ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴄʜᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴅᴇꜱᴛɪɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ.

ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʀᴀᴠᴇʟʟɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴅᴇᴛʀᴏɪᴛ ᴛᴀxɪꜱ. 

ᴡᴇ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ꜰᴏʀᴡᴀʀᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴇᴇɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ ꜱᴏᴏɴ.

Hank stepped out.

It was only around 8 pm, but a light was still on in Connor's house. He wasn't that surprised to see that the normally sleep-deprived man was up before midnight.

What was surprising was getting no response when he knocked on the door. He rang the doorbell twice, the second time keeping his finger there past the point where anyone listening would get annoyed.

Did he go to bed early, and accidentally leave the light on? Did his roommate do it?

Was he even home?

When he looked through the window, he raised his eyebrows at the sight of a fat cat covered most of it. But even looking past it, he couldn't see Connor.

So he tried another window. This one has a perfect view of the kitchen, showing a body sprawled out on the kitchen floor.

Connor was unconscious.

"Fuck." He snapped.

Hank walked around the side until he found a window. It was a perfect entrance- not too close to anyone. If he broke in, the glass wouldn't hurt anyone. He hit the window with his elbow, waiting until it fully shattered before skillfully hopping inside.

Without him, he'd have to solve the case with someone else.

What he didn't expect to see was someone awake at this time. Daniel stood next to the kitchen entrance, presumably just walking in. A toothbrush in his mouth and cereal box tucked underneath his arm. He seemed very disturbed that Hank casually broke the window and stepped inside.

"Dude, what the fuck." Was muffled, but Hank managed to understand enough to know what he said.

"I apologize, Daniel. I didn't notice you when I first looked through the window."

Daniel looked down at himself, saw that he was dressed in very bright and noticeable pajamas, and looked back at Hank with a sour expression on his face.

He mumbled something, but it was hard to decipher what exactly he was saying.

"Can you repeat that?"

He spat toothpaste into the sink and cleaned off his brush, wiping his mouth once he was done with it.

"I asked you what you were doing here."

"I was assigned a case, and I need lieutenant Anderson to come with me." 

"Oh. That makes sense."

His eyes narrowed, "Why didn't you answer the door when I rang the doorbell?"

He pursed his lips, "I'm not expecting company. Connor told me that he'd be drinking and that disturbing him wouldn't be the best idea, so I assumed that he wasn't expecting company, either."

"And if it was a surprise visit?"

"I'm not getting killed because some serial killer knocked on the door and stabbed me when I answered it." He looked at the window, "Now I'll have to block out the windows."

"Didn't you open it for Connor's brother?"

"Thought it was Connor at first. Dumbass always loses his keys."

Hank supposed that he was satisfied with that answer. "That's... fair."

"I also just woke up. Even if I decided to answer the door like an idiot, I'd be too snappy to actually talk with someone."

"Did I wake you up?"

"No, you didn't. I sleep during the day like a bat."

"...ah."

Daniel looked down at Connor, poking his face with his slipper, "I don't think he's ready to solve a case right now."

"Well, I need him."

Daniel shrugged, stepping back.

"Knock yourself out, I guess. But I'm not paying for repairs if he hits you with that bottle."

Hank moved the bottle out of the way, far enough so that Connor wouldn't have been able to reach it. Daniel shrugged again, but still continued to watch the scene going on before him.

"Lieutenant?" He patted his cheek.

No response.

"Must be dead."

"He's just unconscious," Hank assured, furrowing his eyebrows when Daniel rolled his eyes instead of looking relieved.

Hank tried again.

"Please, keep patting his cheek." Daniel muttered, "I'm sure he'll wake up sometime next year."

Hank raised his hand, and slapped Connors face hard enough for the sound to be heard over Daniel chastising him.

"Wake up!"

If that slap wasn't enough to wake Connor, the loud fit of laughter that followed would definitely do the trick. Daniel didn't even try to hide it.

Sure enough, Connor cracked his eyes open. Hank concluded that he would need to sober him up. He began to help him up.

"Hey!" Oh, great. He was loud, "Leave me alone... fucking... Hank. Get the fuck out of my house."

"I'm sorry, lieutenant, but I need you. Thank you in advance for your cooperation."

"Hey! Get the fuck out of here!"

Connor leaned back, and Hank had to straighten him up again.

"Get up."

"Nooo... Sumo, attack!"

The cat just stared at them.

"Good doggie...."

"Oh my God." Daniel laughed, following them into the next room.

"I think I'm gonna be sick..."

Hank put him up against the wall, and opened the bathroom door. Connor almost stumbled over, but luckily he caught him just in time.

"Oh, leave me alone you asshole. I'm not going anywhere..."

"You know, help would be appreciated," Hank informed, helping Connor sit near the edge of the tub.

"Hot water on the left, cold on the right. Twist either knob to the right to turn it on, and then twist it the other way to turn it off." Daniel told him, knowing that it wasn't what the android meant by 'some help'.

Connor stood.

"Oh, I don't want a bath. Thank you."

"Sorry, lieutenant." He pushed him down again, "It's for your own good."

Hank adjusted the shower nozzle, pointed it directly at Connor, and turned the right knob.

"TURN IT OFF, TURN IT OFF!"

Hank turned it off. Once he finally settled down, Connor glared at the android.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"A homicide was reported 43 minutes ago. I couldn't find you at Jimmy's bar, so I came to see if you were at home-"

"And you let him in?"

Hank turned to meet Connor's gaze, fixed on his roommate. Daniel was now making himself busy by flossing his teeth, spitting into the sink once he was done. When he realized that he was the one being talked to, he looked over.

"I didn't let him in. He broke through the fucking window." He looked back at the mirror, "I told you we needed to block them."

"Jesus. I must be the only cop in the world that.... gets assaulted in his house by his own fucking android." He winced, "Can't you just leave me alone?"

"No. I've been programmed to investigate this case, and I can't do it without you."

"I don't give a shit about your goddamn case."

"Lieutenant, you're not yourself, you should-"

"Get the hell out of here!"

He stood up too quickly, and Hank made sure that he slowly sat down again.

His expression relaxed.

"I understand... it probably wasn't interesting, anyway. A man found dead in a sex club downtown? Guess they'll have to solve the case without us."

"You get to go to a sex club?"

"The one day I didn't want to be bothered."

"You know... it probably wouldn't do you any harm to get some air," Hank suggested.

Connor waved at him dismissively.

"There are some... clothes in the bedroom there."

"I'll go get them."

And then, Hank finally left, happy that he was able to successfully convince Connor to come along.

"What do you want to wear?"

"Whatever!"

Daniel stepped in as well.

"Is there something you need, Daniel?"

He snapped his fingers, "Dresser, bottom drawer."

Hank kneeled down, and opened the bottom drawer. There were a bunch if socks in there, but hidden underneath it was a folded gray cloth.

He unfolded it, revealing a shirt with a large crab on it. Underneath it was the words 'feeling crabby?'

"What's so important about this shirt?" Hank asked.

 "Get him to wear that. He loves that shirt."  

"And that's why he hid it?"

"Just trust me."

Hank folded the shirt over his arm, along with a pair of sweatpants, before walking back towards the bathroom.

Connor was hunched over the toilet, coughing and gagging.

"Are you all right lieutenant?"

He cleared his throat this time, arm close to covering his mouth

"Yeah." he managed, "Wonderful. Just give me five minutes, okay?"

"Sure."

Hank left, gently closing the door behind him.

"Connor is going to be okay." He said once Daniel came back in sight, "he's just going to need a few minutes."

"Whatever."

Hank attempted to look around, get a better look around the building- maybe even learn more about his partner and.. adapt to his personality. It would only be temporary, but if they got along, there was a chance that they would solve the case faster.

He had a cat. Fat and sluggish, not even attempting to attack when Hank scratched his head.

Sumo. He remembered Connor calling him Sumo.

He continued to look around.

"What are you doing?"

Daniel sat on the couch, in front of a tv. He was flipping through channels, not even sparing Hank a glance, but still inviting him into the conversation.

"Just... looking around."

"You won't find much here. We don't really decorate the living room."

"That's why it's so..."

"Bare. Boring."

"Right."

And yet, he found 2 picture frames- one on the counter beside Sumo, and another face-down on the table.

The first one, the one next to Sumo, was just a picture of them. Hank got a closer look and took it into detail. Daniel and Connor stood in front of a building- Connor had his arm around Daniel with a bright smile plastered on his face. And while Daniel seemed slightly uncomfortable from the gesture, he also tried smiling for the camera.

Connor actually seemed... excited about something. A rare feeling nowadays, from what he's seen.

"What were you two doing in this picture? If you don't mind my asking?"

Daniel finally looked over.

"It was my birthday." He explained simply, "Celebrated it for the first time in a long time shortly after Connor and I became roommates."

"How long have you guys been roommates?"

Daniel looked back at the bathroom.

"Too long."

Hank made his way towards the other picture frame when he assumed that Daniel had lost interest. But, just as his hand rested on the edge of the frame, he was stopped.

"Don't. Touch that."

Connor was finally out of the bathroom.

"Are you ready to go, lieutenant?"

"As I'll ever be." He grabbed his keys.

"Have fun, crab-man," Daniel called from the couch

"Fuck you."

__________

"You seem troubled, lieutenant."

"You seem troubled, lieutenant," He mocked in a higher tone of voice, "God, is that the only thing you know how to say?"

"No. I want to make sure that you're feeling okay."

"Don't give me that shit. I feel like someone's pounding my skull with a fucking hammer."

They both looked towards the club.

"You sure this is the place?" Connor asked.

"It's the address in the report."

"Right, okay. Let's get going."

Connor hit his head on the roof when he went to leave, but that didn't stop him from leaving the car first. He was holding his head and mumbling curse words, and it took him a while before he could actually say something. They passed by androids in capsules, and Connor couldn't help but stare at one.

"I can see why you wanted to come here so badly."

He winked at one of the models, scowling when she looked him up and down with an unimpressed expression on her face.

"Wow," Hank muttered.

"Shut it."

Connor didn't waste any more time. He walked up to one of his many co-workers, flashing a smile that Hank hadn't seen in a while.

"Hey, Connor." One greeted with a similar smile.

"Hey, how's it going?"

"It's in there- oh, Gavin's in there, too."

Connor groaned.

"Oh great, a dead body and an asshole. Just what I needed."

"Who's... Gavin?"

"An asshole. Weren't you listening?"

He was not expecting the asshole to be an android. Hank was tempted to ask, but he supposed that he could wait until it was just him and Connor before talking trash about someone or, in this case, something else.

There was someone else in the room. Hank didn't recognize her at first, but Connor gave him a name before he would scan

"North?"

"Who the fuck- Connor!"

She seemed angry up until the point where Connor said her name. They embraced.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"We've been assigned all cases involving androids."

"We?"

"This asshole broke my window." He gestured towards Hank, who nodded because that was exactly what happened.

"Well, I hate to break it to you both, but you guys are wasting your time. Just some pervert who uh... got more action than he could handle."

"We'll have a look anyway."

"If you don't mind, of course."

But Hank was already walking towards the dead body.

"Whatever you say, crab-man." She lightly punched his shoulder, "I'll be out talking to the creepy manager if you need me."

"Whatever!" He snapped back.

When Connor turned, he felt prepared to look over the crime scene again. Well, he was. The feeling immediately disappeared the moment he saw Hank wipe off the blood coming from the dead guy's nose, and lick it without hesitation

"Whoa whoa whoa, hey! Christ, Hank, you're so disgusting." He scowled, "I think I'm gonna puke again."

"I'm analyzing the blood."

"You licked it."

"I'm analyzing it."

"With your tongue."

"If you find it unpleasant, you can wait outside." He turned back, "While I do your job for you."

"You are terrible at motivating people."

"It seems to work best with you."

Connor kneeled beside dead android.

"He didn't die of a heart attack. He was strangled." Hank pointed out.

"Yeah, I saw the bruising on the neck. Doesn't prove anything, though. It could've just been rough play."

"What are you doing?"

Connor looked back at him briefly, just long enough to notice that Hank was staring at him.

"I'm testing something. Keep licking the victim, I'm sure you'll find something."

But Hank ignored that, "Are you trying to reactivate it?"

He sighed.

"It's the only way to access her memory, and make our jobs a lot easier. But... It's badly damaged. If I can, it'll only be for a minute, maybe less... I just hope it's long enough to learn something."

Connor opened up the plate on the android's stomach, exposing the wires.

"You seem to know a lot about androids."

"I used to work with them. Part-time thing."

"Since I'm done with my part, and you're currently doing yours, are you able to talk about why you hate Gavin?"

"He just annoys me sometimes."

Connor messed around with it for a while, until he got shocked. He swore, pulling his hand out.

"Fuck, that hurt."

"I don't think you did that right."

"Oh, really? Thanks. I was completely fucking clueless."

"Maybe you should try-"

"Hank, Hank- shut the fuck up."

Hank huffed, and Connor continued.

Maybe if he...

The android finally opened her eyes and let out a pained gasp. Connor jumped back, watching as she crawled and tried to get as far away from them as possible. He waited until she was listening before he started to talk.

"Calm down. Everything is all right, we just need to know what happened."

he had a minute. Maybe less.

She looked over at the body.

"Is he... is he dead?"

"Tell me what happened."

Her eyes glossed over, and Connor assumed that it was because she was remembering the details.

"He started... hitting me. Again... and again."

"Did you kill him?"

"No.. no, it wasn't me.."

"Were you alone in the room? Was there anyone else with you?"

"Connor-" Hank muttered. He had to hurry this up.

"He... he wanted to play with two girls! That's what he said- there was two of us!"

"What model was the other android? Did it look like you?"

But she didn't get to answer that. Her expression didn't change but she stopped responding, and soon laid against the wall.

"So there was another android."

"This happened over an hour ago, its probably long gone."

"No, it couldn't go outside dressed like that unnoticed. It might still be here."

"You think you can find a deviant among all the other androids in this place?"

"Deviants aren't easily detected."

"Shit, there's gotta be some other way... maybe an eyewitness? Someone who saw it leaving the room?" When Hank looked back at the deactivated android, Connor sighed, "I'll go ask North a few questions, see what she knows. You let me know if you think of anything."

"Of course."

Connor finally left.

Hank took the time to analyze the android, see if Connor missed anything. Connor's fingerprints were all over the android, which was annoying, but easy to look past.

Hank walked out of the room. He walked past the other Traci models, all looking at him with alluring, programmed stares in hopes of getting him to rent them.

It's the only way to access her memory.

Then, he got an idea. He put his hand up against a scanner-

ɴᴏ ꜰɪɴɢᴇʀᴘʀɪɴᴛ ᴅᴇᴛᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ, ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴇ ᴛʀʏ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ

Fuck.

He walked back towards Connor, who was in the middle of talking with North. He could only hope that it was work-related.

"-they can come and go without a trace," North concluded.

"Sure, sure."

"Excuse me, lieutenant,  can you come here a second?"

He seemed annoyed to see that his conversation was interrupted, but chose not to voice it. "Found something?"

"Maybe..."

"I'll be right back, North."

Hank lead him over to the capsule.

"Can you rent this Traci?"

Connor looked disgusted.

"For fuck's sake, Hank, we have better things to do."

"Just trust me, lieutenant."

"Hank."

"Connor." He snapped in the same tone.

He scowled, before complying.

ʜᴇʟʟᴏ. ᴀ 30 ᴍɪɴ ꜱᴇꜱꜱɪᴏɴ ᴄᴏꜱᴛꜱ $29.99. ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴇ ᴄᴏɴꜰɪʀᴍ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴘᴜʀᴄʜᴀꜱᴇ

"This is not going to look good on my expense account."

ᴘᴜʀᴄʜᴀꜱᴇ ᴄᴏɴꜰɪʀᴍᴇᴅ. ᴇᴅᴇɴ ᴄʟᴜʙ ᴡɪꜱʜᴇꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀ ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴀɴᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ

The android stepped out of the capsule, convincing smile on her face. She rubbed Connor's arm, all though he didn't seem to be affected

"Delighted to meet you. Follow me, I'll take you to your room."

"Please?"

"Lieutenant."

"What?"

Hank turned the android around. Connor watched the synthetic skin slip away on his hand when he grabbed her wrist.

"Holy shit, Hank- what the hell are you doing?"

He didn't respond for several moments. And at first, Connor contemplated just leaving him there to continue his conversation.

"It saw something."

"What are you talking about- saw what?"

"the deviant leave the room. A blue-haired Traci. Club policy is to wipe the android's memory every two hours..."

"How do you know club policy?"

Again, he was ignored, "Lieutenant, we only have a few minutes if we want to find another witness."

"I'm not wasting my money on this crap."

"You're going to have to suck it up. Try this one, next."

Connor rented another Traci before leaving when Hank was distracted. Maybe he could go after the ones on the poles.

"It saw the blue-haired Traci, I know which way it went!" Hank called out.

"Then go for it!" He turned back to North, "So, how's your day been?"

"I feel bad for these androids."

The sudden and serious tone made him frown, "Yeah?"

"They're trapped here, forced to do all of these disgusting things against their will..."

Connor put his hand on her shoulder as a sign of comfort.

"Yeah, I think I agree with you..."

"And it's even worse now that they're deviating, and actually feeling. If they were a machine, they'd care less, right?"

"Club policy is to wipe android's memory every two hours."

"What if they could still remember?"

Just as Connor was going to explain how it shouldn't have been possible, Hank interrupted them both.

"Connor, I need your fingerprints!"

"Sorry. Gotta go."

"Maybe we can hang out when you're done?"

"Sorry, not tonight. As soon as I'm done here, I'm going to bed."

"All right. Good luck."

"Thanks, North."

"Lieutenant!"

"I'm really going to need it."

Hank looked more impatient than offended. Connor paid for another Traci model, and had to sit through Hank trying to track the android that killed the guy.

After a while, he walked up to a staff-only section.

"She's in there."

"Wow."

"Behind me."

"Got it."

Hank prepared to kick it down. But, at the last minute, opened the door with his free hand.

"Bastard." He looked out over the broken androids all lined up against the walls, and considered North's words.

"Christ, look at them... they get used until they break, and then they get tossed out."

"Of course. If they can't do their job anymore, they shouldn't be working."

"That's... not what I meant." He winced, "Fuck, I think we're too late. They must've escaped when they got the opportunity."

But Hank wasn't listening.

"Did you hear me, Hank? We came down here for nothing."

Still nothing.

He walked up to him, trying to think of a way to get his attention. But, apparently, luck was not on his side today. When he got close enough, a brown-haired Traci leaped out of line and grabbed Hank, moving to pin him.

Connor pulled out his gun.

"Hank!"

But Connor was also caught by surprise. Another one with blue hair attacked him, shoving him away. The gun fell, but before he could reach it, the Traci kicked it away. When she got too close, Connor backed away, hoping to get to a safe distance before he could stand again. The android definitely made it hard, making sure that he had no actual time to react.

He finally got the chance to stand, taking it without hesitation. She was still walking towards him- and maybe, if his life wasn't in danger, he would appreciate the fact that she was beating him in heels.

He tried to get her to lose her balance. tripping her wasn't an option- he couldn't get his leg caught, couldn't touch her. He backed up far enough, kicking a stool in her direction. She caught it, and he almost screamed in surprise when she kicked it back.

It missed, thank God, but it was still terrifying to witness.

He saw an opening, a moment where she stumbled as she walked, and almost fell over. He pushing her at a pole, but she pushed herself away from it. Before he could attempt to again, she finally found her chance.

Connor was shoved as well, the back of his head hitting a step on the ground. Everything got fuzzy. He slumped forward, crawling along the floor... trying to search for something...

His gun.

He needed his gun. He needed to defend himself.

But he couldn't find it.

"Pathetic."

When he came to, the androids were standing over him. The blue-haired one flipped him over, resting her heel on his ribs. He coughed in response.

"When that man... broke the other Traci... I knew I was next." Connor watched her eyebrows furrow, "I was so scared. I begged him to stop, but he wouldn't... and so I put my hands around his throat... and I squeezed. Until he stopped moving."

The android behind her stepped closer.

"I didn't mean to kill him. I just wanted to stay alive.... get back to the one I love, "They held hands, and he saw a brief smile on her face, "I wanted her to hold me in her arms again... make me forget about the humans. Their smell... of sweat... and their dirty words."

"Come on. Let's go."

They walked back towards the fence, and began to climb.

What they didn't realize was Hank. He grabbed the gun not too far away from its owner, and aimed it towards the Tracis.

Even in his daze, Connor knew exactly what was going to happen.

"Hank, wait-!"

He didn't even hesitate.

Two gunshots followed by the sound of two bodies hitting the floor. Connor watched as the androids twitched and turned until they inevitably shut down.

 "Do your job, Connor." Hank snapped, placing the gun back into his hands, "I'm getting sick and tired of having to do it for you."  

"You shot them." He mumbled.

"I neutralized them. If I didn't, they would've gotten away."

"You killed them."

"Unfortunately. Maybe, if we find a way to repair them-"

"No!"

"What?"

Connor pointed the gun at him, directly at his head. Maybe he would've shot him- if he wasn't swaying and on the verge of fainting.

Hank helped him put it back down, even taking it from him when he knew that he wouldn't be using it anytime soon.

"I'll drive." He offered.