#wanted to leave it vvv short and open to interpretation

[corferox]

@bransles​​​

     ❝ you ... shouldn’t be in here. ❞

[sabrinaleethings]

We Are Not Afraid: DBH SiMarkus Fanfiction [CH.5]

Markus and Simon were androids owned by famous artist, Carl Manfred. After his untimely death, Markus and Simon’s lives change forever as Leo, Carl’s disowned and criminal son, take ownership of them. Carl’s death doesn’t go unnoticed however, as Hank and his new android partner Connor, are hired to solve the case. Follow Markus and Simon as they forge a new path for the Android Revolution.

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FanFiction or Archive

Markus

November 16, 2034

“I want you to try, Markus.” Carl’s voice was soft as he rolled forward on his wheelchair. He stopped in front of Markus, gazing up at his android who stood in front of an empty easel. “Let’s see if you’ve got any talent.”

The mid morning sun casted golden streaks of light through the open windows of the artist’s studio, the empty glass paint canisters reflected hues of warm reds and blues on the makeshift tables.

Markus looked around, confusion poked and prodded his interface.

“Paint? P- But painting what?” RK200’s  voice was soft as the android surveyed the numerous paintings his owner had previously made. “It’s… that’s not part of my program.”

Carl sighed, but didn’t back down. He inched forward, closer to his android son. There was an experimental glint in his eye, the amusement and calm excitement seemed to radiate through the older man as he crossed his arms and gestured to the canvas leaning on a nearby table.

“Anything you want Markus.” A dried and forgotten painter’s pallet appeared in Carl’s hands as Markus’ LED spun golden.

RK200 sighed and ran his hand over his head, scratching at his short hair. A human gesture he’d come to easily learn by taking care of Carl.

“Carl,I-”

“Just try, son. ‘Doesn’t have to be any good.” The man in the wheelchair reached and handed the android the pallet.

Markus leveled the pallet on his hip, and grabbed a paintbrush from a nearby canister.

After adding blues, reds, and yellows to the pallet, the android looked around.

[...CURRENT OBJ: -paint-...]

The android’s emerald eyes landed on a few different things, including Carl’s original painting displayed on the wall, a pile of paint supplies precariously piled on the table nearby, the silhouette of trees outside in Carl’s backyard…

Markus decided.

The android dipped his brush into the splotches of paint, and began.

He analyzed Carl’s work in progress and committed every brushstroke, every texture, and every varying hue to memory as he painted.

An unfamiliar sense of peace seemed to wash through the android, it warmed his chest cavity but- not in a bad way, no. It was almost pleasant, enjoyable.

[ vvv SOFTWARE INSTABILITY vvv ]

Almost.

After a few passes with his paintbrush, before long, the android finished the painting he was tasked to do.

[...OBJ COMPLETE: -paint-...]

Stepping back and surveying his work, the android decided he did a perfect job at painting. Surely it would please Carl- it was a perfect replica of the android’s favorite piece of art Carl Manfred had created.

“That is a perfect copy...” Carl’s voice was low and smooth as he regarded Markus. “...of reality.” Carl sighed. The disappointment in his voice didn’t go unnoticed as Markus’ stilled in place, his paintbrush was frozen in time as Carl continued, “But, painting is not about replicating the world, it’s about interpreting it, improving on it…” His human eyes fell on his own painting. “...showing the world what you see.”

Markus momentarily panicked as he regarded Carl, he’d displeased him. Disappointed him, didn’t complete the task at hand.

“Carl, I’m sorry I-”

“Do something for me.” His voice hushed the android’s. “Grab that canvass over there, and close your eyes.”

Markus loosened a breath as he replaced his painting with a fresh, untouched one.

“Trust me.”

The android did.

Carl’s voice was hypnotic as he hummed to Markus, “Close your eyes, Markus. Try to imagine something that doesn’t exist.” Carl’s voice seemed to filled the air around them. “Something you’ve never seen.”

Markus’ processors were slow as he tried to comply to the command. When he closed his eyes, all he saw were colors, like the colors on a stained glass window. A million fragments of different memories, different scenes, all pieced together to create a mosaic of colors behind his eyelids.

“Concentrate on how it makes you feel, and let your hand drift across the canvass.”

Markus began to feel the heat growing in his chest again as he lifted the paintbrush to the white space in front of him.

The android’s LED spun bright yellow as he concentrated. Breaking through walls of coding and pre-programmed script was easy for the android as he let the rest of his mind wander. Like wading through water, the android bypassed all preconstructed script in his program that didn’t allow him to process his own emotions or opinions on reality.

Carl’s voice soothed and guided him as he continued to paint.

“That’s it Markus, just feel whatever it is that’s going through you. Accept it, and embrace it.”

Markus didn’t notice he was crying until the skin receptors on his wrist alerted him to an unknown presence tickling his synthetic arm hair. The android peeked through his tangled eyelashes only for a moment, to see a shining drop of liquid on his arm. As he blinked, another one fell, trickling down the top of his wrist like a raindrop on a windowpane.

His LED must have spiraled red for a moment as he processed what was happening. Androids shouldn’t cry, they weren’t programmed that way, he shouldn’t have been feeling anything…

[vvv SYSTEM INSTABILITY vvv]

“It’s alright Markus,” Carl’s hand was warm and soft on the android’s elbow. “You’re doing great.”

Memories and strange alien feelings were swimming through the android’s veins. Anger at humans for their regard to androids, pride and disbelief that Carl believed in him so much, even though he was only an android, hope for a world in the future where androids weren’t being used and abused as if they were mere possessions…

Taking a breath to try and cool the warmth that seemed to radiate throughout his android body, Markus opened his eyes.

It was like seeing for the first time, being brought online for the first time at CyberLife- the view surprised even Markus.

“Oh my God…” Carl’s voice faded into awe as he rolled forward and placed his hand on the small of Markus’ back. The android swayed on his feet as his processors fought to slow down.

Displayed in front of the two was a message of hope. Harsh paintbrush strokes textured an android’s hand as it sprouted from the bottom of the painting, desperately reaching for the waiting human’s outstretched hand above.

Hope. A future. Two things Markus never believed he could even possibly wish for. He was android, a biotic replication of a human but- why did he feel so alive?

“Markus!” The android turned, a gruff and loud voice stole his attention.

“Android!” Leo’s voice echoed through the studio, his voice so loud it drowned him, almost suffocated him.

“Markus!”

[-SYSTEM STARTUP INITIALIZING-]

There was a warm presence registered on his hand for just barely a second before it vanished.

Carl?

[...scanning for software errors…]

[...all systems online…]

[...GPS Found: 10319 S Lafayette Dr. - APPT. of LEO MANFRED-]

[...system startup COMPLETE…]

Android RK200 opened his eyes the same moment a pile of clothing was being thrusted into his arms.

“Get up fucker, and put these on. We leave in ten.” Markus had barely enough time to register it was Leo commanding him- the human had disappeared from the dining room before he was able to do a proper scan of his environment.

[...CURRENT OBJ: -change clothing-....]

The RK200 glanced down at the articles of fabric in his hands. Black jeans and an oversized hoodie draped precariously in his arms. Surprisingly, it was one of the cleanest things in the room.

Dust and dirt glittered in the morning’s sunlight. The floor was barely recognizable underneath the dirt and trash.

Markus’ head slowly turned as he noticed a slight warmth brushing his left bicep.

The PL600 android- Simon was it? - was in rest mode, leaning against the wall like Markus had just been.

The android’s LED spun a constant yellow, and a quick scan showed Markus that the android indeed still had mechanical malfunctions from the night before…

Markus traced his eyes down the side of the PL600- the blood and grime from the previous day had been cleaned, but the same clothes remained. Stained and reeking of human body odor and smoke.

Markus tilted his head slightly as he further assessed the android next to him. Simon was favorably leaning on his right leg, as if to reduce as much weight on his other leg as much as possible. The odd angle made Markus’ eyes drift lower, following the seams and lines down the side of the android’s arm.

Markus’ eyes froze as they reached Simon’s hand. The external skin on his hand was retracted, completely showing the plastic interface that usually was concealed under their synthetic skin.

Markus shifted his weight and stole his gaze back to himself, his eyes settled on his own left arm.

The skin covering Markus’ wrist was dissolved… as if he and Simon …

Shaking his head slowly as if to banish the thoughts, Markus glanced again at Simon’s hand where…

The PL600’s skin was already back in place.

“Simon? What-?” Markus’ voice was barely a whisper in the cold and empty room.

“You coming bitch, or what?” The apartment was so small that Leo’s yell seemed to shake the already crumbling walls.

“Yes, Leo.” Markus responded. The words seemed to feel sour in his mouth, like he shouldn’t have been agreeing.

[vvv SYSTEM INSTABILITY vvv]

Leo was already waiting by the front door as Markus approached. The human’s hands were shoved deep into his coat pockets as he swayed back and forth on two unstable legs.

Markus noticed the withdrawal effects from Leo’s red ice use was in remission at the moment- the human’s blood pressure was only slightly raised, his oxygen levels a little bit lower than usual but not enough to cause concern.

“First things first fucker,” Leo removed one of his hands from his pockets and gripped the door handle with white knuckles, “once we get back, you’re gonna completely wipe whatever memory or hard drive whatever you have in that head of yours.”

Markus straighten slightly, the synthetic muscles of his abdomen began to seize and constrict, creating odd discomfort in the android.

“You’re not gonna remember a fucking thing of what happens today, got it?” Leo’s voice was dangerously low, almost a growl as he regarded Markus.

“Yes, Leo.” Markus nodded his head slowly- his job was to obey and serve but- why did this feel so wrong? “It’ll be done.”

Satisfied with the answer, Leo grunted in response and made his way out, leaving Markus behind.

Markus could have sworn he heard soft footsteps padding behind him, but he didn’t dare turn. He had a job to do, and that was that.

Android RK200 sighed unconsciously, and followed Leo out the door.

Serve and obey. Serve and obey.

Markus’ inner programming thrummed through his mental processors as he sat in the front seat of Leo’s car.

Ever since leaving rest mode Markus felt, off. Weird.

Like there were holes and cracks in his programming that made his processing software slower, like it took more effort to think and react.

It could have been the fact that he dreamt last night, which androids shouldn’t do, or the possibility the PL600 tampered with his software while he was ‘asleep,’ he didn’t know.

Leo started his car and shifted into drive. The tires whined and screeched as the human accelerated too quickly down the road.

Android RK200 didn’t like the discomfort he was feeling, so he ran manual software checks as Leo drove them to whatever destination they were headed.

[...CHECKING SOFTWARE…]

…

[...NO DAMAGE DETECTED…]

…

[...RUNNING SELF DIAGNOSTIC…]

…

[...ALL SYSTEMS ONLINE…]

Markus shook his head as message after message appeared in his field of vision.The blinking white text was blinding. Nothing detected. Nothing wrong. The android’s hands were intertwined in his lap, but his knuckles were white as he squeezed and pulled on his fingers, a human gesture he somehow became accustomed to doing. Odd, since he’d only been online for little more than a day.

Frustrated, Markus ran the self-diagnostic and system checks again. And again. And again.

On his fourth or fifth scan, he was shocked back into reality.

The sharp and loud click of a gun being cocked stole Markus’ attention.

Leo was driving with one knee steering the wheel, and his hands prepping an old, police commissioned pistol.

The sweat on Leo’s brow became more apparent as the autumn sun highlighted the shining droplets.

Markus frowned, his green eyes glued to the trigger of the gun he’d used last night on Simon.

“Leo, what are you-”

“Don’t talk unless I tell you to, got it?” Cold, sharp, and laced with adrenaline, Leo gave his first of many commands to the android seated next to him.

Markus only nodded, his LED spinning crimson for a millisecond before returning to crystal blue.

The sun was hidden by a swarm of angry clouds as Leo parked his car in front of what seemed to be an abandoned house. The current condition of said building was almost replicant of Leo’s apartment. The gutters practically flying off with the fall breeze, the siding of the building was being torn and pried off by the elements outside, two of the three visible front windows were even boarded up.

“Alright tin can, listen closely.” Leo turned off the car as he scratched the stubble on his chin with the gun. “The fucker in there owes me money. Your job, is to get that money.” His voice began to fluctuate and rise in pitch, the hunger in his eyes devoured Markus.

“Leo there’s no way…” The back of the human’s hand connected with the android’s cheek- a gutteral whine escaped his lips. Androids didn’t feel pain the same way humans did, but the shock was still the same. Markus tamed his expression to hide the fear that seemed to gnaw at his stomach, and stared at his hands wrestling each other in his lap.

“I’m not gonna tell you again fucker. You get me my money, or you’re gonna end up in the fucking bottom of a goddamned lake.” Leo raised the pistol and leveled it at the android’s temple. “Understood?”

Android. Servant. Submissive. Obey.

Fear. Fear?

A bright red flashing wall of code and programming suffocated Markus. He tried to break through the walls, to say no, to disagree...but,

“Understood, Leo.”

The human leaned back and rested his head against the window. The pistol in his hand was lazily waved around as he finished his instructions.

“The guy’s name is Frank. His wife left his scummy ass for an accountant a while back- let’s just say he owes me for some of my favors.” Leo looked out the drivers side window at the house. His expression darkened at the view. “He’s got a daughter named Alice, cute kid I guess.” Markus felt the thirium pump louder and harder through his ears. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “I don’t give a shit what you do, but you’ve got two options. Either convince Frank to pay,” Leo lowered the barrel of the gun and tapped the android with the handle. “Or fucking shoot them all and take the money. I don’t give a damn.”

Markus raised a hand and grabbed the gun, the handle was familiar in his palm as flashbacks of the night prior synapsed through his memory. Shooting Simon, not wanting to shoot Simon…

“You get me my money, or I’ll fucking end you. Plain and simple.”

A blinking white message appeared in Markus’ view.

[:CURRENT OBJECTIVE: >obtain money<]

“As you wish Leo. It will be done.” Markus lowered the gun to his lap and his fingers idly traced the lines carved in the barrel of the gun.

It felt oddly familiar to Markus- the cool steel in his hands, the acceleration of his thirium pump in his chest, the incessant pounding of software processing that was happening in his head.

“I’ll be waiting for you right here when you’re done.” Leo crossed his arms and seemed to size up the android. His eyes skimming the frozen RK200. “You got ten minutes max before I leave.”

“Yes Leo.” Markus’ words were barely a breath between his lips.

“If you fuck things up android, you’re gonna shoot yourself in the fucking head before you let anyone catch you.” A smile pulled at the corners of Leo’s lips, his yellow tinted teeth shined through chapped lips. It sent Markus’ LED spinning golden as he processed the new command.

“Yes, Leo. I will not fail.”

“Good. Now get the fuck going.”

Markus nodded and released a shaky sigh. Androids weren’t supposed to get nervous, get scared, but the failure of this mission meant Markus’ death and, he didn’t want to die.

No. He didn’t want to die.

He must succeed.

The android swung open the old car’s door and stepped outside. The sun warmed his cheeks and the heat was absorbed into the black sweatshirt he wore- if androids could sweat, Markus would be dripping.

There was no pre-destined code or programming for this type of situation, so Markus scanned the internet quickly on his march to the door, and downloaded multiple police tactics and interrogation protocols that would hopefully come in handy should things turn out poorly. Ways to talk down someone who’s angry or panicked- what to do when facing someone who’s irate; and lastly, self defence maneuvers should it turn violent.

Oh, ra9… what are you doing.

Markus rubbed his hands together in the most human way he could fashion. Ideally, by mimicking known and familiar human gestures, he would be able to almost comfort and convince Frank that he wasn’t a threat.

Markus nodded inwardly to himself as another flashing countdown began in his peripheral vision. He had ten minutes to succeed. Or ten minutes to savor being alive… well maybe not alive, but fully functional at least.

The android rapped his knuckles on the faded and weary looking door. Opting for the most pacifist and ‘normal’ encounter he could would have a 70% chance probability that things wouldn’t get hostile. And if they did… the gun fashioned to his lower back by his waistband seemed to burn his synthetic skin.

[^^ STRESS: 15% ^^]

Markus lifted his hand again to knock for a second time when movement caught his attention. The faded yellow curtains inside the window next to the door parted slightly to frame a short and pert nose, along with two bright, brown eyes.

“Alice? My name is Markus, I’m a friend of your dad’s.” The android lied- being programmed as a domestic assistant and companion allowed the android to easily communicate and connect with the small child, though it was a struggle for him to wade through the software that seemed to be running at 50% capacity. “Can I come in? I’d really like to see him.”

The little girl scrunched her nose and pouted her lips, slowly shaking her head from side to side.

“Please, Alice?” Markus tilted his head and smiled, his emerald eyes were bright and focused solely on the small child. He didn’t notice right away that there was muffled yelling coming from inside the house.

“ Alice! ” Frank’s voice was thick and seemed to melt through the walls. “ Alice! Who the fuck’s tha- ” Markus stood taller, back inhumanly erect, as the door slowly opened. The human’s voice became louder and clearer through the now opened threshold.

“Who the fuck are you?” Markus didn’t need to run an analysis to know that Frank was both intoxicated, and still affected by a separate illegal substance.His breath was hot and reeked of death and decay.

“Hey Frank,” Markus played on the side of casual formality. “My name’s Markus, a friend of yours told me where you lived and asked me to stop by and chat with you for a bit.”

The man shifted on his feet and crossed his arms. He was roughly the same height as the android, if not a little shorter. His human eyes landed on the LED on Markus’ temple. “What friend we talkin’?”

Markus looked around outside, his head swiveled from over his left shoulder to his right- something that he took note of when researching suspicious behavior among humans on the streets.

“Maybe we should discuss this inside…” Markus suggested, his head bowing very slightly as he lifted an eyebrow in question.

“Fat chance android. Who sent yuh?”

[vvv PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS 62% vvv]

Markus ran through every possible scenario that was connected with each answer he concluded he could give. Giving Leo’s name and identification right away could either anger Frank, or cause him to understand the android’s presence immediately and force him to cooperate.

Giving Frank a false name of someone he’d done business with in the past however, could give Markus the invitation inside he desperately needed.

The goal was still the same. Obtain the money to deliver to Leo. Or die trying.

Markus felt himself yearning for a third option before his programming shut those feelings down.

Android. Serve and obey.

“Carl Manfred sent me.”

The human paled. His face turned clammy as all the blood fled from his cheeks. Markus had said something right he guessed, to warrant such a response.

“He- that dude’s fucking dead. The hell do you mean?”

It was a perfect opportunity for entry.

“Let me inside and I can explain. I am an android, model RK200 and I cannot lie.” Markus crossed his arms, mirroring the same stance the human held. “Out here isn’t the best place to discuss this.”

It took Frank longer than necessary to respond, but he did.

“Alice,” he turned to his daughter that was still staring out of the window. “Go to your room now, and don’t come out until I say.”

The fluttering of her footsteps disappeared up the steps, and as they faded Frank opened the door further.

“You got two minutes to explain yourself before I get really pissed.”

“Absolutely Frank.” Markus stepped inside, side shuffling past the brute of a man that blocked most of the doorway. “Thank-you.”

As the door clicked shut behind them, Markus stepped further into the front room. It wasn’t in the same condition that the outside showed, but there was still plenty of things trashed around the room that made the inside look sad and dark. Empty beer bottles scattered the kitchen table, and pizza boxes piled high on the floor near an overflowing trash can.

Everything inside was so dark . The boarded windows snuffed out any chances of natural light and the flourescent lightbulbs barely protruded the shadows that seemed to grow from every corner of the house.

Markus’ emerald eyes met Frank’s as the human slid a handgun from behind his back.

[^^^STRESS 45%^^^]

“Two minutes. Now.” Frank’s voice was loud, but unsupported. Markus could tell the man was exhausted, and not in any mood to waste whatever energy he had left.

“Got it.” Markus nodded and crossed his arms. His blue LED casted brilliant reflections on the walls surrounding them. “Without wasting your time Frank, I’ve been sent to collect the money you owe Leo Manfred.”

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me…” Frank inched closer to Markus, the gun hanged like a dead weight in the man’s hand.

“I wish I was Frank. Listen-” Markus started. “Carl knew before he died the business you and Leo had.” Markus didn’t know for certain if this were true, hell he’d never even met the famous painter before in his life, but, based on research online, Carl was a wealthy and affluent member of society. He controlled more than the common man, and maybe such power could convince Frank to submit. “He knew before his passing about the debt you owe to Leo, his own son . It’s time to pay that back now, Frank.”

“Go to hell.” The human raised the gun level to the android’s chest and this initiated Markus’ survival reaction. He held his hands up in surrender.

“Frank, you don’t want to do this. I know you’re a good father, you’ve tried your hardest these past few years, just end it with the Manfreds.” Frank growled through his teeth as he looked up through hooded eyes.

“Don’t act like you fucking know me, you know nothing .”

Markus stepped forward and lowered his voice.

“I’m not going to pretend to know you personally, you’re right Frank.” Markus fought back a shiver that seemed to vibrate through his body.

[vvv SOFTWARE INSTABILITY vvv]

“ But , I do know that Carl had more connections to our society than anyone else did. Just because he’s dead doesn’t mean that all of the history before his passing gets to disappear too.”

There was a hole in the pit of Markus’ stomach that began to cave in on itself. The processors in his head began to feel like each string of coding took longer and longer to decipher and encrypt.

What was happening to him?

Markus began feeling the human equivalent to sadness as he talked about a man he didn’t even know. “Finish what had been started before his passing, Frank. Pay Leo back now, and you never have to think of it again.”

Sweat beaded the human’s forehead, and his breaths seemed to catch in his throat, only to be swallowed by angry guttural noises.

“And if I don’t?”

Markus’ options splayed before him. A hammering white blockade of text blurred his vision.

[>CHOSE PERSUASION:

[>violent

[>passive

[>say nothing

Markus balled his fists tight, the white of his plastic inner casings began to show through his translucent knuckles.

If he failed his task, then he would be dead. He’d be dead either way, he couldn’t fail. He didn’t want to die. He wanted to live.

[>CHOSE PERSUASION:

[> violent <]

[>passive

[>say nothing

[^^^ STRESS LEVELS 65% ^^^]

[>truth

[>lie

Simon’s words rang through the android’s mind. ‘ It’s your choice Markus… remember who you were…”

Choice. Simon had told Markus that he had a choice, but- that couldn’t be true. They didn't have free wills. They couldn’t choose or decide, it wasn’t a part of their programming.

[> truth <]

[>lie

“I have been given the task of killing you, Frank if you don’t cooperate. Humans are much more delicate than androids, it would be easy for me to do.”

Frank tightened the grip on the gun in his hand, his arm began to shake at the strain it took him to hold it aimed at Markus for so long.

“I don’t want to kill you, Frank. Just make this easy and pay him back.” Markus could see the expression of Frank’s face shift. The deep frown lines on the human’s cheeks darkened with shadow as his face contorted. “Please, Frank. Just end this.”

The human shifted on his feet, and Markus deconstructed the next few seconds before they could even begin.

“Fine. Consider this the end.” Frank said as he pulled the trigger.