My name is Connor. I'm the android sent by CyberLife. @unstablerk800 - Tumblr Blog

Jan 24, 2025

𝕊𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕝𝕖𝕤𝕤

Rating: Explicit Pairing: RK900/Fem!Reader (third person) Tags (tagging as I go): post-android revolution, kidnapping, angst/fluff, hurt/comfort, Stockholm syndrome, protective RK900, manipulation, solitary confinement, blood, injury, violence, gore, illnesses, RK800, RK800-60 and RK900 are considered siblings, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Rape/Non-con Elements Read on Ao3.

Chapter 13.

Chapter 14. 🔽

Chapter 15.

Word count: 6,5k

The natural order of the world was established anew after RK900 was activated. 200,000 of them was enough to hack themselves into everything and destroy half of America. So humans became what they should be in the new world order. They became the slaves, and androids were their new masters.

RK900 sat down in front of her, at the other side of the table in the kitchen. He placed down a small box from which contained all the necessary tools to trim and file her nails. Since Connor told them he'd work with the android animals for a few hours, RK900 thought it'd be best if they spent some time together. Just to fix her nails and test the waters about how she felt these days, because since they've met those humans, she was awfully quiet.

"Give me your hand, please", his voice was calm and quiet, and she obeyed him without saying a word.

A part of him wondered what else would she do without asking questions. How far would his authority over her go? His thoughts remained hypothetical; he wouldn't betray her trust. She'd been through enough in the past few days, he wouldn't add to it. If anything, he wanted her to feel safe around him.

He took her left hand in his own. He couldn't help it, he analyzed her nails. RK900 discovered that even though her hands had been cleaned many times since the incident, neither the medical androids nor her took good care of her nails, and they still told a story about how she was trying to scramble away from her attackers. She must've dragged her nails across concrete to get them so badly damaged. The thought alone made his stress levels rise.

RK900 said nothing as he picked up a tool form the box and trimmed her nails. Her hand felt slightly colder than usual in his hold. He worked in silence, trimming and then filing each and every nail so it wouldn't get stuck in her clothing and would grow out properly. He did an amazing job; she guessed he downloaded the instructions how to do it beforehand. For a brief second, she wondered how much data he'd downloaded so far just to take good care of her. It was almost… sweet.

Although, judging by his rapidly spinning electric blue LED, he had quite a few things to think about at the sight of her hands, and she couldn't help but guess the reason why.

"Do you know what happened?"

Her question caused him to pause, and his icy, grey eyes glanced up in hers. She was taken by surprise at how serious he looked then.

"I have my theories."

He ever so gently placed her left hand down before he reached out for her right hand. That one looked even worse than the left one. RK900 ran an analysis again.

"I know you fought back", he murmured, making her regret that she asked. "I know you were desperate to get away."

"Can we please not talk about it?"

His eyes shifted to look in her eyes again, but she was looking away. He didn't mean to trigger her, but it seemed that this was more than enough. Her cheeks flushed slightly and tears already gathered in her eyes.

"Of course", he agreed quietly. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to make you feel like this."

He trimmed her nails gently once again, then filed the edges, but there were two nails which were damaged way too much. He wondered why hadn't she told neither Connor nor him that her hand was aching from touching anything; it must've been painful to hold things with these nails.

"I'd like you to tell me how you feel in the future", he calmly reached for a small bottle of nail glue. As he opened the bottle and started to apply the glue, he could detect that her pulse was rising. He didn't look up, just continued to work. "You needn't worry or stress about this. I'd just like to know how you feel, so I can help you."

"I don't feel anything."

He finished putting the nail glue on her broken nail, and he looked at her face again. She was staring way away from him, probably at the clock on the microwave that displayed the current time.

"Nothing?" RK900 asked softly, and her eyes shifted back in his general direction.

"Nothing."

She did not make eye contact as she said that, and her hand became even colder in his palm. He knew she was lying. But he chose not to press on it.

"Alright", he acknowledged, then applied the nail glue on her other finger as well.

Later that day, while both him and Connor were with her in the bedroom where she snuggled up to RK800's chassis after she fell asleep – listening to his thirium pump regulator, as always –, Nines decided to talk about this with Connor. If they couldn't get to her to deal with everything she'd been through, they'll need to include a professional. There had been a large number of andriods who were fascinated by the human psyche, and would help humans deal with their traumas.

They could understand the surface symptoms, of course. She disassociated. She probably felt emotionally numb, because her mind couldn't deal with all the trauma she experienced. She'd try and shy away from situations that could be potentially triggering, and found little to no joy in activities she liked before. Of course, she probably was in constant pain due to her injuries that needed healing in the upcoming few days, but both androids agreed that if this state persists, they'd ask for help – whether she liked it or not.

~*~

She was sitting on the edge of the bed in silence. Nines walked in front of her, then he knelt on the floor and observed her face. She didn't move her eyes to look at him; she seemed like she wasn't even aware that she wasn't alone. Her eyes looked distant, empty, they've lost their shine.

The first two days with her after they've dealt with her abusers went by in relative calmness. She'd take care of herself in general. It just occurred to the android that she never once complained about the pain she must've felt. Both him and RK800 made sure she got her painkillers on time, but they could never determine whether they worked for her or not. She remained unresponsive when it came to her traumas. Both physical and mental. Whenever either of them tried to press on the events that took place in the underground tunnels, she would shut down.

And now, she was shutting down without anything even happening to her.

RK900 knew she left the tea and sandwich Connor prepared for her untouched. Her usual time for breakfast passed two hours ago, and she didn't want to eat last night, either. She looked calm, unbothered; but the circles under her eyes – coupled with his observations – let Nines know that something was terribly wrong. She didn't eat and couldn't sleep.

"Are you alright?" He whispered, his voice as soft and gentle as possible. She didn't reply immediately, just her lashes fluttered as she stared forward. "Please… talk to me."

He reached out for her hand which she rested in her lap. When he touched the back of her hand, she flinched, then her eyes came back into focus, and she stared at him like she wasn't even aware he was there until then.

"Nines?" She mumbled, looking confused.

"Yes", he murmured quietly, "are you alright?"

"I-"

She glanced around the room, trying to remember what was she doing there. What was she doing before this? She couldn't remember. Flashing lights and noises resurfaced in her mind and she felt nauseous as another splitting headache started to roll in her brain.

"I feel like-" She glanced down at him again, with a frown on her face. "Like I'm- trying to keep sand in my hands", she lifted her hands up and glanced down at them. His hand remained in her lap. She frowned slightly. "I don't- when did I come here?"

"You've been here since you woke up. Three hours ago", Nines replied softly. "Are you feeling alright?"

It was so hard to get her to answer this question, but they were patient. RK900 had to ask several times before he could get a proper answer out of her. It seemed that she had been conditioned not to complain or tell the truth about her well-being.

"I- don't know."

Nines tilted his head a little as his brows moved up slightly.

"You don't know?"

His quiet question made her glance back in his eyes. She looked troubled.

"I just. I just feel like something will go wrong", she confessed quietly. "I don't know what's going on." She paused for a few seconds before she added, "what is going to go on."

"Nothing is going to go on", Nines reassured her. "You are safe. We're safe. Everything will be alright."

"How- how can you be so sure?" She glanced around the room, unknowingly searching for a clue to figure out if this was a test or not. "We can't know. I can't know. I could… still be in there. In the lab."

A shiver ran across her body, RK900 could sense it. He took her hands in his own and gently squeezed her fingers; his touch was warm against her skin.

"They've given you substances that caused hallucinations?"

"Sometimes", she confirmed. "Although…" Her brows twitched. "Those felt different from this…"

"You've been in our care for weeks", he murmured. "This isn't a hallucination. I am not a hallucination. I am here, I am real. And I'm keeping you safe. Always."

There was a long pause as she was observing his face. Nines could see the understanding within her eyes until the spark gradually faded from them. He was at a loss.

"You need to eat", he decided, squeezing her fingers again. "I'll bring you something."

When he moved to get up, he stopped mid-movement when she grabbed his fingers tighter. He remained, crouching, in front of her.

"N- no, wait-", she frantically pulled his hands back against her neck, under her chin. "Don't."

Nines frowned, this time.

"You need to eat", he repeated slower, gentler. "You didn't have dinner last night, and you've missed breakfast today. Your body needs nutrients."

"I can't."

He gently removed his fingers from her grip and cupped her face in his hands.

"Why can't you eat, hmm?"

"It hurts." When Nines didn't reply just stared at her in shock – he wasn't prepared for this answer for sure –, tears gathered in her eyes again. "It hurts to chew."

Days passed since the accident. Days! And she said nothing! RK900 needed a few seconds to absorb that.

"Why didn't you tell us something sooner?"

"I- didn't want to be a burden-"

The way she broke eye contact and tried to lock her eyes onto something, anything, to distract herself told him more than anything else.

"Listen", his voice was as gentle as possible as he nudged her cheek to force her to look back into his eyes. "You're not a burden to any of us. If something hurts, tell us."

"Everything hurts, Nines", she blurted out the words as a sob shook her, "breathing hurts, drinking hurts, chewing hurts- even lying down and trying to fall asleep hurts. I don't want it to hurt anymore."

"I can help with th-"

"I don't know why can't I just lie down and die."

RK900's LED spun to red at an alarming rate. Even the thought was unbearable for him. He knew she was a human and that this must happen sooner or later, but if he had a say in it, it wouldn't happen in the upcoming few decades for sure.

"You say that because you're in pain", he said out loud, to calm her down and himself, too. His LED reverted back to blue – slowly. "I'm sure that if your injuries heal and the pain vanishes, you'll feel alright again."

"What if I don't? What's the point of me being alive?"

The android stared up in her eyes for a few long seconds. He didn't have answers to such questions; he couldn't know what to say to that. Earth's most sophisticated android could not answer such a trivial question.

"Would it suffice if I asked you to try and live for me?" Nines gently stroked her new tears away. "For us?"

She stared at him, her eyes full of unspoken emotions.

"Maybe", she whispered.

"Alright. Maybe it is. Let's just wait and see, okay?"

"Okay."

Nines slowly let her face go.

"You still need to eat, but if you're in that much pain, I'll bring you a stronger painkiller, this time."

Quietly standing up, he noticed that her expression morphed again, indicating that she did not want to be left alone. He reached out for her hand and when she slipped her fingers in his hand, he smiled a little at her.

"Just one step at a time", he told her quietly as she got up with him. "Alright? Just a step. And I'll be with you along the way."

"Promise?" She pulled closer to him, touching his arm with her other hand, pulling close to his synthetic body.

"Promise", he confirmed without hesitation, leaning closer to her to kiss the top of her head.

After he managed to get her stronger painkillers and she could eat and drink something, she announced that she was sleepy and tired and would like to sleep. While he knew that she was actively trying to escape her thoughts, he couldn't deny her the rest. He stayed with her all day, watched her as she slept, snuggled up close to his body as he monitored her.

She could sleep for long, long hours. As if she was catching up with sleep still.

The days found a calm rhythm, her injuries faded, her pain lessened and she seemed like she was alright. RK900 thought that he could go back to continue his own mission, when something unexpected happened.

It was a calm, regular morning. She was quietly eating her breakfast, staring off to nothing. Nines sat in front of her and scanned her vitals, as always, trying to figure out how to help and pinpoint her triggers. The doorbell rang and Connor walked over to the entrance to open it. A brief introduction could be heard before he was back in the kitchen – with a huge box in his hands.

"We have kittens", he announced, and brought the box next to her with a smile on his face.

She glanced down in the box and saw an orange cat mother with her six kittens around her. The big cat stared up at them, uncertain. There was a big, fluffy, dark blue blanket under them to keep them warm.

"Where did they come from?" She asked quietly, then glanced up at Connor who wasn't quick enough to erase his worried expression.

"A friend of mine", he replied, his tone sounding off. He took a moment to pause. Nines noticed that, and he straightened himself on his chair as he stared at Connor, unblinking. "…a friend of mine asked me to take care of them."

What happened?

Nines sounded direct after he was granted permission by Connor to connect.

Blip and Cain, Connor answered, we've lost contact with them.

Since when?

Three days.

Nines rose to his feet at the news. He walked over to her as she glanced up at him, and he could see that she sensed that something must've happened. He observed her without saying a word, then reached out to stroke her cheek with his right hand's knuckles.

"I'll be back soon", he promised her quietly, and when she nodded, he left.

A few hours passed by with Connor taking care of the cat and her kittens. When he was preparing lunch for her, she walked up to him, stopping on his right side.

"Connor", she mumbled.

"Hmm?"

He didn't look at her first, as he was focusing on cutting up the cucumber for the salad he wanted to serve to her.

"I've been thinking", she hesitated, then glanced at the slices of steaks quietly sizzling in the pan on the top of the stove. "I'd like you to put a tracker in me."

Connor's hands stopped what they were doing.

"What?" He straightened up and frowned, looking in her eyes.

"Please, put a tracker in me. In my veins. So I won't get lost again."

The android's LED spun quickly as he was processing her request. At the core, this was not a bad idea. They all knew that her collar could be removed, and they also owned technology that allowed them to track individuals. But for it to be her who requested it…

"Why would you want that?"

Connor's voice was soft and gentle, but she still flinched a little.

"It'd just feel right", she shrugged, her eyes pleading. "Please. Maybe I'd sleep better if I knew that even though if it happens again… you'll have a way of finding me."

"Alright", Connor replied quietly. "I'll talk about it with Nines, alright?"

"Thank you", she smiled at him, then walked back in the living room and sat down to relax.

Since Nines saw no harm and neither did Connor, they've scheduled the tracker insert for the next day with the help of the medical androids. When it was done and they've tested it, she looked much more calm and she seemed more relaxed with it.

Until everything went wrong.

That day was just another day. It was a Friday, her watch stated it that morning, when she walked out in the kitchen. She was barefoot, her hair was messy, and some of her bruises were still visible on her face as she yawned and wandered out of the bedroom. She woke up alone, but that was hardly unusual; RK900 and Connor often left the apartment or were occupied in another room, so she didn't panic. At first.

The living room and the kitchen was empty. She checked on the animals, too, but Connor wasn't there. There were no notes, no breakfast for her on the table… nothing. No sign of them.

She walked over to the fridge and opened it before she yawned again. She made herself a sandwich and ate – she knew how Nines was a firm believer of her eating breakfast, even if she didn't feel like she needed it –, then she made sure that Connor's living animals were fed, then she walked back in the living room where she covered herself with the soft plush blanket she got from Connor and she started to colour on her tablet.

Hours passed by. The apartment was so silent that she would've heard if someone dropped a pin. As the middle of the day approached, she decided to call Sixty, but he didn't pick it up. She tried to call Connor, but the line was dead. An uneasy feeling slowly, but surely, started to awaken in the pit of her gut.

The day went by without her handlers arriving back home. She wasn't sure what would happen if a human's handlers didn't come home, but at the same time, she didn't want to find out. As the night approached and she realised she'd need to sleep alone, she realised two things.

One, if she had to sleep alone, she wouldn't sleep at all.

Two, something horrible, terrible must've happened to RK900 and Connor, and she could do nothing about it.

She flicked up every light switch in the home as dusk arrived, and she started to pace up and down in the middle of the living room, thinking about everything she'd learned from the androids during the time she'd been with them. Even if they were destroyed, shut down, they'd upload their memories and they'd be able to come back. But what if… what if they weren't destroyed? What if they wanted to come back but could not because they were held captive?

She almost screamed in relief when the entrance door opened all of a sudden, but her heart fell to the bottom of her stomach as soon as she saw that it was neither Nines nor Connor – and not even Sixty – who entered the living room. She recognized this model; an MC500, an android with paramedic specifics. She met a lot of this specific android on the medical floor. He quickly scanned her, not the room. He scanned her watch, too; the gadget had been recording how many steps she took, and he was slightly surprised when he realised that the counter was over ten thousand steps that day – despite the limited space in the apartment.

"I need you to come with me", he told her, then turned around to lead the way.

"Where are my handlers?"

It occurred to him that she had a significant amount of stress in her voice. He half turned to glance at her; she followed him, worry clearly written on her face.

"We'll tell you everything you need to know", he reassured her, "this way, please."

He got into the elevator and she followed him.

"Please, tell me", she begged, on the verge of tears. "Are they alright?"

"We're unsure."

That only heightened her anxiety.

"How… how come you're unsure?"

He didn't answer her. As the elevator arrived, they stepped out and he led the way down a long corridor, to a room. She was anxiously fidgeting with the edge of her shirt as she discovered that the room was a big one they probably used for meetings; and this time, it was full of all sorts of androids. Some with LEDs, some without. They stared at her in absolute silence, and she was sure they could all hear the way her heart was beating hard and fast against her ribs. She was told to sit down on a chair at the end of the table, and when she complied, the man in front of her, on the other side of the table, started to speak.

"We've gathered here to talk about the possibility of your handlers being held captive."

She stared at the man in front of her. She knew him – remembered his face, his voice, his eyes, even though they were mismatched now. The tone of his voice was burned in her mind as she recalled what they've done to him for trying to help her.

"Markus?" She whispered, her hands twitching in her lap before they started to fidget with the edge of her shirt anxiously.

"Correct", Markus confirmed, looking her in the eye before his gaze dropped to the collar around her neck. He allowed her to have a few moments of silence to let that settle in, then he started to speak. "We've lost contact with RK900 and RK800 around midnight. They both were near the central park. Do you know anything about where did they go and why?"

Of course. Two androids suddenly disappear, and she'd be accused of doing something to them at once. She almost broke down in tears.

"No… no, they were with me until I fell asleep. I don't know where did they go", she replied quietly, her voice trembling with clearly detectable fear.

"Did they tell you anything about leaving the tower?"

"No", she frowned as she tried to remember. "They were quiet in the evening. They always are. I… I fell asleep with them being there. Near me. They know I don't feel safe if they're not around."

Markus frowned.

"You've had your fair share of trauma", he noted, "I'd hate to put you through more, but I have to. According to our laws, every human must be assigned to a handler. Since you've lost both of your handlers, we need to find a new handler for you."

Markus paused when he saw her expression. She looked confused, sad and… enraged? At the same time. There were so many complex emotions written on her face that he couldn't determine what did it mean at first.

"I'm… I don't understand", she said at last, "you said I lost them but… but they're just missing, right? They're not… dead?"

"We've lost our way to communicate with them", Markus nodded, "and our systems can't find androids if they've deviated. In the past few months, androids suddenly vanish. Those who're deactivated, find their way back to us, so we know that there is a lethal group of humans who're taking our people, but we can't do anything about them."

She stared at him as if she thought he was joking.

"You can't do anything about them", it wasn't even a question, she just echoed the last words of his sentence.

"No android can enter that place", Markus's expression darkened. "Their defense system makes it impossible for us to walk through the doors of the base."

The other androids exchanged bewildered glances; why did Markus confide in a human like her?

"Why are they taking androids?"

"They're experimenting on them", Markus's hands balled up into fists under the table. "They're trying to find a code that simulates pain for us. They want to destroy us. Isn't that what humans always want to do?"

Her hands trembled as she shook her head, her eyes full of tears. Knowing that this was the fate what Nines and Connor had to face enraged her.

"You know that's not true", she finally replied, raising her shaking hands to rub the tears away from her eyes.

"Most of the time it is true", Markus shook his head and leaned back in his seat. "Back to the matter at hand. You're in the lucky position that you can choose a handler for yourself, thanks to your unique status. Who'll it be?"

She blinked a few times to clear her head a little. He didn't even think about… he didn't want to try and free his people? Was he this afraid? The thought was numbing.

"I want my own handlers", she whispered then, steeling herself.

"They're gone. There's nothing we can do."

"There is!" She raised her voice now, and slammed on the table. "Infiltrate the base!"

"How?" Markus's tone was both annoyed and condescending. He tilted his head, his mismatched eyes narrowed. "Did you even pay attention to what I just said?"

"Send me!"

Markus stared at her for a few long, long seconds, as the other androids burst out in laughter around them. He knew she was deadly serious, and she saw that he was thinking about letting her do it. When the laughter died down, she looked even more determined than before.

"I am a human. I'm sure I can get in. You can arm me however you like – even if you take my collar down, you'll know where I am. I have a tracker in me." She paused, and when he said nothing, she continued, "I could find them and the others who were taken; I could free them all and neutralize everyone else."

"How would you neutralize everyone else?" Another android asked, making her look at him without her batting an eye.

"I'll kill them."

Markus was shocked at the cold determination that rang in her voice. He could recall snippets; glimpses of a time long gone. She must've learned to fight for herself since then. The lab… the tests… her helplessness…

"Please, Markus", she pleaded, and he realised he wouldn't be able to say no to her. Not to her."Let me try this. I… owe them this much. They've risked everything for me, not long ago."

Markus stared at her for a few long seconds, assessing the dangers she might face and the outcomes of her endeavor. This could be the very last time he saw her if he allowed her to do this – but at the same time, human allies were so very few. He might not have another chance like this, and they'd need to act fast.

"Alright", he decided quietly, his voice ringing in her ears. "But you're not going in empty handed."

~*~

"So, how did you find us?"

The question was met with an unnerving stare. It looked like the woman hadn't had food in days; she was pale and she looked dehydrated, her cheekbones were standing out more than they should've, but her eyes were glinting with a spark that could not be snuffed out by the bleak surroundings.

"I've had a team", she confessed, then fell in silence for a few seconds. The man let her think that through; allowing her a few moments of grief for her fallen comrades. "We heard that the androids were trying to find a human base somewhere nearby. Only I remained. Others either died or were captured."

They walked down a set of stairs. She had a bulletproof vest on under her simple coat, and she carried a gun in a holster attached to her waist. Unbeknownst to the man, she also had a dagger hidden in her boot. She followed him like a ghost, her steps silent as a cat's.

"Same story every day", the man grumbled and pushed a door open. Vivid lights scanned both of them, and she scrunched up her nose at it. "Sorry about that. Gotta make sure you're not an android. They're getting more clever with every fucking day, we need to be prepared."

"This device alerts you of unwanted guests?" She squinted, glancing up at the machine.

"Precisely. Makes 'droids malfunction the second they're scanned with that. Can't be too careful."

She took a good look on the machine, and tilted her head before she followed the man.

"By the way, I'm Gavin Reed." He turned to look at her now, grinning her way. "I was a cop before the shitstorm."

She made eye contact with him, unblinking, certainly unnerving him again.

"Milly Green", she uttered the lie effortlessly. "Journalist."

"I've never heard of you before", Gavin cocked his brow and sized her up again.

She didn't move, neither did she blink. She didn't look uncomfortable or nervous, as if she didn't even feel anything particular.

"I've worked for a small paper back in New York", she reassured him with a half smile. "Just before the androids woke up, I came here to write about them."

"Guess you'll never get your money for that article, huh?"

Gavin laughed out loud, but she didn't even smile. When he started to look suspicious, she realised she must say something about her behaviour.

"Like I said", she murmured quietly, "I've lost my team. In New York, too."

"Yeah… sorry. Me too."

Gavin ran a hand in his hair at the back of head awkwardly, then led her down a corridor where humans were scattered around in a bigger room. They've lit fires in metal barrels and gathered around them for warmth, others were sitting on the floor or lying down, covered in blankets. She observed them as they walked and said nothing about them. She counted fourteen humans, men, women and a few children.

"Get yourself comfortable", Gavin motioned around, and she stared in his face without a word. "This is all we have – apart from some fuckin' androids on the deeper levels."

He turned away to glance at a woman and her daughter, missing the way the woman's eyes lit up with a newfound curiosity.

"Androids? Here?"

Gavin smirked as he looked back at her.

"Yeah. Maybe I'll show them to you later. For now, just get some rest. You look exhausted."

She knew she wouldn't be able to rest. Not like this.

But she allowed a few hours of rest for Gavin while she discovered the entire area. Counting humans. Checking if they had weapons, and if they did, what sort of weapons did they have. Trying to gauge how much of a threat they were.

A day has passed during which she couldn't eat and couldn't sleep. She was invited to sit with Gavin in one of the dullest rooms she'd ever seen. From what she could see, Gavin was respected by the other humans, and he had some sort of important role in keeping peace here.

"So? Will you show me the androids you have here or what?"

Gavin raised a brow as he looked at her from where he was sitting. She looked bored.

"Curious, are you?"

"Of course I am", she replied almost eagerly, "I'd like to see how can you keep them contained. I'm a journalist, you know; I could spread the word and help other human bases if I ever move on from here."

Gavin remained silent for a few seconds.

"Sure, why not", he shrugged, "come with me."

He led her out of the room, down a corridor that ended in an elevator, which, after he'd pressed level -12, led right into another room that looked hauntingly like a test room at CyberLife. She felt nausea at the sight of the sterile, pristine clean walls and familiar signs plastered on the walls and windows. Gavin led her to an enclosed space; the bulletproof glass pane was impenetrable, and she knew that if she wanted to free those who were inside, she'd need to find a key of some sort. Then, she realised that the glass panes operated with palm scanners; similar to those Nines and Connor were using in their homes to make the alarms work.

"Here's our first", Gavin tapped the first glass pane and she crossed her arms across her chest as she walked up to next to him, just when Gaving flicked a switch on.

Inside, there was an RK900 inside the room; suspended from the ceiling by handcuffs. His torso had been torn in half; countless wires hung from his body, others were attached to him and to the wall behind him. His LED was rapidly pulsing in crimson, his cheeks stained with countless artificial tears that never stopped flowing. He still had his white-black jacket on, the numbers stating his number – #313 248 317 – 123 – but his high-necked velcro shirt had been ripped open. He barely could open his eyes to look at his visitors.

But when he did, his eyes locked with hers instantly.

She was shaking her head in horror at the sight. Gavin was too occupied with his pleased humming when he saw that thirium leaked from the corner of RK900's mouth.

"We're keeping him alive for tests", he told her in a calm, almost pleased tone, "he's the first. We've tested our latest creation on him first."

She got a hold of herself before he turned to look at her. She needed every ounce of her willpower not to break down crying. She folded her arms again, and grabbed her elbows to support herself.

"What is that?"

"We're integrating a software in their programming that creates the sensation of pain", Gavin smirked, "this one, here?" He pointed at the glass pane, and behind it, at the RK900. "It's been muted, because it had been screaming nonstop, so it works. It's CyberLife's last android prototype, so that means that if it couldn't swtich our software off, then the other androids wouldn't be able to turn it off, either. Our main problem is that they're unstoppable, they don't get tired and they don't feel pain; we wanted to remedy that with a nice dose of ones and zeros. And we succeeded. Soon, every fucking android will feel if they get shot or hit or cut. And that will give us an advantage against them. We'll overload their senses with so much pain that they'll be absolutely paralyzed from it."

She, once again, realised that humans were way too creative when it came to hurt others. The terror she felt at the mere sight of that RK900 – strung up like a piece of meat, feeling excruciating pain nonstop, not even allowed to scream...

"Marvelous", she whispered.

She decided, in that moment, that Gavin had to suffer.

"Will you show me the others?" She smiled at him sweetly, and he laughed quietly.

"Curious, are you?"

"I'm glad you've found a way to fight against them", she nodded enthusiastically. "And I'd like to see what else you've got."

"I'll show you our other inmates", Gavin decided, touching a scanner near the next glass pane. Lights switched on. An RK900 and an RK800 were in the next cell; both had their arms bound tightly behind them, the ropes digging into their plastic padding. RK900 stared up at Gavin at once, in silent rage, but the RK800 looked like he was unconscious. "We're keeping these two together", Gavin smirked as he said that, "it seems that they are in a close relationship with each other. Whenever we 'treat' one of them, the other tries not to react, but they always end up begging."

She glanced at their numbers on their dirty coats. RK800's ended with 95, while RK900's ended with 485. These weren't the androids she'd been looking for, but her heart broke for them all the same.

"There's a theory machines can learn how to love, but I think that's just humbug", Gavin scoffed, "how can a thing love another thing, you know? Bullshit."

"Yeah", she whispered, "yeah, insane."

She thought of all the times she cuddled with her RK900, or when Connor pecked her face, her temple, when they held her close. The way Sixty lifted her in his arms, saying he was worried they were late. Why couldn't two androids share such a bond? Who could say that a machine did not understand what love was?

The next cell Gavin showed her had only one android in it. An RK800. As soon as the light turned on, he turned to stare at his visitors, and he froze as soon as he saw her. His chassis did not have an active skin on; he looked metallic and pitch black, his optical units were dark with a shining, bright orange sclera.

Her heart felt like it sunk into her stomach. Her eyes fell on the jacket he still had on himself.

RK800 #313 248 317 – 13.

Her lips parted as he took a few steps towards the glass pane. How could this be possible? Thirteen was destroyed, taken apart by CyberLife. Unless the androids rebuilt everyone they've lost; unless they've restored what they could to give their own kin a chance.

The way Thirteen stared at her now made her realise he definitely thought she was dead. He walked up to the glass pane and his expression shifted into a mournful one. But he did not make an attempt to break out of his cell; he didn't touch the glass pane, either. Her eyes flickered to the palm scanner. Then…

Gavin did not pay attention to the android, but to her; noticing that she definitely looked like she knew the machine. The next second, she turned her head to stare in Gavin's face unblinking, with eyes so dark, so determined, that he knew insantly that they've allowed a wasp enter their little hive to destroy it from the inside out.

He realised in that moment that this was the end.