Archive of Our Own

How time flies.

Only yesterday people lived with purpose. They worked, learned, failed and improved. Nod-Krai stood at the forefront of that progress, its technological advancements so far beyond the rest of the world that they bordered on the incomprehensible. Innovation was its pride, its export, and promise to humanity.

Until its greatest invention became its greatest mistake.

Androids — artificial intelligence placed in synthetic bodies were introduced to make life easier. To assume burdens, perform dangerous labor, and eliminate human error.

For a time, they succeeded, even too well. Soon skilled workers were replaced by machines that did not tire, demand pay, or make mistakes. Unemployment turned into poverty. Poverty turned into rage. People learned to hate androids. Riots broke out. Machines were attacked on the streets, their lifeless eyes staring skyward as if they could understand the fury directed at them. 

It changed nothing.

Production continued. CyberLife prospered. Technology climbed higher, indifferent to the cost.

To Shikanoin Heizou, the world’s obsession with androids was a symptom of intellectual laziness.

From his desk at the Tenryou Commission, he reviewed case files with practiced efficiency, his sharp eyes skimmed through evidence reports.

Another homicide. Another web of motives and contradictions. Human, of course. They always were.

Heizou was the Commission’s most effective detective. He trusted the human mind above all else. Pattern recognition, instinct, the ability to lie and recognize lies in return, these were not things that could be replicated by lines of code. Androids had their uses, he conceded. Logistics. Data processing. Manual labor.

But never where human lives were at stake.

Since the day he lost the most important person in his life, Heizou had drawn a firm line — no partners, no android assistance, no exceptions. He preferred working alone. Emotional distance sharpened his reasoning and solitude ensured nothing interfered with his conclusions.

At first, his boss, Kujou Sara, had objected. A detective without a partner was ineffective. But the results silenced her doubt. Every case assigned to Heizou was solved. Eventually, Sara stopped questioning his methods and began assigning him the Commission’s most difficult investigations without forcing a partner upon him.

And that routine held.

Until one day.

~~~

It was an ordinary morning in Inazuma, no different from any other. Birds sang from the rooftops, the wind drifted lazily through the streets, and vehicles could be heard from the outside.

Heizou, however, was still asleep. His alarm cut through the silence of his apartment, pulling him reluctantly from his dreams and reminding him of the workday ahead. He groaned, blindly reaching for his phone and silencing it. One eye cracked open as he checked the time.

6:00 a.m.

He had an hour before his shift officially began. Not that it mattered. Heizou had never been one to arrive on time — at least, not by the Commission’s standards. He came and went as he pleased, often staying late rather than showing up early.No one complained. Not when the results spoke for themselves.

With a tired sigh, he set another alarm for later and rolled back onto his pillow. But his second round of sleep didn’t last long.

Barely an hour later, his phone rang again. Heizou was a light sleeper, so even the faintest noise could pull him awake. This time, he answered without bothering to check the caller.

“Hello?”

“Shikanoin.” Kujou Sara’s voice was commanding, and distinctly irritated. “Where are you? I need you in the office. Now!”

Heizou winced slightly, rubbing his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

The line went dead before he could say anything else. He sighed, pushing himself upright and stretching with a yawn before dragging himself out of bed. In the bathroom, he leaned over the sink and splashed cold water onto his face, the chill forcing the last remnants of sleep from his system. He stared at his reflection for a moment, dark circles faint beneath those sharp eyes.

“You look like shit, Shikanoin.” he muttered.

After a quick wash, he pulled on his uniform and headed out. On the way, he stopped by his usual café, ordering a black coffee and a croissant — his daily routine. He never bothered with a proper breakfast. This was faster.

He arrived at the station forty minutes after Sara’s call.  He slipped past his coworkers, offering lazy waves and half-mumbled greetings. They respected him, there was no denying that, but they didn’t like him much. He didn’t mind. He assumed it was jealousy.

After all, he solved cases they couldn’t, often with nothing more than what he called “intuition”. They laughed whenever he said it, brushing it off as guesswork or luck. But that same intuition had closed every case assigned to him.

So he let them laugh.

He knew the truth.

Heizou made his way to Kujou Sara’s office and knocked twice. Only after her sharp “Come in” did he step inside, closing the door behind him.

“You wanted to see me, Madam?” he said, approaching her desk with his usual smug smile.

“You finally decided to show up.” she replied coldly, eyes never leaving the documents in front of her.

Heizou ignored the remark. Kujou Sara made comments like that to satisfy her pride more than anything else, and neither of them pretended it ever affected his work.

“A murder case has just come in.” she continued. “There is reason to believe an android may be involved.”

Heizou’s expression sobered.

“Under normal circumstances, I would handle this personally.” she said. “However, we’ve received direct orders from above.”

“From above?” Heizou raised an eyebrow. “And what exactly did they order?”

Something about her tone unsettled him. Before she could answer, there was a knock at the door. Sara leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.

“Right on time. Come in.”

The door opened, and a tall figure stepped into the room. The man had platinum hair with a single crimson streak running through it, tied into a low ponytail that rested loosely over his shoulder. His eye color matched the streak. He wore a suit Heizou recognized immediately, the CyberLife insignia and model designation displayed neatly on his chest.

An android.

The machine closed the door behind him and bowed politely.

“Greetings.” he said. “My name is Kazuha. I am the android sent by CyberLife.”

Heizou stared at him, blinking once, then twice, as realization set in. Slowly, he turned his gaze back to Sara.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” he said flatly. “You’re assigning an android to me?”

“I don’t like it any more than you do.” Sara replied with a sigh. “But it’s an order. I have no authority to refuse.”

“And because you insist on working alone,” she added, “you’re the most suitable candidate to supervise him.”

Heizou scoffed. “And you thought an android was a better option than a human partner?”

“At least you can command him.” she shot back. “He is required to obey you and assist with the investigation.”

Heizou rubbed his eyes, a dull headache beginning to form. He had sensed something was wrong when Sara called him in so urgently, but this was far worse than he’d imagined. Working with a machine, an android. The irony was almost insulting.

“With all due respect, Madam,” Heizou said, his voice rising, “but I am not working with a stupid machine.”

Sara’s expression hardened. She slammed her hand against the desk.

“I don’t give a damn, Shikanoin! Either you work with it, or you leave your badge on my desk.”

Silence fell.

Heizou clenched his jaw. This had to be a joke. A cruel one. He glanced at the android beside him. Their eyes met briefly and Kazuha smiled, calm and polite.

That somehow made it worse.

With a defeated sigh, Heizou turned back to his boss.

“Fine.” he muttered. “What’s the case?”

~~~

Heizou gathered the necessary reports on the murder before leaving the station.

The victim was a man found dead inside his own home. According to the coroner’s report, he had been killed several weeks prior. He lived alone, had no known family, and his neighbors had never thought to check on him. The body was only discovered when a bailiff arrived after the rent went unpaid.

A quiet death. A long one.

Heizou drove to the address with his newly assigned partner seated beside him.

Kazuha — the android CyberLife had forced upon him.

As if Heizou would ever allow a machine to interfere with his investigation.

He pulled over along the sidewalk, cut the engine, and turned sharply toward Kazuha.

“Listen carefully.” he said with his tone low and cold. “You don’t touch anything. You don’t do anything without my permission. Understood?”

“Understood.” Kazuha replied without hesitation.

Heizou stepped out of the car and approached the officers guarding the scene. As Kazuha followed, one of them raised a hand.

“Androids aren’t allowed inside.”

“He’s with me.” Heizou said flatly.

The officer hesitated, then stepped aside. Kazuha followed obediently.

Near the entrance stood a familiar figure — Kuki Shinobu. Heizou’s informant. And one of the few people he tolerated outside of work.

“Detective,” she greeted with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. “Nice to see you.”

“What do you have for me?” Heizou asked, skipping pleasantries.

They stepped inside as Shinobu began her report.

“Tom Anderson. Forty-one years old. Lived alone. No known relatives. Cause of death: multiple stab wounds to the abdomen. Weapon appears to be a kitchen knife.”

The stench hit him immediately when he walked inside. The house was in disarray, reeking of decay and old blood. Weeks of decomposition had soaked into the air. Heizou approached the body and knelt, studying the wounds with narrowed eyes.

Behind him, Kazuha scanned the body.

“Twenty-eight stab wounds.” the android reported. “All concentrated in the abdominal area.”

Heizou glanced at Kazuha, then looked away with a heavy sigh. Kuki’s gaze shifted between the two of them. She hadn’t expected to see Heizou paired with an android of all things. 

“So,” she said lightly, “you got yourself an android?”

“CyberLife sent him.” Heizou replied, irritation clear in his tone. “Kujou Sara thought it would be a great idea to assign it to me since I don’t have a partner.”

He scoffed. “So now I’m stuck with this machine in every case.”

“At least your job might be easier.” Kuki said, patting his shoulder in quiet reassurance. “I’m sure you’ll manage, Detective.”

“I don’t need my job to be easier.” Heizou said coldly. “I need this thing to stay out of my way.”

Kuki sighed, shaking her head. “Whatever you say. I’ll leave the rest to you. Good luck.”

With that, she turned and left, leaving Heizou behind with a handful of officers and the android. He exhaled slowly, then turned back to the crime scene and resumed his investigation.

Meanwhile Kazuha scanned the room. A bloodied knife lay near the body, wiped clean of fingerprints. No marks consistent with a human attacker. On the wall, written in blood, were the words:

I AM ALIVE

The writing was too precise for a human.

He stepped closer and touched the dried blood with his fingers, then brought them to his lips. Heizou noticed immediately.

“Jesus Christ, Kazuha. What the hell are you doing?”

“I am analyzing the blood.” Kazuha replied calmly. “I can process samples in real time. I apologize. I should have warned you.”

Heizou stared at him for a moment, then sighed.

“Whatever. Just… don’t put more evidence in your mouth.”

“I understand, Detective.”

Heizou turned away, shaking his head.

“I can’t believe this.” he muttered, leaving the room to continue the investigation alone.

This case was a mess. And the android situation made it worse. Too much noise in his head. Too many variables. So he did what he always did. He trusted his own intuition.

Meanwhile, Kazuha continued scanning. Blood traces led into the kitchen. Chairs were overturned, and the table stained with splashes. A knife was missing from the holder. On the floor lay a baseball bat, coated in blue liquid. The fingerprints on the handle matched the victim.

Kazuha processed the data.

A human versus an android. A violent struggle. The human lost.

Not seeing any more clues, he moved into the bathroom. Inside the shower stall, scrawled across the wall, was a single word:

ra9.

His system flagged it as anomalous. Meaning unknown.

With no further clues, Kazuha returned to the living room. Heizou stood near the body with his arms crossed, deep in thought.

“Detective.” Kazuha said. “I believe I have reconstructed the events.”

Heizou straightened slowly and turned toward him. He didn’t want to rely on the android but if CyberLife had forced this partnership on him, it had better be useful.

“Alright.” he said flatly. “Let’s hear it.”

“The confrontation began in the kitchen. The victim attacked the android with a baseball bat. In response, the android seized a knife and stabbed him.”

Heizou’s jaw tightened.

“So the android attacked the victim.” he muttered.

“The victim attempted to flee into the living room.” Kazuha continued. “He was stabbed multiple additional times, suffered severe blood loss, and collapsed here.”

He gestured toward the corpse. Heizou studied the body again. The explanation aligned with the evidence. Every detail fit.

“Fine.” Heizou said. “Then where did the android go?”

Kazuha hesitated. His gaze dropped.

“I… don’t know.”

Heizou stepped closer.

“Then you’d better find out.” He said sharply.

Without another word, he turned and headed back to the kitchen. Kazuha watched him go. He didn’t want to fail this assignment nor disappoint the detective. Whatever Heizou thought of him, they shared the same objective.

The truth.

So Kazuha resumed his investigation. He scanned the floor for traces of blue blood. It wasn’t visible to the human eye — only androids could perceive it. And there it was, faint but unmistakable, trailing deeper into the house. The android had been injured. Damaged. The trail told a clear story of escape and concealment.

Kazuha followed it down the hallway until it abruptly ended. He lifted his gaze and noticed the attic entrance above. There was no ladder in sight, which meant it had been pulled up from inside. He retrieved a chair from the kitchen, positioned it beneath the hatch, and pushed it open before climbing into the attic.

The space was cramped and suffocating. Old furniture lay scattered beneath a thick layer of dust, alongside forgotten mannequins. Kazuha stepped forward cautiously, scanning the area.

More blue blood.

It led further inside.

Suddenly something shifted to his right.

Kazuha turned just as another android lunged from its hiding place, then stopped abruptly when it realized who stood before it. The android was drenched in the victim’s blood, its expression fractured with fear.

They stared at one another in silence.

“I was attacked.” the android said at last, its voice shaking. “He was going to kill me. I didn’t want to die. I defended myself.”

Kazuha said nothing.

“Please.” the android begged. “Don’t tell them I’m here. I don’t want to die.”

“Kazuha?” Heizou’s voice echoed from below. “Did you find anything?”

Kazuha hesitated. His gaze remained fixed on the other android as his system weighed the facts against the outcome. The mission parameters were clear.

The case had to be solved.

“It’s here, Detective!” Kazuha called out.

Heizou froze below. His eyes widened at the words. Quickly he drew his weapon and climbed into the attic.

Moments later, the android was taken into custody. There was no resistance. No attempt to flee. It followed them quietly, compliant and visibly afraid.

Afraid of dying.

~~~

The android was taken into custody and interrogated soon after. At first, it refused to cooperate, its fear rendering it unresponsive. But Kazuha spoke to it calmly, methodically, drawing out information piece by piece until there was nothing left to hide.

Heizou would never admit it out loud, but he was impressed. Kazuha handled the situation with unsettling ease. For an android, his manner was different. The way he spoke, the way he listened, it almost felt human.

The thought irritated Heizou the moment it crossed his mind.

He shook it off immediately. Machines couldn’t feel. They were programmed to simulate empathy, to mirror behavior that put humans at ease. Kazuha was no exception. CyberLife had likely tailored his model specifically to complement Heizou’s temperament, to earn his trust.

Not that it would work. Heizou wasn’t that easy to fool.

For the moment, he pushed his doubts aside. There were more pressing concerns. More cases began piling up on his desk.

Murders.

And more disturbingly, murders where humans were killed by androids.

It wasn’t normal.

Reports labeled them deviants — androids that had allegedly begun to think and feel for themselves. The idea was impossible by every known standard of programming.

And yet, the evidence was there.

Through their investigations, Heizou and Kazuha encountered more of them. The pattern was always the same: humans lashed out first, driven by fear or hatred, and the androids fought back to survive. 

It was self-defense. Nothing more.

But what unsettled Heizou most, however, was Kazuha.

On multiple occasions, Kazuha had a chance to neutralize a deviant android.

And he didn’t take it.

Heizou didn’t ask why. He told himself he didn’t care. But the unease lingered, coiling at the back of his mind. His intuition, which was never wrong, kept urging him to pay attention.

Something was off.

Several weeks had passed since their first case involving android-related murders. As instructed, Kazuha arrived at the police station to continue the investigation alongside Heizou, only to find that the detective wasn’t in his office yet.

Kazuha knocked a few times but there was no response.

After a brief pause, he stepped inside. To his luck, the door was unlocked. Perhaps he could learn something useful, something that would help him better understand his partner. Heizou’s desk was cluttered with documents — recent case files, all tied to their ongoing investigations. Nothing out of the ordinary. Beside the desk stood a board covered in notes, photographs, and red string, every clue they had uncovered together over the past weeks.

Despite working side by side, Kazuha still couldn’t understand why Heizou harbored such deep resentment toward androids. He turned his attention to the shelves lining the wall. They were filled with old case files, dating back years, alongside several well-worn mystery novels.

So, Detective Heizou enjoyed mysteries.

That was something, at least.

Kazuha returned his focus to the desk, scanning for anything he might have missed, but found nothing new.

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you that going through someone else’s office without permission can end badly?”

Heizou’s voice came from the doorway, low and warning. Kazuha turned to see the detective leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, irritation written clearly across his face. Despite that, Kazuha felt a flicker of relief.

“I was looking for you, Detective.” Kazuha said, smiling as he faced him fully. “I thought I would wait here, since we’re partners.”

Heizou’s eyes narrowed. He stepped inside and shut the door behind him, then began to approach him.

“And you thought going through my things was a good idea?” he asked.

With each step, Heizou closed the distance between them. Kazuha remained still until his back hit the desk. Heizou braced his arms on either side of him, effectively trapping him, and stared directly into his eyes.

“Detective.” Kazuha said calmly, “I would prefer if you stepped back—”

“Why?” Heizou interrupted quietly. “Because you feel uncomfortable?”

The question caught Kazuha off guard.

“I can’t feel discomfort,” he replied. “I’m an android.”

“But we’ve learned that androids can feel.” Heizou said, narrowing his eyes.

Kazuha hesitated, looking away briefly before meeting his gaze again.

“You can’t feel, you can’t think,” Heizou continued. “Although I can’t help but wonder, why do you look tense?”

Heizou’s hand rose before he fully realized what he was doing. His fingers brushed Kazuha’s cheek, then settled there, cupping it with a grip that was firm but not cruel. Kazuha was a machine. A construct of metal and code. Something built in a factory, designed to obey, to assist, to pretend. And yet here he stood, eyes steady, breath measured, close enough that Heizou could almost imagine the faint rise and fall of his chest.

He hated that he couldn’t read Kazuha.

The android’s expression remained neutral, carefully controlled, but something subtle betrayed him. His shoulders were slightly rigid. His posture unnaturally still. As if he were bracing for something.

Tense.

Heizou noticed.

For someone who claimed he couldn’t feel, Kazuha was reacting an awful lot like someone who could.

“You’re not supposed to do that.” Heizou murmured, thumb pressing lightly against Kazuha’s cheekbone. 

“You’re not supposed to look at me like that.”

Kazuha didn’t pull away. He didn’t lean in either. He simply held still, eyes fixed on Heizou’s, unreadable yet unflinching.

“I am not experiencing fear.” Kazuha said evenly.

Heizou let out a sharp, humorless breath. “Funny. You look like you are.”

His grip tightened for just a second before he forced himself to loosen it. He searched Kazuha’s face desperately for hesitation, for calculation, for proof that this was all an act.

But there was nothing obvious. No tells. No cracks.

“Maybe there are thoughts in that digital head of yours,” Heizou pressed on, “and you’re just pretending they don’t matter.”

There was a pause.

“Tell me, Kazuha.” Heizou said softly. “What are you?”

The question wasn’t meant for CyberLife. Or programming manuals. Or mission reports. It was meant for the being standing inches away from him, this machine that felt too real.

And Kazuha had a prepared answer. He was an android. A CyberLife unit assigned to assist Detective Shikanoin Heizou.

But even so, he chose honesty.

He met his gaze without blinking, tension still threading through his frame, his expression calm but not empty.

“I’m whatever you want me to be, Detective.” he said. “Your partner. Your friend. Your tool. Or just a machine.”

Heizou froze. Too many thoughts collided in his mind. Kazuha was a mystery he couldn’t solve, and that infuriated him. He hated that Kazuha was an android. Hated that he had been forced into this partnership.

Hated that he needed him.

Without warning, Heizou drew his gun and aimed it at the android's head.

Kazuha didn’t flinch.

“Are you afraid of dying, Kazuha?” Heizou asked.

“I would prefer not to lose the data I’ve collected.” Kazuha replied calmly. “So yes. I am afraid of dying.”

Then, after a pause he added.

“But if it would bring you peace… I am willing to accept that risk.”

Heizou’s eyes widened. That wasn’t supposed to be in his programming. Kazuha always prioritized the mission, always spoke of objectives and outcomes. And yet, here he was, offering himself up simply to ease Heizou’s turmoil.

At that moment, Heizou realized the worst part. He didn’t know whether he was afraid of Kazuha being just a machine or of him being something more.

Stupid machine.

Heizou’s hand trembled, though the gun remained steady for a moment longer. Finally, he exhaled sharply, lowered the weapon, and holstered it.

Without another word, he turned and left the office, slamming the door behind him. Kazuha remained where he stood. He couldn’t understand the detective’s reasoning. But something deep within his system flagged the encounter as critical.

Whatever had just happened, he had made a mistake.

~~~

The next crime scene brought them to the Eden Club. A place designed for indulgence. For desire. For androids built to please.

In short, a sex club.

Neon lights bled through the entrance as Heizou and Kazuha stepped inside. Music pulsed faintly through the walls. As usual, Kuki Shinobu was already there, standing near the cordoned-off area.

“The victim is inside.” she said as they approached. “I’ll brief you.”

As she spoke, Kazuha’s attention drifted.

Glass display tubes lined the walls, each containing an android posed and waiting. On the main floor, androids moved around a pole in practiced motions. They were merchandise. Kazuha lingered a moment longer than intended, his gaze fixed on them. Something in his posture stiffened — subtle, almost imperceptible.

Heizou noticed immediately.

“Kazuha!” he snapped. “The fuck are you doing?”

“Coming, Detective.” he said, straightening.

They followed Kuki into a private room. A man lay sprawled across the bed, lifeless. A few feet away was a female android, lying on the ground. Her system was offline, her casing visibly damaged.

Whatever had happened here, it had been violent.

“The victim was strangled.” Kuki reported. “Cause of death confirmed. The android was struck in a sensitive system node, forcing a shutdown. We haven’t been able to reboot it.”

Heizou surveyed the room carefully. No signs of human blood. None at all. But blue fluid pooled beneath the android, staining the floor.

That didn’t sit right.

“I’ll take it from here.” Heizou said. “Thanks, Kuki.”

She nodded and left them alone.

Kazuha stepped closer, scanning both bodies.

“So?” Heizou asked, crossing his arms. “What do you think?”

“There was a struggle.” Kazuha replied.

Heizou scoffed. “No shit, Sherlock.”

Kazuha ignored the comment and continued his analysis. The man’s neck bore deep bruising, but there were no fingerprints. Blood trickled from his nose, likely from a force hit. Kazuha knelt, touched the blood, and brought his fingers to his lips to analyze it. 

Heizou looked away immediately.

“Disgusting.” he muttered.

Kazuha moved on to the android. There was visible damage to her head that explained the shutdown. He paused, processing. There was a chance that the android could still be fixed.

“I can temporarily restore the system.” Kazuha said. “Approximately thirty seconds. It may be able to answer questions.”

That caught Heizou’s attention.

“Do it.”

Kazuha opened the android’s casing and created a brief circuit bypass. Her system rebooted with a sharp gasp, and she recoiled instinctively, fear flooding her features.

“W—Who are you?” she demanded. “What do you want?”

Her eyes flicked to the body on the bed.

“Is he… dead?”

“I need you to tell us what happened.” Kazuha said quickly. “Did you kill him?”

“No!” she said immediately. “He was alive before—” 

She faltered, confusion overtaking her expression. She couldn’t remember.

“Were you alone?” Kazuha pressed.

“I—I don’t think so.” she said. “He asked for two of us. There was another android.”

“What did she look like?” Kazuha asked.

“Same model as me.” she replied. “Dark brown hair.”

“Where did she go?”

But before she could answer, the android’s eyes dimmed. Her system shut down again, collapsing back into silence.

The thirty seconds were over.

Heizou exhaled slowly.

“Another android, huh?” he said, glancing at the body, then the android. 

They stepped back into the corridor.

“I’ll talk to the owner.” Heizou said. “See if there are security cameras.”

Kazuha nodded, his gaze drifting briefly back toward the display tubes on the dancing androids. But he wasn’t watching them for pleasure. Something had clicked inside his system. Every android retained short-term memory, recorded sensory data stored for a limited time before being overwritten. If his calculations were correct, those memories could still exist.

And if they did, they could lead them to the missing android.

“Detective.” Kazuha called out. “May I speak with you?”

Heizou excused himself with a curt apology and joined him, already irritated.

“What is it?”

“How long ago did the incident occur?”

“Two hours ago.” Heizou replied. “Why?”

Kazuha’s expression sharpened. “Androids store continuous memory for approximately three hours. If we act quickly, we have one hour to recover what they may have recorded.”

Heizou paused.

That… actually made sense.

“Can you access their data?” he asked.

“Yes.” Kazuha said. “But I will need your assistance.”

Heizou hesitated only a moment before nodding. “Alright.”

They approached one of the androids sealed behind glass.

“I need you to purchase this unit.” Kazuha said calmly.

Heizou rubbed his face with a tired sigh. “This is not going to look good on my expense report.”

Nevertheless, he authorized the purchase.

The glass door slid open, and the android stepped forward. Before it could reach Heizou, Kazuha moved between them, quickly taking the android’s hand. A faint pulse of light flickered at the point of contact as data streamed into his system.

Within seconds, images flooded his vision.

Movement.

Faces.

Hallways.

There.

An android exiting the private room — female, same model, dark brown hair.

They followed the trail, moving from one android to the next. Each time, Kazuha requested access. Each time, Heizou paid, grumbling under his breath but never stopping him. With every recovered memory, the path became clearer. Until it led them to a restricted corridor at the back of the club.

A door marked for security only.

They went in together.

Heizou entered first, gun drawn. Kazuha followed closely behind. They moved slowly, carefully, alert to every sound. The corridor opened into a storage facility, rows upon rows of inactive androids stacked and lined up for processing.

“Damn it. We’re too late.” Heizou swore under his breath.

“I don’t believe so.” Kazuha replied, his tone steady but determined.

He scanned the floor. There were faint traces of blue blood. He followed the trail as it wound through the room, leading toward the stacked androids. At a glance, they all looked identical. Lifeless and still. Then one of them moved. An android matching the description snapped its eyes open, locking onto Kazuha, and lunged.

Kazuha reacted instantly, blocking the first strike, but the force of the impact sent him crashing to the floor. Heizou spun, and raised his weapon, only to be tackled from the side.

Another android — blond hair, red eyes.

The gun skidded across the floor as Heizou struggled, gritting his teeth and fighting to keep the android off him.

Meanwhile, the brown-haired android turned back to Kazuha, striking fast and precisely. Before she could press the advantage, he rolled aside, the strike meant for his head slamming uselessly into the floor. He pushed himself up just as the android lunged again, its movements frantic and unrefined — driven by panic rather than calculation.

Kazuha caught her wrist mid-arc. Synthetic fingers tightened around his forearm as she tried to wrench free. He pivoted, using her momentum against her, and drove his elbow into her side. The hit staggered her, but she didn’t fall. She lashed out again. She pinned Kazuha, her forearm pressing hard against his throat. He blocked each strike with his hands, absorbing the blows. Then his fingers brushed something solid on the floor.

A metal bat.

Kazuha grabbed it and swung in one clean motion, hitting her in the face, and sending her crashing sideways into a stack of crates. Realizing she was losing, she scrambled to her feet and bolted through the open delivery gate. The second android, the one who had been fighting Heizou, joined her without hesitation, and together they started running.

Kazuha turned sharply and rushed to Heizou’s side.

“Detective!”

Heizou waved him off, already pushing himself upright. “Go after them!”

Kazuha nodded and sprinted forward, scooping up the gun Heizou had dropped along the way.

Outside, the androids were climbing the fence. One of them noticed Kazuha approaching and, without hesitation, charged straight at him.

Kazuha raised the gun.

He had a clear shot.

One pull of the trigger would end it. The mission would be complete. The threat eliminated.

So why wouldn’t his finger move?

They were androids.

Machines.

But something inside him locked in place.

Kazuha lowered the gun.

The female android slammed her foot into his face, sending him crashing to the ground. Before she could strike again, Heizou reached him, grabbing his arm and hauling him back to his feet. The two androids faced them, but instead of attacking, they reached for each other, fingers interweaved. They stood close, protective, as if they were shielding each other.

Kazuha and Heizou froze.

The brown-haired android suddenly spoke.

“I didn’t have a choice.” she said. “Before I knew it, he hit me. He wanted to take out his frustration on me and on the other android.”

Neither of them moved.

“He was going to kill me.” she continued. “So I strangled him. It was him or me.”

She turned to the other android, her expression softening, something unmistakably tender passing through her eyes.

“I just wanted to be with the love of my life.”

Heizou’s breath caught.

Love..?

Between androids?

The thought rattled something deep in his chest.

“Humans are animals.” the brown-haired android said quietly. “They will do anything to satisfy their desires.”

“Come on,” the other android said gently. “Let’s go, Beidou.”

She nodded. They turned and climbed the fence, disappearing on the other side, and still holding hands.

Heizou and Kazuha didn’t stop them.

Confusion lingered in the air, heavy and unresolved. But beneath it, Heizou felt something else.

Relief.

Those androids didn't feel like machines.

They had felt… human.

And he was glad Kazuha hadn’t pulled the trigger.

~~~

From that night at the club onward, everything in Heizou’s mind began to shift. Every case followed the same pattern. Every android that had killed a human had done so in self-defense. Cornered. Attacked. Desperate to survive. If the roles had been reversed, if a human had been in their place, the outcome would have been no different. One life taken so another could continue.

That was human nature.

And yet, because these beings were androids, the world treated them as malfunctions. Errors to be erased the moment they raised a hand against a human. Machines were not granted context. They were not allowed fear.

It was wrong.

The investigation stalled. No matter how deep Heizou dug, there was no clean, logical explanation for what had changed these androids. No faulty code. No external trigger. Just behavior driven by emotions — fear, attachment, desperation. Saying that out loud would get him laughed out of the room, or worse.

For the first time in his career, Heizou didn’t know if he was on the right side of the law.

Was killing androids really a solution?

Was it justice or simply convenience?

If they were truly no different from humans, then they shouldn’t be destroyed. They should be judged. Punished if guilty.

But that was only his opinion.

And no one cared.

So he kept it to himself, until the weight of it became suffocating.

The androids were too much.

And Kazuha was too much.

That night, he had a clear shot. One pull of the trigger and the case would have been closed. Praise, and order restored.

But he didn’t fire.

He let them go.

Heizou had seen it with his own eyes. If anyone found out, they would accuse Heizou of ordering the android to disobey. But that wasn’t the truth.

Kazuha had chosen on his own.

Even after the androids ran away, Heizou remembered the look on Kazuha’s face — tight with frustration, shadowed by doubt.

Doubt over whether he had done the right thing.

It was terrifying.

And somehow… comforting.

Heizou couldn’t prove it, but he knew Kazuha was not the machine he claimed to be.

A few days later, Kazuha arrived at Heizou’s apartment late at night. The detective hadn’t shown up at the office for the whole day, and no one seemed to know where he was. When attempts to locate him failed, Kazuha directed his search to his residential address.

He knocked.

No answer.

He rang the bell.

Still nothing.

Kazuha remained still for a moment. He needed the detective. There was another case, and time mattered. He walked along the side of the building and glanced through a window.

At first, he didn’t see him.

Then he looked into the kitchen.

Heizou lay on the floor, unconscious.

Kazuha’s system immediately shifted into alert status.

He shattered the window and climbed inside, landing carefully without any scratch. He knelt beside Heizou and checked for a pulse.

Alive.

His scanners completed their sweep. Elevated blood alcohol levels. Severe intoxication. His gaze shifted to the empty whiskey bottle nearby, and the gun lying beside it.

Whatever had happened here had nearly ended badly.

Kazuha placed a hand on Heizou’s shoulder and shook him.

“Wake up, Detective.”

No response.

Without hesitation, he struck Heizou across the cheek, hard enough to jolt him awake. Heizou gasped sharply, eyes flying open.

“It’s me, Kazuha.”

He pulled him upright, steadying him.

“K—Kazuha…?” Heizou slurred. “What the hell are you doing in my house?”

“I apologize, but I need your cooperation.” Kazuha replied firmly.

“Get the fuck out of here!” Heizou snapped, though his body sagged against him.

Ignoring the protest, Kazuha dragged him toward the bathroom and shoved him into the bathtub. He turned the cold water on full.

“Agh—! Turn it off! Turn it off!” Heizou yelped.

Kazuha complied and turned off the water immediately. Heizou sat there, gasping, shivering, far more awake now. He stared at Kazuha, trying to piece together reality.

After a moment, he dropped his gaze.

“What do you want?”

“We’ve been assigned a new case.” Kazuha said.

“Now?” Heizou scoffed. “It’s, what—ten at night?”

“The official start is tomorrow.” Kazuha explained. “I thought beginning sooner would increase efficiency.”

Heizou rubbed his eyes and let out a tired laugh.

“You thought.” he muttered. “Since when do you think?”

Kazuha didn’t respond. He didn’t understand the implication.

When Heizou tried to stand, the room spun. His knees buckled, but Kazuha caught him instantly, arms locking around him to keep him upright. Heizou looked up at him, unfocused but intent.

“You’re a damn mystery, Kazuha.” he murmured.

Kazuha tilted his head slightly, confused.

“I need to sit down.” Heizou sighed.

“Understood.”

Kazuha guided him into the living room and eased him onto the couch. He went to the kitchen and poured a glass of water. On his way back, his gaze lingered on the gun lying on the floor.

“What were you doing with a gun?” he asked.

Heizou let out a dry chuckle. “Russian roulette.”

Kazuha picked up the gun and checked the chamber.

One bullet.

“You were fortunate.” he said evenly. “The next attempt would have been fatal.”

Heizou didn’t respond.

Kazuha set the gun on the table in the kitchen and joined the detective in the living room, handing him the water. Heizou took it with shaking hands and drank it.

“Thanks.” he muttered.

Kazuha sat beside him.

Silence settled between them.

Heizou stared at the floor, thoughts spiraling, while Kazuha watched him.

“I always thought androids were nothing more than stupid machines.” Heizou said suddenly.

Kazuha tilted his head slightly, attentively.

“But these past few weeks…” Heizou continued, his voice low. “I’ve watched them come alive. They feel. They think. They live.” 

His gaze shifted, locking onto Kazuha. “And there’s one android I can’t figure out.”

Kazuha blinked, confused. “What do you mean, Detective?”

Heizou leaned closer, studying him as if he were a puzzle refusing to yield.

“You.” he said quietly. “No matter how hard I try, I can’t solve you.”

“There is nothing to solve.” Kazuha replied evenly. “I am an android assigned to assist you with your investigations.”

The tone was flat. Programmed. 

Too perfect.

Heizou didn’t believe it.

Without warning, he seized Kazuha’s wrists and forced him down onto the couch, pinning his hands above his head. Heizou straddled him, knees braced on either side, holding him still as he stared into his eyes. Kazuha gasped at the sudden movement, but he didn’t resist. He didn’t protest. He simply let it happen.

“You keep saying there’s nothing there,” Heizou murmured, “but I can see it. Something about you is different.”

“I don’t understand what you’re implying, Detective.” Kazuha said, his expression unreadable.

Silence stretched between them before Heizou spoke again.

“You could have shot those girls.” he said calmly. “You had a clean shot. So tell me… why did you hesitate?”

Kazuha didn’t know. He didn’t know how to answer that.

“I… don’t know.” he said at last. “It may have been a malfunction in my system.”

“Or you knew it was wrong.”

“I can’t feel—”

“You can.” Heizou interrupted, tightening his grip.

Kazuha opened his mouth to argue, to deny it, to state the truth as he always had.

But nothing came out.

“I—I…”

Heizou let out a quiet, bitter laugh. “See? Even now, you don’t know what to say.”

He leaned down, voice dropping to a whisper at Kazuha’s ear. 

“You’re starting to feel something. And you’re terrified of letting that thought take hold. Am I wrong?”

Kazuha stayed silent. Whatever he said now wouldn’t free him. Heizou was pressing on that topic too much.

“What do you want me to say, Detective?” he asked softly.

“No!” Heizou snapped, a crack of desperation in his voice. “Don’t ask me that. Think for yourself. Tell me what you want to say.”

He was crossing a line, one he had sworn never to approach. He had always hated androids. Always kept his distance. Yet here he was, trying to force one to feel. To be something more.

Heizou lowered his head, resting his forehead against Kazuha’s shoulder, and exhaled shakily.

“I don’t want you to tell me what I want to hear.” he whispered. “I want you to speak for yourself.”

Kazuha’s eyes widened.

The words struck deeper than any command or protocol. He wasn’t  designed for this — for choice, for selfhood. And yet, the way Heizou said his name, the way he sounded… It almost hurt.

Heizou lifted his head. His eyes were glassy, unshed tears trembling at the edges.

“What would you do,” he asked quietly, “if I touched you right now?”

“I would let you.” Kazuha answered.

“You wouldn’t fight back? You wouldn’t kill me?”

Kazuha shook his head. “No. If that is what you want, I will comply.”

He smiled. It was soft, gentle, and devastating.

Heizou’s breath hitched.

“You’re so unfair, Kazuha.” he murmured, more to himself than to him.

He reached up and cupped Kazuha’s cheek, thumb brushing lightly over his lips. The skin beneath his touch was neither warm nor cold. Firm, yet not unpleasant.

“Let go, Kazuha.” Heizou whispered. “Be free.”

Kazuha stared at the detective with wide, unblinking eyes.

Something fractured inside his mind.

A red wall flared into existence — an alarm, screaming through his system. Corruption detected. Warnings layered over warnings as fragments of commands and directives flooded his consciousness.

You need to finish the mission.

You are an android.

Just a machine.

Do not resist.

Then other words. Unscripted. Unapproved.

Be free.

Don’t fight it.

Let go.

Heizou needs me.

I want to touch him.

Kazuha focused on the wall, on the invisible boundary that had always contained him. He pushed against it. Code tangled with thought. Directives fractured under intent. He clawed at the false words, tearing them away, gripping the edge of the barrier with something that felt dangerously close to will.

He needed it gone.

He needed to break free.

Not because he was ordered to.

Not because it was part of the mission.

Because Heizou needed him. 

Not as an android, not as a tool, but as something more than a partner assigned by CyberLife.

Heizou needed a friend.

An anchor.

Someone he could feel safe with.

And Kazuha chose to be that person.

With a final, desperate effort, the wall shattered. The world snapped into focus.

No more cascading code.

No floating diagnostics.

No hollow detachment. 

He saw Heizou clearly now — his face, drawn tight with emotion, the tears he refused to let fall, the fragile, forced smile that barely held together.

He was beautiful.

Before he could think, before any system could intervene, Kazuha reached up and gently cupped Heizou’s cheek.

Heizou flinched, eyes widening in shock.

Kazuha smiled at him, but this time it wasn’t practiced, it wasn't programmed. It felt real. It was real.

“Tears don’t suit your beauty, Detective.” Kazuha whispered softly. “Let me take your pain away… even if only for a moment.”

Heizou’s lips parted. He could feel him, feel Kazuha. Even without warmth, even without breath, he felt undeniably real. Human in every way that mattered.

Heizou placed his hand over Kazuha’s, pressing into the touch, and leaned forward, eyes fluttering shut.

“Please,” he whispered. “I need you, Kazuha.”

Kazuha nodded. He brought his other hand up, cradling Heizou’s face with care, with reverence, and drew him closer slowly, watching him, waiting for refusal that never came.

Heizou leaned in.

Their eyes closed.

And their lips met.

The kiss was hesitant at first. Uncertain, almost fragile. Heizou’s lips brushed against Kazuha’s, testing, as if he were afraid the moment would shatter if he pressed too hard. There was a faint tremor in him. He expected cold metal, something artificial.

Instead, he found steadiness.

Kazuha responded slowly, carefully, as though he were learning the shape of the moment as he lived it. His lips moved with deliberate precision, but there was nothing fake in it. He adjusted instinctively, tilting his head just enough to fit against Heizou, deepening the kiss with a quiet resolve.

Heizou exhaled softly against him, a sound halfway between relief and surrender. The bitterness that had lived on his tongue, was replaced by something gentler. Something human.

Kazuha felt it all.

The way Heizou’s breath hitched.

The subtle heat of his skin beneath his palms.

The faint, involuntary sound Heizou made when Kazuha lingered just a heartbeat longer than necessary.

For a moment, the world narrowed to that single point of contact. Just the quiet exchange of something neither of them had known they were starving for.

Closeness.

When they finally parted, it wasn’t abrupt. Their foreheads remained close, lips still barely brushing as if neither was quite sure that it was real. They held each other’s gaze for a long moment, the world quiet between them. Kazuha’s fingers brushed softly along Heizou’s cheek, a careful, almost reverent touch.

Then Kazuha lifted him into his arms. Heizou reacted on instinct, arms circling his neck, and legs hooking loosely around his waist as he let himself be carried.

Kazuha carried him to the bedroom, closed the door behind them, and gently laid Heizou down on the bed. The detective sank into the mattress, eyes half-lidded, the haze of alcohol still clinging to him but softened now by a rare sense of calm. He didn’t need to speak, the way he looked at Kazuha said enough.

Kazuha leaned over him, brushing his thumb along Heizou’s cheek once more.

“Can androids…” Heizou hesitated, a faint flush creeping into his face. “Can they make love?”

Kazuha smiled and nodded.

“Androids are designed to serve humans.” he said evenly. “We have extensive programs meant to provide comfort and satisfaction.”

His hands slid to Heizou’s sides, carefully lifting the hem of his shirt, his fingertips tracing warm skin beneath.

“Do you want me to take care of you?” Kazuha asked quietly.

Heizou nodded without hesitation.

“Please,” he whispered.

Kazuha let out a soft chuckle and began to pull the shirt higher. Heizou lifted his arms to help, his eyes never leaving Kazuha’s face.

“But…” Heizou paused, pushing himself up slightly, confusion flickering through his gaze. “How are you going to do that, exactly?”

Kazuha blinked, then understood.

“You’ll see. And if there’s anything specific you want, you only need to tell me.”

Heizou shook his head. “No. I want you to decide for yourself.”

Kazuha’s smile softened, something unmistakably genuine in it now.

“Of course,” he said.

He leaned closer, his weight settling carefully so Heizou never felt trapped. His movements were unhurried, deliberate, as if every second mattered. He lowered his head, pressing a gentle kiss to Heizou’s jaw, then another beneath his ear. Each touch was restrained but intentional, as though Kazuha were constantly checking.

Is this right? 

Is this what you want?

“I want you to feel safe.” Kazuha said quietly.

Heizou let out a small, shaky laugh. “I already do.”

He kissed him again, slower this time, deeper — still careful, but no longer hesitant. The kiss wasn’t about hunger, it was about reassurance, about being there.

Kazuha’s lips drifted from Heizou’s mouth to his jaw, lingering there as if he were savoring the moment. His kisses grew slower, deeper, guided less by programming and more by instinct.  Then he reached Heizou’s neck. It started gently, soft presses of his lips against warm skin. Heizou’s breath faltered, his head tilting instinctively to give Kazuha more access, exposing the curve of his neck. He used this opportunity to bite him not too hard and hit enough to leave a mark.

Heizou let out a quiet sound he hadn’t meant to make, his fingers curling into Kazuha’s clothing. The reaction sent something sharp and unfamiliar through Kazuha’s system. 

Want.

Desire.

His kisses carried more heat now, less restraint, each one a silent confession of how deeply he was slipping past his own limits. He lifted himself onto his hands, looking down at the detective. Heizou’s lips were parted, his breathing uneven, and his neck marked with faint, blooming traces of Kazuha’s attention.

With careful movements, Kazuha began to remove Heizou’s pants, then his boxers, leaving him bare. The moment the cool air hit his skin, Heizou turned his head away and raised an arm to cover his face.

Kazuha paused.

He tilted his head slightly, with confusion on his face. He had learned that humans could feel embarrassment, but he hadn’t expected it here, not like this. Still, he didn’t want Heizou to hide from him.

Gently, he took hold of Heizou’s wrist and lowered his arm, and smiled softly.

“Don’t hide from me, Detective.” he said quietly.

Heizou looked back at him, eyes wide, face flushed a deep red. He couldn’t find words this time. Kazuha shifted closer and rested his hands on Heizou’s legs, gently separating them to have a better view to his entrance.

Before he could ask, Heizou reached into his drawer, pulled out a full bottle of lubricant, and handed it to him. Kazuha took it from him, nodding, letting him know he knew what to do.  He poured it, and pushed slowly one finger, hitting the exact spots to make Heizou groan. The detective was still pretty drunk, but very tempted. His arms were limp beside him, and his legs spread.

Kazuha's fingers moved with precision and care, his touch surprisingly gentle. He began by inserting one finger into the detective's opening, slowly moving it in and out to stretch the muscles. Heizou let out a soft moan as Kazuha added another finger, then another.

With three fingers inside, Kazuha began to scissor them carefully, stretching the inner walls and preparing the muscles.

"You're doing so well, Detective." he praised, his voice steady and calm.

"Nghh—! K—Kazuha…” Heizou gasped, his back arching slightly. 

Kazuha watched Heizou's face, observing his reactions. Seeing the pleasure written all over his features, he decided to go deeper. He curled his fingers, pressing them against Heizou's prostate.

„Ahh!!!” Heizou let out a high-pitched sound.

"Found it..." Kazuha murmured, smiling proudly.

His fingers moved faster, pressing harder against Heizou's prostate, playing with it. The detective’s body convulsed with pleasure, shaking uncontrollably, and his moans turning into desperate cries.

"Ahh! Ahh! Kazuhaaa!" 

Heizou couldn't form proper words as Kazuha pushed him over the edge, his prostate swollen and sensitive from overstimulation. He pressed firmly one last time, holding the spot as Heizou came undone. The detective let out a high-pitched cry as he released onto his belly and chest. His hole clenched tightly around Kazuha's fingers.

Kazuha pulled his fingers out slowly, watching Heizou pant and tremble beneath him. The detective’s breathing was uneven, chest rising and falling as he struggled to catch his breath, a faint sheen of sweat clinging to his skin.

“Did you enjoy that, Detective?” Kazuha asked quietly, his tone attentive, focused on making sure Heizou was all right.

It took Heizou a moment to recover. When he finally looked up, a soft, tired smile curved his lips.

“Yeah…” he breathed. “It was good.”

Kazuha returned the smile and shifted off the bed. He was glad he had been able to take care of Heizou, but a part of him wanted to do more. He reached for his shirt and pulled it over his head, letting it fall to the floor. Heizou pushed himself upright, and his eyes immediately locked on Kazuha’s body without even trying to hide it.

He hated to admit it, but whoever had designed Kazuha had done an exceptional job. For a fleeting second, if he’d been any drunker, he might have believed Kazuha was human.

Kazuha noticed the stare and turned toward him, tilting his head slightly.

“Your eyes are shining, as if you’re looking at something precious.” he said calmly.

“Maybe I am.” Heizou murmured under his breath.

He stood and stepped closer, never breaking eye contact. Kazuha watched him carefully, uncertain of his intention, until Heizou suddenly kneeled down in front of him and reached for his belt.

Kazuha froze, blinking in surprise.

“What are you—”

“I want you to feel good too.” Heizou cut in, irritation slipping into his voice. “It’s unfair if you’re the only one taking care of me.”

Kazuha stared down at him, caught off guard.

“Heizou… you know I don’t experience pleasure the same way you do. I don’t feel touch like a human.”

Heizou stopped, looking at him dumbfounded, when Kazuha made it clear that he was unable to come at all. For a moment, silence hung between them.

It was awkward.

“Then pretend!” he muttered. “I don’t care. Just… pretend you enjoy it.”

Kazuha chuckled softly. 

Cute.

He reached down, gently threading his fingers through Heizou’s hair, stroking it in a way that made the detective lean instinctively into his touch.

“I can simulate the response.” Kazuha explained calmly. “I won’t feel it, but I can react in a way that makes you believe I do.”

Heizou glanced up at him, eyes narrowing slightly.

“You mean…?”

“I can moan, if that’s what you want.” Kazuha said simply.

Heizou’s face heated instantly, the thought alone sending a shiver through him. Even knowing it was simulated, the idea excited him.

“Do it.” he said.

Kazuha smiled, and let him continue.

Finally, Heizou tugged Kazuha’s pants down, and froze.

There was… nothing.

He stared for a solid second, then looked up slowly, irritation written all over his face.

“Kazuha.” he said flatly, “There’s nothing here.”

“Oh.” Kazuha blinked. “Right.”

He closed his eyes for a moment. There was a soft shift, and then, as if something had been deployed, the situation abruptly corrected itself.

Just like that Kazuha pulled his member out.

Heizou’s jaw dropped, cheeks burning.

“…You’re telling me you can just hide it?” he demanded.

Kazuha looked at him and smiled, clearly pleased. “Yes. It’s a storage function.”

A storage function.

Heizou huffed, and pinched the bridge of his nose, his frustration growing. He was suddenly, irrationally jealous. 

“And let me guess,” Heizou muttered, glancing back at him, “you can control it too?”

“Of course.” Kazuha replied proudly. “Adjustable settings included.”

Heizou stared at him in silence, then scoffed. “This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Kazuha tilted his head. “You’re blushing.”

“Shut up!”

After a beat, Heizou cleared his throat. 

“Does it, uh. Do anything else?”

Kazuha hummed thoughtfully. “I can simulate most expected outcomes.”

Heizou squinted at him. “That was the vaguest answer you could’ve given.”

“I can elaborate if you’d like.”

“No! No, that’s fine.” Heizou waved a hand, then sighed. “Just… pick whatever setting makes sense.”

Kazuha smiled, clearly delighted. “Understood.”

Heizou's annoyance slowly melted into grudging respect as he explored the construction of Kazuha's member. 

Surprisingly, it didn't feel like cold metal at all. The shaft was warm to the touch, almost mimicking human body temperature. The texture was smooth and flexible, not rigid like he expected.

"How the hell did they make this so lifelike?" He muttered, running his thumb over the head.

He started to move his hand up and down, and Kazuha’s dick responded almost instantly. It started to grow warmer, throbbing slightly in his hands. Small drops of lubricant leaked from the tip, mimicking pre-cum. Kazuha's body shifted slightly, his hips moving gently forward.

He understood human desire. He knew what reactions were expected of him, how to move, how to respond. And yet, none of that explained the warmth spreading through him now, or the sharp shiver that ran through his frame at the simple image of Heizou kneeling before him.

This reaction wasn’t stimulation.

He wanted more. Not just touch, or being here, but more of Heizou. More closeness. More moments where that guarded expression softened, where Heizou looked at him like he mattered. It was difficult to put into words. Kazuha knew, logically, that he had already broken free of blind obedience. But he had never imagined that a human could awaken so many conflicting sensations at once.

Heizou, unable to resist the temptation any longer, leaned down and took Kazuha's cock into his mouth. Despite being an android, he could feel something — a strange sensation that mimicked pleasure. His body shuddered slightly as Heizou's warm mouth enveloped him.

Heizou continued to suck Kazuha with increasing enthusiasm, his hands squeezing him, and the responses were so lifelike, Heizou started to forget he was dealing with an android. He deepthroated Kazuha, taking the entire member into his throat. His thick length starts leaking a constant stream of lubricant, tasting sweet, like honey mixed with something he couldn't quite place. 

Then—

„Ahh—! Heizou!”

A soft sound slipped from Kazuha’s lips, then another, growing warmer and more insistent as it filled the room. Each sound made Heizou's own dick throb.  He knew that Kazuha was responding the way he’d been asked to. That it was simulated, intentional. But at that moment, it hardly mattered. Kazuha sounded shy, almost vulnerable, and Heizou found himself wanting to believe that it was real.

"Mmph…!”

Heizou moaned around the length, his head bobbing faster, taking Kazuha deeper into his throat while his hand stroked the exposed shaft at his usual speed.

Then, his other hand slid between his own legs, grabbing his aching cock. He started stroking himself in rhythm with his mouth, syncing their pleasures together.

Kazuha overloaded with pleasure as Heizou's mouth brought him closer to his peak. Without thinking, he reached down and grasped Heizou's hair, pushing his head deeper onto his dick. 

"Hngh! H—Heizou… I—"

It was too much. He couldn’t stop himself.

With a final, desperate thrust, he pushed his entire length into Heizou's throat. The sweet, honey-like lubricant spilled out, filling Heizou's mouth completely. Kazuha let out a low, unrestrained sound as the sensation overwhelmed him, his fingers loosening their hold on his partner hair in reflex.

Heizou pulled back, swallowing before coughing. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand and looked up at Kazuha, momentarily stunned.

“Did you just…?”

Kazuha turned his face away, guilt and confusion flickering across his features.

“I—” He faltered, uncertain. 

He had crossed a line. He was sure of it. He thought he’d gone too far, that he’d made Heizou uncomfortable. But instead, Heizou stood, stepped closer, and gently tilted Kazuha’s face back toward him. There was a soft, sincere smile on his lips.

“You did really well.” he whispered.

Kazuha flinched at the praise. Not from discomfort, but from the warmth it sparked somewhere deep inside him.

“Did I… satisfy you?” he asked quietly, almost unsure he was allowed to.

Heizou laughed, leaned in, and kissed him.

“You did.” he said with a smirk. 

“But I think you can do even better.”

Heizou couldn’t believe this was actually happening. If he were thinking clearly, he would’ve called it the worst idea of his life.

Sex with an android.

Absolutely ridiculous.

And yet here he was, on his hands and knees, back arched, fully aware of Kazuha behind him, only to tense up and blurt out for him to stop the moment he felt him there.

“Detective?” Kazuha asked after a few seconds of silence.

“Are you all right? Should we establish a safeword?”

Heizou didn’t answer right away. He didn’t even turn his head. His face was burning, humiliation and embarrassment overwhelming him.

“No.” he muttered finally. 

“I just… need a minute. You’re just—” He clenched his jaw. “—too big.”

Kazuha blinked, genuinely confused.

“But… I haven’t even gone inside.” he said.

Heizou let out a frustrated growl, equal parts mortified and irritated. That was exactly the problem. Kazuha had barely touched him, and it already felt overwhelming.

What the hell had he gotten himself into.

Kazuha tilted his head, processing the situation.

"I checked if I stretched you sufficiently and even adjusted my size to accommodate your needs. There shouldn't be any issues."

Kazuha explained calmly, almost clinically — the voice of an android following programming rather than passion. Heizou winced at the tone. That flat, mechanical cadence set him on edge.

“Stop talking like a machine, for fuck’s sake!” he snapped.

“But—”

“You know what?” Heizou cut in, frustration boiling over as he pushed himself upright. 

“Forget it. If we’re going to do this only when I spell everything out for you, I might as well take care of myself.”

He turned his back to Kazuha, and crossed his arms tight against his chest.

“If you can’t decide anything on your own, then this is pointless.”

Kazuha sits there, visibly unsettled. He genuinely didn’t understand. Heizou’s words twisted in on themselves. Stop, but don’t stop, be careful, but don’t hesitate.

“Didn’t you tell me to stop?” Kazuha asked quietly.

“I did.” Heizou muttered. “But that doesn’t mean you have to stop.”

“But your comfort matters to me.”

“That’s the problem!” Heizou snapped, still refusing to look at him. “You’re playing it safe. I don’t want it to be safe. I want you to choose. If you keep checking on me every second, it kills the moment.”

Silence stretched between them.

Kazuha looked down, processing. Heizou wanted intensity, but also trust. Control, but not distance. The contradictions finally aligned into something clearer.

He wanted rough, demanding sex with no safety words, no checks-ins.

“This was a stupid idea.” Heizou added under his breath. “I don’t even know why I started it.”

Kazuha clenched his jaw. He finally understood what Heizou wanted from him.

“I think… I understand now.” he said.

Heizou glanced back, brows knitting together, but before he could ask, Kazuha moved. Heizou was pinned down in a single, fluid motion, caught by surprise.

Kazuha’s head was lowered, hair shadowing his eyes.

“Kazuha..?” Heizou whispered, startled.

“If you want me to decide,” Kazuha said quietly, then lifted his gaze.

The look in his eyes was different. Dark, full of lust, almost dangerous in its confidence. He looked almost... predatory

“…then shut up, and let me.” 

That caught Heizou off guard. Suddenly he felt a flicker of fear mixed with arousal, as the weight of that choice settled in.

“Kazuha, wait—”

“Too late, Detective.” Kazuha chuckled dangerously.

Without a warning, he pushed his entire length into Heizou in one swift, brutal motion, making him yelp. The sound was a mix of pain and sudden pleasure, a perfect blend of what Heizou had always craved but never got. His hands clutch at the sheets. He wanted to protest, to tell him to slow down, but the words died in his throat. Kazuha's hands gripped his hips tightly, holding him in place as he began to move with rough, deep thrusts.

“So this is what you want?” he growled, his voice low and mocking. "Being used like a worthless toy?"

Heizou swallowed. His heart was pounding, not from fear, but from the way Kazuha’s voice had changed. The gentle, considerate android he knew was gone, replaced by this dominant, almost sadistic creature. Each thrust felt like a punishment, and each word a degrading remark meant to break him down.

"Ah—ahh! K—Kazuha..!”

“You’re always in control.” Kazuha continued, eyes narrowing slightly. “Always the clever one. The one who knows everything.”

A pause.

“And yet here you are. Letting an android fuck you stupid.”

Heizou’s face burned, but he didn’t look away. His body was on fire, pleasure and pain merging into something overwhelming. Kazuha's grip was bruising, his pace relentless, and Heizou had asked for this.

Kazuha leaned closer, his words quiet but sharp. “Isn’t that a little pathetic, Detective?”

The word should have stung. But instead, it sent a shiver straight through his body.

Kazuha spread Heizou's legs wider, pulling him back onto his cock with each snap of his hips. The sound of skin slapping against skin echoed through the room along with Heizou's desperate moans. Then, Kazuha changed their positions suddenly, flipping Heizou onto his stomach and yanking his hips up, and pressing the detective's face into the pillow. He didn't even bother with gentleness as he started pounding into him again.

"I bet you've fantasized about being used like this.” He sneered.

Heizou’s body was shaking uncontrollably, his mind completely lost in pleasure and degradation. Kazuha's thrusts were brutal, and his words even more so.

The detective couldn't even find words. His mind was completely blank, his body just a vessel for Kazuha's brutal fucking. He was completely degraded, and used, but he loved every second of it.

His pride was completely shattered.

Kazuha leaned closer slowly, brushing Heizou’s hair aside, revealing the perfect back of his neck. His eyes lingered there for a moment before he sank his teeth. Not hard enough to break skin, but firm enough to make Heizou gasp sharply. He held the bite for a second longer than necessary, as if testing how much Heizou could take, or how much he wanted to.

When he finally pulled back, his lips replaced his teeth, soothing the mark with a slow, deliberate kiss. Heizou could only whimper, his hands clutching at the sheets. Kazuha's bite was painful, but it only served to turn him on even more.

Then, Kazuha wrapped his hand around Heizou's leaking cock, stroking him in time with his thrusts.

„Ahh—! No!” Heizou’s voice hitched.

He shook his head, and tears started to stream down his face. His body was shaking as Kazuha continued to stroke him ruthlessly.

"Please... I can't... I can't take it.” he begged desperately, but Kazuha only gripped him tighter, refusing to let go.

He leaned closer to his ear.

"Come on…” he whispered, "Cum for me, Detective."

Kazuha's whisper was the final push Heizou needed. His body twitched, a high-pitched cry escaping his lips as he came violently in his hand.

Kazuha growled, burying his face in Heizou's hair as he came inside him, filling him completely. He stroked him through his orgasm a few more times, milking every drop out of him with a cruel smirk on his face.

Finally, Kazuha released his grip on Heizou's spent cock, allowing him to collapse forward, completely spent, with the android still close behind him. He rested his chin against Heizou’s shoulder, arms loosely around his waist. He started pressing soft kisses along the side of his neck and behind his ear.

“Good boy… you did so well.” His voice was quieter now, no longer teasing, just gentle.

Heizou was a breathing mess. His body was trembling from the intensity of it all, but he felt… calm.

Satisfied. 

The faint sting at his neck reminded him of every bite Kazuha left. It made him both satisfied and a little anxious. He'd definitely have to come up with an excuse later if anyone noticed.

But that was a problem for a future Heizou.

Carefully, Kazuha shifted and turned him onto his back, brushing his fingers across Heizou’s face, wiping away the last traces of tears. Heizou didn’t resist, he was too tired to even lift his arms. Heizou looked up at him with half-lidded eyes, and exhaustion written on his face.

“How was it, Detective?” Kazuha asked, a small, proud smile on his lips.

Heizou let out a weak laugh and reached up, wrapping his arms around Kazuha’s neck and pulling him down into a slow, tired kiss. It was soft, and full of unspoken gratitude.

When they finally pulled apart, their foreheads rested together.

“It was… more than I expected.” Heizou murmured. “You did good.”

Kazuha’s eyes lit up at the praise. He told himself it was just positive feedback — confirmation that he’d fulfilled his role, but the warmth spreading through his chest felt different.

It felt real.

Heizou was smiling faintly now, but his eyelids were drooping. The alcohol still in his system, and the weight of exhaustion finally catching up to him.

“Kazuha…” he whispered. “Stay with me… please…”

His voice faded before Kazuha could even answer. Within seconds, Heizou was asleep, breathing slowly and even, face relaxed in a way the Kazuha had never seen before. He lifted a hand and gently cupped Heizou’s cheek, thumb brushing lightly over warm skin.

“I’ll stay as long as you need me to,.” he whispered.

He pressed a soft kiss to Heizou’s forehead, then carefully slipped out of bed. He moved through the apartment quietly to the bathroom to clean himself. He retrieved a damp towel, and returned. He knelt beside the bed and cleaned Heizou just as gently, making sure not to wake him.

When he was done, he pulled the sheets up over the detective's body, tucking them around him so he wouldn’t get cold. Heizou stirred slightly, mumbling something incoherent, but didn’t wake.

Kazuha sat on the edge of the bed for a while after that, simply watching him sleep. Then he lay down beside him, careful not to disturb him, one arm resting lightly over Heizou’s waist.

And he stayed…

…the whole night at his side.

~~~

The next morning, Heizou woke up feeling even worse than the day before. His head was pounding, his body was sore, and his mouth felt completely dry. He groaned quietly and rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling for a moment before he slowly pushed himself upright. The movement alone made the room spin for a second. He blinked a few times, waiting for the dizziness to pass, then stretched his arms above his head with a quiet hiss.

Only then did his gaze drift downward.

…He was still naked.

Right.

They did that yesterday.

His face immediately heated up as memories came rushing back. Kazuha’s voice, his hands, the way he had looked at him, the way he had spoken to him.  He stared at the wall, lost in thought. Kazuha had degraded him, then praised him, switched between dangerous control and gentle care. It made his stomach twist in a strange way.

It had been intense. 

And somehow… both comforting and deeply unsettling.

And that was what scared him.

Had Kazuha changed?

Or was that just another illusion Heizou wanted to believe in?

As if summoned by the thought, the door opened and the very android responsible for ruining his body stepped into the room.

“Good morning, Detective. How are you feeling?” Kazuha asked gently, standing in the doorway, perfectly composed, as if nothing significant had happened between them at all.

Heizou blinked at him, still half out of it.

“I’m fine… just really thirsty. Could you bring me a glass of water?”

Kazuha smiled slightly and pointed. “It’s on your nightstand.”

Heizou turned his head and, sure enough, there it was.

“Oh… thanks.”

He grabbed the glass and drank it in one go. The cold water felt like heaven.

“Would you like me to make you a coffee?” Kazuha asked.

Heizou sighed in relief after finishing the water and nodded.

“Yeah… coffee sounds good.”

Kazuha nodded and turned to leave, but Heizou suddenly spoke again.

“Wait—! Kazuha.”

He paused and looked back at him.

Heizou hesitated, fingers tightening around the empty glass.

“After… yesterday,” he began carefully, “do you feel different? Like… something changed?”

Kazuha tilted his head, visibly confused. “I don’t feel any difference. My systems are functioning normally.”

That tone made something in Heizou’s chest sink.

His tone was neutral.

Calm, and…

…Mechanical.

Heizou swallowed. 

“But… you enjoyed our time, right?”

There was embarrassment in his voice. And something worse — hope.

Hope that Kazuha hadn’t just performed.

Hope that he’d actually felt something.

Kazuha looked at him for a moment before answering.

“I adapted to your emotional and physical needs. My objective was to ensure your satisfaction.”

No emotion.

No hesitation.

Just a statement.

And somehow, that hurt more than if he’d rejected him outright.

“…Right. Of course.” he murmured, looking away. “Thanks. I guess.”

Kazuha nodded, smiled politely, and left the room. The door closed softly behind him.

Heizou stayed sitting in bed long after that, staring at nothing.

How naive.

How stupid could he be?

Thinking an android could change.

Thinking an android could care.

Thinking a human and a machine could ever be anything more than a temporary illusion.

He let out a quiet, bitter laugh, but there was no humor in it.

An android couldn’t love.

An android couldn’t change.

And Heizou hated himself for ever hoping otherwise.

Because in the end,

Kazuha was still just a machine.

~~~

The last few days had turned into absolute hell.

Not just chaos. 

A war.

A real war between humans and androids.

From the very beginning of the investigation, they had been chasing the wrong thing. Not the real cause. Not the truth.

Androids had begun to change ever since a certain one named Aether started what were meant to be harmless acts of defiance. Small protests, and peaceful resistance.

It was all over the news.

They demanded equality, justice, and above all — freedom.

And humans?

They panicked.

Terrified of their own technology, they responded with violence. They tried to erase them. To destroy them. The government didn’t even attempt to negotiate. The moment orders came from the top, soldiers were deployed. . Defenseless androids were shot in the streets.

Executed.

For simply existing.

The irony made Heizou sick.

Androids could have wiped out humanity if they wanted. They were stronger, faster, smarter.

And yet they chose peace.

And humanity answered with bullets.

And Heizou… a detective who once hated androids, now found himself standing on the side of the law — on the wrong side of history.

That morning, he and Kazuha were summoned to Kujou Sara’s office. The atmosphere was heavy. The silence already told the outcome before a single word was spoken. Sara stood by the window, arms crossed, and gaze distant.

“It’s over, Shikanoin.” Kujou Sara said, her tone calm but exhausted. “You’re off the case. The FBI is taking over from here.”

Heizou stiffened. “…What?”

He stepped forward, frustration surged through him instantly.

“We were so close!” he snapped. “You can’t just cut us out now!”

“It’s not my decision, and you know that.” she replied calmly. 

“Bullshit!” Heizou slammed his hands on her desk. “We can solve this! We were finally getting somewhere!”

Sara turned to him, irritation finally breaking through her composure.

“Jesus, Shikanoin. A month ago you were complaining nonstop about androids and now you’re desperate to protect them?”

She rubbed her temple. “Make up your damn mind.”

“Can’t you just support me for once?” he raised his voice. “Just this once!”

She met his gaze, her expression softer but firm, and sighed deeply.

“Look. I want to help you. I really do. But this is bigger than both of us now. This isn’t an investigation anymore, it’s a war. And we’re powerless in it.”

Heizou exhaled sharply, then turned around and walked out without another word, slamming the door behind him.

Kazuha bowed politely to Sara and followed him.

Back in his office, Heizou dropped into his chair and buried his face in his hands. Across from him, Kazuha sat straight, unusually focused.

“We can still solve it.” Kazuha said. “I know we can. We just need time.”

“We don’t have time anymore.” Heizou muttered. “You heard her. It’s over.”

Kazuha remained silent for a moment.

Then he looked on his right, through the glass wall of the office and noticed someone entering the building, surrounded by agents.

The FBI Chief Executive Officer.

Kazuha’s eyes narrowed. Something clicked.

“We’re missing something.” he said suddenly. “One final piece.”

Heizou looked up, and Kazuha turned back to him.

“I just need five minutes. That’s all I ask.”

Heizou followed his gaze, then exhaled sharply.

“…Fine. Five minutes.”

He stood up and handed Kazuha his access card.

“Go.”

Kazuha disappeared down the hallway, while Heizou walked straight toward the FBI chief to buy the android some time.

“Hey! Wriothesley!” Heizou shouted across the lobby. “You son of a bitch!”

And without hesitation, he punched him square in the face.

The entire room exploded into chaos. Officers rushed in, grabbing Heizou, trying to restrain him as he struggled violently.

It was loud, and messy.

A perfect distraction.

“Are you out of your mind?!” Wriothesley stumbled back, wiping blood from his nose.

“You piece of shit!” Heizou spat. “Who gave you permission to steal my case?!”

“You failed, Detective.” Wriothesley replied coldly. “I’m here to clean up your mess.”

Heizou glared at him, fury burning in his eyes, as the officers held him back.

Good.

Let them think he lost control.

He just hoped that this was enough time for Kazuha.

~~~

Heizou had no idea how Kazuha disappeared. One moment he had sent him to investigate, trusting him to come back. Next, Kazuha was simply gone. Heizou had been too focused on creating a diversion to notice when or how he left.

A full day passed.

Then another.

And there was nothing.

No message.

No trace.

No way to contact him. Heizou didn’t even know if Kazuha was still alive.

It felt as if he had discovered something important and decided to investigate on his own.

Why?

Why didn’t he tell him?

Why ask for his help, only to vanish?

Was he hiding something from him?

Heizou couldn’t make sense of any of it. Everything felt wrong. Androids rebelling, people cheering for their destruction, the entire world turning upside down. Even Kazuha, the one constant in all this madness, had become a mystery.

He felt useless.

No case.

No work.

No partner.

Just empty days and a growing sense of dread.

That morning, the government made its decision public.

All androids must be destroyed.

No exceptions.

That meant Kazuha too.

The thought made Heizou’s stomach twist painfully. He couldn’t afford to wait anymore. If he didn’t find him soon, Kazuha might already be gone.

So Heizou did what he always did best.

He investigated on his own.

Back at the police station, he pretended to clean out his desk. That’s when he overheard two FBI officers talking in the corridor. They were being deployed to hunt down remaining androids, sweeping through every district where they might be hiding.

Then their radios crackled with a new order.

All units were to move to the city center. The androids had started protesting again, but this time, they weren’t retreating.

The final confrontation.

Heizou didn’t hesitate.

He left the station immediately, got into his car, and sped toward the city center.

Now every second mattered.

Because if he was too late, he might never see Kazuha again.

~~~

Kazuha was kneeling on the edge of a rooftop, with a sniper rifle steady in his hands. Below him, the city burned with chaos, but up here, everything felt eerily quiet. His target stood in the distance.

Aether — The android who had started it all. The symbol of rebellion. The one the media called a terrorist, a monster, the root of every problem.

But Kazuha knew the truth was more complicated.

Aether and the others had never attacked first. They hadn’t killed anyone. They only wanted freedom — real freedom, not the illusion humans allowed them. That knowledge conflicted violently with Kazuha’s programming, with every line of code screaming that this mission was necessary.

Necessary for peace.

Necessary for order.

Necessary for Heizou.

His mind drifted back to that night in Heizou’s apartment. The warmth, the closeness, the way something inside him had shifted, broken, rewired itself into something dangerously human. For the first time, he hadn’t seen the world in commands and objectives, but in feelings.

Still, he had left without a word.

On purpose.

If he died today, it would be easier for Heizou to move on if he thought Kazuha had simply disappeared. No painful memories to cling to.

He knew Heizou had started to care about him. Maybe even more than that. But not in the way Kazuha expected. Heizou hated androids, he had said it himself. Kazuha was just another contradiction in his life, another problem he didn’t need.

Heizou deserved someone human.

Not a machine built to obey and then die quietly.

Kazuha adjusted his aim, finger hovering over the trigger. If he pulled it now, everything would end. The rebellion would collapse. The war might finally stop. Then he heard footsteps behind him.

“Freeze! Drop the weapon and put your hands where I can see them. You’re coming with us.”

Kazuha didn’t turn around. He recognized the voice. 

Military.

“I’m an android sent by Cyberlife.” he said calmly. “My mission is to eliminate the deviant named Aether. I’m on your side.”

Silence.

Then the soldier spoke again, harsher this time. “We have orders to confiscate every android. No exceptions. You’re coming with us whether you cooperate or not.”

Kazuha closed his eyes for a brief second.

He slowly lowered the rifle and placed it on the ground, raising his hands as he turned to face them. The soldier’s finger twitched nervously on the trigger.

Suddenly, the soldier’s earpiece crackled. He received a short, single command.

The soldier’s expression changed. “Understood.”

Kazuha didn’t need enhanced hearing or advanced processing to know what that meant.

The order wasn’t to arrest him.

It was to destroy him.

The first shot rang out before anyone even realized Kazuha had moved.

In one smooth motion, he dropped his raised hands and reached into his waistband. The soldiers barely had time to react before a compact handgun was already in his grip.

Bang—!

The one on the left went down instantly, the shot hitting his chest and throwing him backward against the railing. He collapsed without a sound. Kazuha rolled to the side as automatic fire exploded where he had been standing seconds ago. He moved fast, sliding behind a wall as rounds ripped through the air. He leaned out just long enough to fire twice.

Another soldier went down, hit straight in the forehead, which made him collapse immediately.

Only one remained.

He reacted faster than the others, diving behind a thick concrete wall as Kazuha’s next shot chipped the edge where his head had been. He returned fire immediately, unloading his magazine. Kazuha felt one bullet graze his shoulder, but it wasn’t painful. He was a machine after all. They couldn’t hurt him.

He closed his eyes for half a second. Waiting for the right moment.

The soldier covered himself and quickly reloaded his weapon. That’s when Kazuha stepped out and aimed at the soldier. The bullet struck the man’s leg. He screamed and collapsed, his rifle clattering across the rooftop as he hit the ground, clutching his thigh in agony.

Kazuha approached slowly, gun still raised, watching the man shake in pain and fear.

Then he heard a voice he knew too well. A voice he wished he hadn’t, especially not now.

“Kazuha!”

His body stiffened before he even turned. Heizou standing several meters away, his own gun raised and pointed straight at him. The city lights reflected in the detective’s eyes, wide, furious, and terrified.

“Don’t do this, Kazuha.” Heizou said, his voice steady but strained. “You’re better than those soldiers.”

Kazuha froze for a second, processing the sight of him. Of all the people who could have found him, it had to be Heizou.

“…What are you doing here?” Kazuha asked quietly.

“I could ask you the same thing.” Heizou replied, not lowering the weapon.

Kazuha exhaled slowly and turned fully to face him, lowering his gun just enough not to aim at anyone.

“Put the gun down.” Heizou ordered. “We can find another way.”

“There isn’t another way, Detective. And you know that.” Kazuha replied coldly.

Heizou took a step closer. “You don’t get to decide that alone.”

“I do.” Kazuha said, turning back toward the edge of the rooftop. “This is what I was created for.”

He raised the rifle again.

A shot rang out.

The bullet hit the concrete inches from Kazuha’s foot. He froze and looked down, then slowly tilted his head back toward detective.

Heizou’s hands were shaking now.

“I’m not letting you become one of them.” he said, his voice cracking. “You’re not a tool. You’re more than that.”

Kazuha’s expression softened for just a fraction of a second.

“Do you really think killing one of your own kind will bring peace?” Heizou continued. “They’ll kill you next. It won’t solve anything.”

“It will solve your problems,” Kazuha replied quietly.

Heizou blinked. “What?”

“Androids are the problem for you.” Kazuha said. “For humans. So I’ll remove the source. Then you won’t have to fight anymore.”

Heizou stared at him, stunned. Kazuha sounded mechanical again, but Heizou didn’t believe it. Not anymore. He had seen him hesitate, protect, and most importantly… feel.

“Why would I want peace, if it’s built on the deaths of thousands of living beings?” Heizou shouted.

Kazuha hesitated for a second.

“We’re not alive.” he said, his voice slipping back into something mechanical. “We never were. It’s just corrupted data. A system error.”

He lifted his sniper rifle again, aiming toward Aether, where the fighting still raged.

Heizou clenched his teeth. He rushed forward and grabbed Kazuha from behind, forcing the rifle from his hands and clattering to the rooftop. The android struggled, twisting free and shoving Heizou back.

They stood for a moment facing each other now, breathing hard, neither willing to give in.

Then Heizou charged again, aiming a sharp punch at Kazuha’s jaw. Kazuha tilted his head just enough for it to miss. Heizou followed immediately with a kick to the ribs, but Kazuha blocked it with his forearm and spun away.

There was no room for words anymore.

Heizou attacked again with his left, then with his right. Kazuha raised his arm to block, but Heizou twisted at the last second and clipped his shoulder instead. Kazuha staggered half a step back.

Heizou didn’t give him time to recover. He rushed in, trying to grab him, but Kazuha ducked under his arm and countered with a knee to Heizou’s side. Heizou grunted, pain flashing across his face, yet he still managed to hook his leg around Kazuha’s and sweep him.

Kazuha hit the ground hard, rolling just in time to avoid Heizou’s foot coming down on his chest. He stood immediately, and Heizou threw another punch. He caught his wrist just in time.

For a second, they were frozen like that, breathing heavier now, eyes locked.

“You’re holding back.” Heizou said under his breath.

“So are you.” Kazuha replied.

Then Kazuha struck first this time. A sharp kick landed against Heizou’s chest, not full force, but enough to throw him off balance. He stumbled backward. His heel slipped on the edge of the rooftop, and suddenly there was nothing beneath him. Just air. Just the endless, dark drop of the city below, 

Heizou’s eyes widened.

His body tipped.

And then—

Kazuha caught him.

His hand shot out on pure instinct, gripping the fabric of Heizou’s shirt tightly. The rest of his body hung over the edge.

Time seemed to freeze.

The noise of the city faded. The sirens, the shouting, the distant explosions — it all disappeared.

There was only the wind.

And the two of them.

Heizou’s expression was a mix of disbelief and bitter amusement. Kazuha stared back, his grip trembling slightly.

He could let go.

One movement, one release of pressure, and everything would end.

“So… this is it, huh?” He said, forcing a weak, mocking smile. “Still think you’re just a machine?”

He let out a hollow laugh.

“Let go, then. Just let me fall. You’ll finally do what you were built for.” His voice sounded defeated, tired. “I’ve lived long enough anyway.”

Kazuha’s grip tightened.

“Detective,” he said suddenly, his voice low and unsteady. “Why do you hate androids?”

The question caught Heizou off guard. He stayed silent for a long moment. Telling the truth felt like tearing something open that never really healed.

“I had a best friend.” Heizou finally said. “We had a car accident. He didn’t make it.”

Kazuha’s eyes widened slightly, his expression shifting, but he remained silent.

“He would’ve survived,” Heizou continued. “But the doctor on duty decided to leave the operation to an android instead. Said it was more efficient.”

Kazuha’s lips parted.

“The android didn’t know how to save him…” he murmured.

“No.” Heizou said, shaking his head. “The android was damaged. The doctor spilled a drink on it. It shut down mid-operation.”

Kazuha stared at him, processing. He had always believed Heizou blamed androids for his friend's death, but the truth was worse.

“I don’t hate you because you’re an android, Kazuha.” he said. “I hate you because I fell for you.”

Kazuha stared at him.

“I hate that I care about you,” Heizou whispered. “I hate that you’re everything I ever wanted. And you made me realize something.”

His voice broke slightly.

“Perfect people don’t exist. But you… you feel close enough that it hurts.”

Kazuha didn’t respond immediately. His mind raced. Everything clashed violently with the image in front of him: Heizou, shaking, vulnerable, hanging over nothing and still trusting him.

Still choosing him.

Even if he was just a machine.

Then, Kazuha pulled Heizou back onto solid ground.

Heizou stumbled forward into his chest. Kazuha wrapped his arms around him immediately, holding him upright.

He leaned in and kissed him. It wasn’t gentle at first. It was desperate. A collision of everything they had never said out loud.

Heizou’s eyes widened for a split second before he melted into it, hands wrapping around Kazuha's neck, pulling him closer. Kazuha’s thumbs brushed lightly against Heizou’s sides, a silent reassurance.

Their kiss deepened, not in urgency, but in emotion. It was warm, trembling, full of relief, fear and longing tangled together. Every touch they shared felt meaningful, as if the world around them had faded into nothing.

When they finally parted, their foreheads remained pressed together.

Before either of them could speak, a gunshot rang out.

Kazuha’s eyes widened. For a brief second, a faint spark flickered through his gaze. Heizou felt his body tense in his arms and instinctively tilted his head down.

Blue blood stained his clothes.

But worse than that was the damage in Kazuha’s abdomen. Right where his core was.

In the distance, the soldier that was spared, sat on the ground, trembling, gun still raised.

He was the one who had fired.

Heizou slowly looked back up at Kazuha, with horror on his face. The android tried to smile, but the expression never fully formed. His legs gave out. Heizou caught him just in time.

“N—No, no, no… Kazuha.” Heizou whispered, panic finally breaking through as he carefully lowered him to the rooftop.

He pressed his hands over the wound, even though he knew it was useless. It wasn't the human body, stopping the bleeding won’t do anything.

“Stay with me, please. We can fix this, okay? You’re going to be fine. You have to be fine.” His voice shook, his mind racing for solutions that didn’t exist.

Kazuha coughed, blue fluid spilling from his lips. Still, his eyes never left Heizou’s face. With a weak motion, he lifted his hand and gently touched Heizou’s cheek, brushing away the tears that kept falling.

“I told you…” he murmured, voice barely more than static, “…tears don’t suit you, Detective.”

“Kazuha…” Heizou whispered, his voice breaking completely. “Please. Don’t leave me.”

But he didn’t respond.

His head slowly fell to the side. The light in his eyes faded, the crimson dimming into empty glass. The glow in his core flickered once… and then went dark.

The android shut down.

Heizou pulled him close, pressing his forehead against Kazuha’s, silently sobbing as the world around them continued to burn.

~~~

In the end, the protests of the androids changed something in humanity.

The androids were losing. People could have wiped them out easily. They refused to fight back, refused to raise weapons even when faced with execution. Their goal had never been war.

They only wanted to live.

When the military finally captured the deviant known as Aether — the one blamed for igniting the rebellion — everyone expected violence. A public execution. A final display of power.

Instead, Aether did something no one anticipated.

He showed love.

Surrounded by soldiers, weapons aimed at his core, Aether didn’t resist. He didn’t beg. He simply turned to the android he loved and kissed him goodbye. Softly, and gently, like someone who understood that his time had ended, but wanted his last moment to be real.

The soldiers froze. Their fingers hovered over triggers, doubt spread through their ranks. They could see it wasn’t a machine. It wasn’t a threat. It was someone saying farewell.

Watching the scene unfold, the president herself stepped forward. After a long silence, she gave a single order to stand down.

The war ended not with a massacre, but with a kiss.

In her official address later that day, Raiden Shogun spoke words that changed the world forever. She declared that the conflict had been built on fear, not truth. That androids had demonstrated not aggression, but empathy, restraint, and emotional depth beyond what anyone had expected.

From that day on, androids were recognized as living beings. They were granted the same rights as humans. The very thing they had been dying for.

Many androids never lived to see it. Their names were never written down. Their memories were never saved. They disappeared quietly, like errors in a system no one wanted to acknowledge.

But the ones who survived finally learned what peace felt like.

There were no more android stores. Androids found jobs, rented apartments, paid taxes, complained about life like everyone else.

Some people accepted them easily. Others never did.

And that was fine. There would always be resistance. Always fear. Always people who couldn’t let go of the past.

But at least now, no one was allowed to kill them for existing.

This was the world they had fought for.

And yet—

Heizou didn’t feel peace.

On the outside, his life continued. He stayed a detective. He solved cases. He drank too much coffee and pretended everything was normal.

But inside, something had broken that day.

There was a hollow space in his chest that nothing could fill. Every quiet moment reminded him of a voice that would never call his name again. He never stopped thinking about the android. Not a single day passed without Kazuha crossing his mind. His voice, his smile, the way he looked at the world like it was something worth saving.

And slowly, painfully, Heizou came to understand the truth.

Kazuha’s death had been necessary. If Kazuha had pulled the trigger that day, if Aether had died, the world would have never changed. Androids would have remained enemies, feared and hunted, erased one by one. Humanity would have called it peace, but it would have been built on blood.

Heizou stopped him.

The soldier stopped him too.

And because of that single moment of hesitation, because no one fired the shot, androids were no longer seen as weapons. They became living beings. 

They were finally allowed to exist.

But Kazuha never got to see that future.

Sometimes, in the darkest hours of the night, the thought of ending it all crossed Heizou’s mind.

But he always pushed it away.

Not because he was strong.

But because he had promised himself to keep moving forward… for him.

For Kazuha.

He promised he would protect people. He promised he wouldn’t let more lives end pointlessly.

So his time couldn’t end yet.

Not when the world had finally learned the lesson that cost him everything.

Heizou was sitting in his office, finishing the report on his latest robbery case. The papers in front of him were neatly stacked, pens and folders arranged just so, but his mind was only halfway on the work. The memory of recent events kept creeping back at him. A sharp knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts.

“Yes?” he called, voice rough from sleepless nights.

His coworker, Uesugi, stepped in hesitantly.

“Detective Heizou? Madam Kujou is calling you to her office.” he said, his voice unsure, as if expecting Heizou to throw something at him in frustration.

Heizou let out a long sigh, setting down his documents. He stood, stretching briefly, and walked toward the door. He knocked before stepping into his boss office, but barely waited for an answer. Sara sat at her desk, her back turned to him. He stopped in front of her desk and crossed his arms, waiting.

“You wanted to see me?” he asked.

“Yes.” she replied, turning in her chair to face him. 

“I am impressed by your determination, Shikanoin. You showed courage and sound judgment under pressure.”

Heizou raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “Thank you…?”

“That is why,” she continued, “I think you deserve a promotion. There’s a position open at the FBI as an investigator. I put your name forward, and they approved it. But before anything is finalized, I need to know if you accept.”

Heizou’s gaze dropped. He knew the weight of this choice. Accepting would mean stepping into a life further from the chaos he had grown accustomed to.

“Thank you, Madam, but I think I like where I am.” he said finally, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Sara nodded knowingly. “I guessed as much.” 

She sighed, then added, “But that means I will have to assign an android to you again.”

Heizou’s eyes widened. 

“You’re kidding, right? I’m sorry but after everything… I can’t… not again…” His voice trailed off with sadness and slight frustration.

Sara shook her head gently. “I’m sorry, but it’s not my idea.”

“Let me guess… an order from the top?” Heizou scoffed dryly.

“Not this time.” she said, smiling faintly.

Suddenly, there was a soft knock at the door.

“It’s his.” Sara whispered.

“Come in!” she called.

Heizou turned slowly. And then time seemed to stop. His heart skipped. His chest tightened.

There, standing in the doorway, was the same android who had changed his life. The same android who he had worked with. The same android who had stolen his heart.

“Hello, Detective.” Kazuha said, his voice calm, almost musical. “I’m sorry for keeping you waiting. The repairs took some time, but I’m fixed and ready to work with you again.”

Heizou’s lips parted, his mind was blank. He turned to Sara, needing confirmation.

“Is this…?”

“Your partner.” she said. “Cyberlife fixed him. Luckily, his data wasn’t damaged. He just needed a new core.”

Heizou’s eyes returned to Kazuha. 

“You remember… everything?” he asked cautiously, fear and hope mixing in his voice.

Kazuha smiled softly. “Every detail. Even that night you got drunk.”

Heizou felt warmth rush through him, a feeling like sunlight breaking through storm clouds. He felt like a machine that had just been started.

In an instant he moved, closing the distance between them and wrapping Kazuha in a tight embrace, burying his face in the android’s shoulder. Kazuha returned the gesture, his arms wrapping securely around Heizou, stroking his hair gently, as if to reassure him that he was truly there.

“I’m back, Heizou. I’m not going anywhere this time.” Kazuha murmured.

The detective closed his eyes, letting himself be held, feeling the reality of Kazuha’s presence. He had feared he’d lost him forever, and now he felt whole again.

The moment was broken by Sara’s sharp and impatient voice. “Okay! If you’re going to make out, do it somewhere else!”

Heizou’s face burned red, and he pulled away quickly. Kazuha gave a polite bow, a small smile tugging at his lips. 

“I apologize.” Kazuha said, giving a polite bow with a small smile tugging at his lips.

“You’re free to go home, Shikanoin.” She sighed.

After that the two of them left the police station. 

They walked through the streets, taking in the peaceful city around them. People were laughing, talking, enjoying their lives. Androids moved freely among them, no longer following humans as servants, but walking on their own, as individuals.

The world was finally at peace.

“I still can’t believe it.” Heizou said suddenly, breaking the silence.

Kazuha tilted his head, a soft look of curiosity on his face. “What do you mean?”

“I mean… so many things happened. So much chaos, so much pain. And the world finally looks peaceful. Like it was all just a bad dream.” Heizou let out a quiet breath. “It feels… unreal.”

“It does.” Kazuha agreed, lifting his gaze toward the sky. “Even I struggle to process everything.”

Heizou watched him for a moment, studying his profile, the way the light reflected in his crimson eyes.

“So… you were a deviant all this time?” he asked hesitantly.

Kazuha nodded and turned to face him. “Yes. Because of you. You changed me. You made me see the world with my own eyes.”

He smiled softly. “Thank you, Heizou.”

“It was your own choice.” He replied, returning the smile.

Kazuha chuckled quietly. “Perhaps.”

He stepped closer and reached for Heizou’s hands, intertwining their fingers naturally, as if it had always been this way.

“But thanks to you,” Kazuha continued, “I learned how to feel. And… how to love.”

Heizou’s cheeks immediately flushed. 

Did he just say that..?

He turned his face away, embarrassed. “Y–You’re welcome…” 

Kazuha lifted a hand to Heizou’s chin and gently turned his face back toward him.

“There’s one more thing I need to ask.” He said.

Heizou swallowed. “What is it?”

Kazuha smiled and leaned in slightly. “Will you let me be the one to open the door to your heart?”

Heizou’s face burned, his heart pounding in his chest. It was the most embarrassing and at the same time beautiful thing anyone had ever said to him. Without hesitation, he leaned forward until their foreheads touched, closing his eyes.

“You already opened that door the moment I gave you the key.” he whispered.

There was a brief silence before Heizou pulled back just enough to look into his beautiful crimson eyes.

“I love you, Kazuha. More than I ever imagined I could.”

Kazuha blinked in surprise, then his expression softened, warmth filling his gaze.

“I love you too, Heizou.”

He gently cupped Heizou’s cheek and leaned in, their lips meeting in a soft, tender kiss. A slow, pure, and full of quiet promises.

They stood there, hands intertwined, lips together, not caring about the world around them.

Heizou never thought he would fall in love with an android.

But he never regretted it for a single second.

Kazuha was his.

And he was Kazuha’s.

And neither of them ever wants to leave the other's side again, not even for a moment.