#avian hazard | Rook

[kingedbishop]

"Most likely, it won't. But it won’t change the truth, whatever that may be."

It was hardly surprising that some androids would pick up superstition in their pursue of humanity. It only meant they should bother with the ones who were still willing to listen to reason, or at least who didn't deny reality. Markus didn't appear to belong in such category, so he saw even less of a reason to respect his wishes.

Bishop could tell his copycat over there was also contemplating that plan. If anything, he had to agree Nines' idea of framing some deranged android would quickly shut down any investigation. But he still crossed his arms and stared disappointed at both. Messing with Markus apparently wasn't motivating enough.

So there was some difference between the two of them after all. Bishop filed that pointless fact away and took a sip of his drink.

Rook stared at the gash on Ellis' face now that he had brought attention to it, her hand instinctively going for the scar on her cheek.

"I'm glad all that crap didn't change you." Rook said. Willow nodded as well.

"It would have been a shame, indeed." the cyborg added, before turning to Kelvin, "Oh, one more thing…"

For the sake of sparing Dan the hassle of dealing with the other Bishop's outbursts, Willow quickly informed Kelvin about how to best approach the other android, especially if he planned to be around Vincent again in the future. Touching was also unadvised with him, though being quiet and cooperative were good ways to get the other android's approval.

Now she just had to figure out what had caused Dan's reaction. She was positive she had followed the procedure properly and had limited the amount of data shared to avoid overwhelming his systems.

"…Yes, I came to the same conclusion as well." she replied, retracting her hand, "I don't actually require physical contact in order to establish a connection. If you could explain to me what caused your reaction, we may be able to work around it to make these exchanges less unpleasant."

"Well, the first reason is that Willow lives around here— More or less on the other side of the world." Rook said, "So I am often in the neighborhood, so to speak. Now that I know where you guys are, we can drop by whenever."

But it was about time they got back to their original quest. Rook considered leaving Bishop behind, but that would probably make things with the EPF a bit more complicated.

So they had to prepare accordingly. Willow once again proved that she had no need for a pocket dimension by pulling out a plastic container from an internal pocket of her coat.

"Well, Bishop has a major case of sticky fingers. A pan wouldn’t be practical to defend in the place we have to get back to." Rook explained, "And no, that isn't the strangest thing I’ve seen Willow pull out of her coat."

"Such is the price of wanting to find mysticism where there is none. Keeping in mind you all came from an assembly line can be humbling."

Then again, he came from one too and his ego was endless. There were some ideas that shouldn’t be run by Bishop, as it was suggested by the way he immediately looked way more present while pondering the idea of going through some heads. He was very tempted to suggest to do to the same to Kamski to see whether there was anything in there at all.

"Before you proceed, do consider how bad it would look if the public were to find out that a member of law enforcement is harassing a central figure in the android revolution." Bishop advised, "So you can prepare accordingly."

"Stop giving him ideas." the other Bishop snapped.

"I'm hardly doing anything!"

Willow glanced at Dan, "Yes, I understood as much. Social protocols shouldn’t be difficult for him to grasp. His personality is already predisposed for socialization."

"Yeah, you're a nice dude." Rook translated.

"And I'm sure it will be the case for Kelvin as well, with a bit of patience and time." Willow added, before placing a hand on Kelvin's arm to provide him with some information on the type of person Vincent was and how to deal with him. "Look but do not touch is the preferable approach."

Though she had the feeling the android Bishop could grow fond of him as well. He seemed to prefer being around quiet androids anyway and that would probably keep both out of trouble as well.

In the meantime, he'd keep glaring at the human Bishop as long as Vincent would be around him. Bishop simply ignored him as he accepted the glass without a word.

"Yes, it was quite troubling indeed. But it's still somehow not the strangest circumstances I've seen a shady company being involved with." As it was too long to explain with words, Willow waited for a moment where Dan wasn't handling anything too dangerous and grabbed his arm to share what she had seen in a more orderly manner.

Rook shrugged, "Whatever it is, it will have to wait. We can only save one world at a time, but it's one more reason to come visit some other time. How about that, Strasky?"

[kingedbishop]

"Pleasure doing business with you." he replied.

"Go fuck yourself!" The doors were shut just a second too late, it seemed. Rook still wasn't about to sit quietly, though her anger quickly turned into frustrated sulking as she leaned slightly on Strasky, "I don't like he's got the chance to use your friends against you."

Bishop bumped his fist on top of the van. As it drove off, the old agent turned away and quickly rejoined his men. There was a lot of work to do before they could move on from this disaster of a mission.

He smiled back a bit, mainly out of habit as smiling is what he usually did and would do so whenever acceptable. He was just a generally happy person, and that was something he was fine with.

"Alright, sounds good." He nodded as he helped Rook into the vehicle before he spoke with her.

"Maybe at the end of the ride, if not... I'm sure I can figure out something." He would do his best if that was the case, and he had a few ideas of how to remove them as they probably wouldn't effect him.

[kingedbishop]

There was no resistance from either. Rook was still dealing with all the extra energy she had absorbed from the explosion and was surprisingly warm, even for her standards. While as far as Bishop was concerned, he was done with both and had no reason to get any closer to the entrance than he already was. He didn't trust Shade not to get up to any nonsense now that he was free to roam again.

"As I said, she's free to go." the agent replied calmly, "I got what I wanted. Now, I would appreciate it if you could both take your leave."

"Well, I could use a ride home." Rook said, "And I'd rather not stay around to see how many missiles Bishop can shoot at you. We should really go, Shade."

All things considered, throwing herself in the middle of an explosion and looking just a little aloof afterwards was quite the achievement. She was just a little stiff, what with the current state of her body.

"…Oh. It's still there." The flames bent at an angle and coalesced to form Rook's missing arm. "Good as new! Are you also in your right mind, Bishop? I don't want to spend the night here troubleshooting your stupid brain."

Bishop tugged at the lapels of his coat, finally content with the way he looked. "You're free to go."

Well, she didn't need to be told twice. Rook walked to the hangar door and raised the orb. What definitely wasn't a moment of hesitation was quickly replaced by a chuckle as the arcane trap lit up. "I choose you, Pikachu."

[kingedbishop]

"Such is the price of wanting to find mysticism where there is none. Keeping in mind you all came from an assembly line can be humbling."

Then again, he came from one too and his ego was endless. There were some ideas that shouldn’t be run by Bishop, as it was suggested by the way he immediately looked way more present while pondering the idea of going through some heads. He was very tempted to suggest to do to the same to Kamski to see whether there was anything in there at all.

"Before you proceed, do consider how bad it would look if the public were to find out that a member of law enforcement is harassing a central figure in the android revolution." Bishop advised, "So you can prepare accordingly."

"Stop giving him ideas." the other Bishop snapped.

"I'm hardly doing anything!"

Willow glanced at Dan, "Yes, I understood as much. Social protocols shouldn’t be difficult for him to grasp. His personality is already predisposed for socialization."

"Yeah, you're a nice dude." Rook translated.

"And I'm sure it will be the case for Kelvin as well, with a bit of patience and time." Willow added, before placing a hand on Kelvin's arm to provide him with some information on the type of person Vincent was and how to deal with him. "Look but do not touch is the preferable approach."

Though she had the feeling the android Bishop could grow fond of him as well. He seemed to prefer being around quiet androids anyway and that would probably keep both out of trouble as well.

In the meantime, he'd keep glaring at the human Bishop as long as Vincent would be around him. Bishop simply ignored him as he accepted the glass without a word.

"Yes, it was quite troubling indeed. But it's still somehow not the strangest circumstances I've seen a shady company being involved with." As it was too long to explain with words, Willow waited for a moment where Dan wasn't handling anything too dangerous and grabbed his arm to share what she had seen in a more orderly manner.

Rook shrugged, "Whatever it is, it will have to wait. We can only save one world at a time, but it's one more reason to come visit some other time. How about that, Strasky?"

"I'm sure some would be disappointed to hear this, but evolution doesn't exactly happens by mistake. The deviancy had to have been caused by something Cyberlife did."

Of course, that didn't necessarily prove Kamski had a direct hand in it as he claimed, but the opposite case would imply the company failed to detect an extremely serious case of sabotage. That being said, if Willow expressed a wish to kill the man, then he was definitely implied in this.

But of course, that wouldn't be worth anything in court. Bishop pushed his shades up as he considered the logistics of identifying patient zero.

"Well, obviously reducing the timeframe would improve the chances of finding that android. Patient zero should be searched among those androids that were placed in roles that allowed them to interact with as many more as possible. It's rather simple."

Being a stubborn man, Bishop didn't see why this had to wait until Peter had something to say on the matter.

"And if you can't expose yourself, get my copycat on the case. He isn't afraid to ask questions." Whatever passed for questions with these two.

"The pleasure is mine." Willow replied. She watched the brief interaction between Ellis and Kelvin with a curious look. The two of them were very different from all the androids she got to observe so far.

"Maybe you should give sign language a try." Rook said.

"Another attempt might be more successful now." Willow confirmed. She wasn't familiar with the recipe Dan wanted to try, but it sounded promising.

She moved to stand in a better position from where she would be able to watch without being in the way.

"Well, the circumstances of the accident that left Kelvin in this state are most concerning. I may look into it once our current quest is complete."

"It must be bad if Willow wants to go on another adventure right away." Rook said while eyeing Vincent. If he was around, then his shadow had to be nearby.

Though it seemed the version of Bishop she found to be slightly more likable was more interested in his lookalike at the moment.

[kingedbishop]

"I'm sure some would be disappointed to hear this, but evolution doesn't exactly happens by mistake. The deviancy had to have been caused by something Cyberlife did."

Of course, that didn't necessarily prove Kamski had a direct hand in it as he claimed, but the opposite case would imply the company failed to detect an extremely serious case of sabotage. That being said, if Willow expressed a wish to kill the man, then he was definitely implied in this.

But of course, that wouldn't be worth anything in court. Bishop pushed his shades up as he considered the logistics of identifying patient zero.

"Well, obviously reducing the timeframe would improve the chances of finding that android. Patient zero should be searched among those androids that were placed in roles that allowed them to interact with as many more as possible. It's rather simple."

Being a stubborn man, Bishop didn't see why this had to wait until Peter had something to say on the matter.

"And if you can't expose yourself, get my copycat on the case. He isn't afraid to ask questions." Whatever passed for questions with these two.

"The pleasure is mine." Willow replied. She watched the brief interaction between Ellis and Kelvin with a curious look. The two of them were very different from all the androids she got to observe so far.

"Maybe you should give sign language a try." Rook said.

"Another attempt might be more successful now." Willow confirmed. She wasn't familiar with the recipe Dan wanted to try, but it sounded promising.

She moved to stand in a better position from where she would be able to watch without being in the way.

"Well, the circumstances of the accident that left Kelvin in this state are most concerning. I may look into it once our current quest is complete."

"It must be bad if Willow wants to go on another adventure right away." Rook said while eyeing Vincent. If he was around, then his shadow had to be nearby.

Though it seemed the version of Bishop she found to be slightly more likable was more interested in his lookalike at the moment.

Bishop gave a rare nod of approval. "Here's hoping she doesn't waste her chance."

So perhaps Nines wasn't so bad at his job after all. He was definitely smarter than his colleague, despite the attitude, though he had yet to figure him out. It would take a while if he kept focusing on meaningless details.

"Perhaps it's due to me not finding my own humanity jeopardized by the existence of different forms of sentient life." Not the ones in the room at least. "Your prudish boyfriend and the individuals you interact with at the precinct don't constitute a particularly heterogenous group."

Bishop then pushed his shades up, signaling he was done with the topic.

Willow slowed down to match Kelvin's pace. She knew well how having to work around permanent damage in order to function felt like, so she didn't mind.

Besides, that gave her time to check on her surroundings again and eavesdrop on whatever was getting Bishop all worked up. It would be entertaining to force him into more social interactions. He sounded kind of miserable.

"I'm saying it because some people end up worrying if they said something wrong." Rook explained. Willow could look a bit intimidating at times, after all.

Though that didn't seem to be the case as the cyborg smiled upon spotting Ellis.

Rook patted her arm. "Hey, Willow. I see you made a new friend." she asked, waving her hand at Kelvin.

"So have you."

"I sure did!" Rook replied, "It's fun around here. There's a lot of cool guys and they're even nice enough to make you second breakfast."

"I wouldn't ask, if it would be an issue." And Dan clearly had no trouble with it. "I will try whatever you'd enjoy preparing the most… And I would like to watch."

[kingedbishop]

Bishop gave a rare nod of approval. "Here's hoping she doesn't waste her chance."

So perhaps Nines wasn't so bad at his job after all. He was definitely smarter than his colleague, despite the attitude, though he had yet to figure him out. It would take a while if he kept focusing on meaningless details.

"Perhaps it's due to me not finding my own humanity jeopardized by the existence of different forms of sentient life." Not the ones in the room at least. "Your prudish boyfriend and the individuals you interact with at the precinct don't constitute a particularly heterogenous group."

Bishop then pushed his shades up, signaling he was done with the topic.

Willow slowed down to match Kelvin's pace. She knew well how having to work around permanent damage in order to function felt like, so she didn't mind.

Besides, that gave her time to check on her surroundings again and eavesdrop on whatever was getting Bishop all worked up. It would be entertaining to force him into more social interactions. He sounded kind of miserable.

"I'm saying it because some people end up worrying if they said something wrong." Rook explained. Willow could look a bit intimidating at times, after all.

Though that didn't seem to be the case as the cyborg smiled upon spotting Ellis.

Rook patted her arm. "Hey, Willow. I see you made a new friend." she asked, waving her hand at Kelvin.

"So have you."

"I sure did!" Rook replied, "It's fun around here. There's a lot of cool guys and they're even nice enough to make you second breakfast."

"I wouldn't ask, if it would be an issue." And Dan clearly had no trouble with it. "I will try whatever you'd enjoy preparing the most… And I would like to watch."

Bishop listened with contempt to the story of North's many, totally expected shortcomings. It really wasn't surprising to hear of the existence of such clubs, nor that an android employed at one exhibited the most violent behavior.

It was also expected that nothing had been done about it. In fact, Bishop was willing to bet nothing beyond peer shaming would keep being done about it until consequences hit. That was how it always went, after all.

"Right. Well, that's inevitable when you have a highly traumatized population. North should be seeking professional help, public shame isn't sufficient."

It was going to be a public safety concern as much as it was a social issue and arguing with Dan wasn't enough.

"Even if you don't care about her, it should interest you in virtue of being a law enforcement officer that the causes of her behavior are addressed. It's simply irresponsible to stand around shaking heads waiting for the consequences."

Perhaps it was the fact North's actions didn't concern the planet and people he actively fought for, or perhaps it was the topic that made Bishop able not to be quick with his judgement. Either way, he'd rather discuss responses to trauma instead of Nines' less than professional work relationship.

Bishop looked up, "You brought up the topic, you don't get to complain about how I decide to contribute." he replied, with a wave of his hand, "And it's all you'll get to know. We can't have your colleague get jealous now, do we?"

As a clone, Willow worked with a looser definition of what qualified for a twin. Nines' efforts to have nothing to do with either RK800 didn't change the fact that they looked a lot alike.

"Yes, that's typical behavior from the youngest sibling." And she would stick to that thesis even if Nines' disagreed with the concept. It was amusing and any efforts to change her mind would have only reinforced the impression.

She was more interested in Kelvin's reaction anyway. So they were after the right person. With a face and an identity, it would be no trouble hunting this Jack down. Willow quietly followed along, her hands folded behind her back while she planned on where to look for the human.

"Then, I'm more than glad to give Dan a reason to do so."

Though she also felt like checking on Rook. Willow didn't enjoy leaving her double on her own for too long with Bishop around. It never ended well.

"Oh, Willow is nice. You just have to figure out how to take her." Rook reassured.

A little disclaimer was in order. Willow meant well despite her general demeanor. She just so happened to be a clone of somebody who enjoyed being a nuisance and only did so much to avoid leaning in on that side of herself.

[kingedbishop]

Bishop listened with contempt to the story of North's many, totally expected shortcomings. It really wasn't surprising to hear of the existence of such clubs, nor that an android employed at one exhibited the most violent behavior.

It was also expected that nothing had been done about it. In fact, Bishop was willing to bet nothing beyond peer shaming would keep being done about it until consequences hit. That was how it always went, after all.

"Right. Well, that's inevitable when you have a highly traumatized population. North should be seeking professional help, public shame isn't sufficient."

It was going to be a public safety concern as much as it was a social issue and arguing with Dan wasn't enough.

"Even if you don't care about her, it should interest you in virtue of being a law enforcement officer that the causes of her behavior are addressed. It's simply irresponsible to stand around shaking heads waiting for the consequences."

Perhaps it was the fact North's actions didn't concern the planet and people he actively fought for, or perhaps it was the topic that made Bishop able not to be quick with his judgement. Either way, he'd rather discuss responses to trauma instead of Nines' less than professional work relationship.

Bishop looked up, "You brought up the topic, you don't get to complain about how I decide to contribute." he replied, with a wave of his hand, "And it's all you'll get to know. We can't have your colleague get jealous now, do we?"

As a clone, Willow worked with a looser definition of what qualified for a twin. Nines' efforts to have nothing to do with either RK800 didn't change the fact that they looked a lot alike.

"Yes, that's typical behavior from the youngest sibling." And she would stick to that thesis even if Nines' disagreed with the concept. It was amusing and any efforts to change her mind would have only reinforced the impression.

She was more interested in Kelvin's reaction anyway. So they were after the right person. With a face and an identity, it would be no trouble hunting this Jack down. Willow quietly followed along, her hands folded behind her back while she planned on where to look for the human.

"Then, I'm more than glad to give Dan a reason to do so."

Though she also felt like checking on Rook. Willow didn't enjoy leaving her double on her own for too long with Bishop around. It never ended well.

"Oh, Willow is nice. You just have to figure out how to take her." Rook reassured.

A little disclaimer was in order. Willow meant well despite her general demeanor. She just so happened to be a clone of somebody who enjoyed being a nuisance and only did so much to avoid leaning in on that side of herself.

It wouldn't be right to say that Bishop couldn't relate to that so called 'emotional baggage'. It was mostly that he didn’t give a single damn about the whole debacle.

"Can she really be blamed? Humans reinvented slavery and took the time to design what I'm sure is an extensive catalogue of accessories for its own most depraved enjoyment."

And there was no amount of nonsense that would convince him there were other reasons for doing that. Bishop pushed his shades up, before raising an eyebrow at Nines. "Why should I? Mine didn't come out of an assembly line." Did it, Bishop?

That was apparently the hill he would die on in absence of anybody who could disprove his claims.

Willow could think of better words than Strasky's suggestion. She didn't exactly go around shouting about being an AI in a cloned body. She could understand the confusion.

"This is hardly your fault. I actively try to blend in most of the time. I find it's better than having to repeatedly explain the circumstances of my existence." She raised her hands in a shrug, "And what better place is there for a cyborg to hide than among androids?"

There was some irony in an android making assumptions because she looked normal enough, but she wasn't about to point it out.

"I'm more appropriately defined as a cyborg. But you had good reasons to assume I was just another anomaly like Dan, or your moody twin. In fact, I was expecting either of them to give me away."

Or that other Bishop. She knew he was able to detect her.

"I can tend to the software, but Peter should address the physical damage. I believe a talk with Dan may be in order regardless. I don't trust the human we're looking for to be respectful and I could do with a snack." Willow added while inspecting her hand, "My blood sugar level is getting a little low."

She had helped because she could, but any excuse for sweets was good in her book.

Rook watched the exchange with curiosity. Whatever kind of mess had happened, it sounded like they all had a great time playing games together.

"Come on, guys. Humans can't even be nice to each other." she scoffed, "But now I want to meet Kelvin properly. Something tells me I should."

Or at least she should check on Willow. This was the sort of story that caught the cyborg's attention and as nice as it was of her to care, they still had work to do.

"I should check on her. Hey, Ellis, do you wanna meet my sister? I bet she's going to like you."

[kingedbishop]

It wouldn't be right to say that Bishop couldn't relate to that so called 'emotional baggage'. It was mostly that he didn’t give a single damn about the whole debacle.

"Can she really be blamed? Humans reinvented slavery and took the time to design what I'm sure is an extensive catalogue of accessories for its own most depraved enjoyment."

And there was no amount of nonsense that would convince him there were other reasons for doing that. Bishop pushed his shades up, before raising an eyebrow at Nines. "Why should I? Mine didn't come out of an assembly line." Did it, Bishop?

That was apparently the hill he would die on in absence of anybody who could disprove his claims.

Willow could think of better words than Strasky's suggestion. She didn't exactly go around shouting about being an AI in a cloned body. She could understand the confusion.

"This is hardly your fault. I actively try to blend in most of the time. I find it's better than having to repeatedly explain the circumstances of my existence." She raised her hands in a shrug, "And what better place is there for a cyborg to hide than among androids?"

There was some irony in an android making assumptions because she looked normal enough, but she wasn't about to point it out.

"I'm more appropriately defined as a cyborg. But you had good reasons to assume I was just another anomaly like Dan, or your moody twin. In fact, I was expecting either of them to give me away."

Or that other Bishop. She knew he was able to detect her.

"I can tend to the software, but Peter should address the physical damage. I believe a talk with Dan may be in order regardless. I don't trust the human we're looking for to be respectful and I could do with a snack." Willow added while inspecting her hand, "My blood sugar level is getting a little low."

She had helped because she could, but any excuse for sweets was good in her book.

Rook watched the exchange with curiosity. Whatever kind of mess had happened, it sounded like they all had a great time playing games together.

"Come on, guys. Humans can't even be nice to each other." she scoffed, "But now I want to meet Kelvin properly. Something tells me I should."

Or at least she should check on Willow. This was the sort of story that caught the cyborg's attention and as nice as it was of her to care, they still had work to do.

"I should check on her. Hey, Ellis, do you wanna meet my sister? I bet she's going to like you."

There were only a few things that scared Bishop and intimacy wasn't one of them.

While it wasn't really his thing, he acknowledged its infuriating effectiveness and didn’t see why Nines shouldn’t use it. It was his colleague's fault for being so easily manipulated.

"I suppose we found which human trait he's the most proud of." he mused, leaning back in his chair. He would find this funny, if only it wasn't forcing him to think about Cyberlife's priorities with what they had certainly called a state of the art machine at some point.

It was more telling about Nines that he felt like bragging about his relationship with his colleague anyway.

"Are you going to keep bragging about your add-ons, or are we going to play?"

He was starting to miss the feral mutants.

Willow took a step back, giving Kelvin some space to steady himself and enjoy his slightly less chaotic perception of the world.

"I understand the concern. However, I'm not an android. In fact, I was designed to extricate far more extensive systems."

Either way, she was glad to be able to help in any measure. Willow glanced back to Kelvin. She didn't mind looking for Jack, but she also had very little faith in humans as a whole. The chances of a reunion, let alone a happy one, were very low.

"In any case, communication should be slightly more efficient now. The rest of the damage shouldn't be anything Peter can't address personally."

Rook chuckled at Ellis' joke, "I have the feeling you'd have a great time in a ball pit."

Her gaze went back to her phone. Willow was being unusually stingy with information for some reason, but it seemed like it wasn't much of a problem for Dan.

"I guess that checks out. Maybe you should ask Kelvin directly. Willow got some clues out of him, you might as well show him this guy and see what happens."

A big thumbs up emoji appeared on the phone screen. Willow was definitely up to something.

"If it doesn't work, she can do some more digging. Finding information is kinda her thing."

[kingedbishop]

There were only a few things that scared Bishop and intimacy wasn't one of them.

While it wasn't really his thing, he acknowledged its infuriating effectiveness and didn’t see why Nines shouldn’t use it. It was his colleague's fault for being so easily manipulated.

"I suppose we found which human trait he's the most proud of." he mused, leaning back in his chair. He would find this funny, if only it wasn't forcing him to think about Cyberlife's priorities with what they had certainly called a state of the art machine at some point.

It was more telling about Nines that he felt like bragging about his relationship with his colleague anyway.

"Are you going to keep bragging about your add-ons, or are we going to play?"

He was starting to miss the feral mutants.

Willow took a step back, giving Kelvin some space to steady himself and enjoy his slightly less chaotic perception of the world.

"I understand the concern. However, I'm not an android. In fact, I was designed to extricate far more extensive systems."

Either way, she was glad to be able to help in any measure. Willow glanced back to Kelvin. She didn't mind looking for Jack, but she also had very little faith in humans as a whole. The chances of a reunion, let alone a happy one, were very low.

"In any case, communication should be slightly more efficient now. The rest of the damage shouldn't be anything Peter can't address personally."

Rook chuckled at Ellis' joke, "I have the feeling you'd have a great time in a ball pit."

Her gaze went back to her phone. Willow was being unusually stingy with information for some reason, but it seemed like it wasn't much of a problem for Dan.

"I guess that checks out. Maybe you should ask Kelvin directly. Willow got some clues out of him, you might as well show him this guy and see what happens."

A big thumbs up emoji appeared on the phone screen. Willow was definitely up to something.

"If it doesn't work, she can do some more digging. Finding information is kinda her thing."

"Welcome to personhood. You will now be subjected to an even dafter set of expectations and assumptions."

It was hard to expect any empathy from him. People have always been judgmental and set in their prejudices. If it took an uprising to get androids to where they were now, it would take them as much, if not longer, to accept that faces didn't match personalities.

He had no such issues. Those exceptions all accounted towards the strategic information he collected so obsessively.

"Indeed, you shouldn't. Then again, the chances of finding someone that similar or different might be about the same. Not that I ever cared to look into this topic to know."

He only cared about his own Earth and how to defend it. Bishop watched the androids' reactions, not showing any emotion of his own. It technically was an effective strategy, they had no reason to act so outraged.

But also, that gave him another chance to poke Nines. "You really are well trained. Are you recommending this because you've personally been testing this strategy?"

Willow heard the question clearly, but unfortunately couldn't provide an answer yet. She would look into it later as improving Kelvin's conditions had the priority at the moment.

The flood of garbage code was a fraction of the data stream she was accustomed to and so fond of. She worked carefully, but swiftly to clear up some of that mess to bring some order. Carthage's products were constantly copied, she could leave behind a couple of useful algorithms without worrying too much about conflicts.

'I don't know. But we can look for him.' she replied.

As soon as she had replenished her nanites. The process was completed in a few minutes and she retreated within herself to give Kelvin some space.

"Well, that was an educational experience." she mused, looking back to Sixty, "As I said, I could deal with this."

Really, she didn't enjoy putting herself in danger.

"I guess that works, but wear and tear is bad too. You've got to practice your skincare routine, you know?"

It seemed Rook felt confident enough to start messing around as well. She watched the interaction between Dan and the construction units. It was really heartwarming to see they were free to form that kind of relationships as well.

"Yep, it's great when people find each other." she said, before pulling out her phone, "Willow says that Kelvin is looking for somebody named Jack. Is that one of you guys?"

[kingedbishop]

"Welcome to personhood. You will now be subjected to an even dafter set of expectations and assumptions."

It was hard to expect any empathy from him. People have always been judgmental and set in their prejudices. If it took an uprising to get androids to where they were now, it would take them as much, if not longer, to accept that faces didn't match personalities.

He had no such issues. Those exceptions all accounted towards the strategic information he collected so obsessively.

"Indeed, you shouldn't. Then again, the chances of finding someone that similar or different might be about the same. Not that I ever cared to look into this topic to know."

He only cared about his own Earth and how to defend it. Bishop watched the androids' reactions, not showing any emotion of his own. It technically was an effective strategy, they had no reason to act so outraged.

But also, that gave him another chance to poke Nines. "You really are well trained. Are you recommending this because you've personally been testing this strategy?"

Willow heard the question clearly, but unfortunately couldn't provide an answer yet. She would look into it later as improving Kelvin's conditions had the priority at the moment.

The flood of garbage code was a fraction of the data stream she was accustomed to and so fond of. She worked carefully, but swiftly to clear up some of that mess to bring some order. Carthage's products were constantly copied, she could leave behind a couple of useful algorithms without worrying too much about conflicts.

'I don't know. But we can look for him.' she replied.

As soon as she had replenished her nanites. The process was completed in a few minutes and she retreated within herself to give Kelvin some space.

"Well, that was an educational experience." she mused, looking back to Sixty, "As I said, I could deal with this."

Really, she didn't enjoy putting herself in danger.

"I guess that works, but wear and tear is bad too. You've got to practice your skincare routine, you know?"

It seemed Rook felt confident enough to start messing around as well. She watched the interaction between Dan and the construction units. It was really heartwarming to see they were free to form that kind of relationships as well.

"Yep, it's great when people find each other." she said, before pulling out her phone, "Willow says that Kelvin is looking for somebody named Jack. Is that one of you guys?"

"The attention always falls on the outlier at first. But you can rely on the fact that eventually, they'll give up on trying to correct you in that department."

It was the only viable alternative, as it wouldn't be acceptable to make people choose to mind their business the way he had done.

Bishop returned the glance from behind his shades, though he hardly moved at all, "This is the point where my head scientist would be rambling about the infinite anomalies of a multiverse. You only happened to hear about another Strohmeier who is both a soldier and a romantic interest for a Peter Strasky."

He might as well toss that out there as well. Privacy and manners were things Bishop rarely respected, unless it was convenient for him. It was no surprise he didn't care about what Nines did in that regard.

"Nevertheless, he was the most successful of the survivors. Not only he neutralized one of the abominations threatening his base, he's well on his way to a full recovery, unlike the talking corpse."

The jumbled mess and fragmented memories weren't enough to discourage Willow. Trying to make sense of what Kelvin was sharing was no different from following whatever discourse was going on in Cyberspace.

She took note of what was being shown to her, being especially interested by the moment Kelvin started acting like a deviant. Could there be a connection between the anomaly and what had caused the crash?

That could be analyzed later. Knowing the entity of the damage helped with the solution. Willow raised her other hand to get Kelvin's attention. "Keep talking to me. I will try to fix you now."

She made sure to repeat the message a couple of times for good measure. The Core quickly instructed her nanites on their task, before sending them on their way. She doubted he would be able to physically speak immediately, but her hope was to sort out his software at least enough to make things a bit less confusing for him.

She briefly glanced back over her shoulder, "Calm down. I have dealt with worse."

"Yeah, of course they didn't care." Rook said, "What's stopping you from wearing them now, though? It's not like Peter's going to object to that. He clearly cares about all of you guys."

And it didn’t look like they were short on material either. Rook pushed her shades up, hiding her annoyed look.

"I know that kind of person well. You'd think there's a limit but I get schooled by clients on how to do my job. Some people just like being assholes like that. They did it to each other before they did it to androids. What matters is that you get to tell them off now."

[kingedbishop]

"The attention always falls on the outlier at first. But you can rely on the fact that eventually, they'll give up on trying to correct you in that department."

It was the only viable alternative, as it wouldn't be acceptable to make people choose to mind their business the way he had done.

Bishop returned the glance from behind his shades, though he hardly moved at all, "This is the point where my head scientist would be rambling about the infinite anomalies of a multiverse. You only happened to hear about another Strohmeier who is both a soldier and a romantic interest for a Peter Strasky."

He might as well toss that out there as well. Privacy and manners were things Bishop rarely respected, unless it was convenient for him. It was no surprise he didn't care about what Nines did in that regard.

"Nevertheless, he was the most successful of the survivors. Not only he neutralized one of the abominations threatening his base, he's well on his way to a full recovery, unlike the talking corpse."

The jumbled mess and fragmented memories weren't enough to discourage Willow. Trying to make sense of what Kelvin was sharing was no different from following whatever discourse was going on in Cyberspace.

She took note of what was being shown to her, being especially interested by the moment Kelvin started acting like a deviant. Could there be a connection between the anomaly and what had caused the crash?

That could be analyzed later. Knowing the entity of the damage helped with the solution. Willow raised her other hand to get Kelvin's attention. "Keep talking to me. I will try to fix you now."

She made sure to repeat the message a couple of times for good measure. The Core quickly instructed her nanites on their task, before sending them on their way. She doubted he would be able to physically speak immediately, but her hope was to sort out his software at least enough to make things a bit less confusing for him.

She briefly glanced back over her shoulder, "Calm down. I have dealt with worse."

"Yeah, of course they didn't care." Rook said, "What's stopping you from wearing them now, though? It's not like Peter's going to object to that. He clearly cares about all of you guys."

And it didn’t look like they were short on material either. Rook pushed her shades up, hiding her annoyed look.

"I know that kind of person well. You'd think there's a limit but I get schooled by clients on how to do my job. Some people just like being assholes like that. They did it to each other before they did it to androids. What matters is that you get to tell them off now."

It was hard to say what the intention was there. Even Bishop's compliments sounded condescending.

"I can attest to the effectiveness of that method. There is no place for personal feelings while on duty."

Then one could be particularly wise and never stop working to avoid it completely. Bishop shuffled his cards as he waited on the androids. The question got no major reaction out of him other than the vague frown any attempt at asking him to disclose information got. He sat with his back straight, as expected from an agent of his caliber.

"Well, if you want to know about the human that looks like him," he pointed to John, "Claiming that I know him would be an overstatement. We met less than 48 hours ago. The brief conversations we had and all the flattering things I was told hardly make up for that. All I can tell you is that he was in the military and is of particular importance for Strasky."

And he was mostly neutral despite his interest in the skills of a fellow military men.

Willow showed a distinctively cautious approach as well as the link was established. While she had connected to unstable systems before, it was always best to feel around first, before risking to cause additional damage.

Though she was still confident she could handle this and even attempted talking back. "I would like to have a look at your memories. The others here believe it would help them understand you better if they knew how you were damaged. Additionally, I may be able to repair some of it as well."

Rook shrugged, "It isn't really what I'm aiming for with my streams, but I could steal some of those lines. It might throw them off enough to shut up whenever I stop playing to go back to Minecraft. I just can't be bothered and I don't want to scare my pets with random screams."

She made sure to keep her distance, knowing better than to get in the way while somebody was working.

"Yeah, I figured that was the case. Does that mean you've got to refill sometimes? Like wiper fluid or something like that."

[kingedbishop]

It was hard to say what the intention was there. Even Bishop's compliments sounded condescending.

"I can attest to the effectiveness of that method. There is no place for personal feelings while on duty."

Then one could be particularly wise and never stop working to avoid it completely. Bishop shuffled his cards as he waited on the androids. The question got no major reaction out of him other than the vague frown any attempt at asking him to disclose information got. He sat with his back straight, as expected from an agent of his caliber.

"Well, if you want to know about the human that looks like him," he pointed to John, "Claiming that I know him would be an overstatement. We met less than 48 hours ago. The brief conversations we had and all the flattering things I was told hardly make up for that. All I can tell you is that he was in the military and is of particular importance for Strasky."

And he was mostly neutral despite his interest in the skills of a fellow military men.

Willow showed a distinctively cautious approach as well as the link was established. While she had connected to unstable systems before, it was always best to feel around first, before risking to cause additional damage.

Though she was still confident she could handle this and even attempted talking back. "I would like to have a look at your memories. The others here believe it would help them understand you better if they knew how you were damaged. Additionally, I may be able to repair some of it as well."

Rook shrugged, "It isn't really what I'm aiming for with my streams, but I could steal some of those lines. It might throw them off enough to shut up whenever I stop playing to go back to Minecraft. I just can't be bothered and I don't want to scare my pets with random screams."

She made sure to keep her distance, knowing better than to get in the way while somebody was working.

"Yeah, I figured that was the case. Does that mean you've got to refill sometimes? Like wiper fluid or something like that."

Well, he couldn't say no to a chance to be obnoxious at somebody else’s expense. Whether it landed didn't really matter. Bishop simply refused to get mad over it, as it'd look pretty pathetic.

"Some detectives would disagree with your statement, but I understand. The greatest minds treasure their solitude."

Though he could appreciate Nines' general demeanor. If there was something Stockman could have done with was the ability to be quiet.

Bishop casually shuffled his cards as he tried picturing the scientist finally shutting the hell up. "Indeed. Keeping a low profile should keep you out of any such talks until the danger has passed. Now, should we play another round?"

Kelvin's arrival didn't go unnoticed and soon enough, Willow was walking up to him, a plushie in her hand as she made sure to catch his attention. Her pink hair was hard to miss and even then, she was carrying an item related to the current task that definitely couldn't be ignored.

"Hello, Kelvin. My name is Willow." she signed, as it felt polite to try that first, then held out her hand so she could attempt establishing a connection.

"Oh yeah, the music's great." Rook agreed, "I haven't played Hollow Knight yet. My stream chat keeps saying I should, but I feel like they just want to watch me swear at cute cartoon bugs in funny ways."

She clearly didn't sound thrilled at the idea. Rook watched Ellis get back to work.

"So, what's wrong with this car?"

[kingedbishop]

Well, he couldn't say no to a chance to be obnoxious at somebody else’s expense. Whether it landed didn't really matter. Bishop simply refused to get mad over it, as it'd look pretty pathetic.

"Some detectives would disagree with your statement, but I understand. The greatest minds treasure their solitude."

Though he could appreciate Nines' general demeanor. If there was something Stockman could have done with was the ability to be quiet.

Bishop casually shuffled his cards as he tried picturing the scientist finally shutting the hell up. "Indeed. Keeping a low profile should keep you out of any such talks until the danger has passed. Now, should we play another round?"

Kelvin's arrival didn't go unnoticed and soon enough, Willow was walking up to him, a plushie in her hand as she made sure to catch his attention. Her pink hair was hard to miss and even then, she was carrying an item related to the current task that definitely couldn't be ignored.

"Hello, Kelvin. My name is Willow." she signed, as it felt polite to try that first, then held out her hand so she could attempt establishing a connection.

"Oh yeah, the music's great." Rook agreed, "I haven't played Hollow Knight yet. My stream chat keeps saying I should, but I feel like they just want to watch me swear at cute cartoon bugs in funny ways."

She clearly didn't sound thrilled at the idea. Rook watched Ellis get back to work.

"So, what's wrong with this car?"

That brief show of emotion was met with the same look as before, as Bishop made sure to guard himself at the same time. That was subtle, he had to admit that. Perhaps Cyberlife had managed to create something worth the while.

"I suppose that's a limited sample. Although I would expect someone designed to do detective work would be provided with a deeper understanding of this sort of behavior."

Just because he personally chose not to act like a human being most of the time, it didn't mean he didn't understand how they acted. Then again, that might have just been another jab.

He looked back to his cards, "As they do. You can at least trust in the debate taking so long to get to a point that you might outlive the people involved."

That was what he did anyway.

"Ah, that works." Rook pulled out her phone, "Did you catch that, Willow?"

"Of course." Willow was already on the lookout. A rushing android should be hard to miss.

"Sorry about that. It's better to keep our guards up with Bishop around."

Then again they hadn't heard from the agent in a while. Rook followed Dan all the way to the garage. She didn't know what to expect, but it looked like the construction units looked friendly enough.

"Well, you should probably mention that hole in the wall you made." That seemed like something that should concern these androids.

While she was expecting to spot a familiar face, she could have never guessed who it actually was.

"Yeah, I'm new around here. I'm Rook, nice to meet you!" she replied with a smile, "Okay, that's good to know. I haven't played that game but I like Jet Set Radio. Do you know that one?"

[kingedbishop]

That brief show of emotion was met with the same look as before, as Bishop made sure to guard himself at the same time. That was subtle, he had to admit that. Perhaps Cyberlife had managed to create something worth the while.

"I suppose that's a limited sample. Although I would expect someone designed to do detective work would be provided with a deeper understanding of this sort of behavior."

Just because he personally chose not to act like a human being most of the time, it didn't mean he didn't understand how they acted. Then again, that might have just been another jab.

He looked back to his cards, "As they do. You can at least trust in the debate taking so long to get to a point that you might outlive the people involved."

That was what he did anyway.

"Ah, that works." Rook pulled out her phone, "Did you catch that, Willow?"

"Of course." Willow was already on the lookout. A rushing android should be hard to miss.

"Sorry about that. It's better to keep our guards up with Bishop around."

Then again they hadn't heard from the agent in a while. Rook followed Dan all the way to the garage. She didn't know what to expect, but it looked like the construction units looked friendly enough.

"Well, you should probably mention that hole in the wall you made." That seemed like something that should concern these androids.

While she was expecting to spot a familiar face, she could have never guessed who it actually was.

"Yeah, I'm new around here. I'm Rook, nice to meet you!" she replied with a smile, "Okay, that's good to know. I haven't played that game but I like Jet Set Radio. Do you know that one?"

It was difficult to read Bishop when he could maintain his usual frowny look regardless of the circumstances. His android counterpart specifically chose not to show a greater range of emotions, despite being more open about them, but the agent had spent several decades pretty much surgically removing his.

There was no reason for him to stick around to play a card game and chat when he could be off helping with important research back at the base. But since going back currently wasn't an option, a usually well hidden side of him was beginning to show as he specifically went out of his way to bother Nines.

He couldn't do otherwise. He had to antagonize the other person in the room who was keeping him from having full control of the exchange.

"That's what they all say." At least it was entertaining enough to keep him from trying to find enrichment by starting a fight.

"At this point, all the military can do is hide its involvement in case there is an investigation." He would know. He had done that plenty of times.

"Yes, you can ask Willow to give it a shot." Rook replied, "She might not have a long conversation with him, but she might be able to give you some more information on Kelvin or the way he thinks. It kinda sounds like he's trying to save the stuff you're teaching him on bad sectors of his memory. Maybe she can do something about that."

It was likely that Willow was still listening in on the conversation, but she found showing up with a solution to somebody's problems unprompted could feel a bit condescending. The best way to do this was to inquire her directly.

"That sucks. But at least they didn't start selling him around like a rare collectible." She would make sure to not bring the topic up with Brent though. He deserved to be treated like he was his own person. "Sure, I'd like to meet this other guy."

It was better than getting chased around by mutants.

[kingedbishop]

It was difficult to read Bishop when he could maintain his usual frowny look regardless of the circumstances. His android counterpart specifically chose not to show a greater range of emotions, despite being more open about them, but the agent had spent several decades pretty much surgically removing his.

There was no reason for him to stick around to play a card game and chat when he could be off helping with important research back at the base. But since going back currently wasn't an option, a usually well hidden side of him was beginning to show as he specifically went out of his way to bother Nines.

He couldn't do otherwise. He had to antagonize the other person in the room who was keeping him from having full control of the exchange.

"That's what they all say." At least it was entertaining enough to keep him from trying to find enrichment by starting a fight.

"At this point, all the military can do is hide its involvement in case there is an investigation." He would know. He had done that plenty of times.

"Yes, you can ask Willow to give it a shot." Rook replied, "She might not have a long conversation with him, but she might be able to give you some more information on Kelvin or the way he thinks. It kinda sounds like he's trying to save the stuff you're teaching him on bad sectors of his memory. Maybe she can do something about that."

It was likely that Willow was still listening in on the conversation, but she found showing up with a solution to somebody's problems unprompted could feel a bit condescending. The best way to do this was to inquire her directly.

"That sucks. But at least they didn't start selling him around like a rare collectible." She would make sure to not bring the topic up with Brent though. He deserved to be treated like he was his own person. "Sure, I'd like to meet this other guy."

It was better than getting chased around by mutants.

The android looked over once again, waiting for Rook to snap back at him. When it was clear she intended to leave him alone he glanced back to Vincent. If his communication skills were poor, he felt he was about to set a new low, but still reached to give his friend a gentle pat in reassurance. Everything was fine, they were just having a feisty mutant over for a bit.

Bishop smirked. That gave him something to work with.

"Yes, that is expected behavior from the rebellious youngest brother."

Even the most collected deviant had to deal with their own emotions and while he couldn't say for sure how prominent Nines' ego was, Bishop would still poke at him until he got a reaction.

It was entertaining enough to him, in any case. He had no reason to stop.

"That's typical of private contractors." he mused, "So you were saved entirely by greed alone. I suppose there is some irony in that."

Much like the fact that androids were simply being tossed in a landfill instead of being recycled. It seemed Cyberlife's entire existence was simply tainted by incompetence.

Rook watched the way Dan's skin regenerated, glad to see no damage was done. The last thing she wanted was to be accused of having hurt the most important guy in the house, especially when she had done nothing but ask questions.

"Who knows, maybe he's patient zero." She shrugged, "Maybe he's like Sixty and likes the way he is. It's never good to assume somebody who's very energetic and content with what they have is dumb. I have a friend who is just as bouncy as Kelvin and she's smarter and wiser than most people."

It didn't look like Kelvin was causing real trouble on purpose. He just moved quietly and that made it easy to forget he was even there doing his own thing.

"So that's why you've got Commander Data running about. Maybe you could ask Willow to talk to Kelvin. He can't talk to you, but she can probably translate for him."

[kingedbishop]

The android looked over once again, waiting for Rook to snap back at him. When it was clear she intended to leave him alone he glanced back to Vincent. If his communication skills were poor, he felt he was about to set a new low, but still reached to give his friend a gentle pat in reassurance. Everything was fine, they were just having a feisty mutant over for a bit.

Bishop smirked. That gave him something to work with.

"Yes, that is expected behavior from the rebellious youngest brother."

Even the most collected deviant had to deal with their own emotions and while he couldn't say for sure how prominent Nines' ego was, Bishop would still poke at him until he got a reaction.

It was entertaining enough to him, in any case. He had no reason to stop.

"That's typical of private contractors." he mused, "So you were saved entirely by greed alone. I suppose there is some irony in that."

Much like the fact that androids were simply being tossed in a landfill instead of being recycled. It seemed Cyberlife's entire existence was simply tainted by incompetence.

Rook watched the way Dan's skin regenerated, glad to see no damage was done. The last thing she wanted was to be accused of having hurt the most important guy in the house, especially when she had done nothing but ask questions.

"Who knows, maybe he's patient zero." She shrugged, "Maybe he's like Sixty and likes the way he is. It's never good to assume somebody who's very energetic and content with what they have is dumb. I have a friend who is just as bouncy as Kelvin and she's smarter and wiser than most people."

It didn't look like Kelvin was causing real trouble on purpose. He just moved quietly and that made it easy to forget he was even there doing his own thing.

"So that's why you've got Commander Data running about. Maybe you could ask Willow to talk to Kelvin. He can't talk to you, but she can probably translate for him."

While Rook didn’t represent a threat, she definitely wasn't short on comments.

"Bishop's knitting. How do I even get myself in these situations?"

"Ungrateful bird." The android only briefly glared at her. It wasn't his fault if he wore the face of a monster.

"What's the matter now? I was under the impression this household promoted healthy siblings relationships."

Bishop doubted the taunting would distract Nines, but he really wanted to make it clear that he wasn't the only one who could read people to a decent degree.

It didn't mean he cared about their motivations, but he was aware of them.

"Oh, I see now that I'm playing cards with a rather exclusive group. Though I can't help questioning how the two of you were allowed to roam freely. Are you fugitives like my copycat?"

It seemed like a legit question to him. The military wasn't exactly known for giving up on important assets for nothing. They couldn't afford to let him, the most dedicated man to have ever lived, go away, Bishop had to wonder how they'd give the androids up.

"Well, we've got to try." Rook replied, "I went through what's left of his base and it gave me nightmares, Strasky is going through so much worse. And I still want to help those other people, even if some of them are annoying."

It was basic decency, really. Rook didn't mention the new android at first, assuming they were all able to detect each other to some extent. Dan's reaction quickly proved her wrong and prompted her to switch to her flames form the time being. She didn't want to end up like that wall.

"...Yes, Willow does that sometimes. She can keep track of each one of you guys and all the appliances too while she's in the area. That's why she's so calm. She can also probably go through all your circuits and stuff, but that'd be rude." Rook explained, "Who's that guy?"