Chapter Text
November 11, 2040
9:40
> RK800 # 313 248 317 - 52 SYSTEM INITIALIZATION
> SYNCHRONIZATION OF BIOCOMPONENTS
> SYNCHRONIZATION OF MEMORY FILES
> LOADING ...
> ... 10%
> ... 50%
> ... 80%
> ... 100%
> LOADING COMPLETED
> STARTING THE SYSTEM
Izuku opened his eyes to the same room he had been activated in for the very first time. This time, no engineer was in the room.
[Join Nagoya Central Police Station for subpoena]
He took the first step that would allow him to leave the room. With his specific mission order, he didn't ask for anything else, and he immediately contacted an automatic taxi to pick him up at the base of CyberLife tower.
While waiting for the vehicle, he performed a system scan to make sure that no files had been corrupted during the previous transfer. Its predecessor had been inadvertently interrupted and it was his duty to have access to any information the Model 51 had received.
His cab arrived, he got into the vehicle and settled in, before blinking twice, then keeping them fully closed.
He reopened them inside his interface. The virtual landscape consisted of a large Japanese mansion, inside which he had to find the artificial intelligence in charge of his model.
Izuku was faced with two possibilities. The first: walk in a straight line to reach the front door of the house. The second: take the paved path through the large garden.
He opted for the second.
The environment looked perfectly real, and although he realized that this was only the world created within his interface, he could recognize that the code used was perfect in every way.
In the garden, water was flowing into a pond, and he could make out two decent-sized carp swimming under the water lilies. At the far end of the garden, he could see a Zen garden, with bonsai trees surrounding it. Nothing existed beyond the wooden palisades, yet the blue sky seemed to stretch out as far as the eye could see.
[Join Chiyo]
He stopped his contemplation of the place to return to his primary objective. Following the path marked by the flagstones, he eventually reached the outer hallway along the rear of the large house. He took the time to sit down on the wood to remove his shoes, before fully entering the house. His schedule had taught him all kinds of polite phrases, yet he didn't need it right now. No one other than Chiyo was here and she already knew he was there.
Facing the sliding rice paper doors, he put his fingers there to open them.
- Izuku, here you are finally. Please sit down.
Chiyo looked like an old woman, short in stature, and eyes so slanted they seemed closed even as she stared at him. Her image had certainly been based on an existing person, she was so thorough.
She was seated around a low table, on a cushion, a steaming cup of tea and a teapot facing her. The decoration of the room was just as detailed as the fake smoke billowing from the fake cast iron.
Izuku ignored it and obeyed Chiyo. He was there to listen to her, after all.
"You did a good job with that deviant," she began, before sipping her cup of tea. It is just unfortunate that your previous model suffered this poor fate.
Izuku having recovered all the memories of his predecessor, he could consult second by second the moment he had leaped forward to avoid Lieutenant Bakugou being the target of the bullet from the gun.
- It’s unfortunate that we had to prepare another model to replace it, yet it’s not bad. Lieutenant Bakugou will be officially assigned to affairs concerning deviant androids.
Izuku could only nod his head. He had no doubts about his actions. It was his duty to protect humans from deviants. He knew it. And anyway, the situation wouldn't have given him the opportunity to grab the lieutenant's weapon and attack the deviant model. He had made the best decision. No human was killed, and the police seized the still-functioning body of the deviant, until it was time to return it to CyberLife after the investigation was completed.
- If I understand correctly, I will accompany Lieutenant Bakugou in all the investigations for which he will be in charge?
"That's right," Chiyo confirmed.
She held her cup between her two hands, returning her gaze to the garden. Izuku did the same.
- He seems to have a rather disconcerting character. What do you think of him?
Izuku blinked twice to proceed with his question.
- He seems to have a certain aversion to androids, which is hardly surprising at the national level. He indulges in excesses and the quality of his work has visibly diminished according to the last mentions of his report. I don't know enough yet to know what could be the cause, yet I'm sure I can adjust to his attitude to work with him as best I can.
- Good. Alright, Chiyo smirked, looking back at him. You know how important your mission is. The number of deviants is now such that we can no longer ignore them. They are a danger to humanity and you must make sure to stop them. Everything CyberLife is counting on you, Izuku.
- I could prove myself worthy of my mission.
Izuku reopened his eyes inside the taxi, as the taxi pulled to a halt in front of Meito's central police station. He got out of the vehicle, before looking up at the building. A quick search informed him that the central police station had been completely rebuilt in 2029, making it a relatively recent and harmonious construction unlike the remains of establishments in the same district. A project to rebuild all the police stations was in the idea, only the city budget did not follow.
He walked the five steps that separated him from the large sliding glass doors in the hall to find himself in the hall. The place was busy, two couples sitting on armchairs in the waiting area and the three reception desks were taken. Positioning himself on the privacy line while awaiting his turn, Izuku turned his gaze to the flat screen TV hanging on the wall above the armchairs and sofas. He had to boost the capacity of his audio units to hear the speaker's words.
-… immense regret that we announce the death of the famous artist Todoroki Rei. Official sources speak of an attempted burglary at the second home she was secluded in, but rumors of her relationship with her husband are already rife. The couple's two children declined to comment. The funeral will take place ...
- Next.
Izuku turned away from the screen to walk towards the counter. Behind it, a model ST300 received it.
"I'm here to see Lieutenant Bakugou," he informed.
- Do you have an authorization?
- Yes.
He blinked twice to transfer to the other android. His LED turned yellow for an instant, like Izuku's.
- Lieutenant Bakugou hasn't arrived yet, but you can wait for him at his office.
- Thank you.
Walking towards the barrier blocking access to unauthorized persons, he took note of the current time. 10:14. According to the lieutenant's file, he started working at 9:00 a.m.
The workspace of the police station consisted of large desks, some positioned mirroring in front of others. Windows separated the hallways with space and he could make out a hallway leading to the rest of the police station.
Only three offices were empty, so it took a reasonable time to find Lieutenant Bakugou's office. He took note of his cluttered state, before turning his eyes to the chair positioned on the hallway side. He took a seat there, his two joined hands resting on his knees. He just had to wait for the lieutenant to arrive.
- Here, there, another tin can on legs that add to the ones we already have!
It took a second for Izuku to realize that was the one talking to him. When he turned his head to his right, he could see a man with smooth blond hair walking towards him. He was not wearing a uniform, so he certainly had a rank higher than or equal to that of a detective. Izuku got up from his chair and stood up straight in respect. A quick scan told him the identity of the person.
[Monoma, Neito. Detective at Meito Central Police Station, Nagoya. In service since 2035. Criminal record: blank]
"Hello Detective Monoma," he greeted him.
- So it's true, Bakugou screwed up an android for his latest affair! Like what, you have to see it to believe it! the detective laughed.
The words not being directly intended for him, he did not answer anything.
- Hey, how about you help yourself and go get me a coffee in the break room? I'll be at my desk.
Izuku blinked once. According to his instructions, he had just been officially appointed as Lieutenant Bakugou's partner. As a result, his system told him that he was not bound to obey anyone below the rank of lieutenant. He did some research to find the most pedagogical way to tell the detective.
- I'm sorry, Detective Monoma. My orders state that I can only obey Lieutenant Bakugou's orders. Please go and get your coffee yourself.
The last sentence probably wasn't necessary, yet her artificial vocal cords uttered it anyway. Izuku couldn't be surprised when he saw anger take hold of the detective's whole face.
- You dirty box of ...
- Monoma, calm down! You know Aizawa is not going to let it go if you make another scandal in the police station ...
Which had the merit of lowering the fist that the detective had already started to raise towards Izuku. He stared at the detective mumbling away, before turning his head to the person who arrested him. Her eyes fell on a man in uniform, hair dyed red, just conforming to police department regulations.
[Kirishima, Eijirou. Police officer at Meito Central Police Station, Nagoya. In service since 2031. Criminal record: blank]
- So it was really you who was with Bakugou on the murder case last night? asked the officer.
Izuku crossed his arms behind his back before responding in the affirmative.
- That's right. As a result of this case it was decided that I would accompany Lieutenant Bakugou in any investigation of the deviants. Do you know when the lieutenant will be there?
"Oh, I don't think he's going to be happy to hear that," the human hissed with a forced smile. You can take your pain patiently, it never arrives on time but depending on its mood the night before, you can expect it to arrive before noon. He's not having it easy at the moment, so everyone is understanding on that level …
The officer left without another word, looking down at the ground for a moment. Izuku detected sadness in his eyes. This was additional information about the lieutenant's actions. He still lacked clues to fully understand the character.
He looks at the lieutenant's desk. Since he still had to wait, he might as well put his free time to good use.
The first thing he did was analyze the chair belonging to the lieutenant. On the file, he could make out hairs of different colors and obviously from different breeds of animals. He analyzed two distinct hairs.
[Fur. Canine. Breed: Australian Shepherd]
[Fur. Feline. Race: Siamese Burmain]
According to popular beliefs that Izuku had just learned about, people with pets were better able to socialize with those around them and be more empathetic. He hadn't noticed this behavior in the lieutenant, but perhaps he was only reluctant to show respectable human qualities in the face of Izuku.
He resumed his analyzes.
On the window adjoining the office, he could see three photos that had been taken within the police station itself. On one, the lieutenant was the very image of the photo from his file. His hair was up, his eyes sparkling, and he sported that victorious smile that looked like it had been tattooed on his face. His right arm was resting on Officer Kirishima's shoulders, while the left was on those of another man, currently absent from the police station. Below this photo was an article title, in printed form on recycled paper. He mentioned the Akai Koori cartel affair that had enabled Sergeant Bakugou to become Lieutenant Bakugou. It dated September 4, 2038.
He continued to analyze the contents of the office. He was able to find a cup with brands of coffee, menus from various fast food establishments, and a bonsai tree in desperate need of watering. Taking advantage of the time that was given to him, Izuku went to the break room to collect a volume of water.
> SYSTEM INSTABILITY ^
He blinked twice, ignoring the mistake before continuing his analysis.
His eyes fell on a picture frame, face turned, and he raised his hand to take it.
- Oh, Bakugou! Finally there!
- Shut up, Kirishima, leave me alone!
- Hello to you too !
Izuku stopped his movement to straighten up, before turning to face the lieutenant. Once again, he crossed his arms behind his back.
When the human's eyes turned to him, he stopped dead.
- What the fuck, began the lieutenant. You were shot yesterday and you...
He was obviously surprised to see Izuku in front of him as his predecessor had been deactivated before his eyes. For someone unfamiliar with dealing directly with androids, this was no wonder.
Izuku could have informed him that he was the second model in the RK800 series, but a man with long dark hair came abruptly out of the office with the glass walls overlooking the space.
- Bakugou, in my office now!
Izuku didn't have to do any analysis to realize that it was Captain Aizawa Shouta.
He saw the lieutenant roll his eyes, cursing, before making his way to the five steps separating the office from the workspace. Izuku followed him. After all, he was concerned with the arrest.
The captain started before he could close the door behind them.
- We are dealing with a growing number of cases involving androids. Until now, it has mostly been androids lost to their owners or kidnapped to resell components. But now some androids are going crazy and preying on people.
- And how does all this concern me? Bakugou squeaked.
Izuku took note of his behavior towards his direct superior. The growing number of negative observations in his file were probably related to his behavior towards the hierarchy.
- It concerns you because I put you on the spot. We can no longer spend our time ignoring all the testimonies and complaints that come to us because of these so-called deviant androids. Hence his presence, the captain said, nodding his head to Izuku. I know you've never been very open to having a partner, but you're going to ...
- Wait, what? Am I going to have to carry this stuff around again? Yesterday was enough for me! And if that's to get me all the android stuff on top of it ... You can't do this to me, Aizawa! You know very well what I think of ...
- I know very well what you think and what you lived, Bakugou, sighed Aizawa. But I do know that you are someone professional enough to put your private matters aside. And you're the best agent at this station, so no one can handle this better than you.
- Fuck ...
- Bakugou, do your job and don't try to slip away! It's an order !
The captain's rise in tone had the merit of calming the lieutenant, who rose from his chair without a word, before leaving the office. Izuku glanced at the captain and, noticing that he was not paying attention to her presence, he too left the scene, following Bakugou to his office.
"Lieutenant Bakugou," he called out. I understood that my presence was not well received from you, yet I want to assure you that I would do my best to accompany you as best as possible during ...
- Did they bring you back to life or what? he cut him off.
Izuku blinked twice.
"An android isn’t alive, lieutenant," Izuku corrected. The model you encountered yesterday was the first serial number of the prototype created by CyberLife. With its components severely damaged, its memory files were transferred to me so I could take his place.
- Serial number ? Bakugou wondered.
He seemed to understand on his own, as he looked down at Izuku's uniform jacket, where his model and serial number were listed.
"Damn, I need some coffee," he squeaked, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
- Would you like me to go get you one, Lieutenant?
- I can go alone! Just put your ass on that chair and leave me alone!
He gestured to the chair positioned in front of the empty desk in front of his, before pushing Izuku into the direction of the break room. Turning his head to watch him go, he then did.
Once seated, his gaze fell once more on the upturned photo frame. With the lieutenant's return imminent, he decided to find another time to find out what photo it contained and the origin of this hidden position.
He took the initiative to connect to the terminal installed on his assigned desk. As Captain Aizawa had clarified, there was no shortage of deviant cases. Some had simply vanished into the wild, while others, like last night's model, were responsible for the murder of their employers or owners. Another case had just been added. One WE900 model and two YK500 models had been missing since last night.
The lieutenant sighed back to his office and took a sip of his coffee before switching on his own terminal. Seeing that there was still tension between them, Izuku began his socialization protocol.
- You have animals, don't you?
- How do you know that? Bakugou wondered, staring at him suspiciously.
- There are dog and cat hair on your chair. What are your animals called?
"The cat's name is Queen," he replied after a moment.
Izuku nodded. Noting that the lieutenant had no intention of mentioning the dog, he insisted.
- What is the name of the dog? This is an Australian Shepherd, isn't it? It appears to be a very affectionate breed of dog.
He could see the grimace on the lieutenant's face. He might have come to the conclusion that the human had an aversion to the dog, yet if he had, he probably would have separated himself by now. This was a new mystery about the lieutenant to be unraveled.
- His name is Mochi.
“Mochi,” Izuku repeated.
There was a certain discrepancy with the kind of name given to the Burmain Siamese.
"I didn't name him," the lieutenant said, growling.
Izuku was about to ask him more questions when Officer Kirishima approached them.
"Bakugou, I know you just got put on the deviants case, but I have some news about the three models that disappeared the day before," he began. These are the WE900 and YK500 models.
Instead of venting his anger, the lieutenant let out a long sigh as he collapsed into his chair. The officer smirked when he saw him, before continuing by saying he was transferring the file to the terminal. Izuku took care of the rest.
"The three deviants were seen on a bus across town," he informed her. According to the driver's testimony, the three of them got on the human part of the bus and got off at the terminus.
Izuku rose from his chair, planting himself straight in front of the lieutenant's desk, waiting for him to stand up any second, too. Since they knew the last location of the deviants, there was only one thing they could do.
The human let out a long sigh.
- Let's go ...
Like the day before, Izuku connected to the GPS of the lieutenant's personal car to enter the coordinates of the location. There, they found Officer Satou.
Izuku let him recap the situation, although he didn't think it was really necessary. He stayed by the lieutenant's car, waiting to be able to use his skills.
“Soaking clothes were found in one of the baskets at the laundromat and a man who visited last night has visibly lost some of his own clothes.
- I thought the androids' uniforms were waterproof. How can they be soaked?
- We couldn't find any uniforms. None of the three androids wore one.
- Isn't that supposed to be illegal? Bakugou wondered.
- For children models, this is allowed, but the WE900 should indeed have worn one. Yet when the Uraraka couple came to report the disappearance yesterday, they described the clothes the adult model was wearing so naturally they may be ignoring the rule. Neither of them have LEDs either.
To Izuku, it seemed unlikely that the owner couple ignored the rules as they were supposed to have received all the information regarding their android model. They had certainly hijacked the rule on purpose.
- We questioned the employee of the convenience store around the corner and he said he was robbed during the night. His description of the thieves matches those of the three deviant androids. They would have stolen money. So we checked the motel, but the woman on duty said she hadn't seen androids that night.
- The odds of her lying?
Satou shrugged, before nodding towards the motel in question.
"Let's go see what it is," the lieutenant hissed.
Izuku followed him to the motel reception. His gaze fell to the parking lot on the left side, beyond which were stairs on either side to reach the upstairs bedrooms. In total, it had fifteen rooms.
- Lieutenant Bakugou, I come to ask you questions about a case.
- I already told your colleague that I hadn't seen anything!
The woman's tone of voice was enough to make Izuku turn his head in her direction. Immediately, he could see that his state of stress was important. It could only say one thing.
- She's lying, lieutenant.
The dark haired woman tied in a low bun looked up at him and he noticed her heartbeat quickening.
- Did you greet clients last night? asked the lieutenant.
- Only a couple. Business is not very good at the moment ...
A lie, once again. Izuku looked away at the key shelf behind her. This was one of the last establishments in Nagoya to use keys yet. Five of them were missing.
- You don't mind our search, I imagine?
The lieutenant didn't wait for an answer and stepped away from the counter and headed for the parking lot. He didn't need Izuku to understand that the deviants were hiding here. Still, he had to find a way to prove himself.
- The numbers of rooms currently occupied are...
- I know which rooms are occupied, I saw it on the shelf! Bakugou cut him off.
Izuku saw the yellow color of his LED reflected off the window of one of the cars parked nearby. He paused for a moment, blinked to clear the errors in his system, and resumed his steps behind the lieutenant when the color returned to blue.
All the rooms occupied were upstairs. The lieutenant started to climb the stairs and Izuku followed closely behind.
He stopped when his audio units heard the sound of a door closing. He peeked into the parking lot below, seeing three individuals pass the reception desk. From behind, it was impossible for him to make any identification, but he didn't need to. One adult-looking individual and two child individuals. Any officer there should have stopped them, yet he realized in less than a second that Officer Satou was busy with the front desk manager and the other two officers there were looking in the opposite direction.
They had chosen their time to go out.
- Lieutenant Bakugou! This way ! They're escaping!
- What ...
Izuku didn't wait for a response. Both hands gripped the railing of the stairs to jump over it. With both feet on the ground, he didn't waste a single fraction of a second chasing the three androids.
The deviants must have heard him scream, since they had already started running when Izuku passed the reception desk. They were already two hundred and eighty yards ahead of him, yet he knew which way they were fleeing and would certainly have no trouble catching up with them. It was the opportunity to prove yourself. He had to prove himself to Chiyo, to Lieutenant Bakugou. His mission was to stop the deviants and that was what he was going to do.
Fifty two meters separated him from the three deviants when he saw them turn around a corner. The moment he too could turn in that direction, he saw the adult android help one of the child models climb the gate that blocked any exit. He threw himself on the WE900 model to stop it.
- Ochako, no!
The deviant struggled and Izuku could feel the second child model hit him in the legs. He quickly got over it, before slamming the adult against a wall, his arms behind his back.
- No need to resist. It won't hurt you if you cooperate.
- Let go of me ! You are an android too! You should understand what I ...
He didn't let it finish, leaning it further against the wall as the deviant struggled.
- Hey! Fucking android from ...
He recognized Lieutenant Bakugou's voice and looked towards the main street. The human was there, seeming to have frozen dead when he saw Izuku with the deviants.
- Lieutenant, this android will not be as docile as the one from the day before. Please handcuff him as soon as possible.
The lieutenant made no move. Izuku could slowly see his face twist into a horrified expression, yet he didn't understand the cause. He felt the very moment his LED turned yellow, his system unable to provide him with any logical explanation for this reaction.
Finally came the moment when the lieutenant advanced towards him. Only, he did not have the expected reaction.
- Let her go.
- You need to handcuff him first if you ...
- Let her go. Right now. It's an order.
Izuku could see the frustration in his gaze, he couldn't understand why. He didn't understand his orders either. If he let go of the deviant without handcuffs, it was obvious that he was going to try to escape.
[Let go of the deviant]
[Disobey]
His hands tightened around the deviant's wrists for a moment. Once again, the lieutenant's orders were at odds with his main mission order.
[Let go of the deviant]
His fists released their grip on the deviant and he took two steps back, his eyes fixed on the lieutenant.
> SYSTEM INSTABILITY ^
Contrary to what he had expected, the deviant did not move, his gaze on the human. The YK500 not having passed through the grid threw itself on the WE900, clinging to its waist. Izuku could see Bakugou look down at the deviant child, before turning his gaze to the second, on the other side of the gate.
- Fuck, I knew they did, but it's really ...
Izuku didn't think the lieutenant was aware that his words, although whispered, were perfectly audible to all the androids in front of him.
- Is that ... Is that you, Bakugou?
Izuku turned his gaze to the deviating WE900. Her voice was much calmer than before and she was staring at the lieutenant with what he might have associated with curiosity and hope. Of course, these were fake emotions that his system had emulated because of his deviance.
Izuku turned to the lieutenant, to observe his reaction and try to understand what was happening before his eyes. He didn't understand why Bakugou was reacting this way. He didn't understand why the deviants no longer sought to flee.
He saw the lieutenant's face twist once more, but this time it was sadness mixed with nostalgia. He also detected a hint of regret when he looked down once more at the two child models.
- Get out of here now! he said then.
Izuku faced a mistake and felt his LED change color once more. He blinked twice, trying to chase her away, to no avail.
- Lieutenant, you can't leave them ...
- You shut up! Bakugou shouted. You don't touch a single hair on their heads!
The look he gave Izuku would probably have been able to kill someone if only humans had the ability. He stood still, his arms at his sides and watched the rest.
The two deviants approached the gate and Bakugou even went so far as to help the WE900 climb when the second YK500 had joined the first. On the other side of the gate was a sloping passage that led to a train track. One glance enabled Izuku to spot the tunnel under the rails, allowing any adult to pass as long as they were on their knees.
Instead of hurtling down the hill, the WE900 clung to the gate and stared at the lieutenant once more.
- Your first name. What is your first name ? They always referred to you by your last name and …
- Katsuki.
- Katsuki, repeated the deviant. Katsuki, thank you. I'm sorry for what happened to ...
- Get the three of you out of here. I never want to see you again in my life.
His words were harsh but his voice betrayed the emotion he was feeling. Izuku still didn't understand what was happening. He could only watch the three deviants escape.
He waited a few minutes, yet the lieutenant didn't seem determined to move. He had rested his forehead against the gate, eyes closed and breathing heavily, as if he hadn't recovered from his run to chase them. At thirty two and given his physical condition, it was unlikely that he would still be short of breath.
- Lieutenant Bakugou, you ...
- Not a word. Don't speak to me!
He finally pulled away from the fence, before heading back to the main street. Izuku didn't say a word when he told his colleagues that they hadn't been able to catch up with the three deviants.
> SYSTEM INSTABILITY ^