Chapter Text
It.. sucked, not having Hank around. He’d stayed at Gavin’s for two days and two nights, while Cyberlife prepared for his transfer back. He didn’t really want to do it, he liked being young, and if he had to transfer at all he wanted to become a YK500, but even Hank said no and in Connor’s eyes he got the final word. It was true, Hank couldn’t look after him right now and no way in hell would Gavin keep him any longer. Even if Connor did sleep in a pile of teddy bears… He was totally jealous of Gavin’s niece and nephew.
He was too tired to get up properly on the morning, still recovering from the whole ‘dying and moving into a new body’ experience, and so he spent most of it asleep in Gavin’s lap while Gavin watched the TV. He’d tried fruitlessly to push him off or make him lie somewhere else, but he kept crawling back until the detective gave in. Without the comfort he suffered nightmares of drowning again.
Hopefully his adult body wouldn’t suffer the same amount of trauma, although with what Hank had seen soon after the poor android deviated, he could beg to differ. Hank sat at home feeling rather lonely, just himself with an injured heart awaiting a small surgery, and Sumo who was still on the mend, it was just a quiet house of two fat gits. He’d told Connor he couldn’t even attend the transfer, getting up and walking about was so exhausting and made his chest hurt. The pains were the worst part, it felt like someone had been hitting him in each individual rib. His aching lungs couldn’t take anymore, so he moved the bare minimum.
Every now and again he stared at the list of things he was supposed to do and when, almost an hour by hour plan. It made him laugh, painfully, remembering having to list off what he lived like at home, and how much food he got out as a job. The poor nurse nearly had an aneurysm, she said one swear word before cutting herself off. She must have trained in some kind of nutritional science.. thing, because not once had he seen someone so repulsed by his lifestyle before. He knew it was bad, but wow.
“You fucking-“ She stopped. “Sir I must say you lead a terrible lifestyle!”
“You think I’m not aware of that? Depression’s a bitch you’ve clearly not learned that. I couldn’t go to therapy, that shit’s expensive and even more depressing! I’m on the mend a’ight? Don’t dig into me.”
“Sir, I apologise, but you must change this all at once!” Okay so maybe his liver was in awful condition but he’d been six months sober and ate salad at least once a week, what more did she want? “I’m going to have to give you dietary plans for the next three months, and exercises which will help both your weight, improve your heart muscles, and other muscles in general.”
“No sugar coating huh?”
The nurse pursed her lips, face sour. “I’ll see to it that you get it by this evening!”
He hadn’t heard a single nice thing come out of that nurse’s mouth after that. Just snide comments that she seemed to think wouldn’t get her in trouble, but she probably just knew Hank didn’t care enough to do anything about what she said. It was funny, while he rested he was simply depressed until Connor came to visit in the morning, then went back with Reed at night. Then he was discharged, and he had to let Reed take care of him ‘full time’. It was only one full day, but now it was transfer day.
Hank looked over at the clock. 11AM. He’d be with Fowler at the moment, getting interrogated about what happened. He’d agreed to it, but Hank worried about what the old bastard would be asking and how he’d be treating him with no father to tell him otherwise. Since a few days had passed since the closure, they just needed to tie up the loose ends. They didn’t really need to be closed, Frederick was dead and so were all his accomplices, so there was no need to know about their story; but a detective’s natural curiosity…
Connor was sat on a thick cushion, cuddling a small green blanket he’d stolen from Gavin’s place. “So Connor, what did that android show you in Frederick’s house? We’ve tried to simply duplicate your memories but they’re corrupted, so you’ve gotta tell us the old fashioned way. Do you remember everything he showed you?” He nodded. “Good, then go ahead.”
“Well.. he showed all the deaths. Like- like a confeshun. He did it all, Fred-ick told him what to do and he did it. The other two people were the drivers, they just drove the kids to the quiet places so Fred-ick could shoot them. The and-oid picked up all of the kids himself, and he put them in the funny positions cus he wouldn’t leave any fingerprints. They got super sneaky after a while, even the drivers wore gloves and they never touched anything.
“In the end he got deviant! That’s why everyone died, cus he was deviant and he didn’t wanna do his job anymore. When he picked me up he let me go! I made him deviant!” Connor looked fairly proud of himself. “He said he was sowwy and then put me on the road. Then he did the job one more but then he said no! Fred-ick got a gun and shot him. I think he panicked cus then the other two were dead as well and he ran! Then we showed up. He showed me everything and said “I’m sorry I did this” in my head.”
“He spoke to you?”
“Yeah in my head. But that’s all he said! Swear!”
Fowler gave him a slight scowl, but Connor was fairly sure that was the only way the man showed confusion. “Well, the android confessed, and if the law hadn’t passed six months ago, he would be deactivated as punishment.”
“He’s also dead.” Silence. “So.. even with the law he wouldn’t…” He stopped talking.
“Anyway, I think that covers up the android, as brief as that description was. What happened when you were with Frederick? You rang Hank for help, and you got cut off. Do you remember any of that?”
He shifted on the cushion, feeling a lot less comfortable. He could feel himself choking, the water seeping into his chest and through every tube in his body. He could feel his thirium seeping into his clothing, the plastic catching as Frederick held him by the edges of his pump. The pressure of the air inside his body building until he felt like he would explode. The stickiness of the tape across his face that kept his mouth and nose shut. Layers and layers of it. “U-uhm..” Connor’s LED was spinning red. “I-I.. I…” He could remember, but he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to relive those memories. He wanted them gone!
..Connor cried. He went straight into a full blown wail, sobbing his little heart out. When Fowler tried to get a word in edgewise, Connor just wailed again. It was an act to make the older man shut up, but the tears weren’t fake. He wanted Hank! He wanted his dad! He was at home and he couldn’t even be with him! He wanted a hug… “Alright kid, quit your cryin’.” Gavin caved in from where he’d been standing leant up against the wall, although his ‘macho’ façade easily disappeared when he carried Connor into the building with that green blanket.
He writhed in Gavin’s arms, kicking his cushion and throwing the blanket in tantrum. “Gavin, you bring him straight back when he’s calmed down.”
“Whatever, Jeff.” Gavin took him and the blanket outside the room, forcing his small frame to press against his chest. “C’mon quit kickin’, that dickhead won’t bother you anymore. Plus I’d rather like to keep my ribcage.” He kept kicking and crying. “Well this isn’t fucking working… you want the blanket? You want Greenie?” Urgh.. childish nicknames..
Connor nodded and took the blanket from him. He shoved his face into it and ceased his kicking, sobbing until he tired himself out. “I want daddy!” He whined, whacking Gavin in the chest again.
“You’ll see him later!” He probably wouldn’t, but adult Connor could deal with that later. “Is talking to Fowler really so difficult? Is it the topic in general?”
“Fowler sucks.”
“Yeah he does! Why don’t you and I sit down with a recorder and I’ll give him that?” Connor nodded, now burying his face into Gavin’s top. He just wanted to hide from the world, hide from all the horrifying memories..
Gavin placed him down in an empty room, and without telling Fowler, he took the recorder and went to the other room. Placed it on the table, said the formalities of the introduction, and then he prompted Connor to talk. Still reluctant, LED pulsing red, he stared at the recorder. How many people would listen to it? What purpose did saying this stuff serve? Hank said it was better to say things that were on your mind, because other people were there to help.. “Um.. when should I start?”
“It’s already recording.”
“No, in my mind. The park?”
“Sure, let’s go from there.”
Connor took in a deep breath. He began to speak. “Well.. daddy said to play on my own, so I started climbing this big rope tower thingy. Then I was alone on it, and I got down, and- and- and I saw Fredick. I looked at daddy but he was on his phone, so I pretended to go wandewing; and then I left with Fredick!” Gavin stared at him. He went willingly!? “B-but he held me super tight! I didn’t like it! I started to call daddy on his phone but Fredick stung me!” Tasered. “He knew I was calling daddy so he made sure I was asleep! He kept stinging me until I was!
“And then- then I woke up in the warehouse! There was tape everywhere! And- and then he was filling this massive tank! Then he was talking, but I couldn’t hear him.. I dunno but my ears didn’t work for a little bit. I was sat there for..” He looked at his hands and counted quietly to himself. Then he showed Gavin his hands. “That long! And then he came back, and- and he put the tape on me. I was crying lots and lots but I don’t think he cared. He kept saying I was in the next verse! Like, like a poem. Then I couldn’t beethe. Then he opened me and picked me up by the thingy and then you guys showed up!”
Gavin tried to hide his concern and confusion, he knew there were so many holes in what he just described, but maybe adult Connor would have better answers. At least he had calmed down, no more tantrums. “Well thank you for that, Connor.” Gavin ended the recording and pocketed it. “I’ll deal with that later.. I have the amazing job of bringing you to Cyberlife."
“Will daddy be there?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because.”
“Because what?”
Gavin ignored him, picking him up. The man was fat and in need of a pacemaker, what was so hard to get? ..He definitely needed another coffee. Black.
~*~
Connor broke again once they arrived, yelling about wanting Hank to be there to hold him and tell him everything would be alright -Gavin doing it wasn’t substitute enough anymore- but he wouldn’t. He was home, feeling sorry for himself. He got the text saying he had unwillingly been turned off for the transfer and if he changed his mind, Connor would be out in three hours.
Hank sighed and sank into the decrepit sofa, the squeaky springs making Sumo lift his head to look. He nudged Hank’s leg with his head and looked up at him. “I’m alright you ol’ dog, just debating my life as it is and what small future I have ahead. Enough to see yours through, I hope.” He slowly bent over and stroked the dog’s head, tail thwapping happily against the floor.
Jazz music played on his record player while ice hockey was on the TV, but Hank didn’t pay attention to either. In a selfish way, he was looking forward to Connor becoming an adult so that he’d hear is belittling remarks on the sugar content of every damn thing he touched. Maybe he enjoyed it. Maybe he should make an effort. The nurse said no leaving the house, but fuck what the nurse says.
“Come on, Sumo, let’s go see Connor.”
~*~
-RK800 systems online-
-Taking in sensory information-
“Welcome back, Connor. All systems in check, introduce yourself.”
Connor sat up, on autopilot. “My name is Connor, the android sent by Cyberlife to-“
“In Italian.”
“-Per risolvere I crimini. Sono un prototipo. Sono-“
“German.”
“-Ich bin Hank Anderson zugeordnet. Er ist mein vater, und ich-“
“Sing in Japanese.”
“さくら、さくら、 やよいの そらわ。 みわたす かぎり、 かすみか-“
“Thank you. Proceed with sensory evaluation.”
Connor slowly got off the white table and gingerly placed his bare feet on the floor. He looked down at himself and then around the room, to check his neck functionality; but a part of him was doing it out of curiosity. Very few androids had transferred bodies, and even less so in a drastic way as Connor had, but there was definitely a pattern of deviancy ‘lagging behind’. It would kick in soon.
He stretched out his arms and flexed his fingers, squeezing into fists and out again. He wanted to fidget so badly. He rolled his shoulders in circles and took in a simulated breath, a little sad to not feel artificial lungs fill up. He wiggled his toes and took a couple steps, bending his knees and wiggling his hips. He felt so tall. The world was so much smaller.
To his left was the small body hugging a Cyberlife branded teddy bear. Was he really that small?? Having an infinite database of knowledge felt familiar, and useful, but it was also overwhelming. He didn’t feel the same excitement looking out the window and seeing the river and the debris floating in it. The bushes rustling in the wind didn’t give him an urge to run in and explore what would be hiding.. because he knew what he’d find. Probably beer cans and brambles, maybe a condom wrapper.
“Everything seems to be in working order, how do you feel?” Connor turned and looked at the technician. “You look sad.”
“..Overwhelmed, fits a little better.” His smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Where are my clothes?”
The technician gestured to his Cyberlife issued suit. He missed the bright colourful kids clothes already. Hank had some funky shirts, maybe he could try some of those! Oh, Hank.. the cardiac arrest.. his heart.. Sumo..!
He got dressed anyway. He checked available taxis locally and ordered for one to pick him up. He had blurry memories of Gavin bringing him here, but the likelihood of him staying was under 3%. The likelihood of Hank turning up after having been told he wouldn’t was similar, 7%. The odds were not in his favour, and thus he would have a semi lonely taxi trip home.
Home…
The lab doors opened and Connor gave a polite nod of thanks before walking out, he knew the way. He had time before the taxi arrived, so he took the stairwell. He looked out into the entryway and saw some people milling around, mostly families or workers. In the waiting area was a couple, and a man on his own. Mildly overweight, a little dishevelled.. “Hank!” Connor cried.
He could have taken the stairs, but no. Connor pushed out a window panel and jumped right through, dropping maybe 15ft to the ground with a loud crash. The glass landed beside him. Not that he cared, the little kid inside of him ran at Hank at full speed, aaaand tripped over right in front of him. “Fucking hell, Connor! What in god’s name do you think you’re doing?! I know my presence is a surprise but don’t jump through the fucking wall!”
Connor simply smiled, getting up and calmly walking the rest of the way. “Dad..”
Hank smiled and pulled him into an embrace, patting him on the back. “Hello son.. I fucking missed you the last couple days.”
“I fucking missed you too.” He chuckled.
Hank pulled away and looked him up and down. “Can’t believe I almost forgot what you looked like, I had to put up with you for long enough. How you feeling back in your own body? Must feel pretty good.”
“Honestly, Hank, I quite miss being small. I had so much wonder and curiosity, but now I know everything. I can’t ride Sumo anymore!”
Hank laughed, but Connor looked genuinely disappointed. “You can hold him in your arms though, that’s pretty good.” Connor nodded. “C’mon son, let’s go home to Sumo and watch movies.” He ruffled Connor’s hair with a smile.
Connor smiled too. “I’d like that, dad."