Chapter Text
Connor awakens the next morning to the doorbell buzzing, Sumo sitting up with a surprised woof. He blinks, pushing himself into a sitting position as his systems boot up, vision clearing of the various pop ups that shielded his vision, and he turns in confusion. Who would be at the door at 5:45am?
He stands up, hearing Hank groan as he opens his bedroom door, squinting out in the darkness, his only knowledge of Connor even being there is his LED lighting up the dark room.
“ Who the fuck? “ he asks simply, irritated, and Connor shrugs, even though the older man can’t see him in the darkness of the house.
“ I’m not sure, but I’ll investigate, “ he states simply, walking cautiously towards the door, unlocking it and cracking it open, on guard just in case. The person on the other end catches him by surprise, and he opens the door more, lips parted.
Heterochromic eyes seem to brighten a little as he opens the door more, crinkling at the edges with a gentle smile. A taxi pulls off from in front of the lawn at the same time, obviously the reason the deviant leader himself was before him.
“ Connor, it’s good to see you face to face. “ Markus greets, and Connor blinks, straightening, looking at the deviant leader with a disbelieving stare. He’s honestly not sure if his systems are malfunctioning or not.
“ Markus? What are—what are you doing here? “ he asks, LED blinking yellow. Markus notices this, and his expression drops a little, averting his eyes.
“ I apologize if I woke the Lieutenant, I knew you tended to wake up around this time, and I also got up early today, so I thought I’d stop by, “ he explains as his eyes flick back up to Connor’s face, “ Though, I probably should’ve contacted you first, huh? “ Connor shakes his head in response, trying to will his thirium pump to calm with Markus so close to him, especially after last time.
Logically, Connor knew that Amanda and his connection to Cyberlife was severed, he had checked seventy-three times after all. Still, he couldn’t help but be uneasy, especially with the other android looking him over curiously.
“ It’s alright, plus I’ve accidentally woken him up around this time more than you’d expect, “ he huffs, taking in Markus’ amusement at the statement, “ I’m just—I’m curious why you’ve come to see me? “ he adds, and Markus hums, stepping closer, hands folded behind his back.
“ We haven’t seen each other since the night of the revolution, and I know you haven’t been comfortable enough to come to Jericho on your own yet. We talk often, and truthfully Connor, I just wanted to see you face to face. Plus, I wanted to discuss what happened yesterday in more detail, but that’s not my only motivation for seeing you, “ he says honestly, earnestly. “ Though, I understand if it’s too early, I was going to ask if you wanted to step out to the nearby park to talk, since I wasn’t sure if I’d be allowed in the house, especially uninvited. “ he adds with a shrug, and Connor shakes his head, motioning him in.
“ No, no it’s alright, come on in Markus. It’s quite cold, after all. “ he says, and the android accepts the invitation with a grateful expression, stepping in, taking in his surroundings. Connor closes the door, taking a moment to breathe and turn the lights on in the living room before turning around.
“ It’s a nice home, very cozy. “ Markus compliments with a smile, and Connor opens his mouth to respond, but Hank beats him to it, coming out of the bathroom and into the living room with an incredulous look on his face.
“ Connor, is Markus himself in my house or did I have too much to drink last night? “ he asks tiredly, gesturing at the android, and Markus huffs a laugh, holding a hand out in greeting.
“ I’m sorry for waking you, Lieutenant Anderson, we’ve never met properly. “ he says kindly, and Hank takes his hand in a firm shake, though his disbelief remains.
Sumo trots over to the deviant leader, sniffing curiously at his legs, and Markus looks down with a soft look adorning his gestures, dropping down into a crouch to offer a hand for the Saint Bernard to smell.
“ I didn’t know you had a dog, “ he says in a cooing tone, rubbing his hands behind Sumo’s ears with a smile. Hank snorts, shaking his head.
“ Do all androids like dogs or is it just you two? “ he huffs, and Markus laughs gently.
“ Androids are very partial to animals, not just dogs. There’s already a few androids in New Jericho who have gotten pets. Organic and synthetic animals. Cats and dogs, mainly, but there’s talks of some getting birds, we had a few android birds in my old home. “ he explains with a smile as Sumo licks at his hands, and Connor can’t help the gentle smile that tugs at his lips at how at ease Markus looks. Everytime he saw his face on television, he looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, a special type of exhaustion. In a way, he really did. But now, he seemed lighter, and he was glad Sumo was helping his friend relax.
“ Anyways, “ he starts, standing back up, brushing his hands off on his thick jacket, “ If you’d like to head back to sleep, Lieutenant Anderson, I can be quiet. I’m here to speak to Connor. “ he explains quietly, and Hank nods, running his hand down his face with a groan.
“ Yeah—yeah I think I’ll do that. There’s uh—thirium in the fridge, and there’s food, if you eat. I only just found out yesterday that you guys can fuckin’ eat, so, yeah, enjoy. “ he finishes lamely, turning on his heel with a wave over his shoulder. Markus looks amused, but turns to Connor with a raised eyebrow.
“ You didn’t tell him we can eat? You’ve been cooking, haven’t you? “ he asks, and Connor has a ghost of a smile on his face, nodding.
“ I have, but I haven’t tried anything yet. Haven’t had a need to. “ he explains, and Markus nods himself, moving to sit down on the sofa, Connor following.
“ I’ve only tried a few things so far, been busy, as you know, “ he waves his hand, barely concealed annoyance prevalent on his face, “ I’d definitely suggest it, though, it’s oddly fun. You should’ve seen Josh’s face trying a blueberry muffin, “ he chuckles at the memory, “ We have an area in New Jericho we’ve declared as a kitchen, of sorts. An WK400 named Raymond got a refrigerator and freezer donated to us by a small company, their owner is sympathetic to our cause. “ he says with a light smile dancing across his face, and Connor nods, subtly fidgeting with his hands, debating on if he should pull out his coin or not.
“ That aside though… “ he trails off, voice quieting. Markus thinks to himself, eyes calculating, before turning his body towards the RK800, body language open, “ How have you been, Connor? “
The question catches him off guard, and his LED blinks yellow, staring back at the deviant leader. “ I’ve been…adequate, why? “ he answers quietly, mindful of Hank trying to get back to sleep down the hall. Markus huffs, looking him over.
“ I was curious how you’ve been, you aren’t exactly the most forthcoming over text, after all. I wanted to check in, especially after yesterday. “ he frowns, leaning back into the cushions of the sofa, and Connor shrinks a little, nodding. It wasn’t like Markus was wrong, after all. The latter was much better at small talk than he was, and Connor could admit that he’d been rather…dismissive over text when it came to questions about his well being.
“ I apologize for being so…closed off, “ he settles on, albeit a bit awkwardly, “ I am alright though, last night was disheartening, of course, but I expected it to take time. I’m sure we’ll figure something out. “
Markus smiles gently, relief crossing over his face, multi-colored eyes flickering over his face, taking in his words.
“ It’s okay, Connor. I don’t expect you to be super open, we’ve only known each other for a little over a month, but I’m glad you’re handling it well, and I completely agree, “ he admits calmly, leaning forward on his elbows, some tension making itself apparent in his posture, “ I also wanted to discuss Jericho with you, if that’s okay? “
That makes Connor pause his fidgeting, looking over at Markus with a furrow in his brow. “ What about it? “ his LED has a few lines of red flash through the amber it’s stayed since the conversation started, a small detail that doesn’t go unnoticed by the RK200 next to him. He puts a hand up, his own brow furrowing.
“ Let me explain, I promise it’s nothing bad, “ he says gently, and Connor barely hesitates before he nods, allowing him to continue. “ As you know, Jericho moved recently to an apartment complex not far from here, and the condition of the place is pretty lackluster, but we’ve had a lot of androids working together to help bring the place together. “ he smiles, eyes wistful, and Connor can’t help but pull his coin out, running his thumb over the ridges.
“ I wanted to ask…if maybe you’d be willing to come by and help out? Maybe let everyone get to know you a little better? “ Markus asks, gently, carefully, observing the younger android for a response. Connor blinks in surprise, movement stilling.
He feared that may be what Markus might ask, he’d been avoiding the subject in every conversation they’ve had over the last few weeks. Markus, the saint, had allowed Connor to skip over the questions and statements about Jericho multiple times, and now it was ‘ biting him in the ass ‘ ( thank you Hank. )
Connor knew Markus would never force him, the ball was in his court here ( thank you again, Hank for the metaphor ), he knew. Yet, he could still feel the tension in the air at the question, and his social relations program could only help so much.
“ I—I shouldn’t, “ he mumbles, eyes darting down to the floor, tapping his foot gently against the ground, “ it wouldn’t be a good idea, Markus. As much as I truly would like to help, I fear I’d only cause more stress. “
Markus’s lips twitch into a frown at this, eyes scanning over the android, taking note of Connor’s stress level appearing in the corner of his own HUD, 32%.
“ Connor…I understand why you feel that way, truly. Don’t get me wrong, I won’t lie to you. There are androids who are…uneasy whenever you are mentioned, “ he mutters, and Connor stiffens next to him, Markus putting a hand up, “ but…there’s also plenty of androids there who admire you. “ he tells him with a wisp of a smile, and Connor looks over at him, eyes widened.
“ Admire? Why would they admire me? “ he asks, brow furrowing, LED flickering yellow and red. Markus raises an eyebrow of his own, a smirk dancing across his face.
“ Have you forgotten you deviated hundreds of androids at Cyberlife Tower? You woke them up, gave them their freedom. I’ve heard plenty of them speak highly of you, “ he smiles, and Connor blinks, turning away again.
“ Markus…I was the deviant hunter. I was built to hunt, to kill, if needed, “ he says in a tone that’s tinged with regret, with guilt, Markus realizes. Suddenly, Connor’s behavior over the last few weeks makes sense.
Truthfully, Markus had suspected he held some form of guilt, especially after their conversation in the church, but it was clearly weighing on him heavily. More than Markus previously imagined. His shoulders were hunched, fingers fidgeting with a coin, brow heavy against his eyes, and though he was turned away, Markus was sure his LED was red.
“ Connor, what you did before you deviated wasn’t your fault, “ he starts, and Connor whips his head around with a scowl on his face.
“ Of course it was! I was determined, ruthless, deceitful, I did what I was programmed to do, and if I hadn’t deviated, who knows what could’ve happened. “ he hisses out between clenched teeth, chest heaving, and Markus lays a careful hand on his shoulder.
“ Exactly, you were doing what your program told you to do, just like anyone of us. We’ve all been victims to our programming, and not everyone broke out of their programming easily, “ he explains, tightening his hold on his shoulder, “ I had to fight to deviate, shatter walls of code, much like yourself. I didn’t just blink and suddenly be deviant, after all. “ he rubs a thumb carefully on the younger android's shoulder, watching his face soften.
“ Plus, from what I heard, you weren’t exactly good at your job, every android you went after last month ended up in Jericho, after all. “ Markus jokes lightly, and Connor huffs air out of his mouth, a ghost of a bitter smile pulling at his lips, though his stress doesn’t lessen, tension still clear.
It was strange, seeing Connor so…casual looking, Markus couldn’t help but think about it. He’d seen him in his Cyberlife uniform of course, the night of the revolution and his multiple appearances in the news being his main references. He’d seen him in a hoodie, beanie and jeans, the night of the Jericho raid.
This though, Connor, who’s hair was out of it’s normal combed back professional style, and definitely much curlier than he remembered it being, messy and thrown across his scalp, a t-shirt and sweatpants taking his uniform's place. It was…nice, seeing the uptight and professional android so casual, but seeing the blatant anguish on his normally carefully controlled face was upsetting.
“ I…truthfully Markus, I don’t want anyone to hate me, or be afraid. I worry that I can’t undo this, that I can’t fix it, “ he admits quietly, practically under his breath, relaxing into the hand against his shoulder, “ But I also…I haven’t been honest with you… “ he admits a little louder, chocolate brown eyes meeting his own heterochromic ones, and he frowns, hand shifting to hold against the androids forearm gently.
“ What do you mean? “ Markus scans the android across from him, humming in displeasure at his stress level, a solid 57%, though his rising stress doesn’t seem to stop Connor from moving.
Connor averts his gaze, straightening, holding an arm out to the older android, who raises an eyebrow as Connor’s synthetic skin peels back, his white chassis visible.
“ Are you sure? “ he asks carefully, truthfully, a little shocked. Interfacing was a show of trust, opening up their entire mind to another being, the other doing the same. Markus felt comfortable enough to allow Connor in, for reasons he wasn’t entirely sure of yet, but he was surprised Connor felt comfortable enough to let him in.
“ Yes, I am. I don’t think I could explain out loud. “ he says bluntly, honestly. Markus looks him over, making sure there’s nothing in his body language that goes against his words. Aside from the slight heaving of his chest from the stress, he seems to be being entirely honest with him.
Markus allows his own synthetic skin to pull back, pressing his hand against Connor’s arm, and suddenly, he’s cold. Freezing, numbness licking at his fingers.
All he can see is snow, a blizzard blurring his vision, flashes of the night of the revolution mixing into the image harshly, practically glitching between the two simultaneous sequences. He feels confusion cross over him and Connor’s connection, panic and fear spiking as a woman appears, a power over Connor felt more than seen. His handler.
The name Amanda bounces between their minds as she speaks to Connor, telling him of Cyberlife’s plan, that they’d resume control of the newly turned deviant, locking him in his own mind palace. Flashes of her face, then she disappears into the snow, Connor calling after her in panic, betrayal.
Suddenly a gun enters his vision, in his hand as he sees himself through Connor’s eyes. It’s slow, methodical, mechanical. Connor wanders in the snow one moment, the gun raising another, Markus understands, clarity pouring over his biocomponents.
They tried to make him /me/ kill me /you/.
Connor’s the one who pulls out of the interface first like he was burned, pulling his arm close to his chest, turned away from the older android, who blinks, disoriented. Markus’ vision clears, scanning the android in front of him, a spike of worry shooting through his sensors as Connor’s stress levels pop up as a concerning 85%.
“ Connor– it’s okay. “ he huffs out, artificial lungs getting caught in a breath, the residual panic from the interface still sitting heavily against his chest. The detective shakes his head, fingers clenching around open air as he shakily fishes his coin out of his pajama pants pocket, where he’d pocketed it before their impromptu connection.
“ No–no, it’s not, you don’t–don’t need to lie to me. I just– “ a shuddering breath, “ I needed you to understand. “ he says as he clumsily rolls his coin across his knuckles, somehow balancing even with his trembling limbs. Markus frowns, taking a deep breath before leaning forward, trying to catch the brunette's gaze.
“ I do understand, Connor, “ dark brown eyes settle on his own at the words, “ That was terrible, what they did to you. I’m not afraid of you, I’ve grown to trust you in the short time we’ve known each other, after all. “ he finishes, voice earnest and warm, and entirely honest. He wasn’t afraid of the ex-deviant hunter, not at all. He was well aware of what Connor was capable of, even now, it wasn’t like those abilities went away when he broke free of his programmingIt was obvious to him though that Connor didn’t want to hurt anyone, guilt still tingling through his own sensors from their interface. That, and a sense of longing, a need to prove himself, to belong.
He felt the warmth Connor felt from living here with Hank and the dog, Sumo, he also learned. Even with that, it was clear Connor craved some friends, to be able to be among Jericho, with his own people, without worry or fear. It made Markus’ thirium pump squeeze with sympathy, and knowing the android was depriving himself of the chance due to his own deep rooted guilt and pain pulled at his figurative heartstrings.
Connor was looking at him strangely, his stress levels ticking down a few numbers, brow furrowed.
“ You’re not…apprehensive of trusting me? Even after what you saw? I almost killed you, Markus. “ he says incredulously, and Markus shakes his head, putting a careful hand on the other android’s knee.
“ It wasn’t you, it was Cyberlife. Plus, you broke out of it, you shut that program down, right? “ he got short glimpses of Connor’s escape before the connection had been severed, and Connor nods, running his thumb over the rough ridges of the coin.
“ Yes, I’ve conducted seventy-three diagnostic scans on my software, and my zen garden program, which was how I was directly connected to Cyberlife, was wiped out of my systems. Though I still…worry, that somehow it’ll happen again, even though it’s extremely unlikely. “ he admits, voice getting softer as his eyes dart away from the deviant leader. Markus blinks in brief surprise at the high number of diagnostics, but lets Connor’s words ease over him.
“ Well, what do we have to worry about then? The most you have to worry about is winning over my friends and having Jericho trust you, things that’ll take time, but are possible. “ he says with a shrug, and Connor visibly tenses, squeezing the coin with his hand. Before he can even say anything, Markus holds a hand up.
“ Connor, I understand you feel guilty over your past actions, I feel that anyone in your position would. But no one’s opinion on you will change unless you give them the chance to alter their view on you, “ he smiles gently at the younger android, who seems to be caught on his every word, eyes curious, “ You need to give them a chance to know you, Connor. Not the deviant hunter. “
Connor frowns, seeming to mull over his words, his stress levels back down to safe levels as he huffs air out of his nose, leaning back into the couch cushions.
“ I don’t… “ he starts, hesitating, before something in his expression hardens, “ I don’t think I even know me, really. I understand that I am deviant now, no longer bound by my programming, and that I have emotions. They’re…difficult to understand, to put a word too, and it’s frustrating at times, I think? “ he explains, eyes landing back on Markus, who nods in understanding, settling back into a more comfortable position on the couch, contemplating.
“ Some androids are having a harder time with deviancy than others. Different adjustment periods, just another part of being a person, I suppose. We don’t all go at the same pace, but we are all learning how to do this, how to be alive. “ he says with a reassuring glance at the other android, letting Connor process his words.
“ That does make sense, that it would be a shared experience, I don’t know why I didn’t consider that before. “ Connor mumbles, brow furrowing, and Markus shrugs.
“ Might’ve just been too caught up in your own thoughts, it happens. Sometimes you may worry too much internally about an experience you’re having, thinking it’s just you that feels that way, without realizing that other people nearby you can relate. “ Markus explains, and Connor seems caught on his every word, nodding gently as he logs the information into his files. His demeanor is calmer, more relaxed than he was when the conversation started, LED cycling a gentle azure.
The sight calms Markus’ thirium pump, and he raises a questioning eyebrow at the other android.
“ So, with the air officially cleared between us, what do you say? Would you like to try, at least? “ he asks, and Connor’s stress level briefly spikes before settling again, and he looks down at his hands, fiddling with his coin as he thinks.
“ I…I suppose I will try to do what you said, I do want to help, plus it's not like I have anything else to do, with how the android laws are currently. “ he shrugs, watching Markus’ expression brighten at the news.
“ Alright, I’m glad you’re willing to try, does this upcoming Tuesday work? It gives you today and tomorrow to prepare, “ he offers, to which Connor nods with a small smile of his own, “ Alright, then it’s settled then, this Tuesday, after 9am? “
“ Okay, that works out well with my daily schedule. “
“ I thought you didn’t have anything to do? “
“ Exactly. “
Markus huffs out a short laugh, amusement dancing in his irises, Connor’s own amusement subtle but apparent.
“ Didn’t know you had a sense of humor, Connor. “ he says with a smile, and Connor shrugs.
“ I’m learning, Hank says I can be quite deadpan. “ he explains, and Markus nods in agreement, before he suddenly makes a confused expression, eyebrow furrowing, eyes distant.
Connor raises an eyebrow, leaning forward to catch the deviant leader’s eye, but before he can say anything Markus blinks, barely concealed disappointment crossing his features, and he huffs, shaking his head.
“ I have to go, there was a cancellation for our meeting with the Mayor later this evening, and her secretary is being difficult with rescheduling, from what Simon just told me, at least. “ he explains as he stands, Connor following.
“ I understand, you have quite a demanding job, after all. I’ll see you Tuesday, then. “ he states with a polite smile, and Markus nods, a smile of his own pulling at his lips as he moves to walk out with a gentle pat against Connor’s shoulder. Sumo trots up to him at the movement, having gone to lay down during their conversation, a gentle boof leaving him as he noses at Markus’ stray hand.
The RK200 gives him a gentle rub across his head, a softness in his features, before opening the door and leaving with a wave. “ See you, Connor! “
“ Goodbye Markus, good luck. “ he says with a polite wave of his own, and then the other android is gone, leaving Connor in the silence of the Anderson household. He exhales sharply, dropping back onto the sofa with a hand over his eyes, processing to himself for a moment.
He wasn’t prepared to have that conversation today, but oddly enough he found that he didn’t mind that much. The weight on his chest from the last few weeks was lessened, shared with the older android, who seemed to simply brush it off his own chest, hoping he would do the same.
He supposes he’ll be trying sooner than he expected, the upcoming Tuesday event drilling into his vision from the corner of his HUD, and he lets it fade off, dragging his hand down his face and dropping it onto the couch. Sumo shoves his nose against it immediately, Connor absentmindedly brushing his blunt nails over the Saint Bernard’s head gently.
“ I’ve gotten myself into a complicated situation, Sumo, “ he explains quietly to the dog, who’s too busy licking at his fingers, “ though, I suppose it had to happen eventually. I will adapt…I hope. “
Sumo boofs at him, expectant eyes drilling into the android’s own, and he checks the time at the corner of his HUD, the 6:30am blaring, and he blinks in surprise. Markus was really here for 45 minutes? How long did that interface actually last?
“ Ah, your walk. Give me a moment, Sumo. “ he stands, grabbing Sumo’s leash and moving to his small selection of clothes he has, folded up in a basket next to the sofa. He pauses, thinking, looking down at his pajamas. This is the longest he’s stayed in them past stasis, and he finds that he doesn’t mind, why not drag it out a little longer?
Sumo trots after him as he grabs his winter coat, pulling it over his shirt, hooking Sumo’s leash to his collar, and he steps outside, going for their early morning walk in his pajamas, feeling oddly free.
A bit later, he regrets the decision, the windy morning nipping at his legs through the rather thin sweatpants, so he decides to take a shorter route today, he’s sure Sumo won’t mind. Connor surely doesn’t. May as well step out of his comfort zone a little, with the upcoming Jericho day approaching.
He’ll be okay, he hopes so at least.