Roles Reversed (DETROIT: Become Human AU) (COMPLETED)

Prolouge 2: A NEW HOME

The scene opens up in a neighborhood that has scene better days. Most of the houses appeared to have structural damage, while others were for sale or abandoned. A car pulls up to one of the few least damaged houses. A man steps out from the driver's set in a blue sweatshirt and maroon beanie. His name has Leo Manfred. The passenger door opens, revealing an android. His skin was African-American, he had a shaved head, green eyes, and wore a black and white uniform that had the CyberLife logo on his left chest and a blue armband on his right bicep.

The android's uniform has this special feature that would change his model number to his name once and a while.

MARKUS
AX200 #684 842 971

The two men walked into the house. Leo turned to Markus and gave him instructions.

Leo: you've been gone two weeks, so the place is a mess. You wash the dishes, make the food, do the laundry, all of that. Oh, and you take care of-

He notices a certain person is nowhere insight.

Leo: crap, where's the brat gone to now? Simon? Simon!

A few seconds later, a little boy, no older than 10, is at the bottom of the stairs. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, he wore a red long sleeved shirt and blue jeans, and was holding a teddy bear.

Leo: (notices Simon) oh. (Turns back to Markus) You help with homework, cleaning his room, all that crap. Get started down here, then work up stairs, you got it?

Markus: yes, Leo.

Leo went to the living room to watch a hockey game, and Simon went back up stairs. Markus decided to start returning to his tasks. He took out the trash, washed the dishes, turned on the Robo vacuum, gave Leo a cold beer, and was currently in the backyard to do the laundry. After he got all the clothes in the basket, he noticed Simon came out. He walked over and knelt down to his level

Markus: you look bored. Would you like to play a game?

Simon: ...

Markus: it's nice today. Do you like playing out here?

Simon didn't respond, but instead got up and went back inside. Markus didn't know why, but something about Simon avoiding him seemed to have troubled Markus, causing his LED to turn yellow.

Brushing it off, Markus returned to his task, and took the clothes to the laundry room. He places the clothes in the machine and was reaching for laundry detergent. But before he could put any in the machine, he noticed something in the detergent. It was a packet of a red-crystal-like substance. His scanning systems revealed it to be Red Ice, an illegal drug that made vapping look like medicine. He felt a presence behind him, but when he turned around, a hand reached to his neck and started choking him.

Leo: you shouldn't be going through my stuff. It makes me nervous and pisses me off! (Takes the packet from him) You wanna piss me off?

Markus: no Leo.

Leo let's go, and Markus' LED return from a crimson red to a calm blue. He finishes putting the detergent in the machine and leaves to go upstairs. Markus starts by cleaning Leo's room, where he found a lot of alcohol bottles, a few letters from a Carl Manfred (Leo's father), a gun next to antidepressants, and some credit card decline letters. He then cleans the bathrooms, then arrives to Simon's room.

It was a small room. The walls were painted sky-blue, a single bed up against the wall, a window that led to the front section of the roof, and a little fort made out of blankets on the right side of the room. Simon recoiled himself into his little fort when Markus entered the room

Markus: I'm just going to clean a few things. There's no need to be scared.

So he makes the bed, straightens the books on the bookshelf, and puts a few toys away. Before he leaves, Markus decides to talk to Simon a little more.

Markus: I heard you gave me my name. I want you to know, I like it.

Simon: ...

Markus: I don't mean to scare you. I'm sorry if my presence had made you uncomfortable.

Simon: ...

Markus: I'm sorry I don't remember. But I'm sure we were good friends, and we can be again.

(Earlier that day, Leo went to the CyberLife store to pick up Markus from being repaired. According to Leo, he got hit by a car, but unless it was a direct hit, androids are built to be stronger than that. One of the store workers said that Markus was so damaged, they had to wipe his memory.)

Simon got up from his fort to go downstairs, but before he went out the door, he ran back to Markus and gave him a small key. After Simon left, Markus walked over to the dresser, and used the key on the box titled 'Simon's Treasures.' Inside, he found a four-leaf clover, an old photo of a family, and a few drawings.

The first was Simon, Leo, and another figure who must be Simon's mother, all happy.
The next one was what appears to be the parents separating and Simon sad.
The next one was Leo angry and Simon hurt.
The next one was Markus standing up against Leo.
And the last one was Simon crying and Markus broken.

They cause the android's LED to change red for a brief moment and starts causing strange occurrences in his systems. He puts the drawings back, closes the box, and returns downstairs. Near the bottom of the stairs, the android notices how uncomfortable Simon looks as Leo come towards him.

Leo: what are you doing?

Simon: (stammering) I-I'm playing

Leo: you're 'playing.' (begins to pace around a little) I know what you're thinking. You think your dad's a lowlife. Huh? Fucking loser? Can't get a job, take care of his family? Don't you think I tried to make things work?! But whatever I do, then someone comes along, and they just FUCK IT ALL UP! (throws a chair across the room, then starts looming over the child, breathing heavily.) I know what you think of me. You hate me. You hate me, don't you? (Kicks the chair and grabbing the boy before he falls. Lifts him in the air and roars) SAY IT! YOU HATE ME!

The poor child is sobbing enough to not even form words. Leo pales, setting Simon down and sank into his knees.

Leo: (voice thick with emotion) God... what am I doing? I'm sorry, buddy. I'm sorry (brings him close. Voice whimpering) You know I love you, don't you? You know I love you.

Markus watches the scene play out. His eyes meet Simon's, and they say pleas for help. He then begins to realize that the drawings said that this whole scenario has happened before. Now that just leaves one question; what can he do to help the boy?