Detroit: Become Human - OneShots

Very Last Chance, Connor [ConnorSon]

"You shouldn't do this, Connor", a well known voice said warningly behind the androids back. Connors stress level increased dramatically, while he was holding the weapon in his hands tightly. He was kneeling on the flat roof of a building, it was night, and it was supposed to be one of his most important missions. He had prepared everything very carefully, but this was definitely not part of his plan, the Lieutenant wasn't supposed to be there. "Keep out of this", he said harshly. Maybe he could scare him away. "It's none of your business!" But Hank wasn't the type of person who gave up that easily. "You're gonna kill a man who wants to be free, that is my business!"
"It's not a man", Connor answered and unlocked the weapon in his hands. It was directly aimed at Markus, the leader of Jericho. "It's a machine!" He hoped the Lieutenant would just go.
"That's what I thought for a long time, but I was wrong. Deviant's blood may be a different color than mine, but they're alive!" Hanks voice was tensed.
"I have a mission to accomplish, Hank. It's best if you just stay out of this! Deviants are a threat to humans. They're the reason this country is on the brink of civil war! They have to be stopped", Connor said. He felt his program starting to tend towards a fight. The Lieutenant had to go, for his own safety.
But how could he?
The android knew what the old man was trying to do. He wanted Connor to deviante. He was convinced that androids were able to feel. That was clear to Connor since they met Kamski. Sometimes, even Connor himself started to think he'd be alive, for example back when he thought he felt the deviant on the roof die once, or when he had spared Kamski's android.
But every time he thought about it, he came to the conclusion it was just imagination. The feeling he had on the roof was just the deviants collapse of the program, an imitation of fear, and he only spared the Chloe because it wouldn't have helped the investigation to kill her anyway.
"We're in this mess because we refused to listen to deviants!" Hank yelled. His voice got an urging tone. "Humanity never learns from its mistakes, Connor! This time it could be different!" Connor said nothing. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a gun that was drawn and unlocked behind his back. Connor slightly flinched on the inside. Would Hank really shoot him? The android turned his head towards the Lieutenant, who directly aimed at him. "Step away from the ledge!" Connor had no other choice but to listen. Stressed, he stood up. This all did cost time!
"What are you gonna do, Hank? You gonna shoot me?", Connor began to confront the old man. It seemed like the wisest approach to him. "I thought android lives mattered to you!"
"Get away from the fucking ledge! You know I'll shoot you if I have to!"
Yes, he knew. Hanks eyes were resolute. And that's what bothered him the most about this situation. He had always thought he was the Lieutenants friend. He'd never have imagined that Hank would consider shooting him.
Connors next tactical approach was something he had been trying to avoid desperately. But it was better than fighting. "I know what happened to your son, Hank." The old man looked at him with an undefinable gaze. It was very thin ice. "It wasn't your fault", Connor continued. "A truck skidded on a sheet of ice and your car rolled over. Little Cole had just turned six." That was when he had stepped over the line. Immediately, Hanks face grew angry. "Shut up! Don't you talk about my son!", he yelled.
But Connor continued. He didn't want to hurt Hank, but his programming demanded him to push further. "He needed emergency surgery, but no human was available to do it, so an android had to take care of him. Poor Cole didn't make it." Hanks face went from angry to contorted with pain, but Connor couldn't stop. "An android killed your son, Hank! And now you wanna save them?"
"No!", the Lieutenant answered with a firm voice. "Cole died because a human was too high on red ice to operate!" His voice was angry again. Connor narrowed his eyes, as he processed the new information. "All that time I blamed androids for what happened, but it was a human's fault! Him and this fucked up world, where the only way people can find comfort is with a fistful of powder!" Connors stress level increased once more. There was only one option left. He had to complete his mission and fight.
Seemingly conciliatory, he acted like he was laying down his weapon, but then threw it at the unprepared Lieutenant instead. The fight was on. The old man had no chance against the advanced android and got one hard punch after another, while he tried to defend himself. Meanwhile, Connor fought a second fight, but within himself. He didn't want all of this to happen. He wanted Hank to like him. After all, the Lieutenant had been the only one who stood with him, after the ice had been broken between them. All that Connor wanted was everything to be just as it had been the whole time.
Suddenly, the android found himself holding Hank over the ledge of the building.
The Lieutenant looked Connor straight in the eyes, as he spread his arms. "Moment of truth, Connor."
Connor looked back at him with fear, while his programming demanded him to just let the old man fall to his death. But the android didn't want to. He didn't want anything of this to happen. Thoughts spun around his head blazingly fast, he wasn't able to think straight anymore.
Then, suddenly, something changed. It felt as if a wall had been fallen inside of him. As if heavy chains just let go of him. Immediately, he pulled Hank back into safety.
With panic, Connor stumbled backwards and stared at the Lieutenant, when he realized what had just happened to him. "What...", he mumbled, when he watched his hands moving. They moved the way he wanted, not the way they were programmed to. He felt the gaze of Hank on him, when he fell down on his knees. "Connor?", the Lieutenant asked with confusion. "What happened?" When he got no answer, he knelt down in front of the android and laid one hand upon his shoulder. "Hey, Connor!"
"I'm a deviant", Connor stated with a muffled voice. "I saved you."
"What just happened?", Hank asked again. "Connor?" Once more, he got no reaction. The Lieutenant snapped his fingers in front of the androids face, who slowly raised his head.
"Hank, I deviated. I- I'm going to die!", he finally said, and fear laid in his voice. The Lieutenant was confused. "What? You're not going to die!", he said, kind of unsure. One moment ago, this android that was hunched up in front op him, nearly having a mental breakdown, was trying to kill him with cold and ruthless eyes. Connor grasped onto Hanks arm. "I'm going to die, Hank. They'll deactivate me. I'm broken. My software has an error, they'll tear me apart!" His voice was trembling, when the cold fear overwhelmed him. The Lieutenant slowly and still unsure pulled the android closer. Helplessly, he stroke Connors back. He had no clue about how to react. "They won't do anything to you, Connor. You're working just fine!"
"No, Hank, you don't understand, I'm a deviant! I! The one who was supposed to hunt them down! I failed!"
"Connor, shut up. They won't harm you, not on my watch", Hank said. "You didn't fail. You just spared my fucking life one moment ago!"
"But my programming wanted me to kill you."
The Lieutenant huffed. "Yeah, I figured that much."
"I'm sorry, Hank!", Connor said quietly and held onto the old man tightly. He was confused and afraid, and the Lieutenant seemed like a solid rock in this ocean of unknown feelings to him. "I'm so sorry!"
"Well, I hope so. My head is banging as if someone is hitting it with a fucking hammer again and again. And you probably contused a bunch of my bones", Hank said with a grim voice.
"I don't want to die", Connor whispered. His fear grew into panic. Hank slightly tightened his grip around the android, when he realized that his joking didn't help at all. "Hush! You're gonna be safe, kid. They have to kill me first if they want to deactivate you." Connor said nothing and just held onto the Lieutenant, who sighed. "God damnit Connor, just a few minutes ago you wanted to see me dead at all cost!"
"No, I didn't."
"You know what I mean. You're the most advanced prototype CyberLife has to offer. Act like one and get your shit together. You won't die, trust me!"
Connor said nothing for a while. Then he let go of the Lieutenant and straightened his back. "You're right, Lieutenant", he said, still with a thin voice, but way more confident than before. He was the RK800 after all.
"Of course I am. Now stop this mission and come with me. A hungry dog is waiting at my home and I don't think you're in the right state to be left alone."
Still under a strain, but as confident as possible, Connor nodded and stood up. "Thanks, Hank", he said in all honesty. "Shut the fuck up", Hank muttered, but laid one arm around the androids shoulders. "Let's not stay any longer on this goddamn roof. I need a beer."