Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The elevator chimes, and another second goes by.

It was August 15th, and another case was reported tonight that had something to do with deviants.

Markus patiently stands inside the elevator, tossing his Cyberlife lighter around his right hand, slipping the piece of metal between his fingers. Staring up at the elevator, his LED flickers, and he finally arrives at his designated floor. One last toss of his lighter makes it land in between his index and middle finger.

He quickly puts it away, fixing his tie before he's met with his first deviant case.

Alright, let's do this.

The doors open, and a SWAT soldier steps to the side to acknowledge his presence. Markus takes a few steps inside the apartment, taking a long look around the place. He turns to his right, observing the family photo that stood there. He allowed his scan to intake some information like their names and dates of birth. The atmosphere that was swept through him with this apartment felt tense. He heard screaming, that of a woman somewhere in the distance. Markus felt the need to quicken his pace to get this case done with. Before he walks inside completely, he sees a fish on the floor.

Awh. He quickly picks it up, not bothering to check for traces of life before dunking it back inside the tank. He waits a few seconds, and he gives the fish a soft look when he sees it wiggle around.

He stands up again and walks down the hall a bit more before a woman walks right up to him. She was the same woman from the picture frame, so he wasn't that startled.

"Oh, please, please, you gotta save my little girl..."

Markus looks down at the woman in front of him, analyzing her movements an emotions. She looks upset. "Wait.." She stops and gets a better look at the android in front of her, and the panic increases in her voice as she begins to speak again. "You're sending an android?"

"Alright, Ma'am. We need to go."

"You can't... You can't do that! You w- why aren't you sending a real person?"

Markus watches quietly as the woman is escorted to the elevator, her voice still in a clear state of distress.

"Don't let that thing near her! Keep that thing away from my daughter!! KEEP IT AWAY!"

Markus turns his direction back to his mission, a new objective telling him to find Captain Allen. He slowly walks through the apartment entrance, finding multiple soldiers scattered everywhere. There were bullet holes in a few walls and through glass. As he searched for the Captain, Markus took this as an opportunity to observe the place. It looked very cozy, the interior design was simple but modern. The walls decorated with minimalist paintings, some not so minimalist.

It looked perfect for a quick sketch to capture the atmosphere of the scene regardless of the raggedness of the soldiers being everywhere, or maybe a quick paint to encapture the colors of the place.

But that's not what Markus should be thinking about.

He hears some yelling a few rooms down, and he turns attention towards it. There stood the captain, pacing around impatiently and hot headedly. Markus walked close to him, where he noticed him turning his back at him and down onto the table with another soldier. "Captain Allen?"

He asks, and the man turns his face to the android. "My name is Markus, I'm the android sent by Cyberlife."

Allen huffs quietly, basically rolling his eyes at the android before turning his attention back to the screen in front of him. "It's firing at everything that moves, it already shot down two of my men." Markus tilts his head, paying attention to the information given to him right now.

"We could easily get it, but they're on the edge of the balcony." The captain turns his eyes back to Markus. "If it falls, she falls."

Markus thinks for a moment, wondering what kind of information should be important to ask from the captain. While yes, all and any information regarding the case is important to negotiate, there may be much more specific sets of clues to carry the entire negotiation. After all, deviants feel emotion. And this case was said to be erupted by emotions only.

That's it!

"Has it experienced an emotional shock recently?" Markus asks. "I haven't got a clue. Does it matter?"

Deep, deep into Markus' head, he scoffs. Of course it matters.

"I need information to determine the best approach."

Once again, the android was met with silence. He stands for a bit, deciding on what he should ask Allen next. "Do you know if it's been behaving strangely before this?"

The captain seemed to have gotten impatient, standing up to face the android in front of him. "Listen, saving that kid is all that matters. So either you deal with this fucking android now, or I'll take care of it."

As the captain walks away, Markus keeps a note to himself of his percentage rate for success probability. He now has two new objectives: Understand what happened and save the hostage at all costs. Markus gets to work immediately, slowly walking towards an opened suitcase on the floor. He squat down gently, analyzing it's information. He quickly nabs at information left and right, the gun case and it's type and name, where it had been placed and how it was taken down.

Markus decides to head for the hostage's room, thinking he may find a lot more information there than the evidences in the parents' bedroom. He walks inside, and smiles at the cute look the room has. He notices a tablet on what seems to be a study desk and picks it up.

"This is Daniel, the coolest android in the world! Say hi, Daniel!"

"Hello!"

While Markus is never normally moved by much, considering he is an android and all, the video did move him this once. He gently smiled, and remembered to take note of the deviant's name.

When he took a step back from the device, he noticed a pair of headphones on the ground. From his distance and height, he could still hear a noise coming from it. He went slightly closer, putting the device closer to his ear. The child didn't hear the gunshots. He stands back up, making his way into the living room for more evidence.

His eyes then land on a man that was laying on the ground. He was covered in blood and was already dead. Markus analyzed the man, who looked similar to the hostage's father. He took 3 gunshots before dying, one in his upper left lung, one in his left kidney, and another in his lower right lung. Markus was able to reconstruct what happened slowly, and pieces of evidence connected seem to say that the father was holding something.

Markus retraces his steps, looking out for where the object may have fallen. To his right, there laid a tablet on the floor. He picks it up, turning it on.

"Your order for AP700 has been registered."

Seeing how the deviant was going to be replaced, Markus sees that as an opening for a few more clues.

After all, every second counts.

Gunshots are heard throughout the buildings once again, seeing some of the soldiers take cover before aiming back outside.

The consequences of those bullets lays as evidence, a deceased cop who laid on the floor, not moving. Markus analyzed this one quickly, scanning for all known bullet wounds and reconstructing what had happening. And according to the evidence, the deviant had been shot prior by the cop before the cop met his fate with a gunshot to the heart.

That cop had a gun, didn't he?

Markus suddenly remembers, looking around for the gun and where it may have landed. He spots it under the table, picking it up and putting it in his back.

A small pool of blue blood sat on the ground by his feet. When Markus noticed, he gently took a scoop of it into his fingers examined it with his eyes. Analyzing it, he finds out the deviant's model is a PL600.

He stands back up with a sigh, approaching the entrance to the balcony. "I think that's all." He whispers to himself, moving the sheet away before entering. In less than a second, his side is shot, and he stares at it before looking back at Daniel.

"Stay back! Don't come any closer or I'll jump!" Daniel yells, pointing the gun back to Emma. "No, no, please I'm begging you!" The girl cries out, her voice echoing around the open area. Daniel moved a few inches farther into the edge, showcasing his threat. The evening sky enveloped the sky in a soft darkness, the crime scene being illuminated by nearby lights such as the pool. The balcony was loud, the helicopter's propellers polluting the air with noise.

Markus stares at him for a moment before deciding to finally talk. "Hey, Daniel! My name is Markus!"

"H-How do you know my name?!"

"I know tons of stuff about you! I've come to get you outta this!"

The helicopter that flew nearby made many things in the area fly off the balcony such as the chairs and tables, some water from the pool washing over onto the floor. Markus was now met with more objectives to remember to accomplish his mission. "I'm an android, just like you! I get what you're feeling-" "What difference does it make if you're an android?! You're on their side! You can't understand how I'm feeling!"

Markus attempts to take a few more steps forward, but Daniel quickly points the gun back at him. "Are you armed?!" Markus nods, reaching behind him. "Yep, I've got a gun." He answers truthfully. It was amazing how Markus could prominently see the creases on Daniel's face, his emotions portrayed on his face perfectly. "Drop it! No sudden moves or I'll shoot." Markus willingly reaches for his gun and tosses it aside before putting his hands back up. "There you go, no more gun."

He then noticed two other people at the crime scene. There was a cop, injured on the ground by the chairs. And another, dead, in the pool. Markus visibly grimaced, oddly, and looked back at Daniel. "They were going to replace you and you became upset, right?"

Daniel's face scrunches up, hated to be reminded of what happened. "I thought I was part of the family, I thought I mattered... But I was just their toy! Something to throw away when you're done with it!" Markus takes a few more steps closer to the android in front of him. "I know you and Emma were very close. You think she betrayed you, but she's done nothing wrong."

"She lied to me! I thought she loved me, but I was wrong! She's just like all the other humans."

"Daniel, no..."

Markus was close enough to examine the cop on the floor, moving him to get a clearer vision of what hurt him. "He's losing blood, Daniel. If we don't get him to a hospital, he's gonna die." Daniel scowls at him and the gun in his hand clicks. "All humans die eventually, what does it matter if this one dies now?"

The android looks back down at the cop, already reaching for his tie. "I'm going to apply a tourniquet." Before Markus could do much, Daniel shoots down at the ground close to him and the cop. "Don't touch him! Touch him, and I kill you."

Markus gives him a sullen look, removing his tie without a second thought. "You can't kill me, I'm not exactly alive. And we both know you wouldn't do that anyway." Markus wrapped the tie around the cop's arm, checking twice to see if it's tight enough. When he finishes helping the cop, he notices the look on his face soften as he stares up at Markus. He whispers a small "Thank you" before laying his head back on the ground to rest.

As soon as Markus gets up, he tries to approach Daniel once again. "Look, I know it's not your fault, okay? These emotions your feeling are just some buggy stuck-ups in your software." Daniel bites his cheek, his hand shaking as it pointed at Emma. "No, it's not my fault. I n-never wanted this. I loved, them, y-you know? But I was nothing to them! Just a slave to be ordered around!"

His shaking seemed to have increased, and he begins to get irritated as well. "Urrrghh! I can't stand that noise anymore! Tell that helicopter to get out of here!" Markus looks up at the helicopter and waves, instructing them to leave. In a few seconds, they fly away from the scene. "There, is that better?" Daniel actually nods at him, weird since Markus never expected much of a response from him in that sense.

"You have to trust me, Daniel! Let Emma go and I promise you everything will be fine."

Daniel thinks for a moment before looking back at Markus. "I want everyone to leave! A-And I want a car. When I'm out of the city, I'll let her go." Markus shakes his head. "That's impossible, Daniel. Let herl go and I promise you won't be hurt." Daniel gives him a soft look, much calmer than his raging, hot-boiled self earlier. "I don't wanna die..."

Finally, he's fully calm.

His emotions aren't as spiked as earlier, and his rationality seems to have been set back.

"You're not gonna die, we're just gonna talk. Nothing will happen to you. I swear." Daniel gives Markus one last look of doubt before lowering his arm. "Okay, I trust you.." He lets Emma flee from his grip, tripping onto the floor as she sobs.

A few seconds pass by, and Markus decides to close his eyes, knowing what's about to come.

Daniel, confused, merely looks at him. And in less than a second, bullets come flying, hitting him in 3 places. Or at least that's what Daniel felt. Once the gunshots died down, he opened his eyes again to be met with an injured Daniel. His cheek, side, and shoulder have all been shot and grazed by bullets, and Markus stares with a straight face.

Daniel's face was still, and he looked up at Markus with emotionless eyes. "You lied to me, Markus." I know. "You lied to me..." His last words were slightly distorted, and his final words brought him to shut down. Markus took a quick glance at Emma, seeing her crying on the floor. He felt the need to help her, and to comfort her, but he refused.

No more objectives burden him, which he can propose his mission to be successful.

He walks out of the scene quickly, sharing a look with Captain Allen before leaving.

But he leaves that case with a confused mind, why did he keep on smiling and wanting to do things on his own? He may have to get that checked out by Cyberlife.

Chapter Text

November 5th, 2038.

3:24 PM

MODEL RK800
SERIAL#: 313 248 317
BIOS 7.4 REVISION 0483

REBOOT...

MEMORY RESET

LOADING OS...

SYSTEM INITIALIZATION...
CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS... OK
INITIALIZING BIOSENSORS... OK
INITIALIZING AI ENGINE... OK

MEMORY STATUS...
ALL SYSTEMS... OK

READY

The RK800 blinks slowly, his vision became clear to him as he stares down. Before him stood a little girl, who looked back at him curiously. As his programming goes, he gives her a gentle smile. She returns it, smiling back at the android. A woman walks towards both of them, and asks the little girl to follow her who he assumed was her mother. "Come on, Zoe, let's go." The little girl gives the RK800 one last look before walking off.

The commotion around the store comes clearer to the android, hearing different conversations from all sides of the room. Several androids were being examined and sold to, customers coming in and leaving out the door. The RK800 simply looked around, not minding any of the customers and their conversations. A few seconds pass, and two men approach the android. One was a lot shorter than the other, with slightly long greasy hair and ragged clothes that don't look to be washed. The other man wore glasses, and from what the android understood, was working in the same store he was in.

"There it is. It was hard getting it back in working order. It was really messed up... W-What did you say happened to it again?" The other man cleared his throat, trying his best to look confident. "A car hit it, stupid accident."

The other man looked at him, obviously not convinced. "Oh, I see." If reading emotions were a thing, he would be easily read. "Anyway, it's as good as new now. Except that we had to reset it. Meaning we had to wipe its memory." He looked at the other man cautiously, worried he could get angry at the fact the RK800 was reset. "I hope you don't mind."

"That'll be fine." The other man said groggily, genuinely seeming to not care. "Okay, did you give it a name?" The man looked at the android. "My daughter did."

"RK800, register your name." The man gave the android a solid stare. "Connor."

The android inputs the name into his codes quickly, and activating his greet command. "My name is Connor."

The man in glasses nods, making space to let the android step down from its platform. "There you go. You could take it back now. If there's anything else you need, we're just a call away." Connor walks forward a bit so he's in front of both men. "Yeah, thanks."

Connor scans the man to his right, seeing his name, date of birth, and other information.

"I'm Todd, but I bet your plastic ass knows that already. Come on." Connor follows him outside the store where they approached a car. Connor was also a bit more advanced than others, being autonomous and whatnot. He immediately knew to hop into the passenger's seat, seeing the water droplets fall off the window and onto the seat. When he sits down, he closes the door and notices that it had been drizzling. He scans the weather, also noticing how it's been raining hard since earlier. Detroit had been reported for some snow for a few days now, and there have been a few signs of flakes falling from the clouds a few hours prior.

Connor was so focused that he didn't notice Todd inside the car or that the car even started moving. The vehicle drove by many different buildings and houses, the whirring sounds of the car's engine humming in the background. Not a single word was spoken, the air as thick as the scent on Todd's clothes. The smell of booze and other gnarly musty smells mixed into the car's scent. Connor wasn't that bothered, he was an android after all. They finally exit the narrow streets of the suburbs and enter the main city. The buildings stood high, cars drove by, and the traffic on the other side of the road honked.

Connor kept his gaze outside the window, not really knowing what else to focus on anyway. They drove by a few factories Connor watched as several drones flew over the car. The trains hit their brakes with a loud screech, and the demonstrators on the streets yelled. Connor saw a few android parking stations on the sidewalk, along with a few Cyberlife advertisements on buildings and towers.

The scenery of Detroit was fascinating. The clouds darkened the skies and the streets were moist with rain, umbrellas were propped over people's heads, people walking minding their own business. Each person that walked on these streets and on this land had a life of their own, and Connor was about to as well.

A few minutes pass and Connor could sense their destination becoming closer.

Connor then notices someone sitting on the street with a cardboard sign.

I lost my job because of androids. Help me.

The RK800 stared at it emotionlessly and continued to look at other things in the environment. However, his LED did turn a hint of yellow after reading the sign.

A few more minutes pass and him and Todd finally reach the suburbs which Connor will assume is where the man lives. He can hear him shift around in the driver's seat beside him, which gave him some relief. He hadn't been moving for the past 30 minutes.

Connor and him circle around the neighborhood a bit longer, Todd seeming to try his hardest to not accidentally ram into the cars that were lazily parked so close to the road. "I swear at some point I'm gonna be crashing into these cars on purpose because of the way they were parked." He grumbles, angrily switching the gears on the automatic joystick to move a bit more. He begins to drive again, and after a few moments, they finally reach their home.

The RK800 couldn't calculate how long it took to get home because of the traffic and the issue with Todd and the cars, but it took about an hour to get home. Connor looked at the house from inside the car, and opened it as he stepped out. He gently slammed the car door. He analyzed the house and noticed how run down it was. He noticed how old Todd's car was as well, so he most likely clung onto older things from years back than the stuff now.

"You coming?" He asked, noticing Connor hadn't moved since he got out. Connor took it as a sign to follow him inside.

Walking inside, Todd takes his jacket off and hangs it on the coat rack. Connor closes the door behind him softly, looking back at Todd who tiredly stood by the rack. "You've been gone for two weeks so this place is a mess." He sighs. "You do the housework, the washing, you cook the meals, and you take care of..." Todd tries to search around the house with his eyes, but doesn't seem to spot what he was looking for. Or maybe who.

"Godamnit, where the fuck's that brat gone now?" He looks around and sighs again. "Alice? ALICE!" When he turns his head towards the stairs, he goes quiet when he sees her. "Oh, there you are." Connor gives himself a moment to look at her, giving her a gentle smile in the process. She was quite short, and had long dark brown hair which was tied into a ponytail. She wore a cozy purple and white sweater and was holding what looked to be a fox plush?

"That's Alice. You look after her, homework, bath, all that crap. Got it?" Connor tore his gaze from Alice and looked back at Todd.
"Yes, Todd."

"You're autonomous, so I'm pretty sure I don't have to keep telling you everything. Just do what you have to do and don't bother me." Connor nodded once more and Todd walked off. He turns back to Alice, who already began sprinting up the stairs.

If androids could sigh, Connor would have done it a number of times now. Even for someone like him who was commanded to not deviate or show emotion would sigh at the heavy atmosphere of this home. If you could even call it one. He began his list of chores in the kitchen, scrubbing at the ceramic plates he held. He had noticed the dishwasher was broken, so he ordered a component for that one already.

As he washed, he noticed a pair of eyes staring at him, so he turned his head to find Alice staring at him. She flinched though, backing away slowly as he stared longer. She then ran to the dining area instead, Connor only able to give a smile as she ran away. As he finished his chores for the kitchen, he took a look at the dining table.

I should have gotten the plates there before washing.

If he could facepalm, he would. He decided to make it quick, grabbing the glasses and plates and scrubbing them intensely. Not that he was angry, but his software felt quite frustrated at the thought of having to stand there and wash things again. He can do it, but he rather not. The soapy whites gently wash off the white plates as he hovered it beneath the running water, watching as it did so. Luck did him no good of course, and he heard an annoying voice once again.

"Connor!"

Nearly dropping the plate he held, he felt slightly startled and looked at the man by the TV. "Yes, Todd?"

"Bring me a cold beer!"

"Right away."

He placed all the remaining washed plates into the dish dryer and walked to the fridge. Grabbing the bottle he placed its harsh cold self onto the wooden coffee table. Connor would make a face if he could, seeing the small ring marks on the table that made it obvious Todd never bothered to use a coaster for anything. It was gross at most.

After a few more things to clean up inside the home like putting away the garbage and clearing up the coffee table, Connor decided to go outside. Get some fresh air from Todd and that house. After all, he was smoking some red ice. The smoke could damage his outer biocomponent layers and turn it all brownish and make him overheat. The outside world was fascinating.

The construction site not a few blocks from the house shone brightly through the white light from the sun, the clouds loomed over the neighborhood menacingly, daring to pour itself onto the busy streets any second now. Connor kept his eyes focused on taking the laundry from the rope that hung loosely on the trees. Once everything was in the basket, it's weight didn't change as much as he expected. Not a lot of clothes were on the rope, so perhaps that is why. Even with the denim clothes.

When Connor turned, he stopped for a second when he saw Alice walk down the steps. She simply sat on a small tire on the ground with her stuffed animal, not minding Connor's presence in the backyard. The tall male smiled as he approached her, kneeling down to her level. As he looked at her, he tried thinking of something to say. Something inviting for a conversation, but nothing too personal or nothing that made no sense for a child.

He then noticed the look on her face, seeing how her eyebrows sort of narrowed down, and her posture as she slouched. Her moves were lazy, and she barely looked energetic at all. Which was very unnatural for a child. He grinned at her, to make her feel a bit better about talking. "You look bored. Do you wanna play a game? I know a few that maybe you'll like." These invitations usually work, but to his disappointment, it doesn't strike the littlest bit of excitement on the girl's face.

Her demeanor didn't change as well. She continued on like Connor wasn't even there. But he noticed her face soften at the words. That was all though. He tried to think of something else to say, he hated seeing her so pouty and... Sad.

He looked around the backyard a bit to see what he could talk about, but sort of came up with something else in the process. "Do you like playing out here? It's a bit lonely, but I could understand why you like it out here." He smiled again. Alice still kept the same face, but immediately stood up, only to walk back inside the house. Connor frowned, confused why.

Maybe it was something I said.

He continued his chores anyhow, carrying the basket by his side as he walked into the laundry room. Opening the washing machine's hatch, he gently tossed the clothes inside, minding to not let the denim clothes slam right down. Somewhere in the distance of the house, he could hear Todd's obnoxious moaning, obviously entailing he was blowing a cloud of red smoke through his nostrils again. Connor ignored it obviously, continuing to place the clothing into the machine.

He finished, but looked around for the detergent, which he saw in less than a second not so far from him. He quickly grabbed it, about to pour some inside before spotting something inside. "Hm." He hummed, looking at it, but not picking it up. It was a packet of some sort, and he picked it up slowly. Before he could scan it however, he heard a few footsteps behind him. How he could hear it, he doesn't know. He took a quick scan, and from a mile away, could tell the person behind him was Todd. The smell of red ice filled the air as soon as he entered the door.

Like it was expected, he turned around and immediately grabbed Todd's arm as tight as he could when he was about to grab his neck. Todd, exasperated at his quick reaction, and his strength, let out a strangled moan. His eyes quickly looked down to where his hand was, and back at the android who was probably already bruising him. Connor used his usual kind and welcoming dialogue, giving Todd a small smile before speaking.

"Hello, Todd. This is yours, yes? I'm sorry for snooping around, I don't mean to intrude. I just simply found it in the detergent. You can have it here if you like?" Connor doesn't really know why he had a strong hold on Todd's arm, but he let go as soon as the man took it. He shook, probably in surprise and fear, and looked at his arm. Connor did too. No bruise. Good. Todd sighed in relief at no bruise, and simply sneered at the male android in front of him. "What the fuck." He spat.

He just grumbled away as he walked back to his usual place on the couch, saying nothing else except a "Fuckin' androids, man."

Connor turns back to the detergent and pours some of it onto the clothes before closing the lid, placing the container back in its original place on the shelf.

He walks back out into the kitchen, and realizes that it's only been the first floor. He would groan if he could, but it's not like he was exhausted. So he didn't.

Before he made his way up the stairs, he saw that the small vacuum, also known as a "Roomba", hadn't been turned on. He quickly presses on the button to allow it to move around, and watches as the little thing moves around doing its job. Connor stood up and quickly dust himself, fixing his uniform as he did so.

"Alice! You better stop that right now!" Connor gently flinches at the sound of Todd's harsh tone, looking at Alice with worry. He sees her sadly walk to the small chair in the room, sitting down and moving her stuffed toy around. Of course, Connor didn't show actual worry on his face, but it's the thought that counts. He didn't intervene however, and made his way up the stairs away from the depressing mood from downstairs.

His first enemy: Todd's room. The place was messier than he had anticipated. There were beer bottles and cans all over the floor, the blanket itself from the bed was on the floor, and so were some clothes. Even his electric guitar.

Why the hell was everything on the floor? The android could only stare annoyingly as he stood by the door, most likely paralyzed from the pigsty that was Todd's bedroom.

Connor quickly picks up all the traces of alcohol there could be off of the floor and places them into a trash bag, tying it and keeping it by the top of the stairs. He then picks up the blanket, laying it down over the rectangular frame of the bed and folding it as neatly as he could. Connor nearly stepped on the electric guitar on the floor as he finished with the bed. He picked it up slowly, even fixing the thing itself before placing the instrument in its place. It was filled with dust, so Connor wiped that down easily.

He spotted a few vinyl on the floor, so he picked them up and placed them into its respected container. Connor did the same with the pill bottle he saw on the side table. He scanned it a bit for its contents, and sees that they are antidepressants. He stares at it for a bit before deciding to place them inside the drawer. As he did though, he spots a gun. Like any normal person would do, they would freeze up and stare at it. But Connor just tried his best to be unfazed, closing it like as if nothing else were there. He remembered to also lift the window to ventilate the room. The place reeked of booze and whatever else he was smelling.

Anything else..?

There was a stack of magazines and books on one of the tables far from the bed. He walked towards it and made sure to stack them properly, aligning them without dropping anything perfectly and setting them back down. Even if Todd's room was merely tidied but not exactly cleaned up, it still looked fine nonetheless. And Connor doesn't think looking around anymore would be a great idea. Todd would find another to try and strangle him again.

He walks out of the door and hears the bathroom door open, quickly standing to the side as soon as Todd walks out. The man lets out a scoff, before walking down the stairs. Connor waits until he completely leaves the second floor before entering the bathroom toilet closet. He cleans up the toilet for a bit before walking back out again, not wanting to spend another second in there.

Want? Why want? He shouldn't want anything.

He walks down the hall and into the bathroom, picking up the messy pile of clothes that sat on the floor and placing them into the laundry basket. To his left, the bottles of shampoo and body soap had fallen all over each other. He quickly tidies that up too, making sure they are stacked properly. He stands up and walks by the mirror, and only now has he noticed his looks. He hadn't had a good look at himself in a while.

His hair was slicked back messily, but clean enough for none to fall onto his face except one strand. It was curled up at the front, and cleanly combed at the back. His attire was that of a simple housework android. A white shirt but with black covering up the shoulders and down to the higher chest area and down the sleeves. Inside was a very thin polo he wore, the collar popping out the opening of the shirt. He wore a bright band on his right arm, and a blue triangle on his left chest area and his name and serial number as well as his model name on his right.

His pants were white, reaching until the lower ankles and white shiny shoes on his feet.

He fixed his shirt a bit and slicked his hair back a few times, taking in the image of himself in the mirror a little longer. He looked neutral, turning his head towards the mop in the bathroom. Gently grabbing it, he began mopping from the inside to the outside. He moved along with the long handle in his hands, setting it down in its original place by the door once he finished.

There was shuffling in the room right next to him. It was closed, and he could only assume it was Alice's room. He slowly turned the knob, opening the door to see Alice on the floor. She moved quick, hiding under the fort that had been built in her room. "I'm just going to clean your room up a bit. Give me about two minutes, alright, Alice?" There looked to be a book with her before she retreated to the fort in the room. Connor looked down and went to pick it up, turning it on its side to, inevitably, find the book titled "Alice in wonderland".

"Alice in Wonderland, of course." Connor smiled at her, Alice barely returning with a shift and a tighter grip on her stuffed toy. He turned his attention to her bed, which wasn't much of a mess compared to the one in her father's room. He fluffed out the pillow and fixed the sheets that came off during her sleep, as well as fixing the blanket.

Alice still continued to stare from afar, not wanting to utter a word to him or to even engage in any conversation.

Connor finished up her bed and took a peak at the shelf full of books right next to it. He turned back to her with a smile. "You like reading, huh?" She was finally able to give him a response, and she nodded. Connor's smile widened.

Before leaving, he decided to approach Alice, perhaps to make himself look friendly.

"I'm sure we used to be friends before I was reset, maybe we can be friends again." Alice kind of liked the talk, so Connor continued to throw random topics at her. "Your father said you chose my name. Connor." Alice looked up at him with a gentle expression, and he smiled. "It's a great name. How did you choose it?" The little girl remained quiet, moving the plush in her hands around.

Connor looked up the meaning of his name, finding it to mean "hunter". I wonder why she gave me a name that meant such thing. Is it because I'm a detective android turned into a housekeeper? I'm still an RK, something that is mixed between combat and housework. He turned his direction to her once again. "You should tell me about yourself, what you like to do, where you like to go, your favorite foods. Stuff like that. It would really help me learn to adapt to you."

Still nothing.

Connor didn't want to point it out, since perhaps she has some issues going on that kept her from talking, but he would like to know that too. It's in his program to learn everything about her to give himself an easier time.

"You're kinda quiet. I hope I don't scare you or anything. I promise I'm nice." Connor giggles a bit to imply what he said about him being nice. Suppose it sort of fails, because Alice stands up again to run out of the room, but stops in her tracks only to run back to Connor and place something in his hand.

Standing up slowly, he stared at it.

It was a key, and his head slowly turned to the music box.

Ohh.

He immediately walked up to it, turning the key, and opening it. The box greeted him with a sweet tune of a music box, soft and calming as ever. He looked at its contents, picking up a four-leaf clover and setting it aside. There was also a picture there. It looked to be a family photo. There was Todd at the left, who was smiling. On the right, there was a woman whom Connor didn't recognize, as well as a little girl with blonde curly hair he didn't recognize.

Aside from those two, there was a stack of papers inside. At first glance, it looked to be a normal picture of Alice, to which Connor grinned at it. However, his smile dropped when he noticed the red coloring on the top of her head. He felt the edges of the paper and noticed there was more than just one. So he placed the first page down, and stared at the next one, which was a simple drawing of Alice and what looks to be Todd. The next page was slightly blurry, he couldn't quite understand much but he could still have a clear idea of what was happening.

Todd was putting his hand on Connor, and Alice looked panicked.

Connor felt his LED turn yellow, and into a deep shade of red.

The next page.

Connor was on the floor, his arm torn off. He was bleeding out, and Alice stared in horror as she cried. The blue pencil coloring on her eyes and cheeks is prominent enough for anyone to understand.

He quickly placed everything back inside the box, stacking them the same way it was. When he closed it, he noticed the top said "A.W. Treasures" which did put a smile on his face.

Regardless of being an android, they always have a built-in command to smile when something is wholesome or sweet.

He slowly made his way downstairs, expecting to approach Todd to assure everything was clean and tidy. When he finally reached the end of the stairs however, he saw the man slowly approaching Alice as she sat on a chair by the dining table. He looked like a vulture, ready to attack and eat its prey. Connor admits to himself that Todd was intimidating. And dangerous.

"What are you doing?"

"I-I'm playing."

"Playing..."

He began to circle her, his anger seeming to boil up.

"I know what you're thinking... You think your dad's a lowlife. Huh? A fucking loser? Can't get a job? Can't take care of his family?" Alice simply stares at him as he paces around her, his fists balling. "Don't you think I try to make things work?" His voice began to raise, and Alice already sensed the feeling from miles away.

"But whatever I do, whenever someone comes along they just fuck it all up!" His anger had finally overflowed and he grabs the nearest object, a chair, and throws it to the side. As if it were in his way. "I know what you think of me. You hate me." He began approaching Alice, and Connor noticed her pump regulator beginning to pump faster. He could scan it from the stairs. "You fucking hate me, don't you?" Todd kicks the chair Alice had been sitting on away, and grabs her up into the air.

His hands shook though, his own anger seeming to overwhelm him. "SAY IT! FUCKING SAY IT! YOU HATE ME!!" Alice couldn't keep a straight face any longer and her lower lip trembled, tears beginning to pour out her eyes. Her voice gently sobbed, her hands lifting to her face to cover it like a baby. Todd's face softened, and he gently lowered her onto the ground. He remained silent for a few seconds before sobbing himself. "God, what am I doing?"

He rested his head against her chest, and Alice took a quick glance at Connor. He looked back, confused.

"I'm sorry, honey. I-I'm so sorry.." He slowly hugged her, making sure to loosen his grip so as to not scare her. "I didn't mean to do that, I didn't mean to yell. You know I love you, don't you? You know daddy loves you."

Alice returned the hug, but kept her eyes on Connor. His LED turned yellow for one second before returning back to its original blue color. He stared at the father and daughter in the room who both sobbed. All Connor could do was witness it happening. He couldn't move or do anything.