Work Text:
CLOTHES
The new laws have gone into effect (a lot faster than they really should have, but when Hank brought it up, Markus simply smiled, and Hank just laughed) and Connor has his job back at the DPD. His position and pay are still up for negotiation, but that’s a worry for Monday.
Today, the worry is getting Connor a new set of clothes.
Hank has been planning this for a while. He got this Friday off specifically for this, and he knows exactly where to go for maximum variety and minimum crowds. This particular thrift shop usually has good-quality clothes for reasonable prices, so Connor can get an entire wardrobe if he wants instead of just a few outfits.
They make small talk as they drive to the shop. Connor’s still wearing his Cyberlife uniform pants and one of Hank’s hoodies. He’s also leaning forward, watching the shop come into view like a kid would. He frowns. “It looks small from here.”
Hank grins. “The building is a renovated night club. Smaller front, easier to control the people going in. Trust me – it opens up a lot when you get inside.” Connor nods. The LED flickers yellow – downloading the floorplan, no doubt. He’s learning the subtle differences in the colors and what they mean. Markus has been helping him out with that.
They park the car, and Hank guides Connor across the street and into the shop. Connor’s eyes widen. “You weren’t kidding.”
Hank chuckles. “Nope. Unfortunately, there’s no real pattern to how things are laid out, so you’re just gonna have to poke around and see what you find. You know your sizes?” The kid nods. “Good. Won’t have to worry about trying anything on, unless you just wanna see how it looks.” For a moment, the kid just stares at the sea of clothes. Hank tries to take it in from his perspective.
There are racks everywhere, all the way from the front to the back. The side walls are lined with shelves that carry shoes, purses, backpacks, and other odds and ends. The very back has the dressing rooms. There are a few other people here, somewhere, but the sheer amount of product keeps them hidden.
It’s pretty overwhelming.
Finally, Connor squares his shoulders and nods to himself. “All right.” He moves into the mess of clothes, stopping every so often to feel a piece of fabric or get a better look at what’s on the rack. Hank keeps a few paces behind him, idly examining the racks himself but more keeping an eye on Connor.
He’s not really sure what he’s expecting. Connor hasn’t been awake for very long, and from what he picked up from Markus, most deviants have trouble adjusting to the idea of wanting. Connor may have been deviant for the entire time Hank has known him, but Hank’s never heard him express a preference for anything.
But he moves through the clothes with the ease of someone who at least has some idea of what they’re after. Maybe he’s been doing research? Who knows.
Connor finds a rack full of dress pants. “How many do you normally get for work?” he asks. Hank shrugs.
“You’ve seen what I wear to work.” he points out. Connor flashes him a quick smile.
“Yes, but you have seniority.”
Hank chuckles. “Just get two. Trust me, if things work out the way I think they will, you’ll be able to wear jeans in the office if you want.” Connor nods and grabs two pairs. “You’re really set on the department, aren’t you?”
“I like solving crimes.”
“You were designed to solve crimes.” Hank says dryly. “You don’t want to try something different? Explore a little?”
“Not really. Not yet.”
“Not yet?”
Connor finds a stack of tee-shirts and sorts through them. “Even without Cyberlife maintaining my systems, I have a ways to go before I deteriorate.” There’s almost a catch in his words, but he powers through it. “Right now I want to make a difference, and the best way to do that is utilize my skills with the police. There will be time later for exploration, if I want.” There’s a practiced air of indifference in his voice, not too unlike the tone he used in the beginning to hide his deviancy, but his focus is a little too intense on the shirts. Hank nods.
“Makes sense. Let Markus deal with the politics of things, you handle the practical side of it. Hey, hand me that yellow one.” Connor passes the shirt, the tension releasing from his frame with the motion, and Hank smiles. “I got your back, Con, you know that.”
“I do. Sometimes it’s nice to be reminded, I’m learning.” the kid admits with a small grin. Hank rolls his eyes and nudges him with his shoulder. Connor gives him a gentle shove, and they continue on.
Connor definitely has a style. Aside from the work clothes (slacks and a few dark-colored dress shirts), he picks out very few formal things. In fact, the biggest contributor to his choices seems to be softness. He has a marked preference for darker colors as well. Dark colors, soft fabrics, just baggy enough to be comfortable and still look good.
He looks like he might be done, but then something catches his eye, and he grins. Hank watches with some amount of amusement as the kid darts forward, grabs a shirt, and holds it up for better inspection.
“Disturbed? Ya shittin’ me?”
Connor nods, and Hank almost laughs at the look of utter satisfaction on his face. “I was hoping to find one of these.” he says happily. It’s a freaking band tee, showcasing the cover of the Evolution album. It’s soft, the few colors in it are bright, and Connor looks too damned pleased with himself. Hank can’t help but smile.
“Do you even know who Disturbed is?”
Connor gives him a look. “I am particularly fond of the song Are You Ready.” he says cheerfully. “Although I think I like every song I’ve heard by them.” A pause, then a slight frown. “Except for maybe Down With the Sickness.”
Hank can’t help it. He busts out laughing at that. “That was the most overplayed song ever. The group did get a hell of a lot better after that album.”
“The Game is a great song, and it’s from the Sickness album as well!”
“Holy shit, you gotta get better taste in music.” But he’s still laughing, even as they finally head to the front to pay for their finds. “When the hell did you decide you liked Disturbed?”
“I said I liked Knights of the Black Death, didn’t I? I looked up similar bands. Disturbed and Five Finger Death Punch made the list of ones I liked.”
Hank pauses to consider that. “You did that out of curiosity.”
“Of course.”
They’ve paid for their clothes and gotten back in the car before Hank speaks again. “I know you were awake the entire time, but sometimes I forget you didn’t deviate recently. You know? It’s kinda surprising realizing that you already have your preferences figured out.”
Connor smiles. “That’s how I stayed alive.”
He says it so plainly that Hank has to bite his lip to keep from swearing.
Sometimes he forgets that, too.
COMPANIONS
Connor hates to admit it, but he’s actually nervous being back at the police station.
The first thing he does is report in to Fowler.
It’s – strange, having Fowler actually talk to him instead of Hank. In a reversal of roles, Hank stands just behind Connor in a show of solidarity while Connor himself stands right in front of Fowler’s desk. Fowler gives him a once-over before catching sight of Hank. He sighs.
“Dammit, Anderson, stop looking at me like I’m about to put him down.” With that, he hands a padd to Connor. “Detective paperwork. You’ll be spending most of today filling that out and doing tests. I don’t doubt you’ll pass them, mind, but every detective has to do it. You won’t get a firearm yet, not until those laws are changed, but I don’t think you particularly need one.” He gives Connor a harsh look. “I’m not fond of this idea, but laws are laws, even if I don’t like them. And you got Anderson to at least show up before noon on a regular basis.” They both ignore Hank’s half-assed complaining at that. “That being said, you’re the proof of concept. Don’t fuck up.”
Connor can’t help the small smirk at that. “I won’t, Captain.” He glances behind him at Hank, but Fowler cuts him off before he can say anything.
“Of course you’re gonna stick with Anderson. The only other person I could put you with is Reed, and honestly, I don’t need a homicide on my hands.”
“My money’s on Connor.” Hank says quietly. To Connor’s surprise, Fowler actually smiles at that.
“As long as it doesn’t happen in the precinct.” He waves a hand. “Now go, get out of here, get started. You know where your desk is. Scram.”
Fowler’s right – the paperwork takes most of the day. Hank stays at his desk that entire time, catching up on his own paperwork and checking out some of the cases that have started coming from dispatch now that the city has filled back up.
Still, even an android can only go so long sitting at a desk, and Connor has spent too much time pretending to be the perfect machine to not take advantage of the break room at least once. He passes by another detective – her nameplate reads Toni Hernandez – with her earbuds in, making motions with her hands in the air. Her eyes are closed, clearly enjoying whatever music is playing, but Connor finds himself fascinated by the movements of her hands.
He can see the rhythm. It’s like a more exuberant version of his coin trick.
She opens her eyes and catches him staring. “Oh!” She quickly removes the earbuds and smiles at him. “You must be the new detective – Connor, right?” He nods. “Cool. I’m Toni – it’s nice to meet you.” She holds out her hand, and he automatically takes it in greeting.
A handshake. Right. He’s going to have to get used to that.
“Likewise, Toni.” He’s careful not to use her rank – that’s not how she introduced herself. “May I ask what you were doing with your hands?”
“Of course! It’s called air drumming. Um, do you know what drums are?” At Connor’s nod, she continues. “Basically it’s pretending to play the drums. Obviously, I can’t bring my set in here, but I know the layout well enough by now to just mimic it. Although you can use pretty much anything to make a rhythm.” She tilts her head and smiles. “If you want, I can teach you.”
Connor’s pretty sure his entire expression lights up at that. “Please.”
Toni laughs. “Pull up a chair. We’ve got a few minutes.”
And that’s the sight that greets Hank when he returns from the basement, Connor sitting opposite Toni while the young woman teaches him how to play the drums using her desk and a few books. The look of utter delight on Connor’s face warms him more than he’s willing to admit.
Toni sees him and grins. “Hey, Anderson, I think I want your partner! Can I have him!”
Hank laughs. “Not a chance in hell.”
“Well, damn. Worth a shot.”
Hank doesn’t generally interact with his coworkers like this, not anymore. But Connor is smiling, tapping out a rhythm on the desk, and Toni is laughing and passing on advice, and honestly?
This feels good.
FAMILY
It’s not just Markus that randomly shows up on Hank’s doorstep these days. North is a common visitor, too, and soon enough Simon and Josh start making appearances as well. Hank starts keeping a stash of Thirium in the house, as well as biocomponents and some of the more general tools needed to treat an injured android. It takes him just flat-out asking Markus what the others’ model numbers are, and with that information, he starts stocking up on those parts that are specific to them and not interchangeable.
The first time Markus sees his makeshift first-aid kit in the garage, he smiles. “Have you told him yet?”
Hank doesn’t bother to pretend. “Nope. Don’t plan on it anytime soon, either.” he retorts. “He doesn’t need my bullshit feelings getting in his way.”
Markus snorts. “Right. I don’t think he would consider them bullshit, especially when he turned down a place in New Jericho to stay here.”
He freezes. “Say what now?”
“Oh, he never told you? Some of the houses around the old Cyberlife stores – especially the tower – became abandoned after the evacuation was lifted. We claimed them. There was more than enough for Connor to come stay with us, so I offered. He refused.” Markus has that half-smile on his face still, like there is nothing more amusing to him than Hank’s confusion. “I guess he never mentioned it to you.”
“No. Why wouldn’t he – “
“I think, Hank, that he might have been afraid you would ask him to leave.” Markus had to have learned that dry tone from Connor. Or maybe North.
Before Hank can react to that, there’s a woof from Sumo, followed by a thud and North swearing, followed by Simon and Josh laughing hysterically while Connor calls Sumo a good boy.
“Connor! Get him off of me!”
“Sumo likes you. He’s just saying hello.”
“He’s crushing me, and I can’t breathe!”
“I dunno, she seems to be making an awful lot of noise for someone who can’t breathe.” That would be Josh. Simon is still laughing too hard to talk.
Android laughing is a weird thing to hear. It sounds mostly human with a touch of static thrown in. Some androids sound more human, some more static. Connor and North are almost entirely static. Markus, Simon, and Josh sound mostly human.
Markus draws him from his thoughts. “I should probably go rescue my girlfriend, shouldn’t I?”
“It would be the chivalrous thing to do.”
“It would be much more fun to just go and watch the show.”
Hank laughs. “Now you’re talking.” Markus starts to leave the garage but stops just at the door.
“If it helps, I haven’t seen anything that would lead me to believe Connor doesn’t love you.”
He swallows hard. “I’ll keep it in mind.”
COMPASSION
It’s a shitty case from the start. Any case involving domestic disturbance usually is, but this one comes with a side-order of murder/suicide, and isn’t that just the icing on the shit cake.
Hank talks to the first responders, gathers up all the information he needs, while Connor investigates the scene. It’s an open and shut case, easily solved, no androids involved. Just as Hank is about to ask why the hell a detective was called out, he hears Connor’s voice.
“Lieutenant.”
He glances over. Connor stands in the doorway where the living room meets the kitchen, a small child sitting on his hip, clinging to his shoulders with her face buried in his neck.
Her hair doesn’t quite hide the spinning red LED on her temple.
“Shit.” The word escapes him in a breath. Connor just looks at him, silently asking what to do now. Hank motions out the door. “Take her to the car. She doesn’t need to see this.” Connor nods and quickly leaves, shielding the girl’s face with one hand as they pass the bodies.
The beat cop makes a face. “Now you know why we called you.”
“How long has she been hiding in there?”
“Probably since it happened. The coroner put time of death around an hour ago, matches with the 911 call. The dispatcher could hear the gunshots over the phone, but not the girl. But she told us that she thought someone else was here, because of the way the parents were talking.” The cop shrugs. “We couldn’t get her to come to us, but we figured Connor might be able to do something with her.”
And that warms Hank more than he’s willing to admit. He’s seen the way some of the cops at the station treat Connor. Aside from himself and Toni, he’s not sure they even speak to him. To hear a fellow cop call him by name, to call the child android a girl and not an it –
This really isn’t the way Hank saw his life going.
“Thanks for calling us. We’ll see what she knows and if anyone in New Jericho can take her in.”
The cop nods. “Anytime. Do you guys want us kicking android cases your way?”
Hank huffs a laugh. “Might as well. We’re the most qualified to deal with them.” He gives the officer a wave and walks out the door.
Connor has the back passenger door open, the little girl sitting on the seat, tears staining her face. Connor himself is crouched in front of her, using a tissue to wipe her face clean while still letting her cling to his hand. He’s speaking to her, voice low and gentle, but Hank can still hear it. He slowly approaches, not wanting to startle either of them.
“What’s your name?”
The girl sniffs. “Bethany.”
“Bethany, my name is Connor. This is my partner, Hank.” Hank offers her a small wave, and she waves back. “Can you tell me what happened? If you saw anything?”
She nods, the tears starting up again. “Daddy told me to watch. Mommy told me to run.” She hunches her shoulders, trying to hide in her jacket, and Hank wants to walk in and shoot the already-dead asshole for putting her through this. “I hid. Then I heard the gun.”
“How many times?”
“Twice.”
Connor looks over at Hank, and the older man nods. “That’s all we need. You’re a brave girl, Bethany. You did the right thing.”
She shakes her head. “If I woke up faster, maybe I could have stopped him.”
“No.” Connor reaches forward and touches her cheek, drawing her gaze back up to himself. “Don’t do that. Don’t listen to those thoughts. If you had tried, he would have killed you too, and your mother wouldn’t have wanted that. She wanted you to be safe and happy, and that’s why she told you to run. Do you understand?”
Another sniff, but the tears seem to be slowing down. “Yeah.”
“Good. Now buckle up. We’re going to go someplace safe, okay?” Hank gets in the driver’s seat while Connor secures Bethany in the backseat. He waits until they’re almost back at the precinct, and the little one is definitely asleep, before speaking.
“I didn’t think the kids needed to deviate.”
“We all do.” Connor replies, never taking his eyes from the road. “Although the kids are probably the closest to created deviants Cyberlife made.”
Hank glances at him. “You were deviant from the start.”
Connor’s hands clench into fists. “Even I had to break the wall, Hank.”
You lied to me, Connor.
Not for the first time, Connor curses his perfect recall. He closes his eyes and lets his head drop.
I didn’t know better seems like such a poor reason to take Daniel’s life.
Sudden warmth on his hand brings his head straight up. Hank holds on to him, grounding him in the present, and Connor finds he likes it.
“You ever gonna tell me about that?”
“Not yet.” He forces himself to not look away. “It hurts right now.”
Pain flashes across Hank’s face, and he knows he’s thinking about Cole. “I understand that better than most.” he says quietly. “When you’re ready to talk, I’m ready to listen. Okay?”
Connor nods. “Okay.”
Markus arrives maybe an hour later. One of the beat cops directs him towards Hank and Connor, and Markus almost laughs at the sight that greets him. The little girl is curled up in Connor’s lap, eyes watching with no small amount of awe as Connor shows her how to roll the coin, and Hank just watches from his own desk with amused affection plain on his face. Connor glances at Hank, a small smile on his face.
Connor looks up at him, drawing Bethany’s attention to the new android. She flinches back, trying to bury herself in Connor’s chest. Connor smiles. “Did you find someone to take her in?”
“Yes. The Jerrys can take care of her for a while at least, and if she likes them, she can stay with them.”
Hank blinks. “The Jerrys? Excuse me?”
Connor shakes his head. “Don’t ask.”
Bethany grabs at Connor’s sleeves. “I don’t want to go.” she whispers. “I like you.”
“Hey.” He wraps his arms around her. “Markus is my brother, so you’re going to be staying with family. And we see each other all the time, which means I’ll be able to see you whenever we want. Is that okay?”
Hank doesn’t miss the warmth that practically glows from Markus at that. Slowly, Bethany nods.
“Okay.”
Connor smiles. “Good girl. We’ll come visit you once you’re settled in.”
Hank leans against the desk, watching as Bethany hugs Connor one last time before flashing a shy smile at Hank and taking Markus’ hand. With a small smile, Markus guides her out the door and to her new life.
Connor leans back in his seat, putting himself closer to Hank. “Is this a happy ending, Lieutenant?”
Hank smiles. “As happy of an ending as we get, Connor.”
“I’ll take it.”