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Chapter Text

It was a quiet morning at the precinct. It had been almost two months since the android revolution, one month since androids had been recognized as a new intelligent species, two weeks since Connor had flown through his detective tests, and three days and twelve hours and ten minutes since he'd been officially hired at the DPD. He'd been counting. Every second. Checking his internal clock had become a reflex now. Hank called it a compulsion. He wasn't too sure of that. He was still pretty new to deviancy, after all. Emotions, especially his own new ones, easily overwhelmed him. Hank had a label for that too. Anxiety. A tightening feeling in his chest components, an increase in the speed of his ventilation. As much as he felt out of touch with emotions, it was nice to be able to have a label for what he was feeling.

He looked up at his partner, watching Hank as he read something on his terminal. "May I ask you a question, Lieutenant?" Blue eyes flicked up at him. "Somethin' on your mind, Con?" Connor fiddled with the coin in his pocket. "You could say that. I've been thinking about myself. About these new....emotions." Emotions confused him. Androids weren't supposed to have them. Something about deviancy turned everything he thought he once knew upside-down and on its head. Hank merely raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Well, I'm not quite sure I understand. At the time, becoming deviant seemed like a good idea. However, it was just another part of Cyberlife's plan for me. Was it even my own choice? Another part of my programming? Or--" He flinched at a sudden flick at his forehead. "Kid, what have I told you about overthinking?", Hank scolded him gruffly, taking back his hand. "Hank..", he couldn't help but whine in protest. His LED spun a furious yellow. "Ah-ah. Nope. Not everything has to have a logical answer, Connor." Logic was all he knew, though. There was a reason for everything....wasn't there..? "Let's ask someone else then. Chris!"

The dark skinned officer turned in his seat. "Connor's having an issue with overthinking his new emotions." Connor huffed, glaring at Hank. Officer Miller merely smiled. "It's alright, Connor. We all understand how you're feeling. Well, most of us." He shot a sideways glance at Detective Reed. He smiled softly back at Connor. "Don't worry so much, okay? Emotions are a normal thing. For humans and deviants. Have you talked to your android friends about this?"

Connor rubbed his hands together, LED flickering between yellow and blue. "I....have not. It seems to come a lot more easily for them, especially Markus."

Hank snorted, coughing out a word that sounded like, "RoboJesus."

Connor smiled slightly. "He tries to help every time I see him. He tries to show me his own experiences through connection, however I still don't quite understand. It.....frustrates me....I suppose would be the correct description." Hank patted his back. "Well, being able to tell that one at least is a good start, son." Chris nodded in agreement. Hank squeezed his shoulder. "Why don't you get me a coffee? Get yourself a cup of warm thirium while you're at it? Something to calm those nerves of your's..." Connor smiled a bit more. "Sounds good."

He stood gracefully, running his fingers over his new name plate as he went. Det. Anderson, it read. Connor had proudly chosen Hank's last name for his designation on his detective forms. The badge on his belt was another reminder of that pride, labeling him as a detective of the Detroit Police Department. He ran his hands down his black turtleneck sweater, something he'd discovered after installing a new update for deviants the previous week. Touch, especially soft fabrics or Sumo's soft fur, helped with his nerves. He did a quick self-scan, reading his own stress level.

65%.

Not too bad. A little higher than his normal level, but nothing to worry about.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hank smiled softly, watching the smaller male head off gracefully. He'd never admit it, but he'd cried when Fowler had presented Connor with his badge and name plate. The kid had worked so hard to get here. He did everything he could to help the deviants he'd once hunted. "The Deviant Hunter", the media had nicknamed him. A fitting name then. He'd been so dedicated to his mission, throwing himself into danger in order to complete objectives. Hank had realized that the kid was deviating long before Connor himself had. Little things the kid had done. Mannerisms and preferences and opinions that hadn't been programmed into him. Little things that had turned into saving Hank from a rooftop instead of pursuing a fleeing deviant, hesitating to shoot those two girls from the Eden Club, not shooting Elijah Kamski's android. Connor had become a vital part of his life, completely changing his views on androids. He loved the kid wholeheartedly.

He frowned, noticing that prick Reed follow Connor into the break room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Connor put a cheap plastic lid on Hank's coffee, heading over to the brand new thirium dispenser. It almost resembled a human coffee machine. It had the ability to serve thirium either hot or chilled. Naturally, it had to be heated a particular way so the blue liquid wouldn't evaporate. It had been installed after all of the androids previously working for the DPD had officially been hired on. It was an appreciated gesture on the humans' part. He interfaced with the touch pad, watching as warm blue fluid came out into his own paper composite cup. Stress check: 55%. He smiled, exhaling heavily to aide in further ventilation.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? I thought you plastic assholes no longer knew your place??", an immediately irritating voice spoke up behind him. Another emotion he knew. Irritation, a step above anger. 64% stress. "Yet here you are getting Anderson coffee like a good little robot." Connor exhaled, turning slightly. He forced a polite smile. "Hello, Detective Reed. Would you like a coffee as well? The machine should still be warm." Deflect with kindness.

Gavin scoffed. "Speaking of machines, Barbie, I can't believe they allowed you to come back here after you assaulted me." Connor's smile was painfully forced. 72%. "You were simply an obstacle, Detective. It was nothing personal. I was allowed to come back because I'm a valuable asset to this precinct." Fowler had called him that specifically and Connor's scans hadn't revealed any signs of dishonesty.

Gavin's sneer was incredibly nasty. "Valuable asset my ass!! You're nothing but a machine designed to steal my job!!" He started going on a tirade of nasty things to say, each one like a knife to Connor's metaphorical heart. He'd done nothing but show kindness to his fellow detective, the only blip being their altercation in the archive room.

Then.

Then Gavin swept his arm over the counter, purposely knocking over both cups. The cup of coffee burst when it hit the floor, splashing over Connor's shoes and brand new Levi's. The thirium hit him in the back, splashing over his sweater and the back of his head. He flinched, LED flashing red. Stress check: 92% and steadily increasing. Errors flooded his vision, warning him of his core temperature rising and his high stress level.

SELF-DESTRUCT IMMINENT

STRESS LEVEL: 98%

CORE TEMPERATURE: 102 degrees

He dropped to his knees into a puddle of coffee and android blood, his ventilation ceasing to function. He couldn't see past the errors in his vision. A buzzing sound filled his audio processors, muffling all other sound. He thought he heard Hank's voice. Yelling. More yelling. Reed's voice. Hands grabbing onto his shoulders. Gentle hands.

"—nnor!! Hang on, son! It's gonna—", filtered in and out through the buzzing. Hank. His lips moved, his voice system not responding. His voice came out full of static on the next attempt.

"Hank.."

"Hank....I..."

STRESS LEVEL: 100%

SELF-DESTRUCT IMMINENT

That's when he felt it. The first bit of wetness traveling down his cheek. He didn't want to die. Then came another, his audio processors kicking back in just in time for him to make a horrible sound.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hank blinked as the first saline tear fell. Then more followed. "Kid.." Recognition seemed to return to Connor then, the android reaching up to his wet face as he released a godawful sound. A sob. Connor was crying. He eyed the flashing red LED for a moment. Then he pulled him in for a bone crushing hug. "Hank...Hank..." He ran his fingers through damp synthetic hair, gently shushing him. This feeling....he hadn't felt this since.....since...

"Hank....Hank....I don't....I don't under..." Connor's voice was full of static, hiccuping and stuttering with emotion. He helped him stand, quickly ushering him out of the break room and towards the bathroom. Far away from that prick Reed. "Shush. Come on, Con. Let's get you cleaned up." He locked the bathroom door, gently sitting the overheating android under the sinks. "Breathe, Connor. Whatever the hell you do." He rubbed Connor's back as the android manually switched his ventilation system back on, taking a breath. Hank exhaled. "What's your stress level at now?"

It took a second for Connor to answer. "Eighty....Eighty-seven....p-percent..." Relief oozed from every one of Hank's pores. "Good. Better than a hundred." He kept rubbing Connor's back, bad at this comforting thing. Should he be doing anything else? Punching the fucking asshole who had started yelling at Connor in the middle of the break room probably? God, he wanted so badly to smash Reed's smug face into the nearest hard surface. Though, he didn't look so smug once Connor had started crying....more confused and....no. There was no way he'd seen concern on that prick's face. He'd been seeing things, full of rage as he had been. That he still was. Who the fuck gave him the right to treat Connor that way?!

Hank blinked as a hand tentatively touched the vein throbbing in his throat. "H-Hank....your heart rate is elevated past h-healthy levels..." No static. He sighed, forcing a smile to ease Connor's concern. "Of course it is, dumbass. I just watched my partner, my son, almost self-destruct in front of my eyes.." He focused on Connor's imperfectly perfect face. "Hank.." Hank shook his head, embarrassed. He used his coat sleeve to wipe the moisture from Connor's face. "Stress level." Brown eyes blinked. "Seventy-nine." He nodded. "Good. Will you be okay if I leave you here for a few minutes?"

Connor smiled at him. "I should be. Stress level is steadily decreasing." Hank kissed the top of his head. "Good. Stay here, okay? No leaving until your stress level is below sixty." Connor nodded, leaning against a cabinet. Hank stood, his knees protesting. He grabbed a roll of red tape before leaving. He taped the door shut before returning to the bullpen.

"Everyone! I'm instituting the red tape policy for the men's bathroom for right now! Everyone should hopefully know what the red tape means! Anybody who disturbs Connor will be dealing with me!!" He slammed the tape down before turning to give Reed the third degree. He wasn't the only one giving him dirty looks. Reed looked back defiantly. That just pissed Hank off more. "The FUCK is wrong with you, you piece of shit?! He almost self-destructed in there!!!"

Reed curled his lip. "So??"

Officer Wilson abruptly stood. "That android saved my life in August! The Philips Case! I wouldn't be here if not for him!! He doesn't deserve that kind of treatment!!" A few other officers offered their opinions. Connor was a sweetheart. He never did anything to anyone. He was a damn good detective, android aside. Hank grinned at all of their support. They were all like a family in their own way, watching each other's backs. Connor included.

Reed scoffed. "That plastic asshole has you all fucking whipped." Hank curled his hands into fists. "That 'plastic asshole' is a living person with anxiety! He's only been a deviant for less than two months! He struggles every day with these new feelings he's been having! He doesn't understand them! You unloading all that shit on him is not helping!" Reed just rolled his eyes. Hank saw red. "You...You...!!" Ben put a hand on Hank's shoulder. "He's not worth it, Hank." Hank grit his teeth, blue eyes shining with rage as he looked at the smug asshole across the way. The other officer forcefully lowered him into his seat with a gently pat on his shoulder. He disagreed somewhat. Beating that look off of Reed's face wouldn't be good for his already overflowing disciplinary folder, especially not after the whole beating Perkins' face in incident, but it would make Hank feel better. He took a deep breath in and out as Reed put his feet on his desk, just exuding asshole energy. "Fuckin' prick..", he grumbled, glaring at the younger detective.

Everyone's heads turned at the sound of ripping tape. It was completely silent as Connor strolled out of the hallway, parts of his hair wet and sticking up. He must have tried washing the evaporated thirium out of it. Hank watched him in concern. "Connor! Are you alright now?" The android's expression was one of hardened stubbornness. He jerked his chin up slightly as he answered, his tone clipped. "I'm functioning at normal capacity, Lieutenant."

"Connor's in sass mode."

".....okay? That means what exactly..?"

Hank grinned wickedly. "Reed pissed him off."

Connor paused at Reed's desk, leveling him with an empty stare. It wasn't too far off from the one he's had before he'd started deviating. Reed gave him a look of pure hate. "What? You want round two or something, asshole?! Stop fucking staring at me!!" Connor's spinning blue LED flickered with red quickly. Then he suddenly attacked, punching Reed in the face hard enough to knock him out of his chair. Hank burst into loud laughter. "That's my boy!! Good boy, Connor!!" Fowler's voice barked from his office doorway, yelling Connor's name. Connor huffed, walking gracefully to the glass office.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Take a seat, Connor. You're not in trouble.", Fowler motioned to an empty chair across from his desk. Connor tilted his head, sitting in the chair. "I'm not, sir?" Fowler simply shook his head. "No. We all saw what happened in the break room earlier. I'm glad you stood up for yourself and even gladder that you were the one to hit Gavin and not Hank. Hank's file is big enough as it is." Connor nodded in understanding. "I don't wish to cause any disturbances, sir." The captain nodded. "I know. You do good work, Connor. It's good to have you back. Now, get back to work."

Connor stood. "Yes, sir."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gavin hissed as he pressed the ice he'd gotten from the eyemaker against the bruise on his jaw. He was lucky that damn android hadn't fractured anything. Fucking android. He genuinely hadn't expected the plastic prick to react the way he had in the break room. He hadn't expected him to break down and cry like that. He hadn't thought the plastic barbie doll was capable of something like that. Androids weren't a living species as far as he was concerned, but Connor was starting to show otherwise. In the three days since he'd returned to the force, Gavin had witnessed him doing things too human to be anything but. Laughing, smiling, making jokes with the other officers. Guilt burned in the pit of his gut. 

Was Connor actually alive like everyone said? Was it possible? 

Possible for Gavin to be....at least civil with him..?

It would be difficult. He'd rather die than apologize or admit that he was wrong.

But.

Maybe he'd try.

(End of Chapter One.)

Chapter Text

Markus could distinctly remember the first time he'd ever known mention of "Connor".

The subway. A news broadcast.

Cyberlife had released a prototype model to assist officers in android related cases. "The Deviant Hunter", the media called it. They'd shown footage of the android standing in the rain at a crime scene, arms tucked behind its back. It had an innocent looking face, brown hair curling at its forehead. It was the eyes though that had given him chills. Brown. A cold, soulless, brown. Lifeless. Markus had immediately scanned the footage, his chest components feeling tight. His scans had given him the information of the android. "RK800; serial number 313-248-317-51; Designation: Connor.", he'd blinked away the info with a scowl. He'd just have to not get caught.

He didn't run into him before he'd reached the safety of Jericho, thankfully.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next major time had been in Jericho, an AX400 and a child android. Kara and Alice. He'd merely asked how they were when Kara brought up Connor.

"We were staying in a motel. I'm ashamed to say that I stole money from a convenience store to afford it.." She took a deep breath, Alice squeezing her hand supportively. Markus gave a smile of encouragement. "Right. Well, the police arrived. With them was an android in a Cyberlife uniform. Brown hair, brown eyes. A cute cleft in his chin." She faltered for a second. "He....uh.....He saw us as we were trying to slip away and gave chase..." She bit her lip. The larger android with her, Luther, put a large hand on her shoulder.

Markus frowned. "Did you happen to see his model?" She started shaking her head, frowning. "RK800.", Alice supplied helpfully. "His jacket had ANDROID on it, really big across his upper back." Markus nodded solemnly. "The Deviant Hunter. You were lucky. Mind telling me about it?" Kara bit her lip. "I..." He understood, offering a hand. "Show me instead? I need to know just how dangerous he is to our people." He removed the artificial skin, revealing the white plastic beneath. She took his hand after a moment, doing the same. He closed his eyes as they interfaced.

He was suddenly seeing through Kara's eyes. They were running, and she kept glancing down at Alice. The sound of light and quick footsteps came from behind them. The sound of wingtip dress shoes against concrete. A gruff voice shouting in the distance. "Connor!! For fuck's sake!! Connor!!!" They soon reached a chainlink fence, facing a busy highway. She checked on Alice before boosting her over, climbing over herself.

Alice screamed at a collision against metal behind them. Kara slowly turned, finding herself face to face with the other android through the chainlink. Under different circumstances, Kara would have admired his beautiful face. Imperfectly perfect, perfect skin marred by purposefully placed beauty marks. His gaze was so cold, almost predatory in a way. She urged Alice to run, taking off across the highway. They dodged cars until they'd reached the grass in between the sets of lanes. She dared for a moment to look back. A grey haired human had joined the android, out of breath. The android jumped up to the top of the fence, perching with perfect balance, fully prepared to run after them.

Only for the human to grab a handful of the bottom of the android's jacket. "Connor! Don't even think about it! Chasing them isn't worth killing yourself! Get the fuck down!!" The android made eye contact with her, coiled to strike. His eyebrows furrowed, LED a furious yellow. His dark eyes chilled her to her core. "Connor!! That's an order!!" He blinked, glancing away for only a second. "I hear you, Lieutenant.", a warm, raspy voice answered back. The android, Connor, jumped back down and glared through the chainlink. The human pulled him away from the fence. "Better fuckin' hear me. Christ." A wry smile formed on Connor's face as the human continued to speak, allowing himself to be steered away. He glanced over his shoulder one last time. A warning. A promise. He'd be back.

"Goddamn. After all that running you made me do, I need a drink. Or several."

"Very well, Lieutenant. I will be putting a cap on the amount you consume, though."

"Course you will. Fuckin' android."

Their voices faded as Kara took off running again.

Markus blinked as Kara released his hand. He was stunned. "He let you go. Willingly." She nodded. "I thought we were going to die. He would have caught us if that human, that Lieutenant, hadn't stopped him from jumping the fence."

Markus frowned. That android...

He'd almost seemed troubled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I've been ordered to take you alive."

That voice. Markus slowly turned, facing its owner. Facing a gun pointed at his face. An android in a jacket and a beanie to hide their LED. That face was vaguely familiar to him. What were they doing..? He faced them fully."What are you doing? You're one of us....You can't betray your own people..."

The android simply glared. "You're coming with me!"

Those eyes. He knew those eyes. Flashes of memories from another's mind. "I know you. You're Connor, aren't you? That famous deviant hunter. Well, congratulations. You seem to have found what you were looking for..." 

He took a step forward. Connor took one back. Something Markus couldn't identify flitted across the other's face. Hesitance, perhaps? He honed in on that. He could work with it.

"Do you never have any doubts? You've never done something irrational, as if there's something inside you? Something more than your program..."

He watched as Connor's gaze flicked away from him for a moment, lips curling into a frown, before he looked back at Markus. Yes. Yes, he had. That was all Markus needed. He took a few calculated steps forward, gaining ground while he held that cold gaze.

"It's time to decide. Time to decide who you are."

Seconds passed, Connor's eyes drifted to his left. Unseeing. Markus was frozen, unable to look away. His simulated breathing still for a moment as the sound of his thirium pump buzzed in his ears. Had he done it? Or was he about to die?

Then....those eyes refocused. They were warm, reminding Markus of melted chocolate. They were alive. Even Connor's expression had changed. He looked lost and unsure as he lowered his gun, letting his arm dangle at his side instead.

Relief flooded through him at the realization. The Deviant Hunter had become a deviant himself. He'd ditched his programming in the name of freedom. He opened his mouth to welcome him when Connor spoke again.

"They're going to attack Jericho!"

Ice flooded metaphorical veins."What?!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Markus walked into the bullpen silently, gently looking around. He'd never really been in here before. The receptionist android had been very kind, obviously a rehired deviant. She'd happily told him that if Detective Anderson wasn't seated at his desk, he was free to wait for him. His desk was the one with a little cactus and a picture of a St.Bernard.

Fortunately, though, he immediately spotted the android in question at his desk interfacing with his terminal. He was wearing a white button up shirt today, along with black pants, and his usual dress shoes. His tie was loose, the first few buttons on his shirt undone, and his sleeves had been pushed to above his elbows. Even his hair was more ruffled than the last time Markus had seen him last month. A strange warmth spread through his biocomponents. He stood still for a moment, merely watching Connor's eyelids flutter as he interfaced with the computer. The files on the screen sped by at inhuman speed, showing just how incredible Connor's processing power actually was. Then he finally approached the desk, clearing his throat. Connor blinked, LED going blue as he removed his hand from the digital keyboard.

A bright smile immediately lit up the other android's face, chocolate brown eyes crinkling at the corners. "Hello, Markus!", he greeted cheerfully, giving Markus his full attention. Markus felt like the blue screen of death for a moment, freezing at the sight for a mere few milliseconds. He recovered somewhat after a moment, confused by these reactions. Something he couldn't quite define. "Hey, Connor. How are you?" Nailed it.

"I'm at full functionality and in a decent mood this morning.", Connor reported happily, brown eyes twinkling. If ever asked if he regretted deviating this particular android just for the sheer fact of his blue blood thirsty past, Markus would tell them to shut the fuck up and get out of his face. Just for that happy expression alone. The RK800 was brimming with life now that he was a deviant. He seemed happy and Markus would never want to take that away from him. He noticed then the empty desk against Connor's. "Where's Lieutenant Anderson?", he asked, curious. Connor's smile fell slightly. "Ah. Hank has elected to get his own coffee from now on, forbidding me from doing it after...." His LED cycled yellow, then red, stayed red for a second, then back to blue. ".....an incident last week.." Markus quirked an eyebrow. "What kind of incident?"

Hank returned to his desk before Connor could answer, a cup in each hand. He placed one in front of Connor. "Warm thirium at your service." Connor turned a bright smile to his father figure. "Thanks, Lieutenant." Hank merely nodded, sitting down. Markus cleared his throat to regain the other android's attention. He spoke once those eyes refocused on him. "What incident? Were you hurt?" Connor opened his mouth, but shut it again so quickly that his teeth clacked together. Hank huffed, answering for him. "Detective Reed roughed him up in the break room. Kid nearly self-destructed in front of me."

"Hank!", Connor gave his partner a look of betrayal. "What? Don't you look at me like that. You weren't planning on saying anything, clearly." Markus felt a cold flash of fear spread through him, lingering near his thirium pump. Connor had reached critical stress levels, almost died, and nobody had informed him? Er...informed New Jericho, he meant. Informed New Jericho. Connor was one of the leaders of the revolution. He was important to androidkind as much as Markus himself was. Even if it was taking every second of the last month after their final stand for the other androids to trust the ex-hunter. Many still didn't, not even Markus' closest friends. North refused to be in the same room with Connor after what happened on the stage. When Connor had almost pulled a gun on him. She didn't seem to care that it hadn't been his own choice or that he'd stopped it. She was still angry and mistrustful. Josh was still wary as well. Simon, thankfully, was finally starting to come around.

"But you're alright now? You weren't hurt?" He just had to make sure. Connor shook his head. "Hank kept me from hurting myself. I even got a good swing in afterwards. Not my proudest moment, but it was vindicating." He flexed the fingers of his right hand as though remembering the punch he'd delivered. Hank snorted into his coffee. "Good swing is putting it mildly." He jerked his thumb at a desk across the way. Markus glanced over briefly, seeing a human male in his late thirties sporting a large bruise and several strips of gauze. He looked back at Connor's smug smirk, fighting a smile himself. "I'm not sure I approve of violence as a solution, but it seems well deserved." He offered his hand, removing his skin. "May I see?"

His pump stuttered as a slender hand slipped into his own. This wasn't the first time he'd interfaced with the RK800, and it probably wouldn't be the last, but he was always caught up in the feeling of Connor's hand in his. Every time. These hands had once been capable of destroying androidkind. North didn't want him to ever forget that. These gentle hands had almost killed him. That wasn't who Connor was anymore, Markus kept reminding her. These hands were weapons against the criminals of Detroit now, human and android alike. They were hands of justice.

He smiled at the feeling of connection, the feeling of Connor as an entity. He closed his eyes, focusing on the memories being shared. Looking through Connor's eyes, he watched as the other Detective spit vitriol before dumping coffee and thirium all over him. All over Connor. He watched helplessly as Connor's vision filled with errors. As his stress level rose dramatically. That punch was definitely well deserved. He blinked, coming back to himself with a jolt. Connor was still holding his hand, but Markus watched with a frown as pale skin crept back over white plastic. The last thing he caught before the exchange ended was a feeling of shame.

"Connor....I'm so sorry...you didn't deserve that..", he spoke softly, looking into brown eyes as they reopened. He glanced briefly at the ring of golden yellow spinning at Connor's temple. "You know that, don't you..?" He frowned when Connor didn't respond, sharing a concerned glance with Hank. "Connor?", Hank spoke up, raising his eyebrows. Connor started playing with his coin. "In theory, I know that, but...I feel otherwise. Maybe...maybe this is karmic retribution for what I did.." Before he could think about his actions, Connor's hands were suddenly in his own again. He barely paid it any attention. "What you did before you deviated isn't your fault. You were programmed to hunt deviants, so that's what you did. You woke up, Connor. You woke up and we wouldn't have won without you. I called what you did a suicide mission, remember? You proved me wrong. I can't even describe what I felt when I saw you marching with all those androids from the tower." Simon probably could name it, to Markus' dismay. These feelings he had for Connor was their favorite thing to tease him about. "Do you understand? That thing on the stage wasn't your fault either, no matter what North or Josh thinks. That was the desperate act of a company that knew they were losing. You freed yourself and you didn't hurt me. Connor, you didn't hurt me. I'm right here.."

Hank looked away from them awkwardly. This felt like something he shouldn't interrupt. It almost seemed like RoboJesus had a thing for his son. Whether Connor felt the same was up for debate. Kid barely knew what he was feeling moment to moment. It didn't take much to overwhelm him. It was also pretty clear to see just how much guilt the kid carried on his shoulders. It was in those eyes of his, those chocolate brown eyes that were so much more expressive than they'd ever been before. He glanced back to see Connor looking back into Markus' heterochromatic eyes, his lips set in a slight pout. His forehead was creasing in a way Hank had become familiar with. "Kid, stop thinking so hard before you burn yourself out."

Connor looked down at the brown hands holding his own, feeling an odd sensation in his thirium pump. It was almost like a twitch. An odd sensation that he didn't understand. A warmth spread from his head to his toes as he realized Markus had been holding his hands for approximately five minutes and forty-five seconds. Too long to be considered a platonic gesture by any of his systems. "I hear you, Markus. I'm not sure I completely agree, but your kind words are appreciated." A wry smile curled his lips. Markus smiled back at him, giving his hands a squeeze before finally letting go of them. "I came here to personally invite you to spend some time with us at New Jericho. I...I mean we could use your help with some of our ideas to send to Congress." Connor blinked at him in surprise, looking down at his hands as a feeling of warmth persisted in the plastic. "Oh. I see. I'm not sure that's a good idea. I'm not well-liked by our people, Markus. I don't blame them in the slightest, but it still....weighs me down in a metaphorical sense.."

"Don't worry about them, okay? I would like you to join us. How can you prove to them that you've changed if you don't come around?"

"Okay....I'll go.."

(End of Chapter)