GOOD INTENTIONS
i. HUMANS AND ANDROIDS SHOULDN'T MIX
❝IT'S EXACTLY WHAT DETROIT NEEDED.❞

THE AMOUNT OF PAPERWORK THAT DETECTIVE MARISOL MERCADO WAS STUCK DOING WAS TENFOLD COMPARED TO HER USUAL due to the fact that her partner, Lieutenant Hank Anderson, had disappeared after the closure of their most recent case. Marisol was fairly new to Detroit's esteemed police department—arriving only a few months prior—and since she was new, Captain Jeffery Fowler had immediately stuck her with the only person in the department without a partner, Lieutenant Anderson.

At first, Marisol was ecstatic to be working with the Lieutenant since he had a high reputation and his accomplishments spoke for themselves, but then she had the pleasure of working with him. On their first day together, he was three hours late and that had left Marisol alone at the crime scene. But, she had managed fine without him. Before she moved to Detroit, she had lived in Seattle, Washington, and started out a rookie cop there, but had slowly worked up to the detective status. So, she wasn't as inexperienced as her co-workers liked to treat her. Her experience had easily allowed Marisol to figure out what had happened at the crime scene and figure out the next steps to take in the investigation. Her partner had arrived at the tail-end of the investigation and he reeked of alcohol. Yet, he had somehow managed to help Marisol close the case on the same day. But, then he disappeared until the next day came around.

Lieutenant Hank Anderson was an uncaring, angry man with self-destructive tendencies, but Marisol had learned how to adapt and become compatible with him. He rarely arrived on time, so Marisol had adjusted her schedule and began arriving at the same time as him. Hank was useful during cases but tended to disappear after each case which left Marisol to finish the paperwork alone. However, he usually made it up to her by buying her lunch or coffee the next day. Sometimes after a particularly rough case, the two would go out for drinks and shared details that probably shouldn't be told among co-workers. It was an unorthodox partnership, but it worked. She wouldn't go as far as to call Hank her friend, but she didn't mind his company. After all, he was better than most in the department.

During her first few weeks at the precinct, Detective Gavin Reed—easily one of the meanest co-workers that Marisol had ever met—had shown a great deal of attention to her. She had made the mistake of going on a few dates with him and now, he was actively trying to ruin her life. Well, it wasn't that intense, but Marisol tended to avoid him whenever he tried to flirt with her again. It was a surprise that he wasn't hovering over her at that very second, but she had chalked it up to the fact that he had gone home early. It was roughly eight o'clock and the detectives on-site had gone home. Their department didn't have that many detectives, but it had an abundance of officers.

Marisol hadn't bothered to get to know all of them, but she had become close with a handful of them. Her favorite person in the department had to be Officer Chris Miller. She enjoyed his company and never got tired of the hundreds of pictures that Chris sent of his newborn son, Damian. Officer Tina Chen was another person that Marisol interacted with on a daily basis. She was usually found assisting Detective Gavin Reed on cases but was actively working toward becoming a detective as well. Marisol didn't have much of an opinion on the officer, but she was there to lend a listening ear if Tina needed one. Despite the fact that Marisol did have some negative experiences at the precinct, she was still grateful that Captain Jeffrey Fowler had offered her a job. It had made starting over in a new city much easier.

The station was dead silent and that was why the sound of the door opening and people entering had immediately caught Marisol's attention. She watched closely as three CyberLife employees walked into Captain Fowler's office with a shiny new android hot on their trail. Her desk—located in the middle of the office and across from Hank's—had the perfect view of the Captain's office. It wasn't an unusual sight to see CyberLife employees come and go through the station since there were about a dozen androids on-site, but it was obvious that they hadn't come to do repairs. Instead, it seemed as if they wanted to show off their newest toy to the Captain.

Though, it wasn't enough to interest Marisol as she went back to finishing up the report that she had been working on for the past hour or so. She was almost done and couldn't wait to go home and head straight to bed. Her bed was calling her name and Marisol was so close to answering. Her mind wandered to her partner, Hank, and how he was most likely passed out in some dingy bar while she was forced to pick up his slack. She would kill for a drink at that moment, but she had an obligation to her work. Despite how tired she was, Marisol kept reminding herself that was almost done.

"Mercado!" the loud voice belonging to Captain Fowler echoed in the silent air, causing Marisol to flinch as her eyes darted toward the voice. Her wide eyes met the Captain's, waiting for him to continue. "Get in here, now!"

Marisol couldn't help the heavy sigh that left her lips as she quickly finished the last sentence of her report and submitted it. She signed out of the computer before she made her way towards the glass office of the Captain. Getting closer, Marisol noticed his annoyed expression and his slumped shoulders. He had been at the station since six o'clock in the morning—almost fourteen hours of work—and his exhaustion was clear on his face. Marisol felt the same way since she was sporting dark circles and cups of coffee was the only thing that kept her standing.

Her dark brown eyes flickered to the CyberLife employees—one wore a flattering black pantsuit while the other two wore lab coats, but they all had their ID badges on display. Finally, her eyes landed on the android that stood behind the employees. He wasn't like the other android models that the DPD already owned, so Marisol's assumptions that he was new were right. She tore her eyes away from the android and looked back at the Captain. "What's going on?"

However, Captain Fowler never got the chance to respond. Marisol stiffened when the woman in the pantsuit grabbed her hand to shake it. "Hi, my name's Christine Hartman," the woman introduced herself, continuing to shake Marisol's hand. "It's really nice to meet you, Detective Mercado."

"Likewise," Marisol mumbled, pulling her hand out of Christine's tight grip. She felt as if she was put on the spot as everyone—including the android—was watching her closely.

"So," Christine started, moving to the side as she pulled the android forward by his sleeve. Marisol could see his features clearer now and noticed the tiny freckles that were scattered across his synthetic skin. It was a wonder that someone would put so much detail and attention into a machine, but it made sense since androids were supposed to seemingly blend into society. However, his LED light embedded into his forehead was a stark reminder that he was not human. "We're here to introduce a new android to the DPD. It was designed by the company to investigate and deal with the deviant androids that have been popping up all over Detroit."

"Okay..." Marisol started, trying to keep up. She knew that there had been some occurrences of androids going rogue, but wasn't aware that it had become big enough that CyberLife had decided to create a brand new android to stop them. "So, he's going to be joining the police force then?"

"It's still a prototype, so we're still experimenting with it. The RK800 model won't be mass-produced until we work out all the kinks," one of the employees in the lab coat stated as he stepped forward. With one look at ID badge, Marisol had learned that his name was Greg Edwin. "But, it is easily the most advanced android that CyberLife has ever created—equipped with state-of-the-art technology and has the same programming embedded into its code as any other android on the market. But, that isn't the best part. The RK800 is designed to investigate which means that it has the ability to scan and analyze a scene and recreate events that took place and analyze biological evidence in real-time."

"The RK800 is also programmed to adapt to human nature," the other engineer stated. Her ID badge indicated that her name was Olivia Adams. "It can analyze the psychology and behavior of humans, androids, and deviants, to be able to reconstruct, predict, and manipulate their actions. We decided it would be best if it had these traits to aid it during the negotiating and interrogating process."

Marisol began to zone them out as they continued to talk about the hundreds of functions that the RK800 model had. They were trying to sell them a product and Marisol did not care. She wanted to go home and sleep, but that was out of the cards for her. She wanted to keep zoning them out, but something they said caught her attention. "Wait, did you just say that he was fully capable of fighting and handling weapons?"

"Of course," Christine replied, chuckling at Marisol's incredulous tone. "We thought it would be best for it to be programmed how to do both when working in the field."

"I thought that was illegal," Marisol added, glancing back at Captain Fowler to see if he had any qualms, but he was barely paying attention. "Doesn't the American Androids Act stop androids from having that kind of programming?"

"Well, normally, yes," Christine continued, the plastic smile never leaving her face. "But, CyberLife was able to gain some leniency for the RK800 model."

"Great, a killer android is exactly what Detroit needed..." Marisol trailed off, shuffling in her spot. She had heard stories about deviant androids that had killed their owners and that had happened when they didn't have violence programmed in their code. Marisol could only imagine the damage that the RK800 model could cause if he decided to deviate and kill them all.

"Yes," Christine snapped, directing her intense gaze toward Marisol. She towered over Marisol due to the heels that she wore, but that wasn't what caused Marisol to quiet down. Christine Hartman radiated success from the way that presented herself to the expensive clothing she wore. Christine's sharp features caused her to appear serious and a bit frightening, but Marisol pushed her worries aside. After all, someone like Christine Hartman was going to attack her in the middle of a police station. "The RK800 can be a lethal killing machine, but it is programmed to only hunt deviant androids. And, that is exactly what Detroit needs, Detective Mercado."

Marisol's eyes flickered to the android that had been watching her intensely—no doubt that he was studying her. One of the engineers had mentioned that the android was able to pull up someone's basic information and he was able to study her behavior and learn her patterns. She wondered what the android had already logged about her in his vast database.

"Captain Fowler, all we ask for is a field test for the RK800," Christine turned her attention to the Captain. He had been silent for the majority of the conversation. "Deviant androids are becoming more and more prominent and the DPD has yet to close one case involving them! With the RK800, we can finally put an end to deviancy and protect countless lives. Please, give us one chance."

"And, we'll be able to use the experience and the data collected by the android to improve it and work out any bugs that may be present," one of the engineers added. "In a few short months, we can allow the android to join the DPD. But, we need this field test."

Captain Fowler sighed, nodding his head. "Fine." However, before the CyberLife employees could celebrate. The Captain pulled up a report on the screen, illuminating the room in blue light. It was a report sent in about ten minutes ago by an officer, requesting back up. Fowler continued, "Looks like you're in luck, there's a situation going on as we speak—a family being held hostage by an android. S.W.A.T. team was already sent in, but I asked them to wait for your special android."

"Great!" Christine replied, shocked that a field test had been scheduled so quickly. "We'll send the RK800 to the location right away."

"Not so fast," Captain Fowler replied, standing up from his seat. He wore a nonchalant expression as his eyes flickered to Marisol. "I want Detective Mercado to take him."

"What?" Marisol hissed out, immediately shaking her head. A hostage situation could take hours and Marisol wasn't ready to handle something that intense in her state of exhaustion.

"I don't understand why she has to be there," Christine countered, glancing at Marisol and then at the android. "The RK800 is fully capable of going alone."

"Yeah, he may be. But, I want a full report on everything that the android says and does," Fowler argued, crossing his arms over his chest. He was irritated and Marisol decided that she didn't want to make him angrier. If she drank another cup of coffee, then she would survive.

"But, we can send one—"

"—one that you can fabricate," Captain Fowler added, shaking his head. "Detective Mercado will go and take notes. She will share her report with me and then we'll decide whether the RK800 joins the DPD or not. Got it?"

Christine Hartman let out a heavy sigh, nodding her head. "Alright, we agree to your terms."

Marisol, however, did not but she had no choice in the matter. It was her job and Marisol had an obligation to her job, no matter how tired she was. So, she nodded her head, agreeing to take on the task. She looked at the RK800 model who continued to mask an expressionless face. Marisol took his hand, pulling him along. "Let's go, you've got people to save."

━ ━ ━

MARISOL SIPPED ON THE CUP OF BLACK COFFEE that she had snagged from the break room before she and the RK800 model had been forced to leave the premise, but it did nothing to ward off the exhaustion that plagued her mind. She had one hand on the wheel while the other gripped the cup of coffee. It was considered dangerous to drive while eating or drinking, but Marisol was too tired to care. However, the android beside her was actively logging her illegal activities to show his superiors. Perhaps, he would show them to Captain Fowler as well when he officially started working with the DPD. It was just ten minutes before eight-thirty and they were almost at the location where the Phillips family had been taken hostage by their personal android.

It was a terrifying thought that made her feel sick to her stomach. Marisol used to live with an android—an RT600 model named Chloe—that had been a gift, but the android had disappeared after... No, she wouldn't think about the past. Marisol took in a few shaky breaths, clearing her mind of the memories that continued to plague her.

Marisol winced when she felt a sharp pain in her neck. She set her coffee down in the cupholder before she began to rub her neck, hoping to sooth it. Her injury—an injection of a liquefied version of the lethal drug, Red Ice, to the neck—had happened a few months ago. Her body had already recovered from the drug's effect and the neck wound had healed a long time ago, but she still felt the pain. Her doctor had called it neuropathic pain when Marisol had mustered up the courage to mention it. He had told her that therapy was an option, but Marisol had rejected it. Instead, she took pills every night that were supposed to help her. But, she felt as if they did nothing.

She wished Hank was here. Usually, he blasted his music so loud that it was impossible to get lost in her thoughts. But, he wasn't there. So, Marisol decided to distract herself in other ways. "So," Marisol started, stealing a glance at the android. When he had realized that she was talking to him, he turned his attention to her. "Do you, uh, have a name? I don't think Christine mentioned one for you."

His eyes looked away from the road—even though Marisol was the one driving, the android had kept his focused gaze on the road in front of them—as he processed her question. In a few moments, he swiftly replied, "My name is Connor. It is a pleasure to meet you, Detective Marisol Mercado."

Connor was the android's name and Marisol thought it fit him well, yet she couldn't help but wonder who had named him. Was it Christine? It may have seemed she was in charge at the station, but she was more likely a company representative. Marisol ended up coming up with the conclusion that the person who had created the RK800 model was likely the one who named. She wondered if Elijah Kamski—the previous CEO and founder of CyberLife and a personal acquaintance of Marisol—had a hand in creating Connor, but he wasn't one to mess around with androids anymore. Marisol knew that Elijah liked his privacy and rarely left the comfort of his villa that was located on the outskirts of Detroit. Marisol's history with Elijah went back to when the two were teenagers, but she rarely associated with him. Instead, she was close friends and eventually, lovers, with Elijah's younger brother, Jeremiah Kamski. While Elijah busied himself with scientific breakthroughs and the creation of androids, Marisol and Jeremiah were two stupid kids in love. But, that was a long time ago.

"We have arrived," Connor's voice—a warm voice, but the metallic undertones were there if you listened for them—pulled Marisol from memories of the past as the skyscraper came into view.

Marisol sucked in a deep breath as she looked up at the tall building, noticing the helicopters that hovered close by. She quickly parked next to a couple of police cars and immediately got out, noticing the commotion of officers and civilians. Connor was close behind her, towering over her shorter figure as he scanned his surroundings. She cleared her throat, gesturing for Connor to follow her. "Have you been given any training for this kind of stuff?"

"Technically no," Connor curtly replied as the two entered the building, being greeted by a warm room with high tensions. People argued with the officers, pleading to be let into their apartments on other floors, but no one was allowed inside the building until the issue was resolved. "But, I have been programmed to deal with these situations."

Marisol didn't know if this was a wise idea or not since it could quickly go south if Connor made the slightest mistake, but then again, it was the same situation if a human was sent in as well. She walked up to the officers—two that she didn't recognize—that stood by the reception desk and flashed them her badge. "I'm Detective Marisol Mercado and this is Connor, the negotiator that CyberLife sent."

"Yeah, we got a call about you two a few minutes ago," one of the officers responded, glancing toward the elevators. "Head on up there, Captain Allen is expecting the two of you."

Marisol gave them a nod before she and Connor headed toward the elevators. She stepped inside and waited for Connor before pressing the button that would take them to the seventieth floor. Marisol listened to the music that flooded out of the speakers—a soft folksy tune that had actually been produced by an android band—but her attention drifted to Connor as she watched him pull out a quarter from his pocket.

It was subtle at first as Connor moved the quarter in one hand but then proceeded to flick it into his other hand. His movements were quick and graceful which caused Marisol to have a hard time keeping up. "Do you mind if I ask what the coin is for?"

Marisol wasn't trying to sound rude by asking that question, but she was curious about why Connor chose to play around with it at that moment. "I use the coin to perform dexterity tricks and doing so, allows me to calibrate my cognitive and physical functions," came Connor's rehearsed response. "I use it to sharpen myself for the challenges ahead. I am aware that humans may find it... strange."

Marisol hummed in response, taking Connor's words into consideration. She didn't find it strange. In fact, it made Connor seem more human, which is probably what CyberLife intended when they programmed Connor to use the coin. "I have something kind of similar," Marisol started, glancing up to meet the android's eyes. She pulled out the necklace that was hidden underneath her shirt—a cross necklace that had been gifted to her by her parents when she was a baby—and showed to the android. "I'm not really religious anymore, but this necklace is still symbolic to me. It reminds me of my parents and how courageous they were, so I always keep it on me, you know?"

Connor replicated Marisol's smile, hoping to make her more comfortable. He was designed to work harmoniously with humans and gain their trust. It seemed that it was already working with Detective Mercado and Connor made a mental note to add that into his report to CyberLife after the mission. "I assume the necklace helps sharpen you for the challenges you may face."

"Yeah, it does," was all Marisol was able to get out when the elevator doors opened to reveal the apartment that belonged to the Phillips family.

They were greeted by a member of the S.W.A.T. team as he took one look at them before walking off, mumbling into his communicator that the hostage negotiator had arrived. Marisol stepped into the long hallway that was illuminated in bright lighting. She noticed a large fish tank at the end of the hall and broken glass that was scattered throughout the hall. She could hear the commotion of the S.W.A.T. team in the main area of the apartment and Marisol could feel her tension rising—any trace of exhaustion that she had previously felt was long gone.

They didn't get the chance to make it far when the two faced a S.W.A.T. member and a sobbing woman. Marisol could feel her heart clench in pain as she stared at the woman who was shaking in fear and heartbreak. "Please, save my daughter!" the woman—Caroline Phillips—pleaded as she rushed to Connor's side, gripping his arms. But, her face changed to one of shock and disgust as slowly took a step back. "You're sending an android?"

"Ma'am—"

"No! Why aren't you sending a real person?" She screamed, struggling against the S.W.A.T. member as he tried to get her into the elevator. "Don't let that thing near my daughter! Please, don't!"

Marisol understood where the woman was coming from. After all, an android had taken them hostage and could have possibly hurt them. Her eyes drifted to Connor who had not been affected by the event. His eyes were emotionless and distant as he looked in the direction of the woman. "You can do this, right?"

"I will do what I am programmed to do," Connor responded. His response was distant as he remained unaffected by what was happening around him. Perhaps, that was what worked best. If Connor was unbiased and emotionless, he would be able to determine the best approach to any situation.

Marisol kept walking and had almost entered the apartment when she realized that Connor was beside her anymore. She looked back to see him kneeled next to the fish tank as he gently picked up a fish that had been flopping on the ground. Marisol hadn't even noticed it, but Connor did. He stood to his feet and dropped the fish into the tank. Marisol found it interesting that Connor had done that and decided it was a worthy detail to add in her report to Captain Fowler.

It was hectic as the S.W.A.T. team scrambled around, trying to find a way to save the hostage. Most of the S.W.A.T. team stood around in annoyance as they voiced their complaints about wasting time by sending in an android. But, apparently, the field test was extremely important for CyberLife to have. Marisol looked around the area and noticed the Captain in the master bedroom with another member. Connor was quicker as he quickly entered the bedroom and Marisol followed close behind. "Captain Allen?" Connor called out but gained no response from the Captain. But, it was clear that the Captain had heard him. "My name is Connor, the android sent by CyberLife. I am here with Detective Marisol Mercado who is with the Detroit Police."

"It's shooting at anything that moves," Captain Allen stated, sparing a single glance at the two. "It already shot down two of my men..."

Marisol stole a quick look at the living room and noticed a body among the debris. Red blood stained the floor from where the injured S.W.A.T. team members had been dragged out and miscellaneous debris was scattered all over the area. She could see some spots where blue blood from the android was presence.

"We could get it easily, but it's on the edge of the roof," Captain Allen continued, gaining Marisol's attention again. "If it falls, she falls."

"Do you know its name?" Connor asked next, tilting his head to the side as he did.

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

"I need information to determine the best approach," Connor quickly added. A few moments passed by before Connor asked, "do you know if it has been acting strangely in the past?"

"Listen," Captain Allen stated, taking a few steps closer to Connor. He was inches away as he glared at the android. "Saving that kid is all that matters. So, either you deal with this fucking android now or I'll take care of it."

With that, Captain Allen stormed off. Marisol watched him head off into the living room, shouting orders at his men. She looked back at Connor, noticing the way his eyes scanned the surroundings for clues that could possibly help him in his mission. "Okay," Marisol said, taking a few steps back. "Do your thing, Connor."

Marisol stayed back and kept a close eye on Connor, writing down observations for her report on a blank note page on her phone. As Connor investigated the apartment, Marisol stayed close by but stayed out of the android's way. She didn't want to risk interrupting Connor and his investigation. In the parents' bedroom, Connor had found an empty gun case. In the daughter's bedroom, Connor had learned the hostage's name—Emma Phillips—and her relationship with the android. They had named the android Daniel and he was Emma's best friend, according to a video that Connor had found on Emma's tablet. Finally, Connor entered the living room where he scanned the corpse of John Phillips, the father of the hostage.

The thing that surprised Marisol was the most was Connor's speed. He spent less than two minutes in each area but managed to retain so much information from each scene. Yes, she was aware that Connor was android, but it was a different experience to see him do it in real life. His brown eyes flickered over to a discarded tablet that was laying on the floor and opened it to see that the victim had recently ordered a new android—an AP700. "It was going to be replaced," Connor thought out loud, glancing at Marisol.

"We have a motive," Marisol replied. "I guess that's why the android deviated. He found out that he was being replaced and... I guess something snapped inside him."

"Precisely," Connor said, standing up. He backed away from the corpse—one that Marisol was having a hard time looking at. She had been in law enforcement for many years and had seen corpses over and over again, but it never got easier. Marisol had learned to ignore the sadness she felt over the years, but it always lingered inside her.

Marisol snapped out of her thoughts and looked back to see that Connor was in the living room as he examined the corpse of the first responding officer, Antony Deckart. She didn't know him personally but had seen him around the office once or twice. She took in a deep breath, looking away from the body. Instead, she focused on the pictures on the wall. They seemed like a happy family. It was heartbreaking to see their lives turned upside down because of this incident.

Suddenly, Marisol was pushed back by Connor as a bullet went fizzing past her head. She gasped, watching as the bullet lodged itself in the wall. The S.W.A.T. reacted quickly, adjusting their positions to make sure that the deviant android didn't have them in its crosshairs. Connor moved Marisol away from the windows and behind a secure wall.

When he noticed the look on her face, he swiftly answered, "I have been programmed to value human life." It was the truth, but his mission was valued at the highest mark in his systems. If he needed to eliminate human targets to succeed in his mission, he was permitted to do so. However, about half an hour ago, his systems amplified his value in human life. He suspected that CyberLife may have adjusted his programming, so the Detective will produce a better report on him. After all, if the mission yielded in too many human casualties then the Detective was likely to mention something negative about his performance. CyberLife left nothing to chance and made sure that the RK800 model appealed to Detective Marisol Mercado. "Are you okay?"

"You saved my life..." Marisol whispered softly, staring at the bullet that had missed her head by a mere couple of inches. If it wasn't for Connor, she or another S.W.A.T. team member could have been injured or killed. "Thank you, Connor."

"Of course, Detective," Connor replied, offering her a small awkward smile. With that, he went back to examining the crime scene. Connor's eyes flickered to Marisol as he watched her type notes into her phone. In order to be truly successful at his mission, Connor needed to save the hostage, Emma Phillips and make sure that Detective Mercado wrote a good report to Captain Fowler. Then, he would be allowed to start his true mission by joining the DPD and hunting down deviant androids.

Marisol sighed softly, leaning against the wall. Her heart was racing due to the near-death experience and it seemed that the S.W.A.T. team around her was on edge as well. Captain Allen stood close by, watching the android closely. His expression was unreadable, but his body language showed off his anger. For a split second, he looked over at her and she could see the frustration burning in his eyes. But, he quickly turned away and began to shout orders into his communicator.

She felt a light tap on her shoulder and she looked back to see Connor. He was a few inches away—CyberLife must have not programmed him with knowledge about personal space—as he looked down at her. "I have collected all the evidence that I need," Connor stated. "I am ready to head out."

He had collected all the data he needed in approximately six and a half minutes and that was impressive. "Okay, you can do this," Marisol reassured, watching as he approached the sliding glass doors that led to the rooftop. Her heart was racing as she moved to a secure location where she would be able to watch the whole scene unfold. Captain Allen stood next to her with his eyes trained on the deviant. His arms were tense as he gripped his gun, ready to shoot if things went awry. But, Marisol had faith in Connor. She wanted to believe that he would be successful and save the kid. He had to. She took in a deep breath, gripping the cross around her neck. "Good luck, Connor."

As soon as Connor had stepped out onto the roof, the deviant android shot at him. It grazed Connor's arm, causing him to glance down at the damage that had been done. Blue blood had splattered across the sliding door, causing Marisol to wince. Connor didn't feel pain, and that had been the reason why he seemed unbothered. "Hi, Daniel!"

"What..." the deviant android, Daniel, seemed shocked, as he tightened his grip on the young girl that he was holding hostage. She was hurt and Marisol could see a few cuts on her legs and face, but the look of terror on the girl's face was one that haunted Marisol. "How do you know my name?"

"I know a lot of things about you, Daniel," Connor stated, taking a few steps forward. With each step, Marisol's heart sped up. She had never witnessed a hostage situation first hand and it was, frankly, the most stressed she had been in for a while. "I've come to get you out of this."

"No, just stay back!" Daniel shouted, keeping Emma close to him as he kept the gun pointed at Connor.

"I know you're angry, Daniel," Connor's tone was calm as he spoke with his hands raised. He took tiny steps toward the deviant, but not enough to alarm Daniel, "But, you need to trust me and let me help you."

"I don't want your help! Nobody can help me!" Daniel cried. His expressions were human and Marisol wondered exactly what had caused the shift in Daniel's programming. The most obvious answer was that he found out he was being replaced and snapped, but he was a machine. He should have never snapped. "All I want is for all this to stop... I... I just want all this to stop... Please."

Connor moved forward, heading towards the wounded cop on the roof. "He's losing blood. 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?" was Daniel's angry response.

"I'm going to apply a tourniquet," Connor stated, bending down to meet the cop's level as he began to loosen his tie. She could see the small pool of blood near his arm, but he could still be saved if Connor acted on it.

"Don't touch him! Touch him and I kill you!" Daniel shouted, keeping his gun trained on Connor.

For a moment, Connor paused as he glanced at Daniel before he glanced at Marisol that was watching from behind the glass with the other S.W.A.T. members. He glanced down at phone that Marisol was taking active notes on. His first priority was to impress Detective Marisol Mercado and get a good recommendation that would permit him to join the DPD. With that in mind, Connor took a risk. "You can't kill me. I'm not alive."

Marisol quickly added that into her notes, writing out that Connor had gone out of his way to save a human life that was not directly a part of his mission. "He's doing a pretty good job," Marisol commented, stealing a glance at Captain Allen who stood next to her. Connor had finished helping the fallen officer and was slowly making his way toward the deviant android again.

"It takes one wrong move for this whole thing to go south," Captain Allen commented, not taking his eyes off Connor and the deviant android. He seemed skeptical still, but seemed a little calmer than before.

"Listen, I know it's not your fault. These emotions you're feeling are just errors in your software!" Connor's words echoed, causing Marisol to turn her attention back to the situation at hand.

"No, it's not my fault... I never wanted this... I loved them, you know..." Daniel's voice was soft as he stumbled slightly, lowering his gun for a split moment. "But, I was nothing to them... just a slave to be ordered around!"

After a few more shared words, Connor was just a few feet away from Daniel. Marisol gripped the curtain, trying to keep herself calm. She could see how terrified the little girl looked and felt so much pity for her, wanting her to be safe and sound. Connor had done as much as he could. He had talked about Daniel's motive, his software, and he gave given false promises to reassure him, but Daniel still held onto the girl.

"You have to trust me, Daniel," Connor spoke softly, but it was loud enough to be heard by the ones behind the glass doors. "Let the hostage go and I promise you everything will be fine."

"I want everyone to leave..." Daniel demanded, pointing his gun at Emma's head, "and I want a car! When I'm outside the city, I'll let her go!"

"That's impossible, Daniel," Connor stated, shaking his head. "Let the girl go and I promise you won't be hurt."

"I don't wanna die..." Daniel was terrified, watching Connor with wide eyes. Marisol was a distance away, but it was clear that he was in tears.

"You're not going to die. We're just going to talk," Connor lied, reaching out for the little girl in Daniel's arms. "Nothing will happen to you. You have my word."

"Okay..." Daniel whispered, letting go of Emma. Marisol sighed a breath of relief as she watched the girl rush away from the deviant and collapse several feet away. She was safe. Daniel slowly lowered his gun, keeping his eyes on Connor. "I trust you."

With that, Connor nodded, signaling to the snipers on the other rooftops to shoot. Almost immediately, Daniel was riddled with bullets. Marisol let out a heavy sigh, watching as blue blood splattered across the roof. Daniel's mouth moved, but Marisol was too far away to hear what he said.

Marisol stood straight, watching as the S.W.A.T. rushed outside. She waited inside, letting Connor come to her. Marisol gave him a wide smile when he entered the apartment. His hands were covered in the officer's blood and his clothes were dirtied due to the thirium that had splattered on him. "You did it, Connor!"

"Yes," Connor simply stated, moving past her as he continued his way toward the elevator. He needed to head back to CyberLife for analysis. He stopped in his tracks, looking down at Marisol. "Thank you for accompanying me, Detective Mercado. I do hope that you'll write a positive review about me."

"Yeah, yeah, definitely!" Marisol nodded, still in shock that Connor, an android, had been able to save the hostage so effortlessly. It had taken him twenty minutes in total and he had saved countless lives—including the life of a fish. "I promise that I'll write a good one."

Connor nodded, watching her closely. His face held no emotion anymore. Earlier, he had gone out of his way to make sure that his actions and expressions would make Marisol feel more comfortable with him. But, he no longer had any need to. He had saved the hostage and assured that the Detective would write a positive report about his performance. His two missions were complete. He was about to leave, but Marisol grabbed his arm.

"Hey, where are you going? Don't you need a ride back to the station?" Marisol asked, confused on why the android was in such a rush.

"I won't be needing a ride," Connor reassured, slowly pulling his hand out of Marisol's grasp. She didn't hold on tightly, so it wasn't a difficult task. "I am being called back to CyberLife for analysis. There is a taxi waiting for me outside."

"Oh, okay," Marisol mumbled, taking a step away from Connor. "I guess this is goodbye, huh?"

"For now," Connor stated, giving her a nod. "Have a good night, Detective."

With that, Connor turned and entered the elevator. Marisol let out a heavy sigh, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She glanced down at her phone, opening it to the page of notes. Paperwork was something she dreaded, but now she was somewhat intrigued to write this report. It would determine whether Connor would be allowed to join the DPD or not. She felt like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, but she had already decided. Connor was flawless and had gotten his mission completed. Sure, he had lied but it had been necessary to save Emma. He had done everything in his power to get the best outcome and that struck Marisol the most. So, she quickly headed out and in the privacy of her car, began to write a beaming report of how the RK800 model had saved the day.

♡

I love this story a lot—usually, I don't say that but I truly love this story. I have only ever felt this way about my other A:TLA fanfic, Embers, but here I am! (shameless promo — go read Embers!) Detroit: Become Human is one of my favorite games and I love the universe and the characters, so I just had to write a fic! I know this chapter is a long one—over 7000 words—but I see the rest of the chapters being shorter? I originally was going to split this chapter in two, but I decided against it! I think it works as a single chapter.

Also, the first part of the chapter is completely AU! I decided to add it in because it works best with this story. I will have a lot of canon things happen, but a lot of AU scenes as well! I want this story to be about 35 to 40 chapters! I will be extending the timeline because the game takes part over a span of one week, but I will be changing it to a couple of months instead. In the next chapter, there is going to be about a three month time skip like there is in the game. I will be following the game closely, but I also wanna tackle more things like the Red Ice epidemic and I want to explore the characters more.

+ Marisol and Connor already own my heart. I may have mentioned it earlier but their shipname is "CARISOL" and I love it so much. Things may seem fine now, but Marisol carries a lot of baggage and we will explore that in this fic—lots of ups and downs, unfortunately. But, I promise that there will be a happy ending. ❤️

One more thing—I want to dedicate this chapter (+ the book too!) to HAZHOLLAND because she has truly been such a help in the writing process! Without her, I wouldn't have the motivation to write for this story. So, thank you so much for listening to me, Haz, and helping me out! Also, she has a Connor fic out as well! It's called Control and it is already a masterpiece. Go check it out and give her lots of love! 💛

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Feel free to leave your thoughts about the story so far! ☺️

━ AMARA
[ CHAPTER POSTED — 01.01.2020 ]