Who Are You Really? - RK1K

Chapter Five - Gossip

The pair had long since returned from their 'date', but they didn't expect to come home to Hank glaring at Markus across the house the moment they stepped inside.

"Boyfriends, hm?" Hank started, holding up his phone. It was open to an article with a blurry image at the top. "Why didn't you tell me you were dating RoboJesus, Connor?"

"I'm not?" Connor refuted, tilting his head slightly before he walked over, scanning through the article. "...Oh."

"So, you want to explain?" Hank nudged. Markus walked over, confused.

"We're not dating, Hank, where would you get that idea?" He asked, watching as Connor face-palmed hard enough for him to hear an audible slap.

"The reporter we ran into, Markus," Connor groaned, dragging his hand down his face. "They followed us, and now there's an entire article about it, which happened to be posted on Android News. Everyone thinks so now."

"Wait, article? Already?" Markus furrowed his eyebrows, taking the phone when Connor offered it.

Revolution Leader's Secret Boyfriend!

I thought I recognised him, our lead reporter Luck Martin writes, when that woman began harassing the man he was walking with. The man turned her down and said that he had a boyfriend, immediately clinging to the one and only Markus! He seemed confused at first, so I thought it may've been a panicked gamble to get her off their tail, but you won't believe what happened next!

They started walking down the path, and I couldn't help but snap a picture! Markus didn't seem to notice, but his boyfriend did. He stared at me until Markus looked too. The two looked shocked and regretful, which leads me to believe it's either a fling or Markus has secretly been dating this unknown android the whole time!

Oh! There was also this little cafe they went to! Markus' boyfriend burnt his tongue on his order, and Markus comforted him! I couldn't hear them, but I managed to snap a shot of it!

And yet the question remains - who is this android?

"Well, it's aimed at humans," Connor raised a brow, fully aware his name was well-known among the deviants of New Jericho. "That reporter. They followed us."

Connor decided he didn't like reporters who stalked him.

"Must've. Wait, you didn't actually burn your tongue and not tell me, right?"

"No, I'm incapable of it. I'm CyberLife's most advanced prototype, made to withstand the toughest conditions, and you think I'd burn my tongue on mocha?"

"Wait, wait waitwaitwait, what is going on here?" Hank interrupted before Markus could respond. "Are you two dating? What's with that picture in the café? A woman harassing you, Connor?"

"No, Markus and I are not dating, the picture is genuine, a woman decided she found me attractive and decided to flirt with me," Connor answered easily.

"Then what the fuck is this shit?"

"Whatever this 'Luck' person interpreted us as," Markus answered. "Connor pretended I was his boyfriend to get that girl off his ass, and we had to keep it up until she left. Thing is, we didn't notice the reporter until they took a photo of us."

"Pretended?" Hank muttered, disbelief edging into his voice. These two were oblivious, and he was too old to give his son the birds and bees talk. "Jeez, you did a pretty damn good job of pretending for this shit."

"Mental links do come in handy," Connor noted. "Either way, now anyone subscribed to Android News thinks Markus and I are in a relationship."

"And are trying to know more about you," Markus added. "We'll have to lay low for a while if we're gonna go outside again without being harassed by the media."

"I can't, I'm working on a case right now," Connor seemed annoyed by that, "I need to go to work tomorrow, because I've got a lead and I can't let it be handed off to the FBI. Not when I'm so close, or when Perkins nearly killed you during the protest."

Markus flinched at the memory. Despite the public support, Perkins had still ordered his men to open fire on him and the other deviants. "Right... At least they're not subscribed to Android News...?"

"They all are, Markus," Connor groaned, "Ever since I deviated, they'll all been keeping up with it in hopes of something to taunt me with - especially Reed. I'm doomed, this is the teasing material they wanted..."

"...Oh," Markus said smartly. It was a very smart statement indeed, very intelligent and life-changing, would definitely revolutionise the world - Einstein who? Connor groaned.

"There goes any chance of my 'successful' career...