He dragged Niles down to sit next to him. Warm, spring air pleasantly marked their artificial skin.
'I didn't think holding someone else's hand,' he would say, glancing at their connected hands, 'could be so nice.'
His voice was gentle, quiet. He didn't want to break the peacefulness.
'People in relationships find it comforting,' Niles answered, smiling.
Connor raised his gaze to meet his calm face and hope in his eyes. They weren't together, but they were certainly connected by a feeling. They weren't in an official relationships, but their behaviour was definitely unambiguous.
It was pleasant, nice, today's success was happily lingering above them. Connor didn't want to interrupt such nice atmosphere, but he needed to explain one thing.
'About that kiss...'
'You don't need to explain,' Niles stopped him, rubbing his hand with a thumb soothingly.
'Nines. It wasn't fair to you,' he answered reproachfully.
'It's not true,' though his tone of voice seemed to say something else.
And Connor knew exactly he should have stopped himself then. Now, Niles blamed himself because of him, telling himself he took advantage of the situation. Even though it wasn't his fault at all, for he didn't do anything wrong. He pursed his lips in a thin line, letting go of his hand. He gained Niles' questioning look.
He didn't care for his reaction, a moment later embracing him and hugging his side. His head lying comfortably on his arm, his gaze following toward Sumo, who was playing with some stick he found.
Niles hesitantly hugged him back, bringing him even closer. He wished to protect him, make him happy - he wished him every best thing, even though he never said it aloud. He was happy himself, having him beside. They met almost seven weeks earlier, but it apparently was enough to get to know each other, change the attitude towards one another and feel... something.
A lot of things happened during this time; the bad ones, as well as the good ones. Relationship they created certainly belonged to the second ones.
'Don't blame yourself, Nines,' he said after a couple of minutes of silence between them. He raised his head to confirm these words with his gaze. To make him relax because in that moment he was really tense. His warm, brown eyes rested on those cold, grey ones. And Niles didn't know if he'd be able to not go crazy from the intensity of his look.
'I'll try,' he answered, not looking away.
'Alright. I'm aware I can't expect more.' Connor tilted his head a bit. A smile welcomed his face and Niles' heart beat faster, almost as if he'd never seen that look on him.
He chose to change the subject.
'How are you feeling? Today was really intense,' he stated, chuckling nervously, quietly.
Intense was an understatement.
'Good. I'm glad we could convince deviants I'm not so bad,' he answered, closing his eyes for a second.
When he opened them again, he saw Niles' eyebrows raise in surprise.
'"We"?' he asked.
'Yes. If you didn't say anything then, I don't know if all of it ended as it did.'
He reached to Niles' face, creating circles on his skin with a thumb, then he kissed the other cheek and rested his head on a space between his neck and a shoulder. He kept a hand on his face, so Niles felt completely infatuated by Connor's behaviour, he took this very hand and pecked its inside, intertwining their fingers together
'I thought it was the right thing to do. It wouldn't be reasonable to tell you to handle it yourself in this situation.'
'Even so, thank you.'
Connor raised his head to look at Sumo, who was still taking care of himself. Niles did the same. Then the animal turned in their direction as if he felt their gaze, and ran happily to them so he could poke their intertwined hands - by the way, their artificial skin pulled away under one another's touch, showing the white metal - and lay his head on Connor's lap.
The android smiled at the gesture, unwillingly left the embrace, then he reached to Sumo to pet him.
'I think we can go back,' he said, grabbing the leash.
He pinned it to the dog's collar and stood up. Niles followed his actions, looking around to notice the darkness slowly surrounded the park, brightened only by the artificial light of lanterns. His eyes stopped on the trees which gained their liveness again after the snowy winter, a shade of green leaves was decorating branches once more. People who were outside at this hour to walk their dogs wore light spring coats or jackets, holding leashes so strongly to not let the dogs go. Rational action, logical.
But Sumo was attached enough to his friends, mature enough to return without a need to be angry with him or calling for him because he left somewhere. He held onto trusted people, didn't want to run away, chase after something interesting, despite his dog's instinct.
'Nines?'
Connor's voice stopped his train of thoughts he didn't even know he was lost in. He saw him standing a few steps further, turned sideway and waiting for him. Niles nodded apologizingly and quickly came over, letting him take his hand and intertwine their fingers again. He smiled to him in return, strengthening the grip.
These small although loving gestures were addicting and despite the lack of comparison, any knowledge, Niles thought he wouldn't want to share them with anyone else than Connor. He couldn't wait until the android returned his feelings, until he'd be sure enough what he felt, that he would desire their relationship to be official. Of course, it would've been entirely fine if he didn't feel the same way - no one could be forced to love and Niles even with so small experience was completely aware of that.
'Can we call it our second date?' He asked quietly unsure and glanced at Connor with a corner of his eye.
A moment of silence.
Then a wide, cheerful smile.
'Sure,' the answer sounded.
And Niles couldn't be more happier.
· · ·
The clear door to Fowler's office were opened when the man came out and scanned the room with his gaze. He was looking for the two androids, the mechanical workers treated equally to humans, at least by most of them. The rest who had toxic hostile thoughts of the new species, hid their opinions, for they didn't want to mess with the law. Sure, there were also people who showed their hatred or disgust for the androids openly.
Co-workers at the DPD seemed positively inclined to those working by their side.
'Connor, Niles, in my office,' Jeffrey called, his voice calm, though loud enough for the addressed people to hear. It didn't matter, the androids would have reacted to their names called this way anyway.
Both of them exchanged their looks, as well as with their partners and went to the office where the captain was waiting with a strange patience, which seemed as if he didn't have. He looked at the androids and stood from his chair, leaning on his desk with hands as a support on the edge.
'Alright, so I won't beat around the bush,' he announced, reaching to the drawer to the right. 'Since you've got your rights, I took care of showing you in the same light as other police officers.' He slid the drawer open carefully to pull something out. 'It took some time because except the androids in the army, you're the only ones working at the police forces and my actions met a few controversies and doubts.' He lay two badges on the desk and no person had to explain what they meant. Connor and Niles knew exactly what was happening. 'From now on, you work here as the detectives, I think it's a suitable position for you,' he said, sitting on his chair again, with a gesture of a hand encouraging them to grab the objects that have been just assigned to them.
In a bit of a shock, Connor nodded and smiled slightly. He approached the desk to take the badge and scan it, simply to pin it to his jeans next. Niles didn't waste any time and did the same thing. They both attached their holsters with guns, almost as if they tried clothes on, trying if it fitted, suited them, if it was weighted perfectly.
They didn't need any trainings to shoot with a hundred percent accuracy - they were created just for that. Their processors doing calculations in the speed of light, where to aim, how to even do it. They had skills human officers had to train for years in an academy.
'Thank you, captain,' Niles spoke up.
Connor nodded in a gesture of gratefulness as well.
'You can go,' Fowler said, glad everything went as he meant for it to.
They left the captain's office, happy they officially joined the police. As detectives.
Hank scoffed amused at the pride written all over Connor's face when his sat in his place again. But why wouldn't he be proud? After all these months, he got the police badge.
'You're so happy, like you've never held a gun in your life,' the lieutenant said, looking at the android approvingly.
'Now I own it legally, at least,' Connor answered, reaching to the terminal with a hand.
His expression became more neutral, he stopped emanating with happiness to focus on work. They had to fill the reports, take care of the important things.
A new call that came onto the terminal busied his mind enough to not overthink his new position. If he wanted to think, he had to wait until the end of his shift, which was previewed to be hard as the victim was a teenage girl.
Connor couldn't image how broken one can be to take life from such young person. Of course, murder cases of the older people, the experienced in life were as wrong and inhuman but the killings of children were so much more moving.
'Have you finished your analisis?' Hank asked, watching him. He knew Connor didn't need much time to process a report so when his gaze kept on the terminal, while the lieutenant had everything in his head already, he must make sure.
He returned his partner's observant gaze and raised his eyebrows like he was wondering what he meant.
He nodded seeing him stand up.
'Yes.'
He followed him outside the department, looking around, trying to find anything he could think of, before they came to the crime scene. The receptionists standing behind the counter were having a conversation - visibly a really interesting one - though they still stayed in place because after all, they were at work. At work that offered them benefits, money for a house or some trivial, pleasant things.
They got into the car that smelled a bit like the dog fur and an alcohol, though Hank tried to keep far away from it after Connor complained every time. Leaving alcoholism behind wasn't simple, that's why even when he didn't manage to completely come out of it, he made a huge progress.
The day behind the window was slowly beginning, there were more and more passersby and the sun was lazily hanging in the sky. It was so ordinary, Connor almost forgot where they were going. But Hank reminded him, sharply stopping the car to park it in front of the building of their case.
'Are you alright? You zoned out a bit.'
'Yeah, I'm alright, just thinking.' He smiled slightly to confirm his words and he reached for the door to open it.
They left the car without another word and they entered the building that they were beginning their investigation.
The said building was a dance studio for different age groups so they place surely would be lively if not for the tragedy that occured. Going to the elevators they didn't meet many people. After they got off on the right floor and passed the corridor, they haven't met many people as well.
A fuss and cries came from behind the door that was their finishing point. They came into the room and their eyes could see a group of teenage girls with no space between one another by the wall the furthest from the body of a young girl. The mirror reflected the macabre view in a nasty way.
The dance instructor tried to calm the group down, she didn't pay attention to the arrival of the policemen.
The forensics collected evidence, girls as potential culprits or witnesses had to stay in place. Tired Ben approached them in a blink of an eye.
'From what these girls stated till now, they came in only to see her already dead,' he said, gesturing to the body. 'Her name was Wanda Hughes. Many hits to the head, the skull is smashed, major brain damages. It was a cruel crime. She was fourteen, she's attended the dance classes since she was seven. Her dance group isn't big,' he gestured to the girls with his hand, 'but this may take some time anyway, as most of them is in a not so small shock.'
Connor looked at the teenager's body, her skull painfully dented. She died in torture.
l'We don't have the weapon she was attacked. The instructor called her parents so they should be here soon,' he said. 'We're suspecting an android being involved, seeing the strength that was used to smash her skull.'
'Fuck, exactly what I needed,' Hank left a comment, glancing at the victim.
They approached the teenager in silence to have a better look at the wound. From a small distance a redness on her cheek could be seen and this led to conclusion the culprit had to hit her first, before they took something they damaged her head with.
Connor reconstructed the events in time less than a second, the image in his head clear and right. Though only after checking on all the evidence, they didn't have much of anyway, he was sure of his suspicions.
'It was an unplanned murder, full of anger,' he told the lieutenant.
'No shit, Sherlock, I can see it too.'
Connor rolled his eyes.
'Also, everything leads to an android being the culprit. On her cheek, there aren't any fingerprints that could have stayed after such strong hit.' Then he added: 'The culprit could be a woman, seeing as a man would've used his fist, not an open hand. The androids often create their psyche to the gender their body represents.'
'But these are only assumptions?' Hank asked skeptically.
'We should take it into the account,' Connor answered, glancing in the direction of the girls' group who quietly turned their eyes away from the macabre view.
He came up to them, mainly only to talk to the instructor. On his way, he scanned her to know her name. He needed to find out some things from her.
He stopped next to her, making sure she saw him. She raised her gaze to him.
'Hello, detective Connor from DPD,' he introduced himself, shaking his badge for the first time in his short life. Detective Connor, he repeated in his thoughts, getting used to the sound of these two words together. He would have smiled proudly if it wasn't for the information he wanted to get and the state of the woman looking right at him. 'Mrs. Myers, right?'
'Oh... yeah, it's me,' she confirmed, a little dumbfounded someone approached her.
'Are there any androids in this building?' He asked calmly, though firmly. He didn't want to make the woman stressed out, getting the information at the same time.
She cleared her throat to get rid of a dryness in it. She was as devastated as the girls.
'Yes, the ones cleaning the place.'
'What about the dance groups?'
Myers blinked rapidly, taken aback by the question.
'No, why? The androids rather don't need to learn how to dance,' she stated, although her eyes wandered to the teenagers as if she began to doubt her own words.
Connor followed her gaze and, in the meantime, he scanned all of their faces.
No one seemed to stand out and, oh, what a surprise it was when he discovered that one of them wasn't someone she told she was. When she met his eyes with her won, her stress went up suddenly.
The android of YK series having looks of a teenage girl. She was created before the revolution because after it, the making of these models was forbidden. It seemed immoral.
'Thank you for the informations,' he said to the instructor.
And he didn't give the woman any chance to say more, when he turned in the earlier mentioned android's direction.
Her stress level increased more and more, and he thought if he didn't do anything, she would jump to the nearest wall to destroy her head exactly like Ortiz's android did.
'Hi, Amelie,' he greeted her, looking downwards on her. He tried to keep a calm posture to not scare the girl without need.
'How... can you know my name?' She questioned, her body trembling. She was surely in a shock, terrified by something.
'I can scan people's faces to know their full name, criminal record and current status,' he explained keeping his cool. 'Your stress level is really high as for a casual talk with a police officer.'
Her dark curls waved smoothly, when she shook her head as if she wanted to get rid of some thoughts from her mind. Either she was really scared or she was hiding something. She looked at the body with a face so familiar to her she couldn't believe the sight, it seemed like a disguise for her.
She shut her eyelids strongly and slid both hands in her hair, pulling them hard. She looked desperate, stressed and lost.
Before Connor could speak up again, the girl began to shout.
'I didn't want to! Parents told me that if they didn't know, they won't treat me badly! People don't change, she teased me anyway!' Her face was curved in rage. She trembled, her sentence were unsorted. Everyone stared at her, even Hank approached them. 'She called me names, beat me...'
Connor observed the teenager slightly surprised by the explosion. Her words could be less understood by those who had no clue of her true identity and assuming from her sentence, no one knew.
'Calm down,' he said. 'So you're admitting you killed her?' He made sure, lowering his voice slightly.
She kept quiet, she couldn't say it out loud. She nodded and tears left her eyes when she opened them. She also let go of her hair, embracing herself instead. Amelie was stubbornly turning her face away from the rest of her group, not wanting to witness disgusted looks from them. And they didn't have anything to do with her being an android.
'We're taking her to the station,' Hank said, standing beside Connor.
They did exactly that.
Soon, they were on their way to the police station, but the view they were about to witness, wouldn't be pleasant.
_____
thank you so much for being patient with this story!!
really, I must apologize to you, so I'm saying it right now: I'm really sorry because I published the polish version a long while ago and I just took a long break from translating the chapter
I have the 22nd and 23rd chapters to translate and I'll do it as soon as possible, then I just need to write the last two chapters after that (i found a note where i basically wrote down a few things I wanted to include) and we're done so we're really close to the end
once again, thank you for your patience and bye!
edit: also, I've just ended translating so there might be some errors, please tell me about them!