Chapter Text
“This is a stupid idea.”
Connor leaned back against the headrest, glancing to the driver’s seat where Hank was absently fiddling with the collar of his button-up.
The manor outside was a welcoming, golden glow against the black night, music and voices filtering through the open windows, and Connor caught sight of a few guests roaming the luscious gardens curling along the open gates.
“It’s our best chance,” Connor argued, understanding the lieutenant’s hesitancy. “Mr. Manfred says Mr. Ball will be here. And there’s nowhere for him to run.”
“And if he doesn’t show up?”
Connor frowned, hand instinctively reaching into his unnervingly empty pocket, the familiarity of his coin having been left behind in his desk back at the precinct, turning his head to try and hide his uncertainty from Hank.
If their suspect, a businessman by the name of Alex Ball, didn’t show up tonight, they’d have to start all over, come up with a new way to lure him out into the open.
For someone with so much power, his name seeming to pop up everywhere, Alex was surprisingly good at staying hidden.
There was no evidence supporting Alex Ball had killed any androids, at least not after they’d earned their freedom, but they had enough to believe he had something to do with the recent string of murder these past few weeks.
While he might not have the blood on his hands, Connor had no doubt that he was connected with the people who did. If they could get their suspect into custody, they could use him to track down the killers, hopefully getting one step closer to ending the hateful violence towards his people.
Hank would say his thinking was naive and wishful, that no matter how many people they locked away, there would always be violence. That was just the way humans were.
“It’s our best chance,” Connor said again, not sure what else to say to convince him. “But if you have another idea--”
“You know damn well I don’t have another idea.”
Hank’s hands finally stopped tugging at his suit jacket, dropping to his lap with a heavy sigh. Connor knew the man was less than comfortable in an environment like this, and while Connor hadn’t been alive long enough to experience many parties or gatherings, he’d much prefer being back at home where he could keep an eye on Hank’s excessive drinking.
But there was no reason both of them needed to be here. Connor desperately needed the socializing practice according to Hank, but the lieutenant could easily head back if he wanted.
“If you want, I can go in alone and--”
“Absolutely fucking not.” It seemed to be enough to get Hank moving again, yanking open the car door and stepping outside. “I’m not leaving you alone with a man who kills androids for fun.”
Connor followed, rounding the car to make it to Hank’s side. “We have back-up waiting--”
“Down the street, yeah,” Hank finished, the two of them starting for the double doors. “Come on. Let’s just get this over with.”
“I’m sure you’ll be able to find a drink somewhere, Lieutenant.”
Hank rolled his eyes, posture unusually tense. He wasn’t angry, not at Connor, though the android couldn’t help but shrink back and drop his gaze to the floor. “I better fucking be.”
The gates were left open, Hank and Connor greeted with welcoming smiles as they were ushered inside. The house, made of dark, polished wood, rose gracefully into the night sky, the lights and noise beckoning the guests forward.
Despite being the host, the party hadn’t been set at Carl’s own mansion, the gathering instead being held at another place he owned, a spacious wood cabin tucked away in the woods, just an hours drive from the city.
The inside was just as beautiful as the outside, plush animal skin rugs covering the wood floor, the walls decorated with bright, colorful paintings. The place clearly belonged to Carl Manfred.
While Connor hadn’t met the man personally yet, he’d visited his home more than once these past months, and it wasn’t hard to recognize his decorating style.
“Alright,” Hank muttered, hands stuffed in his pockets. “Go take a look around. If you see him, say something.”
“Understood.”
“I mean it, Connor.” Hank was staring at him, and Connor forced himself to look back, tilting his head slightly. “Don’t do something stupid. If you see him, you come find me.”
“I got it, Lieutenant.”
He hesitated a moment, like he was waiting for further argument, frown deepening when none came. Hank said nothing more as he turned away and disappeared into the crowd, no doubt in search for the bar.
Connor turned to scan the crowd, trying to figure out just what he was supposed to be doing until their suspect arrived. Nobody was paying him any mind, too caught up in their own discussions and beverages, leaving him stuck in his own bubble of silence.
He wondered if he should try and start some sort of conversation, to blend in and make his job easier when he caught sight of Alex. But he doubted Hank would be doing much socializing this evening, and from what he’d been told, Connor’s attempts would likely just make them stand out.
“You must be Connor.”
He spun on his heels, trying and failing to hide his surprise at being approached, taken back by anyone here even knowing his name.
He didn’t need a scan to identify the other man, only needing a second to take in the wheelchair and gentle grin to recognize him.
Connor matched his smile, holding out a hand. “Mr. Manfred.”
“Just Carl, please.” He accepted the handshake, and Connor was suddenly reminded that this was the man who had raised the android who lead the deviant’s revolution.
Markus was the reason Connor had his new life, and from what he’d heard, without Carl none of it would have been possible.
“I wanted to thank you,” he said earnestly, wishing he’d had the chance sooner. “For everything you did for my people.”
Carl gave a gentle laugh, leaned back in his chair and smiled. “All I did was help one android see what he could be. I saw the news, son. You’re the one who led an army out of the Cyberlife tower.”
Connor averted his gaze, as he tended to do whenever his involvement of that night was brought up. Even when it was just him and Hank, and the detective assured him he had nothing to be ashamed of.
“It was the least I could do,” he said, wondering how much Carl knew. “After...everything that happened.”
Carl watched him as he spoke, something in his eyes Connor couldn’t even begin to identify, a knowing glint as he leaned back against his wheelchair.
“I’m sure you’re sick of hearing this, but it wasn’t your fault.” He knew. Of course he knew, Markus had no reason to keep it from him. “Markus trusts you. And if it weren’t for you, I would have never seen him again. You let my son come home to me.”
Connor, unsure of how to respond, felt his chest tighten. It was yet another emotion he was struggling to understand, to even identify. Hank promised him it would get easier. It would take time, and he’d never completely understand them, no one did, but he’d learn to cope.
“Thank you,” he said, only able to hope it was the right response. Carl only seemed amused, and Connor quickly changed the subject. “Is Markus here?”
“He’s busy keeping these old jackasses away from me. I’m too old to be dealing with these insufferable people.”
“I’m sorry for the inconvenience--”
Carl waved him off, hand moving to adjust the thin scarf wrapped loosely around his shoulders. “It’s not a problem. Believe me. But if your guy’s here, I haven’t seen him yet.”
“He’ll be here. He has to be.”
“I hope you’re right.” Carl tore his gaze away, turning to watch the mingling guests. “Did your partner come with you?”
“Lieutenant Anderson has probably already found your bar.”
Carl laughed, and Connor stepped aside to let him pass, wondering if he should offer to help. “I think it’s about time I met him, don’t you?”
“He’ll like that,” Connor agreed, deciding that Carl would probably prefer to move through his own house by himself. If he needed help, he would have asked someone qualified. “Thank you again, Carl.”
“Enjoy the party, Connor.”
And just like that, he was left alone again, the crowd parting to let Carl pass through, the older man disappearing in the midst of his own party.
There was nothing more he could do except search the house for Alex Ball, and if the man hadn’t shown up yet, all he could do was wait. Hank had his drinks to keep him busy, but without any sort of stimulus and no desire to talk to the other party guests, Connor quickly found himself wishing there had been another option.
But anything else would have taken too long, and any sort of delay could end in another death.
And then Connor felt someone watching him, raising his head to lock eyes with the man standing by the stairway, drink in his hand, staring like Connor was the most fascinating thing in the world.
A quick scan told Connor that the man was Raj Skinner, a thirty-nine-year-old businessman who worked for a company he didn’t recognize, and judging by his secluded spot by the stairs, had come to the party alone.
He hadn’t realized Raj was moving until the man was standing before him, eyes roaming curiously, and Connor, not quite sure what the man was looking for, followed Hank’s brief instructions and stuck out a hand.
“Good evening, Mr. Skinner. I’m Connor.”
He remembered the way Hank had reacted the first time Connor had introduced himself, taken back, confused, annoyed. But Raj’s brow wasn’t furrowed in annoyance. He almost looked intrigued, curious.
“You look...lost.” Something about Raj’s voice made him feel strange, an uncomfortable emotion he still couldn’t pinpoint. But he kept smiling, trying not to dwell on how the handshake lasted just a second too long. “Tell me, Connor, what’s an android like you doing in a place like this?”
Connor cocked his head, trying to understand what an android ‘like him’ meant, quickly deciding it wasn’t important. Some recognized him from his work at the DPD, some didn’t. Everyone was still working to get used to the presence of free androids.
“I’m here to meet a friend of mine,” he explained, choosing his words carefully. “Alex Ball. He’s the president of-”
Raj laughed into his drink, cutting off Connor’s almost automatic explanation. “Alex Ball has been here for hours.”
Without thinking, Connor turned back to where Carl had disappeared, doing all he could to ignore the feeling of Raj’s eyes on him when he looked away.
“He’s upstairs,” the man said, his hand suddenly on Connor’s arm. “Drunk out of his mind in one of the spare bedrooms. Poor man can barely stand, but I’m sure he’ll talk to someone with a smile like yours.”
Connor’s smile dropped before he could stop it, turning his head to try and avoid the man’s prying gaze.
But as much as he disliked the man’s presence, now he knew where their suspect was, which meant all he had to do was find Hank and alert the police waiting outside.
“Come on,” Raj said, and before Connor knew what was happening there was a hand around his back, leading him forward. “Mr. Ball and I are close friends. As long as I’m with you, he’ll hear whatever you have to say.”
He suddenly had a strong urge to pull away, Raj’s hold too tight around him, leading him to a deserted area upstairs to speak to a man who spent his free time murdering innocent androids.
But Raj was smiling, his voice soft and light. He wasn’t a threat, Connor just wasn’t sure how he was supposed to arrest Alex Ball with his friend watching his every move. And Hank had been very clear in his instructions. Connor wasn’t supposed to be walking into this alone.
But Hank was on the other side of the house by now, lost in the hoards of people, and Alex was intoxicated and alone in a room by himself. If they wasted any more time, they risked letting their suspect escape.
Hank would be furious with him when it was over, but all that mattered was saving as many lives as he could.
So he let Raj keep his arm around him, let him lead him upstairs, away from the noise of the party. Hank would understand when it was over.
The upstairs hallway was quiet, heavy serenity nearly blocking out the waves of laughter and chatter from the main room. Raj took him to the farther door in the corridor, removing his hand and stepping back to let Connor enter first.
He hesitated, once again itching for his coin, or his gun, anything to keep his hands busy or offer any sort of protection.
But Raj was unarmed, and in no position to overpower an android. And from what he’d said, Alex was too drunk to see straight. If it came to a fight, he’d at least be able to keep himself alive until Hank came looking.
Connor nodded, flashed Raj a small, grateful smile, grabbed the door handle and pushed his way inside.
The room was empty.
It was the only thing he was given time to register before something cold slammed down against the back of his neck, sharp metal digging in just above his shoulders.
The world sank into a black void in a matter of seconds, Connor barely given time to read the error messages obscuring his vision before everything was ripped away.