Not many know the past of Lieutenant Hank Anderson's adopted daughter. Then again, not many know Hank's past, either. Both medicate their sorrows with a drink.
Connor knows he has to stay away from her, both for the mission and so Hank doesn't murde...
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Connor stared straight ahead, his arms robotically down at his sides. If this was a typical situation and he wasn't still learning how to be human, we'd hold hands, watching the snow while the car self-drives. There's no doubting they're alive, but there's still a long way to go for everyone, and Connor is the stiffest of them all.
"Where are we?" Connor asks, scanning the house in suspicion.
"Her house looks abandoned. Do you think something happened to her?" my mother said, ignoring Connor's question. I shrug to him, walking up to the door, knocking a few times. After a few minutes, it's clear no one is coming.
"Connor, can you look up the number to Rose Chapman's brother?" I ask him, remembering her escape plan in case they ever were in trouble. I turn, seeing a puzzled look on his face. "I don't know his name. She just said her brother in Canada." When he hesitates again, my anxiety heightens. "Please Connor!"
He presses a finger to his head, before looking back at me. "I can't find anything, Rory."
My body slides down onto the porch in defeat. My mom sits beside me, wrapping her arm around me. Connor stands awkwardly before deciding to mirror my mother.
"You don't know her brother's name?" I ask my mom in a last attempt.
She shakes her head. "I'm sorry. I know his address, though, in Ontario, Canada." When my eyes widen in hope, she shakes her head again. "You can't go there, Rory. Not when you're so instrumental to maintaining peace between androids and humans. Kamski chose you, and he was successful. You can't go to Canada right now."
I know she's right, but I feel angry all the same. "If I'm so instrumental, why don't I go to Canada so I don't get hurt?"
A hand goes into my left one, and I realize it's Connor, trying to comfort me. "I don't want you to go away." The vulnerability on his face reminds me that if I left, he'd miss out on fatherhood, and I know his inquisitive nature would never allow him to follow me North.
"I know, I'm being silly. I'm sorry," I reply, squeezing his hand. "I guess we better go. Rose isn't here."
The ride back is just as silent as the ride there, but more somber. Nothing has gone right since Markus showed up. Rose fled to Canada, I'm somehow pregnant with an android's child due to science, and my dead android mother is back. At least Hank is laying off the alcohol. Still, that itself is a change from the norm.
"Sumo!" I cry out in a fake cheerful voice as the giant dog greets me then the other two. Hank's sitting on the couch, whiskey in hand. A sports game is on but I'm sure he's not watching it.
I take a seat next to him, catching his attention. Connor sits down slowly, practically sliding me in the middle of the two. My mother goes into the kitchen and I hear dishes being washed shortly after.
"How was your visit with Rose?" he asks finally.
"She's gone. Probably went to Canada it was taken for helping hide Androids." I shrug, staring at the amber liquid with obvious want. "Since it's part android, I can drink, right?"
Hank gulps down the rest of his glass. "Guess you won't find out."
I sigh, going into a pout. Alcohol would make this day much better but now I'm carrying Kamski's experiment. Sighing again, I stand up, going towards my room.
"Where are you going?" Connor asks from the couch, petting Sumo who has just taken my spot.
"I'm taking a shower." He nods at my answer, turning back to the TV.
My body is exhausted by the time I'm finished with my shower, and I can barely drag myself to bed. I can feel Connor slide in behind me, his cold hands resting on my stomach. I know he will be getting back up shortly, since he doesn't like to stay still, so I make sure I fall asleep before he does.
"I just want to speak with her. I'm not going to harm her...or the baby." I'm awoken by Markus's notorious voice, and I grab a robe, still self-conscious at my breast situation.
"Markus? What do you want?" My arms cross over my chest in slight annoyance.
"I came to see how you are. You're carrying the first human and android hybrid. I want to make sure you're okay." His multicolored eyes are sincere but it doesn't mean he's backing down from his new aggressive tactic.
"I'm fine...we're fine."
He nods, looking down for a bump I'm assuming. Thankfully, any sign of a child is hidden behind my robe, not that there's much of anything yet.
"I'm glad. I never thought our talk would've prompted you to do this." He gestures down and Connor walks over to me, probably afraid harm will happen between us.
"And I never thought North would've prompted you to ditch your pacifist ways."
His eyes narrow into a glare. "It's not North. It's about getting justice for our people."
I roll my eyes, huffing. "Your new methods will cause you to lose whatever rights you just accomplished, dumbass. Then all those casualties will be for absolutely nothing," I practically spit out the last words, thinking of all the sacrifices my mother did before Markus stepped into the scene. Then that's when it hits me: Markus doesn't know she's alive.
"And besides," I wave my hand with dramatic dismissal. "The real rA9 is back."
"What?" he grounds out harshly, taking a step forward. Connor is quick to get between us, pushing the deviant leader backwards.
"Kamski didn't just create life; he resurrected life too." I smirk, basking in the shocked expression on his face.
"Your mother?" he asks, still in disbelief.
"Yes. She's back."
Markus paces in front of us and I take a step back, afraid of him exploding on me in anger.
"This doesn't change anything, Aurora," he finally says, glaring at me in determination.
"Actually, you'll find it changes everything."
He storms out of the house, slamming the door loudly. Connor goes to the window, making sure the Deviant Leader is actually leaving and not setting our mailbox on fire.
Later that night, Markus did set something on fire, just not anything of mine.
"He's gone too far," my mother says, watching the CyberLife building go up in flames. "We wanted to control the production of ourselves and now he's destroyed the factory for us."
"What happens now?" I ask her.
She pauses, looking at Connor and I wonder if they've been discussing things while I was asleep.
