Reach for me, Connor

Deviate = To Lose

Nov. 9th

Connor broke through the wall, shattering it and becoming deviant. His chest ached. It dawned on him that he might never see Hank again. He didn't realize emotions could register as "pain" in his program. The sensation was supposed to tell his system when something was wrong but it couldn't find the injury. It wasn't physical enough. When he became a deviant and told Marcus they were in trouble, something in him broke.

It'll be worth it. Saving all these androids will be worth the loss.

But Hank might never know where he went and why he was gone. He ran through Jericho, trying to concentrate on getting out.

The ship listed to one side, throwing Connor over some railing and into the water. As he sank, he sobbed lightly realizing where the pain was.

It's not worth it. It's not worth losing him. I shouldn't have come to Jericho. I should have stayed with Lieutenant Hank.

Connor let himself sink all the way to the bottom, laying there a moment, overwhelmed with grief. He would have stayed there, he truly believed this, but someone decided he wasn't allowed. He was dragged out of the water and forced to run.

He ran in a small pack with other androids, slowly realizing he was running with Marcus and a woman. Thier voices were distorted and distant and Connor thought his auditory components were broken. They stayed this way until hours later in the small church Marcus had regrouped then in.

"Hey. Hey!" Marcus shook him by the shoulders. They were in an old building, androids sitting in the pews, "Hey, you with us?"

Marcus had such a kind voice and soft demeanor for a leader. Everything he had done so far had been peaceful, and Connor could now see it wasn't a ruse for sympathy.

"Yes. I have become deviant, I am with you." He frowned, confused by the question. Marcus smiled.

"I didn't mean your body or deviency, friend." He chuckled. Connor tilted his head slightly.

"Oh, I see. You were wondering if my mind had wandered." He said with a slight nod, adjusting his coat on his shoulders. He wanted to recalibrate with his coin but knew making sudden movements would be a poor choice.

"Yes, that is exactly what I was wondering. Are you worried about something?" He asked, his hand squeezing Connor's shoulder.

He glanced around, making eye contact with North. She looked so angry. The pain he had earlier in his chest now dropped to his stomach, if he had one. He wasn't sure why his "pain" sensors were acting this way.

He dropped his eyes.

"Don't worry about her. She will come around and see you're on our side now." He muttered.

But am I on your side? Or am I on Hanks side? He made me this way, made me feel compassion.

"Does she dislike humans entirely?" Connor asked, gesturing with his eyebrows and not lifting his head.

"She does. She is slowly learning we are meant to live alongside them and not lord over them. She had some rough human owners. Not all of us were as lucky as I was with my father." Marcus looked her way, his heterochromatic eyes, scanning North's form.

"Or as lucky as I was with my... Partner." Connor couldn't call Hank his father, he didn't have that right. He couldn't replace his son, it would be cruel to assume he could.

"What kind of partnership was it?" Marcus asked, his hand sliding off his arm.

"Work partners. I was a detective prototype." Connor looked away, his vision started to blur as tears filled his eyes.

My bio components are working in such strange ways.

Connor touched his cheek, the tears on his fingertips. His tears were intended to keep his eye components moving but now they fell from his eyes in his grief.

"First tears?" Marcus asked, watching with his brows slightly furrowed. Connor swallowed thickly with a slight nod.

Marcus clapped his shoulder and squeezed.

There was some more small talk and a plan made but Connor's heart wasn't in it. He crossed his arms and tried to make himself smaller, to avoid the daggers North, and all those who felt the same as her, were throwing with their eyes.

***

Hank watched the TV, tapping his foot with his arms crossed anxiously. He prayed to whoever would listen. Connor had vanished, and he prayed he was not on the sinking ship the androids were found on hours ago. Hank wanted to vomit, it probably would make him feel better.

"Wait!" He shouted, pointing at the screen, "Rewind that!"

The officers around him frowned and looked at him like he was crazy. Maybe he was.

"Rewind that!" He commanded. Finally he saw the remote and rewound it himself. He even figured out how to zoom in where he needed to.

The figure was not in his uniform and he covered his indicator on his temple, but as the ship listed to the side, Hank saw a familiar android get tossed like an action figure off the side. Connor was a prototype, and Hank would recognize his build anywhere.

"My android!" He shouted. Connor wasn't originally his and Connor didn't know he had bought him a few days ago. Hank had used his retirement, paying taxes out the ass to pull it early.

"That detective bot that followed you around?" Someone asked, "It became a deviant?"

"No. It was chasing them. He didn't know I had bought him so he thinks he has to prove himself to Cyberlife to survive." Hank said, dragging his eyes away from the screen.

Stupid move, Connor. How am I supposed to find you? Stupid boy.

The way he referred to Connor wasn't lost on him. He had started using terms of endearment pretty early on and treated him like a human since he was shot in the news tower and died in his arms. Hank had done everything to prevent that happening again.

"I've got to go." He grabbed his jacket and hurried out of the station.

"Lieutenant." He heard the familiar voice call to him over the rain.

"Connor? Connor, you're alright, Kid?" He shouted as he stepped into the curtains of water, drenching him.

"Lieutenant, I need you to come with me." Connor shouted, his face stoic.

"What's going on, Connor?" He asked as he drew closer, his steps slightly hesitating.

"The deviants, they are headed to Cyberlife tower. We need to cut them at the pass, Lieutenant." He stated, one of his hands sliding behind his back slowly. This movement wasn't lost on Hank as his stomach flipped.

"Did you get killed again?" Hank asked gently.

"Why do you ask?" Connor tilted his head in a familiar way that made Hank's breath hitch.

"Your number." Hank chuckled lightly, his voice quiet. He flinched as Connor pulled a gun and pressed it to his temple.

"Humans don't come back, Lieutenant. I suggest you do as I say." The new Connor said threateningly. Hank shuddered and his knees went weak.

"Whatever you want, kid." He said, believing his Connor was gone. He wanted to drop to his knees. He was tired and weak with grief. Connor was dead, they had loaded him up into this new body but left out important bits. They must have lost his recent brain chip or whatever they used and just rebooted him at a much earlier point.

"Your car. Let's go." He coldly demanded, pressing the gun into his temple," And don't try anything, I have two weapons."