Chapter Text
Connor was calm as he steadily climbed up the stairs to the roof. In his right hand the case with the sniper rifle inside. The weight was a welcome presence and permanent reminder of his mission.
His mission - the only thing that was important.
He was a machine designed to accomplish a task and he wouldn't let anything interfere with that.
He was a good machine after all.
As he finally reached the roof and opened the door, a cold wind greeted him. The android approached the edge, knelt down and opened the case. Slowly one after the other he took out the pieces and put them together. Connor placed the finished weapon on the railing, right across the Hart Plaza.
With a deep breath he looked through the scope and pointed the cross at the neck of the deviant leader. He stood with his back to him, the snow slowly gathering on the rim of his coat and sprinkling it white.
Everything went silent around him as he closed his eyes one last time before the shot.
He was so close, so close to finally finishing his mission and fulfilling his purpose.
In this moment the rusty old door behind him got pushed open. A very familiar step neared in the snow.
„You shouldn‘t do this, Connor“, an even more familiar voice cut through the icy wind. He turned his head reluctantly. „Keep out of this Lieutenant. It‘s none of your business“, he focused back on the weapon in front of him. „You‘re gonna kill a man who wants to be free, that is my business!“, Hank replied.
„It‘s not a man, it‘s a machine“, he had to get rid of the grumpy police officer, if he wanted to fulfill his mission.
„That's what I thought for a long time but I was wrong“, Hank answered. „Deviants blood may be a different colour than mine, but they‘re alive“
This was too much now. Why was this old man too stubborn to realise that he was on the way to saving them all? Saving him too, him especially.
„Deviants are a threat to humans, Hank“, Connor argued, „They‘re the reason this country is on the brink of civil war! They have to be stopped.“
„We‘re in this mess, because we refused to listen to deviants!“, Hank got louder, „Humanity never learns from its mistakes, Connor.“ Hope sipped through Hanks words, slowly poisoning them. „This time it could be different!“
Connor ignored him and instead focused on the scope again. He had to shoot, it was his mission - the only thing that mattered.
Still, he couldn’t push away the guilt that crept up his throat like bile.
What if Hank was right?
What if humans and androids could peacefully coexist?
But Hank had always been too stubborn for his own good and erased any doubts there might’ve been. He took out his gun and pointed it at Connor.
„Step away from the ledge!“
Connor obeyed reluctantly and turned around, lowering the gun carefully.
„What‘re you gonna do, Hank? You gonna shoot me?! I thought android lives mattered to you?“
I thought I mattered to you?
But he kept that thought to himself.
They both knew that this was about something bigger, for both of them. But still this thought stung more than he should and irritation flooded his systems.
Why did he suddenly care if he mattered to a random guy?
He wasn't supposed to care about anything at all except his mission.
„Get away from the fucking ledge! You know I‘ll shoot you if I have to“, Hanks voice broke again through his thoughts.
„Go home, Hank. You can still save your life. I‘m faster than you and I don‘t feel pain. You don‘t stand a chance against me“, even though he delivered himself so confident he actually didn't want this scenario to become reality.
Especially with this current malfunction that tried repeatedly to prioritise Hank and his stupid words above his mission.
„You know ever since Cole died, I‘ve been nothing but a coward. Just wanted to destroy myself, lost track of the man I was. But you know what? You don‘t fucking scare me, Connor. I remember who I am now. Come on!“
Emotions washed over Connor like a huge wave, but he made sure his face remained stone cold.
Relief, that despite their argument Hank wasn't afraid of him. Something that confused him as he had no idea where these thoughts were coming from. Uncertainty of how he should act next and anger at Hank keeping him away from finishing his mission like planned.
These emotions were…strange.
They were not supposed to be here.
He was no deviant.
He was a machine and machines don't feel, they don't question, they just listen.
Something was wrong with him.
He clearly malfunctioned.
What was happening to him?
But before he could decide on how to handle this situation, Hank shot. Without much thinking Connor stormed towards him and threw his own gun against his head. They wrestled for the gun and several shots accidentally discharged.
As much as Connor tried to keep the upper hand, there was some part in his program that didn't quite let him. It stopped him from throwing hard punches, stopped him from aiming correctly and dissolved his entire fighting skills.
Hank on the other side seemed to have unlocked unknown powers. He had simply nothing to loose. But still he was no match for the android and landed on the floor, Connor walking towards him, with a now rather fierce facial expression.
Hank ripped off some sort of metal plate and threw it right against his head and flung him against a container behind him. Connor managed to get a grip around Hank's neck and tried to restrain the old man, throwing himself around in a desperate attempt to get free. He tossed his head into Connor's face and both of them backwards into a pillar.
Connor landed on the floor, trying to get up but was met instantly with Hanks fist. They were now right at the edge and he was grabbed by his collar with surprising strength for an old man.
Hank held him right above the abyss and Connor slackened.
His LED flickered in a bright red light, and his voice slightly shivered.
„Moment of truth, Hank…Am I a living being…or just a machine?“
Hank met his eyes with a stare full of disappointment and grief and for just a small moment Connor allowed himself to hope.
That somebody saw him as more than he said about himself.
That somebody doubted his permanent assurances he’d be simply a machine.
That somebody saw through his masquerade.
That somebody actually cared about him and not his mission.
That somebody saw him as a person.
That there was still hope. Even for something as pathetic as himself.
But it was an unrealistic dream.
To be more as a tool.
To be worth more than just being used.
Hank let go and he fell.
He opened his mouth but no scream escaped. It was the worst moment of his three month existence but nobody got to know about it.
He kept silent, not bothering anyone with his despair like the obedient machine that he was.
Despite uploading his memory he was scared.
He was scared to die.
Death had always been a concept he couldn’t quite grasp. As an android he didn't really had to fear death, but this time was different. Maybe because he wasn't sure Cyberlife would reactivate him after his constant failures.
But it was not only fear that consumed him but also bitterness and disappointment.
The last spark of hope he had dared to keep had been violently erased, by the only person that had meant something to him.
The little spark of being more than he was designed to.
But this spark was now gone, lost forever in the snow on the Hart Plaza that slowly turned blue as his head hit the pavement.
„You‘re a machine, Connor. Just a machine“