Deviants Fallen: A DBH Story

Chapter 42: Ruthless Efficiency

******CONTENT WARNING: Blood, violence, depictions of torture, dismemberment, non-consensual memory modification (Richard)******

A/N: The Clara sections are pretty dark, but it does not get super graphic. Just be warned that it can make some readers uncomfortable.

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Connor and Simon trudged up to the house with Richard's motionless body slung between them. Eli walked ahead of them, watching for any signs of other officers or Cyberlife personnel that may be lurking on the property. North took up the rear, occasionally grumbling that they should just bury him in a ditch and be done with it. Slowly but surely, they made their way to the lab.

"Lift him up here. Face down." Eli gestured to a table near the computers.

Connor and Simon did as requested, depositing Richard's prone body on the table.

Eli walked over to the computer, shuffling through a few programs before settling on one. He grabbed a cord, then made his way over to where Richard lay. He deactivated the local skin on the back of his neck, then moved to plug the cord in.

Worried, Connor spoke up. "What are you going to do to him?"

"I'm going to reset his memory." Eli jammed the cord into the back of the android's neck.

Connor felt a spike of alarm. "No!" He moved forward, but North intervened, stepping in front of him.

"If he remembers what just happened, that'll jeopardize our rescue." She stepped close, getting up in his face. "Is that what you want?"

Connor felt torn. "No." He looked at Eli, who stood next to the computer. He had yet to make a move. "But there has to be another way. You can't just erase who he is. Clara wouldn't want that."

Simon stepped forward, glancing at Richard, then turned to Eli. "When you first brought us down to the compound, Clara told us about how you guys can selectively erase data from memories while leaving the rest intact. Surely that can be a middle ground for us here."

He glanced between Connor and Eli. "Make him forget what he's seen of the property and of Connor's actions, but don't take away from who he is."

Eli sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "The more lenient we are with him, the harder it will be to rescue Clara. If he remembers anything, he'll try to stop us. If I try to be selective, I might miss something. We can't kill him, but if I just completely wipe his memory, that will eliminate him as a barrier."

Connor glanced again at Richard, remembering the concern he'd shown for Connor when he'd been overwhelmed by Clara's words, and the way he'd sprung into action to keep her alive. Maybe it had just been for the sake of the mission, but if it was more than that, was he really willing to let them destroy that?

After a moment, he shook his head, looking again at Eli. "I can't let you do that." He strode forward, pushing past North, and pulled the cord from Richard's neck. "I can't let you take away who he is. Not when there's a chance he can become more. Like I did. If you erase who he is, then he'll have to start over, and he may never be the same again. All his progress will be gone. We can't do that to him."