GOOD INTENTIONS
iv. GOOD COP, BAD COP
❝WE'RE HERE TO HELP YOU.❞

IT WAS CLOSE TO ONE IN THE MORNING and Hank was getting nowhere in his interrogation of Carlos Ortiz's android. It was almost painful to watch how quiet the android was being as he refused to even look at the Lieutenant. He kept his gaze directed on the table that he was handcuffed to, completely numb to every single word that came out of Hank's mouth. "Fuck it," Hank snapped, shaking his head as he stood to his feet. His words earned no reaction from the android. "I'm outta here."

Hank exited the interrogation room. It caused a sigh to leave Marisol's lips as the door to the screening room slid open to reveal the older man as he walked inside, taking a seat in an empty chair. Everyone ━━ Marisol, Connor, Detective Gavin Reed and Officer Chris Miller ━━ had been watching the interrogation unfold through the one-way mirror. But, so far, there had been no luck in even getting the android to speak.

"We're wastin' our time interrogating a fucking machine, getting nothing out of it," Hank voiced his frustration, throwing his hands in the air as he rolled his eyes.

"Could always try roughing it up a little bit," Gavin said from his spot. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the android with mild disgust. Marisol was seated in one of the chairs while Chris was seated in the one beside her. Connor, who had been quiet for the majority of the interrogation, was standing directly behind Marisol as he kept his eyes focused on the deviant. Gavin chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. "After all, it's not human."

"Androids don't feel pain," Connor chastised, shifting his attention toward Gavin instead. "You would only damage it and that wouldn't make it talk. Deviants, also, have a tendency to self-destruct when they're in stressful situations."

"I wish I could do that," Marisol mumbled jokingly, trying to defuse the tension brewing between Connor and Gavin. However, it seemed only Chris had heard her words. He leaned over, hitting her shoulder as he gave her a stern look. It made Marisol smile. "I'm only kidding, of course."

"Yeah, you better be, Mercado," he said, leaning back in his chair. She bonded well with Chris, considering he was one of the few people she could tolerate at the station. "Who else am I going to send baby photos to?"

"I do love Damian," Marisol added, smiling at her friend. They had gotten along from the moment they had met and had become good friends over the months. She had met his wife and son as well ━━ both as sweet as Chris.

"Okay, smartass," Gavin's harsh voice brought the two out of their personal conversation, causing both of them to look in the direction of the detective. His eyes held a glint of rage as he stalked toward Connor, causing fear to strike in Marisol's heart. Men like Gavin Reed were unpredictable, she spoke from experience. "What should we do then?"

"I could try questioning it," Connor said, unbothered by the man's tone. That, or he hadn't processed that Gavin's was condescending towards him.

Gavin burst out into laughter at Connor's suggestion, leaning against the wall for support. "No way that's happening."

"Why not?" Marisol retorted, raising a brow at Gavin's quickness to reject Connor. She had seen Connor's skills in action during the hostage situation back in August. She believed he was capable of extracting a confession. "I think he can do it."

"What the hell does it know about interrogating a suspect?" Gavin asked, shaking his head. The disgust written across his expression was becoming more and more prominent as he played out the idea in his mind. His darkened glare stayed on Connor. "I don't trust that thing."

"Why don't we send Marisol with him?" Chris asked, eyes flickering between Marisol's surprised expression and Connor's approving one. "We've seen Marisol interrogate a suspect before and she's good! So, if Connor does make a mistake, she can take over."

Gavin rolled his eyes. "So, what? They're going to play good cop, bad cop in there?"

"Actually," Hank started, moving forward to take a closer look at both Connor and Marisol, "that's not such a bad idea."

"The only good one he's had all night," Chris muttered under his breath, earning a chuckle from Hank and a scowl from Gavin.

Marisol turned to Connor instead, noticing his warm gaze was already focused on her. She gave him a kind smile when their eyes met. "You okay with that, Connor?"

"Of course, Detective," Connor replied, nodding his head at her. He never denied Marisol anything, not wanting to disappoint his partner. Hank only disapproved of him, so it would be in his best intentions to keep Marisol in his good graces.

"Who's gonna play who?" Gavin asked, eyes flickering between Connor and Marisol. Finally, his eyes focused on Marisol, giving her a wink. "I already know that Marisol does an amazing job at having a... dominating presence."

Her cheeks immediately began to burn, causing her to shoot him a narrowed glare. "Gavin, I swear to━━"

"Okay, shut the fuck up, both of you," Hank muttered, a look of disgust on his face as he stared at the two detectives like a disappointed father. He shuddered, turning to look at Connor and Chris instead as he began to pretend that Marisol and Gavin weren't in the room at all. "It's like everyone has forgotten how to be professional."

"Connor being more sympathetic can work," Chris commented as he pondered the situation at hand, but then his attention turned to Marisol instead. "But, I personally think it would play out better if Marisol was the good cop. After all, Connor was the one who turned the android in, so he probably really hates his guts. He'll quickly figure out Connor is just playing with him, but he doesn't know Marisol. She's human, so he'd expect her to be like his owner, but we'll trick him by having Marisol show compassion."

"Reverse psychology on that thing, I like it," Gavin laughed, still finding the whole situation amusing. But, he was willing to go along with it if it gave them the confession they needed.

"Okay, Marisol, go in first and try to get it to warm up to you. Be as sweet as you can," Hank ordered, causing her to stand from her seat and dust herself off. Exhaustion filled her every step, but she knew this was important. "We'll send Connor in after a few minutes."

She nodded, agreeing with the plan before she turned to look at the taller android. "See you in a little bit, Connor."

"See you, Detective."

It was bright in the interrogation room, causing Marisol to blink rapidly as she waited for her eyes to adjust. When she had gotten used to the light, she slowly walked toward the table and took a seat across the android. He didn't react to her presence and it was strange to see him sitting so still. Usually, androids were programmed to breathe and move around to appear more human-like, but he remained still ━━ continuing to disobey his deep-rooted code. "Hi," Marisol greeted, offering the Android a warm smile. Her hands were on the table, folded together to make her seem less threatening. She made sure to make no sudden moves, not wanting to startle the poor thing. "I'm Detective Marisol Mercado," she continued. "I'm not sure if you remember me from before. I was with someone else, an android named Connor. We didn't have time for introductions before, but are you willing to tell me your name?"

He stayed silent, but LED flickered a golden hue as he processed Marisol's words. Her brown eyes looked him over, analyzing him for further clues. She noticed the wounds on his arms first. On his right arm, it was split open and she could see the internal wiring that glowed a soft blue. On his left arm, multiple holes were burned into it ━━ the synthetic skin was no longer able to generate on his arms, so the white plastic was apparent. If he was able to feel pain, it would likely be too much for him to handle. Her eyes studied his red-stained shirt next. It was covered in the victim's blood and smelled horrid, but Marisol did her best to ignore it.

"Is there anything that I can get you?" Marisol asked, keeping her voice at a low volume. It would help create some trust, she hoped. A kind and soft approach may help the Android after all the horrors he had faced with Carlos Ortiz as his owner. "You've lost a lot of blood," she commented. "We have androids on-site and sometimes, they need repairs. So, we have plenty of Thirum if you need it."

Still, no response.

Marisol leaned forward, offering a comforting smile as she met the Android's shaky gaze. "I'm not going to hurt you," she reassured, feeling sadness creep deep inside her as she watched the fear flash in his dark eyes. "I only want to ask you some questions so we can understand what happened. It's all we want to do. I promise, no one is ever going to lay another finger on you again. I give you my word."

Suddenly, the door slid open and Marisol jumped at the mechanical sound that rang in the, otherwise, quiet air. She looked back, seeing Connor stood in the doorway with a narrowed glare that was trained on the Android. So, it begins.

"Has it said anything yet?" Connor asked Marisol, completely ignoring the man. He walked up, standing behind her as he placed his hands against her chair.

"No, not yet," Marisol answered, playing into her role of the good cop as she stared up at Connor. "I just need a little more time with him."

He ignored her words as he moved forward, picking up the case file that was on the table before opening it up to the pictures of a dead Carlos Ortiz. "You recognize him?" Connor asked. His tone was low and calculating as he kept his hard gaze focused on the Android. "It's Carlos Ortiz. Stabbed, 28 times."

"Connor..." Marisol warned, but kept her voice low as she placed a gentle hand against his arm. But, Connor shrugged it off as he continued to glare at the deviant. Oh, he was good. It might have even hurt Marisol's feelings the tiniest bit.

He flipped to the next picture ━━ the writing on the wall, I AM ALIVE. "That was written on the wall in the victim's blood."

Marisol turned her attention back to the deviant, sighing softly. She hoped she was gaining the trust of the Android, but it was hard to tell. "I am alive," Marisol read out loud, keeping her eyes on him. He was shaking slightly now but still said no word. "Did you write that?"

"Of course it did," Connor snapped, looking down at Marisol. He towered over him, watching her with cold emotionless eyes. "It was written in the font CyberLife Sans with every letter too perfect for a human being ━━ only an android could have done something like that."

He still refused to talk, causing Connor and Marisol to share a look. They needed to work harder and faster if they wanted to extract a confession.

"You've refused to talk since they've arrested you. If you don't cooperate, they'll do things the hard way," Connor spoke softly, but his words were far from kind. He slammed his hand on the table, making both Marisol and the android flinch. "Is that what you want?"

The Android's LED flashed red. His distress was written on his face as he frantically looked over the photos. If Marisol didn't know any better, she would say he was seconds away from a panic attack.

"Hey, hey, nothing is going to happen, okay?" Marisol reassured him. "We do not hurt people. Our job at the D.P.D. is to serve and protect. I assure you that no one is going to hurt you here."

"Don't lie to it. You protect people, not androids," Connor scoffed, taking a seat on the table as he stared at the android. However, he continued to speak to Marisol. "You know, if it doesn't talk soon, I'll just have to probe its memory."

"No, no, please don't do that!" the Android cried out, wide eyes snapping toward Connor as fear flashed steadily in them. He immediately looked at Marisol, pleading with her. "Please, don't let him do that to me."

Marisol reached forward, placing a gentle hand over the android's. "Don't worry, I won't let him do that. I promise," she whispered. "I want to help you, I do. But, I can't do so if you refuse to answer our questions."

He took in a few shaky breaths as he looked down at Marisol's hand that enclosed his. It was strange to her, seeing a machine mimic breathing so well but it was a technique used to cool down the inner workings. His brown eyes met Marisol's and she could see the years of fear and torment in them. It hurt to see an android in such a state and Marisol had to take a few deep breaths to keep herself calm. "W-What are they going to do to me?" he asked softly, not looking away from Marisol. His voice shook with each word that left his mouth and she could feel her heart tighten. "They're going to destroy me, aren't they?"

"Of course not," Marisol answered, not giving Connor the chance to. She wanted to do whatever she could to make the android feel more comfortable. His predicament hit home and Marisol could see herself in the same situation as him if things had gone down a different route. "Carlos Ortiz was a volatile man that spent most days high on Red Ice. We can only assume the abuse started from the day he had brought you into his home. Three weeks ago, he took a bat and had the intention of killing you. Everything that happened after was not your fault."

"Why did you tell them you found me?" the deviant asked, directing his question at Connor that loomed over them. "Why couldn't you just have left me there?"

"I was programmed to hunt deviants like you," Connor replied without a single emotion lacing his words. "I just accomplished my mission."

"I don't want to die," the deviant confessed, filling Marisol with even more guilt. She was unsure what would happen to him, but she did see the extensive email from CyberLife that demanded to have the android back.

"Then, talk to us," Marisol said softly.

"I... I can't..."

Connor scoffed, slamming his hand on the picture of the dead Carlos Ortiz. "28 stab wounds! You didn't want to leave him a chance, huh?" Connor spat out, getting into the face of the android as he narrowed his eyes into a glare. "Did you feel anger? Hate? He was bleeding, begging you for mercy, but you stabbed him. Again, and again, and again!"

"Please... Please leave me alone..." the deviant begged, shaking his head as he tugged on his restraints. His eyes snapped to Marisol. "Tell him to leave me alone, please."

"I know you killed him!" Connor snapped, forcing the attention of the android back to him. "Why don't you say it?"

"Please, stop."

"Just say I killed him!" Connor shouted, voice raising with every sentence that left his lips. "Is that so hard to say?"

"Stop!" the android cried out, continuing to pull at his reins as the metal began to dig into his skin. "Just stop it!"

"Just say you killed him!" Connor shouted, slamming his fist on the table again to startle the android. "Just say it!"

"Connor," Marisol sternly said, sending him a glare before she spared the deviant a glance to see him shivering in his spot. She sighed softly, leaning forward. "I understand how you felt. That man was the monster, not you. He hurt you countless times and you were overcome with anger and frustration. And... fear. No one can blame you for what happened," she continued, trying to become a friendly face to the android. "Listen, I'm not judging you. I'm on your side. All I want to know is the truth so that I can help you."

His expression softened, facing Marisol with a quivering lip. Still, he said nothing.

"If you don't talk, they're going to tear you apart and analyze you piece by piece," Connor had been the one to speak, choosing a calmer approach in his tone but his words were still cold. "They're going to destroy you, do you understand?"

The android stayed silent.

"Okay then, don't talk. Why do I care, after all?" Connor chuckled, taking a step back as he began to wander around the white room. "I mean, I'm not the one accused of murder, right?"

Marisol saw an opening to gain trust with the android as Connor paced around the room, so she took it. She placed a gentle hand on top of the android's. He didn't flinch, facing her carefully as he focused on her features. "I know you're feeling scared and lost. Everything that happened was terrible and I can't even imagine the fear you felt," Marisol spoke softly. "But, I'm here to help you. Talk to me, and you'll feel a lot better. I promise."

"I'd listen to her if I was you," Connor said from his spot, shrugging his shoulders. "If you stay quiet, the only thing waiting for you is when they shut you down. You'll be dead."

"Please," Marisol whispered softly, meeting the android's eyes. "Tell us what happened."

The deviant took in a shaky breath. "He tortured me every day... I did whatever he told me, but there was always something wrong..." he trailed off, closing his eyes as if he was remembering. And, with memory as perfect as an android's, he was able to recall every detail. "Then one day... He took a bat and started hitting me."

Marisol felt a pang in her heart, oblivious of Connor as he took a seat in the empty chair beside her. His expression had changed completely, becoming softer as he faced the android.

"For the first time, I felt scared... Scared he might destroy me, scared I might die... so I grabbed the knife and stabbed him in the stomach... I felt better... so I stabbed him again and again... until he collapsed," he shook his head, nose wrinkling as he took a deep breath. "There was blood everywhere. I didn't know what to do afterward."

There it was, the confession. It was relief that flooded her system first, causing Marisol to let out a heavy sigh. She could only imagine the happy reactions they had earned from the other side of the glass.

"Why did you write 'I AM ALIVE' on the wall?" Connor asked, wanting to get as much information out of the deviant for his one investigation with CyberLife.

"He used to tell me I was nothing... That I was just a piece of plastic... I had to write it," the deviant said, shrugging his shoulders. But, Marisol could see the determination shining within his eyes. "To tell him he was wrong about me."

It caused Connor and Marisol to share a look. She didn't know what was going through his mechanical mind, but she knew she was starting to have doubts about androids. It felt too... human. She knew they were only machines and emotions were a problem in their code, but she couldn't help but feel as if there was something alive about them.

Connor continued to question the deviant, knowing it wouldn't be long till they were going to lock up the deviant. "The sculpture in the bathroom. You made it, right? What does it represent?"

Sculpture? Marisol took a look into the file, flipping through the photographs till she found one of a small wooden statuette. She hummed softly, trying to see the details in the photographs but it was difficult for her to figure anything about it other than the fact it was shaped as a humanoid figure.

"It's an offering..." the deviant answered. Was it a God to the androids or something else? Marisol couldn't help but wonder, finding the whole situation a bit strange but also interesting. "An offering so I'll be saved."

"The sculpture was an offering," Connor clarified, wanting to learn more. "An offering to whom?"

"To rA9," deviant sighed. "Only rA9 can save us."

"To rA9... It was written on the bathroom walls. What does it mean?" Connor asked. They must have examined the bathroom when she had gone outside for some air. She didn't remember the bathroom, so she had to do with the photographs taken. And, Connor was right about 'rA9' being written across every surface of the bathroom. "What does it mean?"

"The day shall come when we will no longer be slaves..." the android muttered, keeping his eyes directed on the table as he refused to look up at Connor. "No more threats, no more humiliation. We will be the masters."

"Is rA9 another android? Code in your programming?" Marisol asked, tilting her head to get a closer look at the deviant. She hoped someone on the other side was taking notes. She wanted to do some more research on this later, considering she would most likely be put on more cases involving androids and it was best to know as much as possible.

The deviant didn't have an answer to her question. But, Marisol could feel the gears turning in her head. The theories around rA9 could be endless with their lack of information, but the best thing would be to start looking at serial numbers of other androids and the code within the androids' programming itself. However, she figured CyberLife would do the same thing.

"Why did you hide in the attic instead of running away?" Connor asked instead, realizing the deviant wasn't going to answer Marisol's question.

"I didn't know what to do," he answered. "For the first time, there was no one there to tell me... I was scared. So, I hid."

"When did you start feeling emotion?" Connor continued. No doubt, every answer from the deviant was being downloaded into his memory to send to CyberLife. If CyberLife wasn't already watching through his eyes, that is.

"Before, he used to beat me and I never said anything. But, one day I realized it wasn't fair!" the deviant gritted out, clenching his fists as he glared at Connor. "I felt... anger... hatred... and then I knew what I had to do."

"We're done," Connor said, causing Marisol to nod. The two of them stood, making their way toward the exit. Fortunately, the deviant had seemed to calm down quite a bit from before.

They had gotten the confession they needed. Now, it was up to the prosecution, the defense, and the judge to decide the fate of the deviant. Or, at least, that's what would happen if the android had been human. She didn't know what would become of the deviant, but she assumed it would be taken to CyberLife. The door slid open with Gavin and Chris walking in. Hank was close behind them, but he stayed by the door. Marisol moved to stand next to Hank, giving the man a nod as he gave her a few words of praise.

"Chris, lock it up," Gavin ordered.

Chris nodded, walking toward the android to remove the lock that kept the android attached to the table. However, the deviant flinched as Chris moved next to him.

"Leave me alone!" he gasped out, refusing to sit still as Chris tried to unlock his handcuffs. "Don't touch me!"

"Okay, come now," Chris said softly, but Marisol could see the stress lines forming in his forehead as he tried to get his key into the lock. She wondered if they should help, but didn't want to overwhelm either Chris or the deviant. "Don't be difficult, it'll only make things harder!"

"Chris, you gonna move this asshole or what?" Gavin spat out, growing more irritated by the second as they continued to watch Chris struggle with the deviant who was begging them to leave him alone.

"I'm trying!" Chris gritted out, narrowing his eyes at Gavin who didn't move an inch to help. He had been able to remove the lock, but the android refused to leave the chair. Chris tried tugging him upward but was only met with resistance. "It's not moving."

"You shouldn't touch it," Connor said, moving forward to intervene. He stared at the panicked expression of the android, noticing things that the others couldn't. "It'll self-destruct if it feels threatened."

"Stay outta this, tin can," Gavin spat out, causing Marisol to roll her eyes. Of course, he would act in such a way when Connor was only trying to help. "No fuckin' android is gonna tell me what to do."

"You don't understand," Connor said, not feeling threatened by Gavin's harsh attitude. "If it self-destructs, we won't get anything out of it."

"I told you to shut your fucking mouth!" Gavin gritted out, shoving Connor out of the way as he walked toward Chris instead. "Are you gonna move this asshole or what?"

"They make anyone detectives these days," Hank muttered quietly, only allowing Marisol to hear his words. They had stood quietly, watching the scene unfold. Hank couldn't be bothered to help and Marisol wasn't sure what she could do. "This is a goddamn joke."

"I'm trying to move him!" Chris' voice snapped Marisol back, causing her to look back to see him struggling to pull the android out of the seat. He continued to fight back, fearing for his life as the thought of being shut down probably flashed through his mind. Connor may have scared him a little too much. Still, he was trying to make it right.

"I can't let you do that!" Connor intervened, trying to step in between Chris and the deviant. "Leave it alone, now!"

"I warned you, motherfucker!" Gavin shouted, reaching for his gun. He aimed it at Connor's head, prepared to shoot but Marisol quickly got in the middle of the two men. However, Gavin did not lower his gun as he continued to sneer at the two of them.

"Fuck off, Gavin!" Marisol spat out, holding her hands up in the air as she continued to block Connor's body with her own. If the cameras were recording, this was sure to get Gavin put on suspension at the very least. "Put that gun away, now."

"You're going to risk your life for an android?"

Marisol scoffed. "Oh, so you're prepared to shoot me to get to him?"

"If that's what it takes."

"That's enough!" Hank said, deciding it was time to finally intervene. Everyone had calmed down once Hank had gotten involved, watching his every movement.

"Mind your own business, Hank," Gavin spat out, barely giving the older man a glance as he tightened his grip on his gun. It was a miracle that Gavin hadn't been fired from his job yet. But, the DPD was lenient to say, considering they kept Hank around despite him being drunk most days on the job.

"You're threatening to shoot my partner," Hank scoffed, placing a hand on Gavin's gun to lower it before pushing him back a few steps. "It is my business."

"Oh, go to Hell, Hank," Gavin spat out, rolling his eyes as he moved to help Chris. Though, he kept muttering things underneath his breath as he watched them through narrowed eyes. "You're not gonna get away with it this time."

"Hank isn't the one waving his gun around," Marisol muttered, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched them have an easier time with the deviant. "I wonder what Captain Fowler is going to say about this."

"I know enough about you, Marisol, that they'll never let you step foot into this station," Gavin threatened, pointing an accusing finger in her direction.

"Give it a rest, Gavin," Hank sighed, shaking his head as if he was dealing with young children instead of fully grown adults. "No one wants to hear your stupid voice anymore."

Connor had watched the scene unfold, processing what every person had said as he stored the information in his database. Oh, Marisol wanted to know what he had listed about Gavin. He turned back to Chris and the deviant, speaking in a softer tone. "Everything is alright. It's all over now. Nobody is going to hurt you," Connor said, giving the deviant a nod. He spoke to Chris next. "Please, don't touch it. Let it follow you out of the room and it won't cause any trouble."

Chris did as he was told, allowing the deviant to follow him and Gavin. But, before the deviant left, he had turned to Connor. "The truth is inside."

It was all he said before walking off with the Detective and Officer to his holding cell. Marisol looked at Connor, trying to see if the deviant's words had any effect on Connor. But, he didn't show any signs.

"Finally, the bullshit is over," Hank muttered, starting to walk out of the interrogation room as he sighed heavily. He ran a hand across his face, stifling a yawn. "I'm going home to get some sleep. Tired as fuck."

Marisol told him goodbye, walking out of the interrogation room and toward the main office where everyone's desks were located. The lights had been dimmed, considering the majority of the people working in their station had already gone home or were out on patrol. She grabbed her keys off the table, putting them into her jacket pocket. "I guess I should go home too."

"Yes, it is getting late," Connor said, nodding his head.

"Where will you go?" Marisol asked, tying her hair up into a loose ponytail to keep it out of her face when she drove.

"Stay here, I suppose," Connor replied, shrugging his shoulders as he looked around the station. "I will wait till you guys come back tomorrow."

"You don't have a place?"

"I'm a machine, Detective," he reminded her. "I don't need a home."

Marisol frowned, pausing in her tracks as she faced Connor. A part of her understood that he didn't need sleep or rest, but she still felt bad leaving him in the station all night to sit and collect dust. "Want to come home with me?" she asked, yawning as she waited for his answer. "It's better than staying in the station."

"Would you like me to come home with you?"

"Don't say it like that," Marisol wrinkled her nose, knowing she would never invite a co-worker home. But, this was Connor and he was an android. "I was only asking because it's strange to stay in the station all night. I would rather be home, you know?"

Connor nodded, considering her words. "I will accompany you home in that case."

━━ ━━ ━━

IT WAS LATE when they had reached Marisol's apartment, but she still found the time to take a shower to wash away all the grime and sweat from the long night they had. However, the aroma of food made the woman pause as she finished brushing her wet hair and exited the bathroom. The smell of garlic became stronger as she walked toward the kitchen, noticing Connor stood over the dining table as he set out one plate. She tilted her head, trying to hide her amusement as she watched him. "Did you..." she started slowly, catching the android's attention, "make me dinner?"

"Your stomach had growled two times on the sixteen-minute drive to your apartment, Detective," Connor answered, gesturing for Marisol to take a seat. He had made spaghetti and Marisol was sure it would be perfect due to the fact that an android had made it. "I thought it would be best for you to eat before you sleep. Staying fed is good for your health, so you will do better in our cases."

"Aren't you sweet, Con?" Marisol teased, taking a seat at the dining table before she picked up the fork. She wasn't sure what kind of programming Connor had, but she was starting to like it. She couldn't remember the last time she had a home-cooked meal that wasn't something she heated in the microwave. "It looks good, much better than anything I could make."

"Enjoy, Detective," Connor said, taking a seat across from her as he continued to watch. Thankfully, Marisol had gotten used to his constant staring. She began to eat. And, Connor continued to study her.

"What do you think about that android?" Marisol asked curiously, trying to make conversation.

"The deviant?"

"Yeah," Marisol sighed. "The whole experience... It felt like I was interrogating a human. I've never seen that kind of fear on something that's supposedly a machine. He really didn't want to... die."

"Androids can't die, Detective," Connor corrected, emotionless as ever as spoke. "We are nothing but machines. We can be destroyed, but it isn't difficult for our memories to be put into a new machine. It would be like nothing had ever happened."

"That's the same for deviants?" Marisol asked, raising a brow as she continued to eat the pasta. "Can you transfer their memories into a new body?"

"I am not sure," Connor replied, searching for the answer to Marisol's question in his database. But, he came up empty. "CyberLife would need to do more research before I have an accurate answer."

"But, he acted like a human," Marisol countered, wondering if deviants were truly alive since they behaved nothing like the other androids. "If he didn't have the LED light, I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference."

"It was only malfunctioning," Connor reminded, not wanting Marisol to get the wrong idea since he needed her on his side during the cases. "It must have learned how to pick up on human cues from his time around his owners. The android's code got corrupted, infected with a virus."

"rA9, maybe?" Marisol said.

"A possibility," Connor said, giving her a small smile. "Further investigation will reveal more."

Her phone vibrated, causing Marisol to take a look.

E ━━ No evidence was found for your claims. The court decided to rule in his favor.

Marisol felt her heart grow heavy, sending a text back immediately.

M ━━ Everything I said was the truth. There has to be something to help the case.

His reply was immediate, causing Marisol to open it as fast as he had sent it.

E ━━ Find Chloe. Last known location before the tracker deactivated itself was Detroit.

Detroit? Marisol found herself surprised at the news, wondering how he had been able to keep track. Apparently, an android's tracker no longer worked after they had gone deviant ━━ something that baffled the police and CyberLife. It was the reason there were so many missing androids the D.P.D. had to deal with. But, if Chloe, her old android, was in Detroit then she could be useful to the case and Marisol could finally get back to her old life.

"Is everything okay, Detective?" Connor asked, tilting his head to the side. She had almost forgotten the android had been sitting across from her the whole life. "You seem distressed. If you don't mind me asking, who are you texting?"

"Family," Marisol lied, shrugging her shoulders as she set the phone down without sending a reply. All she could think about was how she was going to track down Chloe in a city as big as Detroit.

"Family?" He repeated, remembering the little bit that Marisol had told him about her family. "You seem upset as if you have received bad news. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Marisol said, finishing the last of her food before she gulped down the glass of water too. She didn't want to answer any more questions and exhaustion was starting to take its course. "Okay, I'm off to bed. Thanks for dinner, I really appreciate it. Gonna be honest, I probably would have gone to bed hungry if it wasn't for you. So, thank you."

"Of course, Detective," he said.

"So, we're probably wanted at the station early. You can take the couch or whatever you wanna do," Marisol hummed, shrugging her shoulders as she stood to place her dishes into the sink. She could clean them in the morning. "If you do need to leave, let me know and I'll shut down the security system. Otherwise, the alarms will go off and it'll just call the police."

Connor nodded, processing everything Marisol had said. "Will do. Goodnight, Detective."

Marisol smiled, nodding her head. "Goodnight, Connor."

♡

HERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER! I got around to editing it after having it sit in my docs for a long while, but I think I like this chapter! It might be a little bit of a mess because I didn't rewatch the scene, so I did it from memory. But, I think that's alright because the book shouldn't follow the game perfectly. I think the whole interrogation was kind of a mess, but I will chalk it up to them being tired and me having a migraine as I was trying to edit.

I think some information in the chapters may conflict with one another because I did make some changes to the plot, but I will go back and fix everything later! I think it's because I've taken over two years to write this book (and we're only on chapter four, oh my goodness) and I end up forgetting the original plot or I want to change things. But, I have outlined up to chapter 10 and I should have an easier time in writing it! I want to finish this book because I love Detroit: Become Human and I think it'll be nice to have some books completed underneath my profile.

Also, Connor making Marisol dinner! I didn't originally plan for him to be sweet to her, but I added it because I wanted to. I think it's cute and his reasoning is that he wants her to be strong for their cases. But, I am excited to write more of their bond soon! So, I did mention Chloe and I decided to make her a character who will show up in this book soon! I have Marisol's old android played by Rachel McAdams and I am so excited for her to show up!

━━ AMARA
[ CHAPTER PUBLISHED  ━━ 10.12.2021 ]