(Y/N)'s P.O.V.

November 9th, 2038
04:15 pm

We stood in Fowler's office, my body feeling tense. Connor, who was next to us, had his eyes closed while his LED flickered yellow.

"You're off the case. The FBI is taking over." The captain sounded as intimidating, as I remembered from the first time I had heard his voice.

My eyes shot over to Connor, his own opening at the same moment. Gulping, I opened my mouth to say something, not willing to give up. I just couldn't.

"Please captain Fowler, we are onto something right now! We simply need a little bit more time, then we can-" I was harshly interrupted by the dark skinned man, who sat on his desk.

"Detective (L/N), you don't get it. This isn't just another investigation, it's a fucking civil war! It's out of our hands now... We're talking about national security here."

I quickly recoiled, slightly shivering. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Connor directing a worried glance at me.

"Fuck that! You can't just pull the plug now. Not when we're so close!" Hank protested, seeming fairly angry.

"You're always saying you can't stand androids! Jesus, Hank, make up your mind! I thought at least you'd be happy about this!" The captain gestured towards the lieutenant with his hand, hence Hank leaned onto the table.

"We're about to crack the case!.. I know we can solve it! For God's sake, Jeffrey, can't you back me up this one time?"

Fowler stayed silent for a second, taking a deep breath. "There's nothing I can do. You're back on homicide, detective (L/N) will return to her former city and the android to CyberLife. I'm sorry, Hank, but it's over."

I gasped upon hearing that. They couldn't send Connor back! They couldn't let me get locked away for years again either!

I was about to raise my voice, driven by my emotions, yet Hank dismissed my action with a movement of his right hand. The grey-haired man looked at me and Connor, eventually leaving the room with a disappointed expression covering his face.

Helpless, I turned to look at captain Fowler again, pleadingly. Yet there was no reaction, causing me to shake my head and hurry out of the room, trying to escape the thick air inside. I sensed Connor following me to Hank's desk. Insecurely, I stood next to the grey-haired man, as he stared at his screen. The android sat down on the table.

"We can't just give up like that. I know we could have solved this case!.." Connor looked at both Hank and me but I found myself unable to reply.

"So you're going back to CyberLife?" The lieutenant moved his chair so he would face us.

I froze upon hearing about Connor's fate. I knew what they would do to him there. CyberLife had certain tactics they never changed. "I have no choice... I'll be deactivated and analyzed to find out why I failed..."

Gritting my teeth, I stared up at the android and our eyes met. "You can't Connor..! You can't simply throw away your life like that! We need to do something..." I mumbled the last part to myself, biting onto my lip until I faintly felt blood.

I was not ready to lose Connor. Not after I had discovered and wanted to admit my feelings for him. Not after he had almost appeared to realize his own worth.

"What if we're all on the wrong side? What if we're fighting against people who just wanna be free?.." Hank claimed, making me perk up my head. Could we even swap sides if we wanted to? I doubted it.

"When the deviants rise up, there will be chaos. We could have stopped it!.. But now it's too late..." Connor leaned towards Hank, answering the question. Was not interrupting the deviant's plans truly the issue at hand?

"When you refused to kill that android at Kamski's place... You put yourself in her shoes. You showed empathy, Connor. Empathy is a human emotion."

I agreed with Hank. Actually, the android had shown more than once that he was able to feel like any human. Saving Hank, sparing the Tracis or his behavior towards me. I knew that Connor still refused to accept it, so how could I change his mind?

I noticed Connor averting his gaze, another sign of his insecurity. Once more a hint that he perceived things just like us.

"I don't know why I did it..."

I carefully watched as Connor shifted his gaze several times, seemingly nervous. Silence descended in between us, until Connor spoke up again, "I know there are things that haunt you, Hank... Maybe you need to find the courage to move past them... Get on with your life. Just a plastic cop's opinion, but... I had to say it."

The android's advice for Hank warmed my heart. He obviously had started to treasure the lieutenant and I believed it was the same the other way around. Now, Connor turned to me, looking as if he felt extremely guilty.

"I know you always tried your best to protect me (Y/N) and I appreciate that. I am sorry I didn't turn out to be who you wished for..."

My eyes widened, as I opened my mouth, desperately wanting to respond. Somehow, my tongue just did not want to move. Something kept me rooted in that place.

"Well, well, here comes Perkins, that motherfucker... Sure don't waste any time at the FBI..." Hank muttered, squinting his eyes.

Connor glanced back over his shoulder and then focused on us again. "We can't give up... I know the answer is in the evidence we collected. If Perkins takes it, it's all over."

Hank simply answered, "There's no choice! You heard Fowler, we're off the case."

Suddenly, Connor jumped off the table, facing only Hank. "You've got to help me, Lieutenant. I need more time so I can find a lead in the evidence we collected. I know the solution is in there!"

I waited for the lieutenant's reply, feeling anxious. "Listen, Connor..."

"If I don't solve this case, CyberLife will destroy me. Five minutes. It's all I ask," Connor begged.

I slightly lowered my head. "I'll go with him so don't worry Hank. Please, you know I can't lose this."

I stared at the man, who I had started to consider a father by now. He was aware of my feelings towards Connor, I could easily see that. Biting his lip, the grey-haired man sighed.

"Promise to take care of Connor, alright (Y/N)?"

I nodded, full of determination.

"Key to the basement is on my desk... Get a move on you two! I can't distract them forever." Hank chased us away, heading for the FBI agent.

"Perkins! You fucking cocksucker!"

I slightly grinned, watching the scene. Out of nowhere, Connor grabbed my hand, dragging me away. I didn't resist, revelling in his touch. We both ran over to the archive room, stepping through the door. Continuing to walk, we arrived at the second one. Just as Connor was about to open the entrance, a voice called out to us from behind.

"Hey, Connor, rookie! I'm talking to you, assholes! Where you going? We don't need any plastic pricks or amateurs around here! Or didn't anybody tell you?"

I turned to face him, holding back my anger. Yet Connor was still faster than me, protectively stepping in front of my body. "Me and (Y/N) are registering the evidence in our possession, but don't worry. We're going to leave... Though I'm certainly going to miss our bromance."

I held back a chuckle, hearing the android say that. However, Gavin's next move caused my blood to freeze.

"You son of a bitch! " He pulled out his gun, pointing it directly at Connor's forehead.

"Don't." I growled, glaring at the brown haired human detective. He faked a shot, laughing now.

"Don't worry rookie, I won't hurt your precious metal tin right now." He grinned at me, whereas I only cut him a side-eye.

Focusing on Connor again, he said, "Go on then. Get a fucking move on! Prick... Fucking androids."

A sigh of relief left my lips as Gavin finally disappeared. "Let's go." I suggested, earning a firm nod from my partner.

We both entered the next hallway, carefully walking down the stairs. Arriving at the bottom, we used the key to open the glass door, now stepping up to the computer. Connor put his hand onto the screen, making it turn white. However, we required a password, since he had no fingerprints and I wasn't registered until that point.

"Hank's password..." I muttered to myself, thinking about it.

"What would a hard-boiled eccentric police lieutenant choose?.." Connor continued my trail of thoughts.

I squinted one eye while Connor tried something out. To my surprise, it actually did work. Slightly grinning to himself, he said, "Obviously."

I tilted my head, as we waited for the evicence to be released. "What was it?"

Connor looked at me with a small smile. "Fucking password."

Quietly, I laughed to myself. "Of course."

As soon as the objects were in our reach, we walked around the table. "Where is Jericho? The answer's here, somewhere. Not much time... Gotta think fast." The android mumbled to himself.

I carefully looked around, walking up to the tablet in the middle, starting the skinless android's speech from a few days ago again. Once it finished, I stepped back, trying to inspect the whole picture.

"Do you think you can reactivate the android that was with the deviants who recorded the speech?"

Connor turned towards me, raising his index finger. "Of course!"

Hastily, he searched for the correct parts to reanimate the blonde android. After a while, he had found everything and walked over to the other machine. It abruptly moved as soon as Connor had inserted the correct parts.

"It's dark... Where... Where am I?.."

Connor neutrally replied, "I'm a deviant...like you... I need your help. I want to go to Jericho."

His trick was clever but I was afraid it was not going to work. "I don't recognize your voice, you're not one of us... I'll never tell you where Jericho is... Now leave me alone!.."

Connor stepped back in defeat, but that was when something came to my head.

I gently dragged him aside, whispering into his ear. "You can imitate the deviant's voice, who gave that speech! That blonde one surely knows and trusts him if they were part of the same team."

My partner stared at me, slightly suprised. "You are a genius."

I waved his comment off, partly blushing. Connor once more approached the blonde android.

"Who's there? Who are you?" The unfamiliar man asked.

"Everything is all right. Don't worry." Connor's imitation was on point, causing me to silently gasp.

"Markus? Is that you?.. Why did you leave me?" Hearing those words from the deviant, I felt something tug at my heart. I still wasn't convinced of what we did but what other choice was there? Perhaps we could go to Jericho and inform them of the FBI, which surely would invade their location soon? However, for that I needed to convince Connor first.

His voice tore me out of my thoughts. "I had no choice, they'd have killed us all!.. You'll be alright... I came to take you home. Just... Give me the location to Jericho, we've got to leave now..."

Connor stretched out his hand, grasping the deviant's one, who responded, "Jericho...Y-Yes... Yes, of course... Markus?.. Is that you, Markus?.. Don't leave me again, Markus! DON'T LEAVE!"

The blonde android was shut off, hence I sighed. At the same time I knew that Connor had managed to locate Jericho.

"So, where is it?" I curiously asked, looking at my partner.

He shot me a glance, answering, "It's a rusty, abandoned freighter in Ferndale."

As I was about to nod, I heard a familiar voice. "I've been dreaming about this since the first second I saw you..."

I froze, hastily turning around to see Gavin aiming is gun at Connor.

"Don't do it Gavin! This will get you nowhere. I will take care of you myself after you shoot. We even know how to stop the deviants." I tried to convince him but apparantly failed.

"How do you want to put an end to me rookie? Without this..." He suddenly lifted another gun, causing me to look down at my belt. My weapon was gone. Had I forgotten it at Hank's desk?

"You're useless." His grin made me feel sick.

"You're off the case... And now, it's gonna be definitive."

Suddenly, Gavin shot, yet I was pulled behind the control desk by Connor. I gulped, as he shoved me behind him. Gavin surrounded the table and arrived next to us but somehow Connor was able to predict his move, kicking him while grabbing his gun at the same time. He threw it away with one swift motion of his arm and got up, approaching Gavin, who currently stumbled backwards. I hurried to my feet and took the gun in my hands, debating whether to shot and risk hitting my partner or not. Gavin moved to kick Connor, hence I decided to just step in by myself. I quickly put the gun in my holster and sprinted over to Gavin, thrusting him aside. The detective fell onto the floor and got picked up by Connor, who now fastily knocked him out.

Seeing Gavin unconscious on the floor, I exhaled, shooting a relieved gaze at Connor. Running up to him, I simply followed my emotions and tightly embraced him. He moved his arms around my waist, as if those actions were natural to him by now. I quietly inhaled his scent, burrying my head in his chest.

"You're truly a miracle Connor..." I whispered, grinning to myself. Feeling him put a hand on my head, I gripped his jacket even tighter. I know we had to go to Jericho, yet couldn't I wish for one private moment?

"This will be for your best (Y/N)..." I heard Connor mumble.

Confused, I wanted to step back to take a look at him, however, something hard promptly hit the back of my head. My world turned to black, as I felt how someone gently laid me down.