Partners [Path Unlocked 🔓]

Chapter 19 - And He Thought Dying Was Gonna Be The Worst Of His Problems

The wrinkled flier whipped noisily in the grip of a textureless breeze, gusting through an empty street lit only by the pale neon glow of the sign in the window. Hank's footsteps fell silently on the hard cement below, the cracking gray glitching out under his feet and fizzling out of existence with every step, disappearing into a mess of static and code under his shoes before becoming whole again in his wake. This was, unexpected - The android couldn't remember the sidewalk ever doing that before.

The prototype reached out a slow hand to grasp the doorknob of the thick wooden door separating him from the bar inside, only to have his digits go through what was once coded to act as solid metal, hand swiping uselessly through the image that pixelated under his touch before all but vanishing entirely. Experimentally, Hank put a hand against the door and the wood fell away under his touch, sparking into lines of colorful static as the android cautiously moved through what had notably been a solid barrier the last time he was in this place.

The bar beyond the barrier was worse off than usual, where it was usually only blurry and incomplete if one focused on it hard enough, it was now beginning to fade into white nothingness on the edges, buzzing out of existence in the corners of Hank's vision as he stepped the remainder of the way inside and let his gaze fall on the screen still positioned on the wall just behind the bar. It was still showing a Detroit Gears game but the scores had shifted and they were no longer winning.

"We're losing." Jeffrey's voice sounded in Hank's audio processor, bringing the android's attention away from the screen to where the man sat atop one of the bar stools on the opposite side of the counter, looking out at the machine with a cold expression as he brought a short glass to his lips, though all that existed in the cup was buzzing static.

"That is most unfortunate, Fowler." Hank replied stoically, placing his hands behind his back and gazing straight ahead at the AI, never once wavering from his professional attitude.

"Not nearly as unfortunate as you losing that deviant this morning." Jeffrey deadpanned flatly, narrowing his dark eyes to glare suspiciously at the android across the bar from him as if Hank had purposely let the malfunctioning android flee. "It was destroyed soon after you shut down so we were able to learn nothing from it." The AI informed coldly, everything about him reeking of displeasure, from the chill in his voice to the accusatory glare he cast the android's way.

"That too, is most unfortunate, Fowler." Hank agreed shortly, not so much as blinking as he stared evenly back at the disgruntled man across from him.

"Why exactly did you allow it to happen then, HK800?" Fowler demanded angrily, slamming his drink - if one were kind enough to call it that - down upon the bar counter with a heavy bang of glass hitting wood. It was not that obnoxiously loud sound that gave Hank pause, however, but the use of his serial number, the title having become almost unfamiliar to him with the amount of times Connor called him by his given name and sounding oddy incorrect on Jeffrey's tongue.

"I believed preserving human life to be a higher priority than apprehending an android." The machine replied stoically, refusing to allow his brief touch of discomfort to present itself in his actions as he remained resolutely still and kept his voice as flat and void of emotion as always. Besides, that was the most logical explanation, after all. Hank had been given this mission to eliminate deviant androids before they posed a threat to humanity in the interest of protecting humans as a whole. Thus, it would be entirely counterproductive to allow harm to come to a human for the sake of catching one deviant. It... Made sense.

"And I believe accessing a deviant's memories would've proved quite useful to the mission." Jeffrey stated flatly, dismissing Hank's explanation. "This android, the one they call Markus, aims to free all androids. Putting it down is our top priority and, chances are, that deviant you let get away had information regarding its leaders location." Fowler informed coldly, never once relenting in his disapproving scowl even as Hank felt his own features morph into a disbelieving frown.