So I recently became infatuated with a PS4 game called Detroit: Become Human. I wrote this little reverse AU for fun with the plan to continue it. Really the only difference is that Connor is a human and Hank is an android. Connor is still a workaholic, obsessed with solving the case. Hank is still there to aid him and keep him from killing himself. The story mostly focuses on Connor, a bit on Hank and his journey to deviancy, and only mentions Markus and Kara when they cross paths with Connor and/or Hank. I have a lot of angsty ideas in store for Connor and his backstory, so let me know if this is something you're interested in reading. Otherwise, I'll just write it for myself and not publish it. PURELY FRIENDSHIP BTW!!!

Summary: Connor Anderson is the youngest lieutenant in Detroit and the best detective on the police force. Since his younger twin brother Richard was killed on the job, Connor hasn't had a partner since to keep him in check. When assigned to the deviant case, CyberLife sent an HK800 android named Hank to assist the young detective and protect him so that he doesn't fail his mission. As the case deepens into a fight for equal rights, the partners begin to wonder if they are on the right side (Loosely based on Bryan Dechart's Green Connor play through).

Prologue: The Hostage

     Ping. Ping. Ping. The young man flipped a silver quarter in rhythm with the bing of hitting each level. Ping, bing. Ping, bing. Ping, bing. He caught it in his palm and rolled it over his fingers. Gradually, the tricks grew more and more impressive as his nerves climbed with the elevator. He flicked the coin from one hand to the other quickly. He caught the edges of the coin between two fingers as the numbers finally stopped at 70, the top floor. The man slipped the coin into his pocket and adjusted his tie marginally as the doors slid open.

     He was greeted by the sight of a dark apartment complex. He could practically smell the green paper in the aquarium, tiled floor, and art displays. What he could literally smell was gun powder and a faint metallic tint of blood.

     A S.W.A.T. member stiffened by the door and touched his radio. "Negotiator on site. Repeat, negotiator on site."

     The S.W.A.T. officer hurriedly disappeared around a corner as if expecting the young detective to follow with the same haste. Instead, he took his time to gather clues.

     A framed photo caught the lieutenant's eye. He picked it up and studied it for a moment. A three member family beamed back at him. According to the file, the father is John Philips, the mother is Caroline, and the girl is their daughter Emma. They looked happy. Allowing the corner of his lip to lift slightly in a ghost of a smile, he put the frame back where he found it.

     He heard slapping on the wet, slick floor and bent down to investigate. A colorful fish from a tropical region, he assumed, flopped desperately in a puddle of water. The glass of the aquarium built into the wall was broken, slowly leaking water. Without thinking, he scooped the fish into his hand and dumped it into the half-filled tank. He watched the fish swim around happily for a moment before turning to continue searching for more clues.

     "No, stop... I... I... I can't leave her!"

     Before he could move, a S.W.A.T. member appeared, dragging a frantic woman toward the elevator. She stopped to cling to him, shaking his arms. Her nails bit into his flesh, but he didn't mind. He stared into her panicked face, her tears leaving streaks of mascara under her eyes.

     "Oh, oh, please, please, you gotta save my little girl," she pleaded.

     "Alright, ma'am. We need to go." The officer pulled her away.

     The detective watched them enter the elevator. Then he focused on finding Captain Allen. He found him in the master bedroom, bent over a computer and staring at the screen over the shoulder of one of his men. He was definitely agitated and on edge, judging by all the yelling on the phone he overheard. All the S.W.A.T. he passed by were itching to jump in and save the girl. No one, not even Mrs. Philips, had faith in the youngest lieutenant in the police force. He noticed it in her face and heard it in Captain Allen's words. Good thing he had his reputation to back him up.

     "Captain Allen? My name is Connor. I'm the detective sent by the Detroit Police Department."

     The captain barely acknowledged him. "It's firing at everything that moves... it already shot down two of my men. We could easily get it, but they're on the edge of the balcony. If it falls, she falls."

     "Do you know its name?" asked Connor urgently.

     "I haven't got a clue. Does it matter?"

     "I need information to determine the best approach. Has it experienced an emotional shock recently?"

     "Listen" Captain Allen finally turned, walking up into Connor's face. The detective didn't even flinch, "saving that kid is all that matters. So either you deal with this f*cking android now, or I'll take care of it." The man shoved something against Connor's chest. "And wear a bulletproof vest, for crying out loud." Then he stormed out of the room.

     After securely strapping the vest in place, Connor set to work immediately. He only had a few seconds to gather as much information as he could. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted an open gun case on the floor. The empty box of bullets next to the case once held .355 ammunition. The case itself was home to a MS853 Black Hawk, judging by the imprint in the foam. Connor glanced up and noticed an empty shelf. The deviant must of taken the case from there.

     Next, he checked the daughter's room. A purple hue filtered out the door. He picked up a pair of headphones on the carpet. The music was loud. The child didn't hear the gunshots. Finding a tablet on her desk, he unlocked it to open to a video of the girl and a blond, blue-eyed PL600 android outside in the park.

     "This is Daniel, the coolest android in the world!" Emma introduced happily. "Say hi, Daniel!"

     "Hello!" It waved to the camera.

     "You're my bestie! We'll always be together!"

     Deviant's name: Daniel. It seems to be close with Emma.

     Walking into the living room, Connor found a body. John Philips was killed during the attack. Forcing back banished memories, Connor took a deep breath and bent down to examine the corpse. A bullet wound had hit the lower lung hemorrhage, causing internal bleeding. The second shot had hit the left kidney, which caused fatal abdominal trauma. The third bullet had hit the upper lung hemorrhage. He had been shot three times in the front about an hour ago, sending him crashing onto the now shattered coffee table before he died of his injuries quickly.

     By the dead man's hand was a blood-splattered tablet. With a swipe of his finger, the black screen unlocked to a confirmed order of an AP700 housekeeper model. The deviant was going to be replaced.

     Two gunshots rang out and an officer fell.

     "Man down! I repeat, man down! Requesting immediate evac!"

Connor fingered the quarter in his pocket as he watched them remove the injured man from the scene. He was running out of time.

     In the dining room, Connor examined the body of the first responder cop. He recognized him as Anthony Deckart from the DPD. Nice man, loved protecting people. Connor had looked up to him. He swallowed and continued his examination. He had been shot in the heart, a quick death. He had faced the deviant head on. The hostage could have already been with the android, concluding as to why Deckart was defeated in the shootout. There was blue blood on the wall and traces of gunshot residue on the cop's hand. He had injured it.

     Deckart's gun had slid beneath the dinning table. Connor left it, he already carried a weapon.

     Connor moved to the kitchen. A pot on the stove was boiling over. The family was about to sit down for dinner. He turned off the heat. The refrigerator had a screen. Connor unmuted it to listen to the latest update on what was happening right outside. Muting it again, Connor straightened his shoulders and strode towards the plastic flaps leading to the balcony. Taking a deep breath, he pushed aside the sheet and stepped outside.

     The girl screamed as a shot rang out. Connor grunted as the bullet grazed his arm, splattering red blood on the plastic behind him. So much for the bulletproof vest. He heard movement behind him and raised his hand to signal the other humans to stand down.

     "Stay back!" shouted Daniel. "Don't come any closer or I'll jump!"

     "No! No, please! I'm begging you!" Emma wailed in its arm, her feet dangling in free air. She squirmed in the android's grip.

     Panic seized Connor's heart for a moment at the image of Emma accidentally knocking Daniel off balance and sending them both over the edge. Connor forced himself to stay calm. Daniel shifted the gun from Connor to the girl's head, making her still. He took note of the helicopter and S.W.A.T. teams surrounding the area. It was all up to him now. He really wished he had a cigarette.

     Taking a deep breath, the detective began the negotiations.

     "Hi, Daniel!"

     "How...?"

     "My name is Connor."

     "How do you know my name?"

     "I know a lot of things about you," Connor answered over the roar of the helicopter. "I've come to get you out of this."

     The chopper flew above them, blowing pool chairs across the patio. The air smelled of chlorine and still that hint of metal.

     "I'm not going to hurt you," Connor reassured. "I just want to talk and find a solution."

     "Talk?" Daniel scoffed. "I don't wanna to talk. It's too late for that now. It's too late..."

     From reading case reports, Connor knew deviants seemed to express emotion, but he wasn't prepared for the range and depth this android appeared to "feel". Daniel seemed distressed, hopeless... afraid. Perhaps his best course of action was to treat this android has he would a human hostage holder.

     "Drop your weapon!" Daniel suddenly demanded, pointing its gun back at Connor. "You're human. I know you have a gun!"

     Connor raised his hands as he slowly walked closer. "I don't have a gun," he lied. "I came to you unarmed." The gun hiding behind his back felt heavier. "I know you and Emma were very close. You think she betrayed you - but she's done nothing wrong."

     "She lied to me! I thought she loved me..."

     As the android spoke, Connor kneeled beside a wounded cop. His eyes were open and filled with pain. His breaths were thready.

     "But I was wrong..." The gun returned to Emma's temple. "She's just like all the other humans..."

     "Daniel, no..." Emma pleaded.

     The cop had been shot in the arm. His sleeve was heavy and dark with blood.

     "He's losing blood," Connor informed the deviant. "If we don't get him to a hospital. He's going to die."

     "All humans die eventually. What does it matter if this one dies now?"

     Connor grimaced at the sentiment. "I'm going to apply a tourniquet." He turned the cop onto his back. Bang! Sparks flew by his hand, and Connor recoiled.

     "Don't touch him! Touch him and I kill you!"

     "You could, but that never stops me." Captain Fowler would be face-palming if he were here right now. Maybe he was if he was watching the news. Connor removed his tie and tied it around the wound tightly to stem the bleeding. When he finished, the lieutenant rose and continued his slow approach.

     "They were going to replace you and you became upset. That's what happened, right?"

     "I thought I was part of the family. I thought I mattered... But I was just their toy, something to throw away when you're done with it..."

     "Listen, I know it's not your fault." He was very close now. He could see the smudges of thirium on Emma's collar bone, her tear-streaked face, and Daniel's blinking yellow L.E.D. on his temple. "These emotions you're feeling are just errors in your software."

     "No. It's not my fault. I never wanted this. I loved them, you know... but I was nothing to them... just a slave to be ordered around..."

     Emma began to cry again as the warm nozzle of the gun touched her neck. Connor couldn't even feel the pain in his arm anymore, nor the chill of the night.

     "Urgggh... I can't stand that noise anymore!" Daniel growled. "Tell that helicopter to get out of here!"

     Connor sent the helicopter a signal and it tore away from the site. He was mere steps away from Daniel and Emma. He could feel the situation stabilizing.

     "There, I did what you wanted." Running out of time and options, Connor made his final plea. "You have to trust me, Daniel. Let the hostage go and I promise you everything will be fine."

     "I want everyone to leave!" Daniel demanded, waving his gun to indicate to all the snipers and S.W.A.T. "And I wanna car! When I'm outside the city, I'll let her go!"

     Connor grimaced. He should have expected demands. Every hostage situation had them. That's why they send a negotiator. He was going to have to make a compromise. "That's impossible, Daniel. Let the girl go and I promise you won't be hurt."

     "I don't wanna die..."

     "You're not going to die. We're just going to talk. Nothing will happen to you. You have my word."

     Daniel stared into his eyes for a long moment. Connor held the gaze, hiding his surprise by how human the android's eyes looked.

     "Okay, I trust you."

     Daniel loosened his grip and gently lowered Emma to the ground. The girl ran away from the edge and collapsed onto the safe floor.

     Connor winced. His hands curled into fists as he steeled himself for the outcome he knew he was powerless to prevent. A sniper fired, the bullet tearing through Daniel's left side. Emma shrieked at the sound. The poor child has seen and heard more gunshots that she should have in a lifetime. Another bullet shattered the deviant's shoulder, and then another sliced through its left cheek. Thirium and plastic flew everywhere. The android crumpled to its knees, its blue eyes dimming and red L.E.D. blinking out.

     "You lied to me, Connor."

     Its words struck a nerve inside him, its voice so terrifyingly human.

     "You lied to me..." Its voice faded into something more robotic as the light finally left its eyes.

     Connor bent down to the sobbing girl. He gathered her into his arms as she squeezed his neck. She was trembling and cold, her tears soaked his white dress shirt.

     "Hey, it's okay. It's okay," he soothed, rubbing circles around her back. "You're safe. You're alive."

     She was alive.

     Mission successful.

So what do you think? Shall I continue this?