Chapter Text
The biting chill of the wind and icy rain pricked your face as Detroit’s gloomy fall weather greeted your arrival. Your body ached from years of becoming acclimated to a warmer climate.
You’ve been away too long. A sigh escaped your lips. It might not be too late to get back that plane to the Silicon Valley, the other tech central of America without the mess of manufacturing androids. However, as the former co-founder of Cyberlife, you felt some responsibility to follow the rumors of deviancy in Detroit.
Well, responsibility or morbid curiosity?
A rush of light from an auto cab flooded the dark rainy street in a warm golden hue. You eyed the airport behind you one last time before you made motions to step inside the car with your suitcase in tow.
The destination lit up on a HUD in your glasses. Thin, light and golden in design, it was inconspicuous and provided a similar HUD that androids shared. It was impossible to detect anything special about it save for a faint glow on the lenses. One of your many inventions since you stepped away from Cyberlife.
A feeling of nostalgic struck when you watched familiar streets pass by. The cab began pulling up near a plain suburban home. The pistons in the doors hissing as they opened to welcome you back into the chilly weather.
The home was old or at least it certainly looked in dire need of some tender love and care. Weeds were overgrown and in the dark it was hard to make out the faded yellow suburb approved paint and brick motif. With your suitcase dragging close behind you, you nervously approached the dimly lit home. A faint light could be seen from the window by the door.
It didn’t occur to you that Hank may not have been home. Perhaps you should have called to say you’d be stopping by?
Truth be told, you thought you swore to keep out of this deviancy mess. Elijah fell off the face of the Earth, so it was only natural that some project leads at Cyberlife tried reaching out to you. Against your better judgement, you agreed to come look into the ‘problem’. If they were what they said they were, the deviants would need help and you couldn’t do that from across the country.
Finally swallowing your nerves, you rung the bell.
Soft footsteps and an unfamiliar but youthful voice was heard muffled through the door. It was quickly drowned out by exuberant barking. When the door swung open and the mystery man revealed himself, your eyes met a pair of warm chocolatey ones.
He had a symmetrical face that ended with a pointed jawline and a dimpled chin. His skin was dotted with freckles like a painter carelessly splattering across a canvas. A few strands of brunette hair rebelled against the rest of his neatly combed back look.
Your glasses updated you with data that matched his model and serial stitching on his jacket along with a bonus tidbit: his release date was this summer.
When did Hank get an android? The man barely knew his way around an oven clock.
“Sorry, I’m looking for Hank?” You started sounding so sure of yourself but now you realized he may have moved since you’ve left Detroit. You really should have looked this up before you got here. “Hank Anderson?”
“I’m afraid the lieutenant is currently recovering from a night of drinking,” the android stated.
Ah. A smile almost tugged on the corner of your lips until you remembered Hank wasn’t much of a drinker when you last saw him. The realization of it most likely coinciding with the passing of his son, Cole, only spurred the guilt you felt from leaving Detroit with no notice.
A clatter of clothes hangers hitting hardwood flooring caught your attention as you focused on a familiar scruffy individual coming in from the hallway behind the android.
“Is that who I think that is?” Hank said while buttoning the last button to his stripy shirt.
“Surprise?” You said with a toothy grin.
In an instant, Hank seemed to have regained some sort of uncharacteristically youthful energy as he quickly closed the distance between you two. His arms grabbed you into a loving familial embrace. Your face wrinkled when the faint smell of whiskey hit your nose before returning the hug. Behind him you could hear the barking of an excited dog.
“Down Sumo. Jeez kid, how long has it been? I don’t think I’ve seen you since…” Hank pulled away from the embrace as he trailed off, eyes peering down in a sympathetic squint.
“Since my dad’s funeral. I know. I’m sure he’d be proud to know you made lieutenant,” you finished for him.
Hank had considered reminiscing about his former partner at the DPD but since the loss of Cole, he became more hesitant about broaching topics that just made him sadder.
Stepping away from Hank, you turned to face the android who had quietly shut the door in all of the commotion and was patiently waiting for introductions.
“Hi, sorry! One track mind.” You said your name and held your hand out.
A polite smile tugged at his freckled cheeks as he reciprocated your body language to shake your hand. “My name is Connor, I’m the android sent by Cyberlife.”
You quickly put two and two together as you realized he was the deviant hunter. You mouthed an ‘oh right.’ That data was probably there on your first scan of the android’s suit now that you thought of it.
He quickly returned to a neutral pose with his gaze set on Hank.
“We should be leaving shortly, the other officers have already arrived at the destination,” he directed at the older gentleman.
“Actually,” you piped up. “That’s kinda why I wanted to stop by here first.”
Hank raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms.
“Cyberlife contacted me to act as a contractor to help assess some of the software instabilities.” You continued, “Although, they arranged this a bit before I knew about their latest prototype.”
You trailed off and stole a quick glance at Connor. You guessed he wasn’t briefed about your arrival. After all, you did decide last minute.
You cleared your throat before continuing, “I had some affairs to settle before I could travel but it seems the deviant situation has escalated. That said, they were hoping my knowledge of androids would benefit the investigation.”
If Hank could get any grayer it would be now. He brought his finger and thumb to knead at his temples. After all this time, that’s what brought you back home? He thought it was why you left.
Agh. He was getting too old for this android crap. One: it was going to be dangerous and he promised your dad he’d make sure you’d be ok. Two: you did run off to a whole different state so that idea sailed away five years ago. Three: fuck, the headache and nausea was coming back with a vengeance. He was starting to regret wolfing down the whole bottle of whiskey.
“Fine,” was all he could muster as he grabbed his dark coat. “The car’s a little messy in the back so you can leave your suitcase here for now.”
A surge of bright, hot adrenaline shot through your system. Time to finally get to work.