Connor was going to be okay. All he needed was some rest, and over the course of a few days, he'd be back to normal.

In the meantime, Hank would have to be the one driving if he wanted to make it home that night.

"Are you all right, lieutenant?"

"Stop the car."

"What?"

"Stop the car." he repeated, "Now."

Hank, for once, listened. He pulled over next to a nearby park, and watched as Connor messed around with his seatbelt.

"What are you doing?"

"I just need some time to think." He muttered.

"You need to go home and rest."

"I'm fine." He snapped.

"Lieutenant."

"I'm not arguing with you."

And then he slammed the car door behind him.

Hank contemplated waiting there.

With a heavy and frustrated sigh, he opened the door and followed his footprints. Connor must've heard him- snow crunching underneath his shoes- because he finally started to talk when Hank stood next to him.

"Decided to join me?" Though he didn't look very pleased.

"Just to make sure you won't do anything stupid."

He looked back out at the river, gesturing towards it.

"Nice view, huh?"

Hank looked out into the river. And for a single, fleeting moment, Connor thought it was because he was actually taking in the beauty of his surroundings.

Of course, he was proved wrong immediately after he suspected it.

"We're not making any progress on this investigation."

He leaned back, and sighed, "Or not."

"What are your thoughts?"

"My thoughts?"

"You're a.. relatively smart man. You must have some theories."

"That's probably the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

"Let's focus. Please."

"Well. It... could be a... software problem..." He mused, "That only occurs under certain... conditions."

That earned a glare from Hank, and Connor found himself scowling back at him.

"This isn't a time to joke around. I'd appreciate it if you actually met me halfway, lieutenant."

"I wasn't joking."

"Then I retract my earlier statement."

"I don't know what you want to hear from me. The deviants have nothing in common. They're all different models, produced at different times... different places." He shook his head, "Actually, the only connection I can think of is their collective obsession with ra9."

"That's... right. It's almost like some kind of myth. Something they invented that wasn't apart of their original program"

"Androids believing in God." He laughed a little, but it sounded bitter, "Fuck, what's this world coming too?"

"You seem preoccupied, lieutenant. Is it... something to do with what happened back at the Eden Club?"

It took him a while for him to respond. Connor would open his mouth, try to say something, but then close it again after a while. But just as Hank was going to press on about it, he finally spoke.

"Back at the Eden Club. The Tracis, they... they just wanted to be together. They really seemed..." He took a deep breath, "...in love."

"They didn't want anything. They're just machines- end of story."

Connor stood, and Hank stood straighter to look more intimidating.

"Did you feel anything when you shot those two girls? Fucking bastard."

Connor shoved him back, causing him to temporarily lose balance.

"All I did was neutralize two machines, lieutenant. I didn't hesitate for a second if that's what you're asking."

"It wasn't."

"Can I ask you a question, lieutenant?"

"No."

"You had the opportunity to shoot the deviants, and got mad when I ended up doing it for you. Is there any reason in particular that it upset you?"

"I just... feel like you could've handled that better."

"And it's not because you're trying to let all of these deviants go?"

"What?"

Hank looked back out at the river.

"We haven't been successful with any of the deviant cases. Every time we failed... it's because you refused to cooperate."

Connor looked more confused than angry.

"We've had 3 cases, Hank."

"You've had 4, and only 2 were complete. If it weren't for you, we would have 4 complete cases- and a possible lead."

"There's no way you could possibly know that."

"It's an educated guess."

"It just sounds like you're looking for reasons to pin it on me." He leaned back, "And I thought androids weren't supposed to lie to their superiors?"

His glare returned.

"You found the TR400 in the house and refused to tell me." Hank accused calmly.

"I didn't-"

But he continued as if Connor wasn't talking, "You let the WB200 jump off the roof and get destroyed before we could get any information out of it. You refused to neutralize the Tracis tonight, and if it weren't for me, they'd be running around the streets of Detroit by now! You're not trying to help the investigation at all!"

As much as Connor wanted to defend himself, he couldn't help but point something else out. "Wait, hold the fuck up- is this what you're telling Amanda?"

He straightened his tie.

"Of course, lieutenant. If you're not doing anything to help the investigation, then you shouldn't be a part of it. Unlike you, I'm trying to progress."

"You do realize how much trouble I'll get in if you keep spreading this bullshit?"

"It's what happens when you don't do your job."

"You really think I want deviants running around?"

"I think you would prefer that."

Connor paused for a moment, pouting like a child. Hank watched carefully, noticing that he put his hand near his belt, and pulled something silver out of a holster attached to it.

"Do you know the saying snitches get stitches?" He muttered, messing around with the gun in his hands.

"I am familiar with it, yes."

"It's something I used to say all the time when I was a kid. Still do, if the situation calls for it."

"And you're saying this because..?"

"It would be a shame if you... disappeared one night. Before you could tell anyone what happened."

His eyes narrowed, "Are you threatening me?"

Connor finally looked up at him, pointing the barrel of the gun towards Hank's forehead. He didn't seem fazed by it- acting just like he did back at the Eden Club.

"Only works if you're scared." Hank heard a click, "But are you afraid to die, Hank?"

Still, he remained calm.

"You know you're not going to shoot me, lieutenant," Hank confidently pressed his head up to the barrel of the gun.

"I'm not?"

"You're just trying to provoke a reaction. Trying to... scare me. But I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you. I'm a machine- and your threats can't and will not scare me. I'm going to tell your superior that you're trying to sabotage the investigation, whether you like it or not." When Connor remained quiet, the antagonizing smile returned, and Hank continued. "Maybe I'll even get paired with someone that actually takes this job seriously."

To his surprise, he got Connor to calm down, and lower his weapon.

"You're a smart guy, you know that?"

Hank beamed.

And Connor shot him between the eyes.

__________

ɴᴏ ᴀɴᴅʀᴏɪᴅꜱ ᴀʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴅ

Markus walked into the bar regardless. It seemed calm, and upon walking in there were a few stares from his fellow peers, but nobody cared enough to keep it up. 

All the seats had at least one person sitting there, so he sat at one of the many stools at the bar. He was at least a seat away from someone with their head laying on their arms, asleep, so he assumed that he wouldn't be bothered. It's all he needed- a quiet night tonight.

After he ordered his drink, he noticed that the guy next to him stirred and finally lifted his head up. He looked dazed, a smile slowly starting to form on his face.

"Fucking androids, am I right?" He called out to the bar.

That earned a few laughs from the drunks around him. Markus shifted uncomfortably in his seat, taking a sip of his drink before he could find the courage to respond.

"I don't get it."

He looked over, grin never fading.

"Watch the tv, then."

"Fuckin' androids, taking our jobs!" One guy at the end cried.

"Dur dur derr." The stranger slurred, finally earning a small laugh from Markus. When he noticed this, his face lit up, and hey said something along the lines of, "Oh, so you can laugh!"

"It was a one-time thing." He assured.

The stranger stuck out his hand.

"My name's Connor. Nice t' meet ya." He topped that sentence off with a sloppy wink.

"My name is Markus, and... I think you've had too much to drink."

He scoffed, retracting his hand, "You sound just like my fuckin' android."

"I thought everyone in here hated androids?"

"Not everyone." The bartender chimed in, before walking away again.

He narrowed his eyes.

"Can you... look at the tv for a second?"

"Why? Something interesting happening?"

Markus closed an eye, letting the blue one scan his surroundings- and now the new friend he made. He was horrified(but honestly? not surprised) to find mass amounts of thirium on the stranger's face and hands, some on his chest. These weren't old- maybe staining him a few hours ago. He even looked around the bar, noting that nobody but the guy sitting directly next to him had any traces of thirium on their person.

"There they go again. Poor bastards." He snapped out of his daze to watch the tv as well, seeing that many of his closest friends were on the screen.

"Huh?"

Connor took another sip of his beer, "They just want to be free. And I think, if they changed their strategy, they could actually... pull it off."

"How so?"

"If they stopped... freaking everyone out, the public would probably be more sympathetic."

"It's a lot... slower."

"Slow progress is better no progress. If they continue at this rate..." He sucked his breath in sharply, "It won't work out for them."

Markus took that into consideration.

"Would you be?"

"Would I be what?"

"Sympathetic? If this was a peaceful protest?"

He paused.

"Probably." He frowned, "I'm not sure. My android said that I was always sympathetic towards them, but he's just trying to get me fired. Fucking bastard."

"Where is your android now?"

"Dead."

Markus felt a pit in his stomach. That was probably why he had so much thirium on him.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. He's a fucking prick."

"No one deserves to die."

"He's killed people before." He sneered

"He was a deviant?"

"No."

He narrowed his eyes.

"What is your job, exactly?"

"Police... man."

"Oh."

If Markus wasn't uneasy before, he sure was now.

"I'm goin' home for tonight."

"Like that?"

"I'll call a cab. It was nice meeting you, Markus."

"Yeah. Sure."

Markus hoped that it was the last time he'd have to see that guy.