✔️Deviating For Him (RK1700)

9^ Interrogation

I walk into the station with Connor by my side. We're a lot more refreshed thanks to our day off yesterday.
     "Oh, there you two are," Hank greets as he meets us in the hallway. "We're interrogating the alternate Connor."
     As soon as he says that, Connor grabs my arm in a tight grip. "You don't have to go," I soothe. "You can stay here."
     "But, you're going. I have to go. I'm just... scared..."
     I let him hold onto me as I follow Hank to the interrogation room. Inside, he sits with a pleasant expression in his face.
     "Be careful..." Connor whimpers as I walk inside.
     "Didn't think I'd see you here of all people," he begins.
     I sit down without a word. "I'm going to be honest with you when I say I'm here to extract a confession and information. If you refuse to give me what I need, you'll go back in your cell until you're ready to talk. When, and if, you do end up speaking, there is no way out for you. You'll be properly charged and sentenced accordingly."
     "Charges?"
     "Abduction, false imprisonment, and abuse. That's all... for now." I sit back. "What do you think about that?"
     "I think that's fair." He shrugs. "I did hurt Connor... a lot," he winks.
     I purse my lips in an attempt to calm myself. He wants a reaction out of you, I tell myself. "What else did you do?"
     "That's grim that you wanna know so bad," he laughs. "But, I'll indulge you. I'm sure you know how fragile Connor's body is. He wouldn't obey, so I had to break a few things to make him sit still."
     "Like?"
     "Don't worry, I fixed him up. He's fine."
     "Not what I asked, but ok. What else did you do?"
     "I think you know the rest. Why did you think he was naked? Why did you think there were bruises on him? And, I know you saw the pretty, little handprints I left on his ass. I hope you liked that. He sure did." He winks.
     I raise my eyebrow. "I highly doubt he enjoyed any of it, but whatever." I lean forward. "Did you rape him?"
     "Sure did."
     "Well, that's another charge..." I mutter.
     "You're awfully calm. I thought I'd be on the floor right about now."
     I look him in the eye. "I can assure you, I know what you did to him. I just wanted to hear it from you. And, there are people watching us. It wouldn't be very professional if I beat you, wouldn't it?"
     He shakes his head. "I suppose, it wouldn't be."
     "Enough of this." I point to a picture of the first girl reported missing. The one that blew up. "Tara O'Neil was the first girl to be reported missing. Do you know anything about her?"
     "Well, I know her name is Tara O'Neil. I know she's a girl. I know she's a human." He points to the picture. "I know that's what she looks like."
     "This is basic shit. Don't play dumb with me. What do you know about her capture?"
     He sighs. "I know... nothing." He winks. He winks a lot. I'm starting to get suspicious...
     "Are you wired?" I ask, going off of a hunch I have.
     "Of course, not." He winks again, still wearing that pleasant smile.
     I stand and motion for him to be quiet before taking out a gun. Carefully, I uncuff him, but force the gun to his head. "Don't move, or I'll shoot," I mouth.
     He nods, showing fear for the first time.
     I step over to him and carefully begin to undress him. He squirms and tries to push me away, but he doesn't try hard. I hear it when I get his pants off: a quiet beeping sound. I throw it in the corner as it detonates, leaving a decent sized hole in the wall. It surely would've killed him if he would've been wearing the clothes. He stands in his underwear, shaking.
     "Shit. Shit, shit, shit..." he mutters. "Fuck."
     "Sit back down," I order, and he does as I say. He cuffs himself back to the table and sits there, staring ahead.
     "What's going on? Your stress levels are rising. You look... scared," I observe.
     His eyes glance over me fleetingly. "N-No. I'm not scared. I assure you, I'm not scared." He tries to bring that pleasant smile back to his face, but he can't, and he gives up.
     "So, you're not the leader. You're nowhere close to being the leader. You're a pawn, aren't you?" I question, putting imaginary pieces together in my mind.
     He says nothing.
     "I'm right, aren't I? They made you resemble Connor in almost every way, then used you with the intention to kill you once they were done with you, didn't they?"
     He still doesn't say a thing.
     I sit back. "Don't be afraid. You're safe now."
     His head snaps up in one sudden, jerking movement. "I-I-I... Please, stop..." he begs. "P-Put me back in my cell. Please."
     "I'm right," I murmur. "Here," I grab his hand and pull his arm towards me. "Let me probe your memory. That way, I'll know all I need to know, and you have to say nothing."
     "Why are you being so... nice? After everything I did...?"
     "Because, I have a hunch. If I'm right, that means you're innocent." I slip my hand up his arm and remove the skin, gently probing through his memory.
     Memories flash before my eyes. Someone looming over him, telling him something, then slapping him across the face; someone touching him, forcing him to take them; someone forcing him to sleep in subzero temperatures while naked; it goes on and on. I watch as it fast forwards, showing me memory after memory of him being used and abused, time and time again. He's a pawn...
     Until Connor shows up, and it changes. Confusion clouds my mind as I watch through alternate Connor's eyes. That someone looms over Connor, too. He suffers the same fate. They both do. Alternate Connor's forced to watch that someone have their way with my Connor. For a second, I can feel what he feels, and he's terrified. He feels... bad that he can't do anything, but terrified that if he speaks up, he'll get hurt, too.
     I push away the abuse and search for the abduction victims. The more I search, the more I find memory after memory of him being mistreated in every way possible. I'm unable to find anything, so I stop searching. I release Connor's arm. It was never alternate Connor. It was whoever that man was.
     My hunch is right.
     "Stand. Let me see your back," I demand. He does as I ask, but looks terrified. I stand, stepping over to him and looking at his back. It's marked with various scars. I trace my finger over one of them, causing him to freeze up. "Who was that? Who hurt you?"
     His eyes widen, and his mouth opens, but he says nothing.
     "Connor-"
     "D-Don't!" he shouts. "Please! Please, don't call me that! I-I hate that name!"
     "Then, what should I call you?"
     He hesitates for a moment before uttering a few words. "Well... I've always liked the name 'Caleb'."
     "Ok," I nod, walking around him to face him. "Caleb, let me help you. It wasn't your fault. It was his fault. But, I need to know who he is. Please, tell me so I can help you."
     "He hurt me everyday... I was forced to stand and stare at him as he slept, knowing that when he woke up, he'd start throwing things at me and laugh as I desperately avoid getting hit. From the moment he wakes up, to the moment he falls asleep, he uses me. He used to scream that I was nothing, that I was useless. He'd threaten to kill me, then laugh as he watched me plead for my life. He told me he only made me so I could serve him. He said I was made in Connor's image. He would always talk about how Connor is so much better, and I'm nothing. He would keep track of the days on my back. When I didn't do what he said, he would cut me all over on my back so I would be in constant pain every time I moved. I'm just his little toy. It doesn't matter what you do. He'll find me before you find him, and he'll kill me." He looks up at me with fear in his eyes. "I'm going to die, and Androids don't go to heaven."
     I purse my lips, conflicted with everything he tells me. I hesitate before continuing to question him. "I'm sorry that happened, I really am, but I need to know his name. If I just know his name, I can stop him from hurting you."
     Caleb hesitates before taking my hand and squeezing it. I let him do it. He probably needs something to hold onto anyway. "He... We all called him... Hyperion," he whispers as if he wants no one but me to hear. "No one knows his real name."
     "Damn..."
     "Please, kill me. Kill me before he gets me. He'll make me suffer for this. He'll torture me. He'll hurt me. I-I can't take that. I can't. Please! You have to kill me now!"
     "Relax! Relax..." I murmur. "I promise, nothing will happen to you. You will be safe," I soothe.
     He doesn't say anything, but he doesn't look convinced, either. I have all I came to get, so I turn in an attempt to exit the room. "W-Wait! Don't leave me!"
     I turn around. "I'm not leaving. I'm not leaving," I repeat. "I'm just getting you a change of clothes. Non-wired, non-explosive clothes. Would you like me to send someone in here with you?"
     He nods. "Can-Can you send Connor in here? I... I want to apologize for all this."
     I nod and walk towards the exit.
     "Oh, and I lied! I didn't leave handprints on him! I didn't break anything! I promise, I didn't touch him! It was all a front! He-He would've killed me if I didn't..."
     "I know," I throw over my shoulder. "I want to have a word with Connor, but I'll send him in here as soon as I'm done." I leave the room and approach Connor.
     He stands motionless.
     I grab his wrist, and he freaks out. "N-No!" he screams, pulling away. He breathes heavily, shaking uncontrollably.
     I put my hands out. "Relax, Connor. It's just me."
     He runs forward and hugs me. "I'm sorry. I knew he did nothing, and I never told you. I just... I got a flashback when you held my wrist. He-He used to hold me by the wrists..."
     This time, I grab his arm and probe his memory to see that he's right. Everything matches, and the story comes together. I hold him in my arms. "Why?" I whisper against his ear.
     "I-I was scared... I was scared that he'd find me if I said anything. I was scared he would hurt you, too."
     I go silent. "Go talk to him," I murmur. "I'll get him some clothes." Quickly, I leave the room. The atmosphere crushes me, and I run. I start running, and I don't look back. I stand outside in the cool, night air. "I have to find him. I have to find Hyperion," I whisper. I sigh, reflecting on how stupidly wrong I was. I thought Caleb was the one behind it all. Now that I think about it, he wouldn't have been so easy to capture if he was. "I'm so stupid..."