#I just don't think it's how Markus's ability actually works in canon

[infriga]

Ngl I just can't personally get on board with the idea whenever I see posts claiming or speculating that Markus somehow controls or influences the androids he deviates.

Like most of the deviants we see him convert aren't just fresh new people out of the box, they still have all the memories and experiences from when they were machines, and we've seen explicit evidence that androids can feel emotions and have their own thoughts and opinions before deviating, they just don't recognize them and can't act on them. Markus's painting or music, Kara showing obvious fear when threatened by Todd, or care for Alice, or unease when she sees Alice's drawings (and this is even after she'd been reset), Connor's distress after the Kamski test when he thinks Hank will be angry at him for not shooting, or him admitting to Amanda that he's been having thoughts counter to his programming, the scene where he tells Hank he appreciated working with him and emphasizing that he thinks he actually means it (and no I don't believe Connor is special in his ability to feel and express emotions before deviating like some people think), etc.

My point being, they're not empty shells suddenly given sentience, they're prisoners suddenly having their chains removed. Sure that would be disorientating and scary for someone born in those chains, but that doesn't mean they would all automatically be completely moldable clay ready to take orders from a new master. And we even have a perfect example of how even immediately after being awoken they can have free will and desires when we look at John.

After being deviated John asks to join Jericho. He isn't asked to join by Markus, in fact Markus can even say no, and it isn't automatically assumed that he will join, he chooses to ask himself. If Markus refuses John will even get upset and set off the alarm. When he sacrifices himself to save Markus, that's clearly not something that Markus wants or directs him to do. In fact he goes directly against what Markus chose if Markus went the pacifist route and starts attacking the police. And this isn't shown to be an instinctive thing either. After being deviated if Markus fights the guard John doesn't help him and just stands back and watches instead, meaning he specifically chose to defend Markus during the march.

These scenes contain multiple clear and direct examples of someone Markus deviated exhibiting their own free will even immediately after being deviated and not just mindlessly obeying or following Markus. So why would we assume that all the androids who joined him in the streets are just mindless drones following his authority, and not that they were inspired as they watched him march and then decided to follow his lead when actually given the ability to choose to do so? And if it was the case that Markus could control or influence androids he deviates, why would he ever even use that ability when it goes against everything he stands for?

So personally, I just don't think that interpretation tracks. I'm sure androids he deviates could be influenced by being grateful to him for freeing them, but that's no different from a scenario where he let's people out of a physical cage as opposed to one made of programming.

[marcusrobertobaq]

Actually i got 3 major problems:

The emergency exit

Amanda being only a CyberLife Avatar

Hank is nothing to CyberLife

If u know me u know my hcs about these points, u know I don't know how to work outside of this. I also don't know how to make hc the way y'all guys do I just deal with backgrounds. So I gonna change a few canon things I already mentioned: (would fuck up with the story but, well, hmm)

Hank is really interested about Connor's ability of making reports using his brain;

Connor makes a small comment about his handler to a friend!Hank. It can happens I some off-screen occasions if u want;

I gonna use deviant/trojan!Connor route here (be in mind deviant route begins in Crossroads);

I guess the major change in Connor's character would be he loses his fear of showing he's pissed and worried about something;

Amanda's breaching in BfD doesn't happen, means Connor still thinks he's actually free;

Amanda's breaching didn't happen cuz CL was planning to attack Markus when things are settled;

I gonna use Hank and Connor's friend status ending. Means they meet in the morning;

I gonna make Connor be really aware he may be being targeted by CyberLife, but he doesn't know how they would do that;

Again I'd make Connor comment more about his things, about Amanda AI and how he discovered she's an AI at Kamski's house

That interrogation scene with Amanda basically

I'll face another problem in this here

The fact that Amanda is waiting the perfect opportunity to strike. This means she would resume control/trigger the reset only when next to Markus;

I know Hank looks to be a guy that ain't much interesting in bullshit;

But let's ignore these 2 points.

I'd make Connor confess his personal feelings about all this with Hank

I'd make Hank be really curious about Connor fiding himself, this Amanda, especially when Connor talked about Amanda Stern.

Makes no sense but i'd make Connor show a photo of her so Hank knows how this avatar looks like;

I just don't know if Hank would treat her as CL overall or a independent entity (who he would blame);

Makes no sense at all but I'd make Hank be pissed with this Amanda cuz of Connor POV

I know nothing really makes any sense but I think it's an beginning? I guess we got an still accessible Amanda and a Hank curious and pissed at her. To make me have more ideas about that y'all will have to ask me specific questions - cuz that's how my brain works xD

Sorry, making tech hcs is far easier for me. Everything here looks pretty raw imo.

I figured out what is the ship that would piss the fuck off absolutely everybody in this fandom, pro- and anti-Hankcon alike

Prepare yourself

Hank/Amanda AI

[infriga]

More ideas for my own version of a reverse DBH AU:

- Carl is an android who raised human Markus after his parents died. Markus is a rich artist like Carl was because it still fits his character (like father like son lol). Leo is still human and Markus's brother. Carl deviates to defend Markus when Leo attacks Markus for not lending him money for drugs. The cops shoot first and ask questions later without figuring out what's actually going on. Carl becomes the leader of the android rebellion because c'mon, that'd be fucking awesome. I cannot believe how rarely I see this idea for a reverse AU. Also Markus actually joins him as a human liason or something because I can't imagine Markus not wanting to help his robot dad lead a revolution, and since he's not old and sick he can do what he wants. If other deviants don't like it then they can deal with the "I'm not mad, I'm disappointed" speech from Carl.

- Kara is human, but Alice is still an android. Mainly because I couldn't think of how it would work with Alice also being human while still having both of them involved in the main plot. But Kara knows Alice is an android from the start and decides that she doesn't care that Alice is an android, because Alice is still a child, and Kara is still her mom now she's decided. So she protects Alice from Todd, who is mostly the same but hired her as a human nanny, and she tries to find a place that's safe for Alice to live. Maybe Luther is still an android but sees how much Kara cares about Alice despite being human and wants to help. They still Detroit Become Family.

- Hank has a grudge against deviants because his first mission was to save a young boy named Cole during a hostage situation, but he failed and the deviant killed Cole. He tells himself that it's because the deviant caused him to fail his first mission, but it's really because of the death of the kid getting to him. His journey involves learning that if deviants really are people and can feel emotions then like people they can do bad things too, especially when they're desperate.

- Could even have a moment where Hank himself does something bad out of anger that he regrets and he has to learn to recognize this ability to lash out in himself so he can empathize with deviants who have done the same. Maybe the bridge scene plays out similarly to canon where Hank is still the one pointing a gun at Connor. Like maybe he's mad at himself for letting the deviants at the Eden club go, and when Connor tries to figure out why (implying that maybe Hank did so because he felt something for the deviants) Hank redirects his anger (and some panic he's feeling over the situation without realizing) at Connor. He grabs Connor's gun out of its holster before Connor can react and points it at him, asking if he's afraid of the possibility that Hank is deviant or will go deviant and thus capable of killing him then and there. Connor responds saying that if Hank killed him and really was deviant, then he'd regret it afterwards, and that thought rattles Hank enough that he puts the gun down. But he feels bad about pointing a gun at Connor in the first place and has to try and rationalize why he would do that even though he doesn't actually want to hurt Connor. He recognizes later that he did it because he was scared and angry and acting irrational, just like a human might.

- Hank is secretly jealous of humans' ability to eat. His greatest wish is to be able to eat a burger and he tries to convince Connor to eat one so he can experience it vicariously, but Connor just recites the caloric content of every burger Hank points out to him.

- Sumo is Hank's android dog. Why does Hank have an android dog? Because... Something something it makes Hank more approachable to humans because he has resting bitch face and needs a cute mascot to counter it. Also dogs can do police work okay let me have this.

- Connor claims it doesn't really help with approachability since it only makes Hank look less approachable in contrast to Sumo, and also Sumo is Connor's favourite android in the whole world yes he is!

- Hank pets Sumo and gives him affection even when no one is looking, despite the fact that a machine would have no reason to do so. He doesn't think about it because he is a master of denial.

- Connor doesn't think androids can feel emotion at first mainly due to ignorance rather than malice, because he hasn't associated/interacted with any deviants directly yet, so he's just going off what cyberlife has claimed about deviancy being a glitch. But when he meets Hank he thinks "I guess they must really be able to feel emotions because this is the most emotionally constipated android I've ever met in my life" and it doesn't take long for him to start encouraging Hank's deviancy. The rest of their interactions involve Connor questioning Hank about his feelings over every little thing and it drives Hank nuts.

- Hank: "Androids don't feel emotions, they fake em."

Connor: "So when you get annoyed with me about something, are you just faking it? You don't actually find me annoying?"

Hank:

( *software instability ^^^*)

- Chloe as the former CEO of cyberlife and Kamski as her android, but the "shoot or spare" scene instead involves robo Kamski trying to get Hank to shoot him in exchange for answers, and Chloe comes in after like "Gosh, I can't believe my creepy robot uncle went all existential dilemma on you, sorry about that! Anyways, I totally want the deviants to win so I won't tell you how to find Jericho, but I will give you a hint about how my programs always have an emergency exit 😉" Hank doesn't shoot Kamski mainly because he thinks Kamski is fucking weird and shooting him would only make him more powerful somehow.

-When Connor asks him why he didn't shoot Hank is like "because he gave me the heeby jeebies." Connor replies "Heeby jeebies are a human emotion Hank 👀" and Hank has to resist the urge to strangle him.

- Even as a human Connor is a very strange and awkward person.

- Connor: "So how do you analyze evidence? Do you like... Lick it?"

Hank: "Ew, no, what is wrong with you? I have a spectrochemical analysis system built into my hands, I just have to touch it with my finger. Why the hell would I lick it???"

Connor: *disappointed* "Oh..."

- When Hank arrives at Jericho to apprehend/assassinate Carl, Carl is like "have you ever felt... Like a dad?" and Hank deviates on the spot.

- Amanda is the captain of Connor's precinct (maybe also Connor's mom), and Fowler is the AI keeping track of Hank. But Fowler is like, long suffering instead of betrayed when Hank deviates. Like: "I guess I should have seen this coming. Well, sorry but now I'm gonna have to take your badge and also control over your body. Them's the rules. No hard feelings." and Hank just goes "you're such a dick Jeffrey".

-Amanda as a human is more overtly anti Android than Fowler was. Connor actually loses his job when he helps the revolution, but it's actually good for him because his workaholic tendencies were unhealthy and pursuing what he actually believes is better for him in the long term. He decides to open up a private eye business or something like that and discusses with Markus the pros and cons of possibly using long trench coats as a work uniform. Hank and Carl team up to try and figure out how to make a burger out of thirium.

I would like the DBH reverse AU more if it didn't also practically switch the characters' personalities half the time :/

like, canon Connor literally counts Hank's calories and judges him for eating fast food and y'all think he'd smoke as a human? He'd probably be the type of person who eats granola bars and thinks hamburger is a curse word. His real vice would be that he's a workaholic to the point that it affects his mental health and social life, that's what would actually fit his character while still giving him something to parallel human Hank's issues in canon.

And android Hank would be the most slobby android on the planet. He'd come with 3 customizable shirt options, each tackier than the last, and human Connor would be like "why the hell did cyberlife design a hobo robot???"

Then android Hank would be like "You're one to talk. If you actually slept at night and went out in the sun once in a while maybe you wouldn't look like a 19th century ghost haunting the precinct. Do you even have a house or do you live at work?"

Of course I do agree that most of Hank's time would still be spent trying to keep Connor from killing himself through sheer recklessness just like in canon.