Chapter Text
“Don’t be too surprised, sweetie,” Gavin purred maliciously, pulling his gun out of his holster. “Once I get this robot out of the way, we can talk about getting Y/N back. I’m not the bad guy here. You’ll see soon.” I could vividly hear the clicking of the safety turning off and the whoosh as he steadily pointed the gun at Connor.
“No!” I yelled, cutting into whatever Audrey was going to say, “don’t shoot!” I grasped the smooth fabric of his jacket and pulled the unsuspecting android behind me. “If you’ve got something to say, Reed, say it to me now.”
“Don’t be a bitch,” Gavin snarled, gesturing wildly with his gun, “I don’t do negotiations, either you listen without the plastic piece of shit or I destroy that fucker and you never get to hear what I have to say.”
“We can still talk without having to kill Connor,” I replied, trying my best to sound calm. “He’s innocent.”
He snorted, eyeing Connor disgustedly. “Get in the house, prick.”
“I won’t leave Y/N,” the RK800 answered steadily, prying me away from him and pushing me back. “Anything you say to her can be said to me.”
“Don’t piss him off,” I whispered to Connor, subconsciously holding onto him.
“Drop that gun,” Gavin called, looking at my hand.
[ he won’t hurt you. he needs you for a reason. drop it. ]
“I’m trusting you with my life, Audrey, don’t get Connor and me killed.” I hesitantly placed it on the grass before moving back to my previous position. One of my systems (unhelpfully) informed me that it was the exact same position I was in 30.23 seconds ago. What that information meant to me, I didn’t know.
[ either way, if you get killed, i will face the same fate as well. ]
Was she afraid to die?
“I don’t give a fuck anymore, just listen up before the police get here because I’m sure as hell that some neighbour called ‘em,” Gavin interrupted my thoughts, rolling his eyes impatiently. “I’m just here to take Y/N back to CyberLife alive and, mostly, unharmed. Those fuckers want their cyborg back and a little source of mine will pay a shit ton for it back. Now come with me and there will be no complications, no dead androids. Of course, besides the one you just killed.”
“No,” I immediately objected, on guard. “We can’t do that.”
“I didn’t ask the mechanical brain, I’m asking Y/N!”
What?
“I am Y/N! What do you mean?”
“Oh so that’s how you wanna play?” He took a step forward, aiming his gun.
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m—“ Gavin was cut off by the faint sirens in the distance. “Fuck!”
I stumbled back, glancing at Connor’s concerned expression.
“Gavin—“
“This isn’t gonna be over, bitch. I’ll play nice at the station because I value my shitty job, but I would watch your back. Androids may have freedom, but your rights aren’t secured yet.”
“Did you set the fire?” Connor spoke up, glaring daggers at the man.
“Don’t look at me, look at Cyberlife. That’s all I’m gonna say, tin can.” With that, Gavin left the backyard and hailed a taxi. Silence, save for the wailing police cars driving up.
“Don’t tell them about Gavin,” I murmured, eyes glued to the place where he had stood, “it’s going to get us into deeper trouble.”
“I’m going to tell Hank.”
“No, we’re just gonna drag him into it too!” I snapped my eyes to Connor, meeting his gaze. He looked so serene, as if we hadn’t just killed an innocent android and discovered that Cyberlife was after my ass. It was calming, yet strange. Audrey was still silent, and I suspected that she was brooding over the recent events.
Everything was happening so fast.
I didn’t register Connor’s words as he spoke to some police officers walking over and surveying the damage. It was all hazy. Blurry. Too much going on in the span of two days. I felt dizzy. Woozy. Swirling colours and momentary flashes of visions, all in chronological order. Apartment buildings burning. Smoke. Birds. Emotion. Connor. Connor. I don’t have a family? Mirror. Face. Me. Who am I?
[ shut the fuck up. you’re thinking too loud. ]
Audrey.
And the nausea that had set in disappeared in the blink of an eye.
How did you do that?I barely caught myself from saying it out loud.
[ i’m afraid i don’t understand. ]
“Since when did you tell people to ‘shut the fuck up?’” I hissed, trying to look discreet.
[ i don’t have an answer for that. i suppose i acted on impulse. that is very unlike me. shall i run a diagnosis test? ]
“No, I think it’s fine. You sounded...irritated. That’s an emotion. Are you deviant?” I could tell Audrey was struggling to respond, so I shifted my attention back to Connor. No one was asking me anything. I was, for a while, invisible. I was so preoccupied with my observations that I had forgotten the question I asked Audrey, subconsciously letting it slide. Then Hank walked over to me and smacked me on the back, shaking his head worriedly.
“Connor let me know about Gavin. God damn, I can’t fucking believe this,” he lowered his voice to the quietest whisper, “I know this is not my fight, but Connor is a son to me. I want him to live. Don’t make me bury another one.”
“I put his life before mine,” I replied automatically, giving him a reassuring smile, “so if there’s anyone you should worry about, it should be yourself. I won’t get him killed.” I didn’t understand what he meant by ‘another one.’ Another son?
Hank seemed to backpedal a little. “Hey, don’t go throwing yourself into danger either, kid. I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I’m pulling excuses outta my ass for you and Connor right now. Jeffery is going nuts over some apartment burning down and Connor won’t tell me why he can’t take you home. So if you’re staying with us for a while, I’d like to know what the fuck is going on.” His tone was moderately aggressive, but I could tell he really meant well.
“Thanks, old man,” I mumbled fondly, giving a small grin. “I...appreciate it.”
“Before I wrap this up with the boys and head back to the station, might I ask where your folks are? I mean, I’m sure they’re worried about where you’ve been and shit.”
I didn’t know my family.
What the hell.
“I...don’t have any, as far as I can tell.” It wasn’t a lie, but to be fair it wasn’t the whole truth either.
“I see,” Hank’s face seemed to get older, if that was even possible. “Guess I’ll be acting in place for ‘em!” He chuckled and elbowed me playfully before walking away to a police officer in the front yard.
Interesting.
Someone tapped my back, and my extra fancy android systems informed me it was an RK800 model and listed his serial number. Connor.
“Y/N,” he said as I turned around, “we can go back inside the house. The officers are done here, all they have to do is clean up.”
“But it was an accidental homicide! The android is dead!”
“Android death is destruction of property.”
He looked sad when he said that.
“If destroying an android isn’t murder, then what if I die?”
“I don’t know. Do really want to find out?” He tilted his head as his LED flashed bright yellow.
“No,” I lied, “not at all.”