howtodisassembleyourdeviant:
howtodisassembleyourdeviant:
Connor was confused, wondering what he was doing wrong. Sure, he probably shouldn’t be doing the other officers’ work, but he wants to be helpful, and he could do it faster. At least, he should be able to do it better. Was it really what the lieutenant was upset about? Connor tried not to let him know, figuring it was menial details Hank didn’t need to concern himself with. Was it because he was keeping it from him?
The change in the man’s temperament had the android hopeful that Hank wasn’t angry with him. He readily accepted another hug, each one helping to keep him calm and pull him from his distraught thoughts, the pat to his back comforting. The lieutenant really did give good hugs. He looked up, feeling small.
“But I can’t,” Connor sighs, “I’m an android, Hank. A public official. What I do reflects on my people. Because of how many androids turned to violence when they deviated, it could only take one outburst to sway public opinion. We already have enough humans against us, and we still have a long way to go. I don’t want to mess that up for Markus and the rest of the leaders at New Jericho.”
It doesn’t seem to matter why the androids attacked, despite coming from long-term abuse, any humans against their cause twist the news to their favor. If news were to get out that Connor snapped at an officer, it could be misconstrued to be him undermining humans. While the RK knows he’s being paranoid, it only takes one incident to ruin everything while androids are still fighting to find steady footing.
But, Hank has his back, and he’s been working to rebuild his credentials, with the Captain fully supporting his recent change in attitude. Would it be enough to protect him from any potential backlash? Connor isn’t sure he could handle anymore after the Hart Plaza incident got out, cameras showing the RK800 pointing a gun at the back of Markus’s head before he regained control. Unfortunately, the damage had been done. A week after the revolution, the footage was all over the news. It was nearly too much for the android. He can’t take it happening all over again.
The lieutenant has never steered him wrong before, though, and it made him feel good to know he’s helpful to the man. Connor gave Hank a tired smile, “Okay. I trust you.”
With a deep sigh escaping a set of beard-framed lips, the lieutenant found himself nodding at the younger’s explanations regarding the whole issue of who he was - and the things he had to do for the sake of his own people. For Markus, for the other Androids, fighting to gain the same rights, being allowed to just live their life to the fullest without constantly getting reminded on the fact that they had once been created to serve mankind in any shape or form, not to develop their own opinions and experience feelings.
Yeah, Hank could understand - yet he felt that Connor shouldn’t allow himself to be a damn punching bag when it came to that. He was still a person, a living being, one that didn’t need to breathe but still experienced the same emotions than humans did. The old cop had seen it with his very own eyes, after all, had noticed those tears running along smooth synthetic skin, that helpless, overwhelmed expression lingering in the deep of dark doe-eyes, the exhaustion written all over his manmade self.
The Android deserved a break - and to be treated right, didn’t matter that he needed to keep a certain act up to please humans, because said humans were fucking idiots unable to just accept whenever change was happening to their oh-so-not-perfect, utterly fucked up world.
“---I know. ...I know that things suck very much right now, Connor., an’ I guess things will stay like that for a lil’ longer. But... I still meant what I said. I still think you deserve the right to say ‘no’ whenever someone is treating you badly, an’ that you deserve the right to not do someone else’s work. ---As I said, I’m gonna have your back, an’ Jef - ...uh, Fowler will as well, I’m very sure ‘bout that.”
They didn’t need to go all out with such things after all, right? Just a subtle hint coming from his partner would be enough for the lieutenant to try and steer his colleagues into another direction - tell them that he himself had witnessed them shoving paperwork at the Android, which he did not approve of.
They would make it work - without Markus and the other Androids having to suffer because of possible backlash.
Nodding again, hank gave Connor’s shoulder another squeeze, meant to be comforting before his hand finally fell away, blue hues flicking away for a second before trailing back to meet the younger’s own gaze, a hint of a lopsided smile stretching over his middle-aged features.
“...Things will be okay, partner. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but... at some point, they will. As long as I’m around, I’ll try my damn best to improve your and your people’s experience on this planet.”
It was the least he could do, after all.
