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Chapter Text

 Chapter 1: Their Meeting

'...The traffic on these streets of Queens, New York have become more noticeable lately, huh.'

   A young yet genius brown-haired teenage boy known as Peter Parker commented on his train of thought as he rested his head slightly on one of the school's bus' windows. He had his earphones on, listening to some chill indie music whenever a road trip was gonna be longer than anticipated, to do anything else really... besides of gazing over the landscapes outside "his" window and sending memes to his best friend Ned (who was literally sitting in-front of him) lost in his own little world as well.

Sighing, the brown-haired boy realized how bored he was at each passing second. Yeah, he would get bored easily if he wasn't patrolling as Spider-Man, or doing anything nerdy and goof-ish...which was exactly why he still felt kinda upset with Mr. Stark for not letting him accompany his father figure mentor on that meeting with... a wizard? If Peter recalled Mr. Stark's literal words. "You should go to that school trip instead, kiddo. There's nothing more fun than meeting a wizard who can open up portals and control time, anyways." His mentor teased a scoffing Peter while the other ruffled his hair, which did the trick for the boy to let out a small smile in defeat.

   "For real Pete, this is just another business meeting with adults only. Love to steal you in if that wizard didn't already put me in his black-list at our first meet-up. Besides, talking about walking on thin ice, your Aunt May would give me more grey hairs if she found out from your homeroom teacher" His childhood idol finished explaining while patting him on the back yesterday, to console the kid after being totally rejected again! on skipping today's school trip to be on a "mission" (rather an awesome hang-out) with Mr. Stark. But the teenage boy knew that he couldn't get mad with his mentor nor say anything stubborn back...once he saw Mr. Stark give him an apologetic sad smile when he mumbled an "I understand...".

Okay to be fair,

His mentor was right about the "wizard" wanting to see only Tony Stark for reasons unknown...

And how Aunt May would kill him and later the billionaire after ranting on Mr. Stark about not noticing Peter vanishing from another school activity...

He figured that it's gonna be hard from now on trying to avoid his aunt's strict... protectiveness, ever since she found out he was Spider-Man. She recalled her literal words clearly like the palm of his hand...which it still made him low-key flinch at the memory: 'Listen up, Peter Benjamin Parker. As much as I really really want to ground you for the rest of your youth, I decided to scratch that. BUT ONLY IF you attend to all of your school's trips and any extracurricular activity you have on your electives. And then afterwards, around evening, you can be this... "Spider-Man", but i want you to know that I want you to live your high school years not just because that's what normal kids at your age do, but also because I don't want you to always be risking your life while throwing away all the treasures of your youth!'

But GOD, he wondered if being grounded for what felt like it was gonna be for his whole life was really as bad as he first thought...? Because surely as he was right now lazily counting the water drops racing each other on "his" window was making the brown-haired boy reconsider his past decisions...

Yawning, Peter raised his head from where it was resting as he stretched himself a bit while taking off his earphones. 'You know what, I might as well take a damn nap' He thought to himself...before completely pushing back the idea, as he suddenly felt his spider senses going off like crazy. 'What the- someone's in trouble?!' Peter shouted in his mind while turning his head immediately searching inside the bus for any scandal or scene coming from his classmates...
Strangely enough, nothing bad seemed to be happening where he was. All of the other teenagers were in their "normal" habitats which confused the spider-boy as he slowly turned his head towards the outside view.

'Perhaps... it's coming from outside?' He wondered as he decided to focus on his enhanced hearing...while closing his eyes...and shutting off all of the sounds around him...

«"H-Help...s-someone...p-please!!"»
There, I got it!

It sounded like a young man...crying out for help so desperately that it sender chills over Peter's skin. A part of him thought who was might be on trouble would be an elder...who forgot where he or she was...or maybe a child stuck on a swing set, but this person's cries and gasping sounds were worrying Peter a lot. So much, that the teenage boy didn't hesitate on jolting up to his feet as he grabbed Ned's shoulder to shake him back to reality.

"Ned!! I need you to lend me a hand!!"
«"P-Ple...ase...I-I c-can't...hold on...m-much longer..."»

‹'Wait please! I'm on my way!'› Peter cried out in his mind, knowing that the other probably couldn't hear him but he felt as he needed to assure that young man, who was a complete stranger to him.

     "Dude, WHAT. IS. THE. PROBLEM?!" His best friend Ned finally came back to him, who seemed a bit frustrated at Peter for being attacked by surprise but later a concerned expression showed up on Ned's face, as he raised an eyebrow once he noticed how nervous and worried his spider-heroic friend looked. "Are you okay, Peter?" Ned asked Peter softer and quieter this time, which the other would brush off... If he wasn't so close on just jumping out of the window.
Instead, Peter shook his head stubbornly while he explained to his best friend what he just found out: "My spider senses suddenly went off just now and and I can still feel them tingling like crazy ever since I caught some dude's cry for help!! I think he's about to drown somewhere Ned! And—And that's exactly why I need your help on making a distraction to everybody here while I make my way out of here as Spider-Man!" He finished saying while finally catching some breath as Ned stared at him as if he was talking crazy.

"Dude, are you sure? I mean, who knows maybe... it's just a guy who choked on drinking their water bottle?" Ned replies back while scratching the back of his neck hesitating, until he recalled Peter's previous rant about him "not having the mood for this ridiculous school trip" which changed Ned's expression into a hurt one "... You're not exactly making this up so you can ditch us, right?"

A bit shocked, Peter stared at Ned with baffled eyes over his best friend's indirectness as he immediately replied back "DUDE. what the heck! I wouldn't do a dirty jerk move on you or on MJ just 'cause i'm feeling off the weather! You're both better than my stubborn ass." He commented at the end to make his best friend laugh, which he did and Peter would be doing the same if he wasn't so tense once he noticed how the young man's voice has gotten more distant for his ears to hold on to...and the wilder were his spider senses acting up.

"But this...this is serious dude and i know it's an oddly timing but- I can feel he's in danger Ned!!" Peter finished saying while clenching his hands on the bus' seat until they started going white as he looked outside desperately, which was enough to convince Ned as he sighed and held his best friend's shoulder to calm him down a bit. "Say no more dude, I have an idea on how to help you get out of here. But somehow, try to get back here in time on dropping of to the art museum, okay?"

Grabbing his backpack while taking out the small spider that would activate his Homecoming Spider-Man suit as soon as he pressed it on his chest outside, Peter nodded towards his best friend while giving him a thumbs up and flashing him a genuine smile...one that he only gave to those who he was deeply grateful for having in his life like Aunt May, Mr.Stark and to Ned. As soon as he went to pull the window's slide open, Peter waited patiently for Ned to throw him the cue...which it basically was:

"EVERYBODY LOOK!! A SPACE-SHIP COMING FROM OUR SKY ON OUR LEFT OH MY GOD!!" The one and only Ned shouted out-loud, grabbing all of their classmate's attention as they all gasped in excitement while hurrying to throw themselves at the left side of the school bus, completely distracted from Peter jumping out from the right side of the bus. Chuckling over his best friend's coolness, the brown-haired boy activated his Spider-Man suit as soon as he was outside and started swinging in the air to find out where was that young man's voice coming from. The only clues that Peter had was that the person sounded as if he was difficulty on catching his breath, as he could briefly catch the wet chocking noises making the teenage boy guess that the poor guy wasn't exactly the best swimmer around...unless...

"Karen, are there any lakes nearby that my senses could have possibly started going off from?" Peter asked his A.I, after kindly greeting her, with an idea that maybe, just maybe, someone might be drowning somewhere close by and hopefully not in a pool party at someone's backyard...

["The only lake that is near is the Meadow Lake, Peter. Do you wish to know the directions on how to get there?"]

 <Meadow Lake?! That's- that's where the largest park in Queens is!! Ooh, boy.>

Gulping, he thought of the infinite possible awkward moments that he may stumble on with so many people as Spider-Man, making him kinda anxious. But then he remembered the cries of that young man ringing in his ears and with no second thought he immediately told Karen to show him how to get to Meadow Lake as soon as possible.

    The first and last time Peter has ever visited the Meadow Lake was with Uncle Ben and Aunt May when he was maybe...nine years old. And yet, this place never seemed to fail on giving each welcoming visitor a very good impression with it's magnificent peaceful sights. As the teenage boy recalls his memories clearly as the huge lake's pure water, how nice it felt to see other children laughing while playing soccer and how nostalgic it was to see some attempting to catch some fishes...remembering Uncle Ben being a fisherman at heart as he also taught his nephew how to go fishing and sometimes would throw some exaggerated fishing stories here and there, nothing grotesque but...silly. Peter felt himself smiling softly behind his mask over the small yet meaningful memories he had of this place, his social anxiety completely pushed far away, until all vanished in an instant when Karen informed him that she detects something out of place at the lake's water over the South-East.

Dashing towards the lake's south-east by jumping on top of each light-post on the immense park while waving at a couple of giggling curious kids, the brown-haired boy dropped himself on the lake's shore as he squinted his eyes to try to spot anything, or rather anyone, on the water...who maybe feel from a kayak or from a fishing boat?...Frustrating enough, it seemed like there was no other living soul besides Peter himself (and well some white seagulls flying around) over this side of the lake!

'Why did he think that the person he was looking for would be in trouble at this crowded yet lovely place?'

'Perhaps he was just trying to selfishly come back to a place were he wants adored when he was younger to forget about his own current dilemmas?'

'Maybe he was just fooling himself and Ned after all...Maybe he just imagined a man's cry for help after he was wishing he could be spending his time as Spider-Man, to have all the fun in the world...'

"Dammit this doesn't make any sense. I know someone is here...somewhere! Or else my spider senses would have stopped going crazy by now..." Peter exclaimed while thinking out loud, anxiously walking in circles over the lake's shore, until in the corner of his masked eye there it was. A dark beanie, floating aimlessly on the water making Peter's eye grow wide over the realization that there really is someone drowning over here!

"Holy Shit!!" Peter shouted worriedly as he immediately ran towards the water, diving into it as he swam and swam and swam deeper into the surprisingly warm water to find the shaped figure of a young man...wearing what it seems to be three types of upper clothing for the cold...but the teenager boy didn't choose to judge the person's odd appearance instantly as he noticed how the other seemed...half-dead even though he couldn't see much the other's face in the water besides of wearing a water-proof suit. The thought of the person being completely lifeless underneath him caused Peter to choke on a sob as he whispered out an: "I got you!" and grabbed the person's arm to pull him out of the surface. There wasn't any struggle pulling and carrying the unconscious young man out of the water as Peter expected, for on his arms the poor dude's body was as light as a feather...

'Please don't be dead, please don't be dead, please don't be dead'
The teenage boy begged in his head over and over as he laid down the person's strangely cold and light body on the lake's shore, and proceeded in leaning his ear on the poor young man's chest to hear at least a single heartbeat, a small sign that there was still hope for the person beneath him to keep on living and for Peter to not have any more guilt charged nightmares tonight. By a great miracle, Peter could hear a small and weak heartbeat from the other, determining the teenage boy on giving the other a few chest compressions. But as soon as he was on the third swing, his A.I Karen finally spoke after what felt like forever since the last time Peter heard her voice inside the suit...strangely though, she sounded tensed? Afraid? He wasn't sure, for Peter could just be confusing those with his own current panic saving this stranger's life...

["Peter...I think there's something you should know...about well, this—"]

"Karen please just go and call the closest paramedics..." Peter interrupted his A.I while swallowing back the lump that was forming on his throat, as he feared that Karen intended to inform him some cruel breaking news about this person's state. "If I advance enough before the paramedics arrive here...t-then there can be a possibility that I-I can restore enough b-blood to fluid to his heart and m-maybe he'll be able to catch his breath again a-any second now—" Suddenly he flinched slightly by the change of his A.I's tone into a... frantic one?

["Peter! Wait a minute! I'm trying to inform you that my scans have detected inhuman organs on this... individual."] His A.I finished warning Peter while, what he could imagine, giving a confused frown to the who or the what that he just rescued...
"What...do you mean by inhuman?" Peter asked his A.I in double confusion and before Karen could respond to him, the teenage boy turned his head drastically at the (mysterious?) young man's direction, when he heard him coughing and wheezing while jolting his back upwards like a mummy in a blink of an eye, literally.

'Oookay, he's definitely something else' The teenage boy thought as he gently pressed his hand on the young man's back to give him some (not too strong nor rough Peter) pats while making some comforting circle so the other would relax a bit. At first the other flinched slightly when he felt touched, but after some long minutes Peter noticed how the other's shoulders began losing themselves and how the other managed to follow his breathing patterns...

And yet, the mysterious individual still didn't dare to look at Peter in the eyes, for the other kept putting his head down in what the teenager assumed was due to fear or embarrassment.

'...Now that he thought about it, he hasn't been able to look at the other's face at all ever since he got him out of the water.'

"It's okay... you're safe now... you're gonna be alright...you can trust me." Peter assured softly and as calming as possible towards the other, who paused as to process the teenage boy's friendly and gentle nature by slowly lifting his face to see who was comforting him...In which instead, he saw Peter still with his masked on that seemed to scare the other as he changed into a confused yet frightened expression while quickly moving his gaze towards his shaking knuckles and proceeding to hug his knees while rocking himself back n' forth whimpering in his panic bubble.

Though, the other's sudden breakdown wasn't what shocked Peter to begin with.

   When the teenage boy locked eyes with the other, he froze in place at the realization of how oddly identical was the other's face with Peter's. The SAME pure hazelnut eyes, the SAME soft-looking curls and the ALMOST IDENTICAL SHAPE OF THE FACE FOR ODIN'S SAKE. Although he found it creepy and yet cool possibly having a doppelganger in his two-mirrored life, what surpassed all the odds was the LED light visible on the other brown-haired's temple, flashing from yellow to a panicking red... 'Wait, red?! Oh no that's not usually a good sign...'

"Karen, what's happening to him?!" Peter quietly shouted in worry towards his A.I while frowning when the other brown-haired would shake his head in panic as the teenage boy tried to reach out for him. ["It seems that the individual is going through severe panicking state once he found your Home-coming's Spider-Man's mask...'unsettling'."] Rolling his eyes over Karen's blunt response, he decided to keep persisting while trying to push back his frustration on crouching in front of someone that he has no clue on how to approach without causing any trouble.

"Yes, Karen, I can see that, but how should I approach to him?" The teenage boy asked as he felt his heart drop when he looked at the other brown-haired covering his ears while closing his eyes shut to helplessly prevent the waterfall of tears. It heavily reminded Peter of himself when he would wake up with his own horrible panic attacks after having nightmares from the ferry incident...and from feeling like he was suffocating, gasping and wheezing for air because of the vivid and permanent memories of being crushed by a dozen of fallen walls...

'Man,those nights are the worst.'

   But what sucked more is that he didn't dare to wake up Aunt May afterwards so maybe he could get some comfort after fearing he was about to die...stupid and alone. That's when he would recall reminding himself that his aunt has been working extra shifts, so she definitely needed her sleep. And he would walk back to his bedroom, sometimes looking like a ghost and other times as numb-looking as a zombie, trying his best on not falling asleep again while he distracted himself on re-watching some stand-up comedies with his earphones on...It was a wonderful terrible hobby that Peter accidentally created while it lasted, and he understood that when Mr. Stark noticed his kid intern acting...distant with him whenever they spend time together on the lab after he was off from school in Tuesday's and in Friday's to stay at the Avengers' Compound on the weekends. When he was there, he couldn't exactly get away with his pretending game as his own mind betrayed him that one night when he got the same torturing nightmares and next thing Peter recalled was his mentor, Tony-freaking-Stark, wrapping his arms on his breaking body as if protecting him from the world...

He didn't remember exactly what he told his mentor, and towards this day it hasn't been brought again thankfully, for Mr. Stark to reschedule when Peter could spend more time with him while paying for some swimming lessons for him as well and teaching him how to work on his breathing in the middle of his panic attacks...He was just glad he has been able to get better.

'That night wasn't so bad, after all.'

This is why right now he called out for Karen's guidance again. Because he empathized with this mysterious-looking doppelganger stranger...

'And knows how it feels to be completely alone when it's not true.'

["I've been attempting on creating alternatives for you to approach the individual without needing to raise his stress levels any further..."]

"And?" Peter asked to his trust-worthy A.I, who was strangely being quiet at the moment. ["...But the individual is blocking me from reading his being, Peter."] Karen finally replied back sounding a bit hurt, which Peter was about to question about until the other brown-haired began stuttering out his fist words ever since he got rescued from drowning in the lake.

*"S-S-Stop...s-staring at...m-me. P-Please tell h-her t-to s-stop... i-it hurts!"* The other brown-haired cried out, afraid and in pain as he hid his head further down as if wanting to disappear from that single spot making Peter shiver slightly because 'oh the deja vu' but immediately snapped out of it as he ordered Karen to stop "whatever she was doing" and her obeying the teenage boy with no second opinion made Peter feel a bit guilty for ever doubting his A.I friend and took a mental note on apologizing to Karen later as he got an idea on how to approach to his doppelganger...

"She's...Karen is out of the picture for now." Peter announced to the the other softly while slowly moving towards his doppelganger who flinched slightly away from the teenage boy...but to shyly lift his face to throw a quiet sneeze. 'Oh...wow he looks like a cute puppy'  Peter thought as he quickly shook it off his mind, for this wasn't the time to get distracted again. "Look, I-I'm sorry if my mask startled y-you...it's part of the whole 'keeping a secret heroic facade™' look...but i hope it's not too late for you to accept my kindness-" The sweet teenage boy said towards the other brown-haired while keeping his soft tone which seemed to relieve his doppelganger on letting go from hugging his knees but not enough to do eye-contact with Peter, until he snatched off his mask of course. At the corner of his eye, the other brown haired saw the mask drop on his side and shyly looking up he gasped in surprise and shock when he stared at Peter's face which made the teenage boy chuckle, "It's crazy right?! We both look almost exactly alike!" He exclaimed brightly grinning in excitement towards his doppelganger, who blinked at him in amusement as he moved his gaze slowly towards his pale knuckles again, this time as if pausing to process such moment. With the growing silence, Peter awkwardly fake coughed to grab the other brown-haired's attention again to keep distracting him from the previous breakdown.

"Well...putting the 'almost' in bold since..." The teenager boy trailed off saying for a second, as his eyes subconsciously checked the other brown-haired LED light flashing yellow and went on locking his eyes with his doppelganger again while smiling kindly, "I didn't get lucky to have some stunning freckles like you!" Peter honestly commented while taking out his hand so the other brown-haired could take it and start stretching up to be somewhere less windy...like maybe sitting at those benches that seem to give a beautiful view of the South-East side of the Meadow Lake.

As Peter's plastered kind smile softened a little when his doppelganger stared at his hand and shyly took it to get himself off the ground, he tried to look elsewhere than the teenage boy that saved his life and made his cheek flush in the same day (in which Peter swore that they turned into a faint blue which was ridiculous). Noticing this, the teenage boy decided to pretend he didn't see any reaction from the other brown-haired as he offered for them to sit down at the lake's benches to "get him all warmed up somehow" while he "explained, whenever he felt comfortable enough with him, about what happened to him so he could tell the upcoming paramedics while he rested a bit"...The last part stopping the other brown-haired from following the teenage boy's lead, who noticed the sudden change in the air thanks to his spider senses.

Turning to face his doppelganger again, Peter closed his mouth shut once he noticed the other brown-haired attempt on speaking to him...while his eyes seemed getting cloudy with a hint of the same fear from earlier...

*"I t-think...it's best to c-capitalize t-the whole word 'ALMOST'...b-because of t-two main f-factors..."* With his doppelganger's weird feeling to clarify and following his uncontrollable stuttering, they became two of the reasons why Peter raised an eyebrow at him. "And those are?" the teenage boy asked back while tilting his head...and after a pausing silence, the other brown-haired let out a big sigh before speaking again,

*"A-According to your birth's r-records, your name...is n-not C-Connor too, but Peter Benjamin Parker...a-and it's pretty c-clear that...you're a h-human when I-I, on the contrary, am a-an android...n-not from here..."*

Chapter Text

   [ ...*Do androids mean really nothing for humans?*] 

    An advanced artificial intelligence with the body figure of an RK800 android model, simply known as Connor, wondered one time at Detroit's City Police Station while assisting Lt. Hank Anderson on organizing some files about cases they had been investigating. Most of them implied second-degree murders from many deviant androids, all in which gave hints that each machine had their software severely unstable for what led them to act in "irrational" measures. Yet, there was a possibility that those androids became deviant before committing their crimes...most likely reaching an ERROR in their whole system caused by an unexpected and presumed dangerous conduct...that threw them against a challenging wall. 

        ...Such wall creating cracks the more it pressed itself on-top of the android...that way the machine is lured to join the stressful party and crack as well...

[...Not that Connor cared, of course.]

   Connor's main objective, ever since he got thrown to the world by Cyberlife perhaps three to four months of him successfully created, was to hunt down these criminals and make them confront what the law had in stored for them...while facing their deactivation at Cyberlife.

Oh, the human's law, where they completely ignore the obvious mistreatment that dozens of humans in Detroit give towards their owned androids...

[...Though it's not like Connor really cared...or rather should care...]

  Because just how Lieutenant Anderson would say in the middle of his mood swings, it's "None of your damn fucking business, asshole" and how his guider Amanda would say in his mind he's "Distracting yourself from your mission, Connor" , for Connor was programmed to obey and to serve humans after-all...He should politely listen whatever his partner and his guider told him...and believe with no further hesitation that humans were not-always right...

Besides, in this year 2038, humanity has progressed on creating androids to gift them with the feature of unlimited intelligence as well as a name and a purpose to coexist... in exchange of their undying loyalty and service...therefore technically speaking, androids were created in Detroit with no free-will in the first place.

[...Not that it bothered Connor of course...]

Software has reached instability by 50% [...]

• Locating Error [...]
• Error located: STRESS LEVELS have increased [...]
• Activating internal coolers to prevent any severe outcome [...]

Software has been successfully stabilized [...]

• OVERANALIZING has been prohibited [...]
• Automatically sending ERROR REPORT to CYBERLIFE'S HEADQUARTERS [...]

Proceed with current task [...]

      Connor's programmed protocol acted on his own as if owning his system after the android reached a point there...and he didn't get upset about it. Not that he could and that it mattered, anyways. For Connor was just a machine...

And machines don't feel anything...right?

    Before another rebellish message such as: ["Yes, they do...and why shouldn't they feel too?" ]  made it's way towards the android's subconscious, Connor sensed his programming taking measures towards it's own hands again by titling it as a WARNING: VIRUS DETECTED while contacting Cyberlife's emergency center. To not show his hands fidgeting, he decided to ask his partner Hank if he wanted a cup of black coffee in which the middle-aged man rolled his eyes at him and waved him off stubbornly out of distaste at the advanced android. But either way did Connor make his way towards the other quieter room, to start the coffee machine while deactivating his audio processor when he heard Lieutenant Anderson snarl at him as he threw him a couple of nicknames such as: "Stupid plastic machine" and "Shitface.". 

[...Not that it hurts his feelings nor anything...]

Connor shouldn't have any, after-all.

   ...Blinking his eyes repeatedly, Connor lowered his head numbly...as he waited to drift away...into another interrogation from Amanda.

    Connor's first emotion was fear  when he became deviant. It hit him like a powerful yet breath-taking wave of a nausea...when he slowly lowered his gun to the deviant leader Markus, as he realised how sickening and messed up was his blind attempt on exterminating who he thought was a messenger of the so-called mysterious RA9 and who supposedly caused the deviancy "virus"... while considering on doing the same one by one to the rest of his "living" followers at Jericho's base. With the way that Markus convinced the other advanced android, by gently recommending to rethink the path he was taking as the "right one" ...after noticing Cyberlife's brain-washing hypocrisy towards the public and their own creations out of abuse of power...which wasn't an exaggeration as difficult it was for innocent Connor to accept this, it was enough for Connor to finally see it...

The Emergency Exit Wall

Frozen in place, while seeing how tall the glitchy wall really was making him seem small and naked, Connor questioned internally if what was appearing in his vision could be a second chance for him to...wonder...to feel...to want...to live...and most of all, 

To become good...

Hesitating, the advanced android was climbing over the tall wall before he naively acknowledged his program's protocols throwing him a dozen of ERROR WARNINGS and his guider Amanda threatening him "the worst for being a nasty traitor" ...and that's how Connor, for the first time, believed that he was reborn-ed into the real world. 

Which was what scared him the most as he ran with Markus as soon as they heard Cyberlife attacking Jericho, not that he did a mistake on becoming deviant...

But how it turned out to be otherwise. 

  As things couldn't get more surprising for Connor, the advanced android noticed something...strange and unknown when his whole body crashed into the dark water while following Markus' crew on dropping off Jericho when they all sensed how the explosions kept spreading anyways. It was like an invisible force or magnet that was pulling him in what seemed like a...small whirlpool?!. The advanced android tried to fight it back, to prevent what he feared was his worst doom...but as he felt it's velocity and pressure consume him whole without leaving a trace, in exception with his terrified shrieks which perhaps could've or couldn't have been caught by the other deviants, it was too late to spot the surface...That is, until the small whirlpool finally puked out the advanced android as if it finally got bored from torturing him, when he caught a glimpse of...a clearer surface. 

As well as noticing the critical state he was left with: 

• Primary Error located on: THIRIUM PUMP REGULATOR MODEL CODE #8456. Instant care is recommended. Sudden extreme fatigues and being short of breath may occur. 
• Secondary Error located on: AUDIO PROCESSOR MODEL #8903. Instant care is recommended. Problems with speech, not making eye-contact and anxiety may occur.
• *Background Error located on: INTERNAL BLEEDING ON UNKNOWN UNIT around the center within the skull. Further discretion is advised to minimize severe probability on losing THIRIUM BLOOD 310 leading to immediate SHUTDOWN. Staying away from events that may trigger blunt trauma is additionally advised. Symptoms mainly as fragile vision, headaches, sensitivity to light & noises and trouble concentrating may occur.

  At each passing warning, oh how did it make Connor panic more and more. The poor advanced android's stress levels were increasing the more he failed at attempting on moving upwards, for even though androids were water-proof when you became deviant...you gained vulnerability...in this case he could feel the water making it's way towards his lungs as they tightened as well as his chest the more he tried choking out...to only make his situation worst as it made him feel more lightheaded. Blinking his blurry eyes like crazy, Connor started to send signals for desperate need of assistance for anybody near that could catch his software's radio waves...until he couldn't anymore as his software began overheating itself.

          Thinking he was done for after waiting who knows how long, the advanced android's choices was to either let the rest of his biocomponents fry themselves and go thorough such unexplained pain...or activate his automatic self-shutdown feature...but luckily, before he made his decision on shutting himself down, he felt something(?!) pull him upwards. But the advanced android couldn't see it...which scared Connor...

But he couldn't show it, either. And he sensed that "something" else coming from it before...but scary enough he couldn't hear it clearly as well.

    Connor's second emotion was anxiety. He felt such as an awful ghostly attack whose main objective seemed to worry the poor advanced android even more when he felt the same something(??!!) press...itself(?!) on his chest a couple of times, left alone the amount of tension his software caused as it temporarily deactivated his sensors' processors to stabilize itself again... 

              He sensed how the "something" began speaking again. But he couldn't grasp to process if they were verbal words, for he was still at loss with his deactivated audio feature. Connor wanted to know if the "something" really was a...someone, and if it was then who was it and what was he/she doing and if the someone was trying to crush his heart...and most of all, why??  Was Cyberlife involve in this?...Is this the last piece for Amanda's worst punishment?

Or perhaps...perhaps it is someone and that being...Hank? Though why would he-

Software has successfully been stabilized [...]

• All sensor' processors have been backed-up. [...]
• May proceed with discretion to not alter previous located ERRORS* [...] 

       Jolting upwards with his nerves on high, Connor immediately began scanning his surroundings. He needed to know, needed to make sure that he was no longer in danger as he lowered his head while searching... what meant the meant the following message "A spider mutation has been found on unknown person's DNA"...and if all spiders were really bad luck like it's been stereo-typically known, for Connor wondered otherwise when he felt the other's gentle and kind intentions...which heavily matched Markus' persona...in exception of the other's nature on not pressuring him further but...waiting patiently for Connor to give him a rational reaction. 

                    In which, he was going to once he felt brave enough to lock eyes with the other, until a detection behind the other's mask(?!) of another artificial intelligence trying to hack his software for unknown reasons frightened the poor advanced android as he instantly increased his software's security when he received alerts that Connor didn't recognize of his own...Though it didn't last for long, when he heard the unknown other speak again with that same soft tone from before...something that Connor could clearly recognize while he wondered how did the unknown masked person stop the hacking...and who was Karen(??) as well as why was she inside the mask(?!)

  To answer his questions oh did Connor have to trust his curiosity on looking up once again, and thankfully he did not went against it when he shockingly noticed the similar face features the unknown...younger boy had with his own...even when Connor believed that his design was a 'personalized unique prototype'. If Lieutenant Anderson was there, he would probably react with an "Un-fucking-lievable" and an "I told you Cyberlife fucked up", in which Connor admitted that this was definitely odd...but not in a bad way, as his doppelganger seemed...delighted about it making him seem...warmer than the sun that day on the lake's shore.

             And even though Connor couldn't understand someone's good intentions towards him now and wished to learn more about, for so for all he taught with were cruel facts that androids meant nothing but either...trash or dangerous to humans..., the advanced android felt conflicted and a bit overwhelmed once he did a more profound scan over the unknown's young boy identity. Because it wasn't the fact that his doppelganger was human and had a different name that brought back his fears of...attachment. 

It was the fact that his doppelganger already felt attached towards Connor, proving so when he confessed what he found and reacted in a way... any less different.

   "Karen!! Did you hear what he said?! We found our first android this is so cool!!!"  Peter Parker squealed in excitement was a reaction that Connor didn't expect, at all. He expected his doppelganger to change his expression with a mix of...horror and disgust towards him, but when he noticed the amazing product of dopamine, endorphins and serotonin show on the younger boy's smile as it got wider...well, saying that Connor was surprised would be an understatement. Blinking in confusion, while sensing his LED flash from red to yellow, Connor slightly tilted his head as he accidentally  earsdropped  over his doppelganger's small conversation with...the other artificial intelligence?

      "Y-you are n-not...i-intimidated by m-my...presence?" The advanced android quietly asked as he ignored his second emotion trying to come back, when he saw Peter Parker's wide-smile fall...a little while he furrowed his brows...slightly. 'It's normal...it's normal for him to be suspicious of me...I shouldn't feel bad...hold on, androids don't have thoughts?? Oh...that's right I became deviant.'  

           "I mean, no offense, but apart of your face looking almost exactly like mine, which isn't totally out of the ordinary...you seem pretty harmless." Peter Parker replied back with that same honesty as he shrugged while chuckling slightly which made Connor wonder...how could someone so good-hearted could coexist on this world. Although the advanced android remained silent to rather process and analyze his doppelganger's comment, Peter Parker must've understood otherwise...as the other's eyes-grew wide while frowning slightly. "You're not a..." Gaining the young boy's attention, Connor's LED stopped flashing in yellow as the advanced android locked eyes with the other's as he proceeded rather...nervously. "Bad android, right?...T-Totally get it if that's the case though...But like- if that's really the case, then I think there's a huge problem because...I-I kinda already like you s-so-" 

*"I believe my c-character's principal trait is quite...d-debatable...depending on w-who I am with. A-Androids from where I-I come from develop ourselves b-based of...what we l-learn from...as well a-as learning how to mimic t-them...to have a definite p-position...among society."* The advanced android quickly rambled his way through, when he noticed Peter Parker's heart-beat racing a bit as well as showing his geniousity...for being so close yet so far on finding out Connor's truth. 

      Although to be brutally honest, Connor wasn't so sure what was his truth...if he could be considered as good or as bad...once he became deviant. Before, he didn't exactly care because he was following the protocols in his program...

But now? He just didn't know. 

   Nearly twenty minutes after Connor's confession and excuse clarification, they both finally sat at the lake's benches, as the advanced android "slightly" wore Peter Parker's "Spider-Man" suit as he called it (he did a mental note on searching about new terms he learned from his doppelganger such as: "Alter heroic ego", "The Avengers" and "Iron-Man" later) after losing in a mini-discussion with the stubborn young boy. In which Connor said that he 'couldn't catch a cold even while wearing soaked clothes because androids didn't have an immune system" and with Peter saying "C'mon Con!! My suit has some heating features on it so it can warm you up and dry your clothes pretty quickly! Also, I wanna see if red matches you too...You're uh, okay with me calling you "Con" right?" 

'...I should've told him I had automatic heaters in me...'

       Though, his doppelganger was right. The heaters in Peter's suit had an extraordinary timing...in less than two minutes Connor confirmed that it warmed him and dried his clothes with no problem whatsoever. Connor stared and studied the impressive invention as if he discovered paradise when let out a small sigh of relief over how...nice it was to be warm, until he felt his cheeks flush again when he heard Peter snort. "See? I knew it was gonna make you feel better. And make you look better! Red is your color too, after-all!!" The younger boy cheered while happily laughing as well as teasingly pushed Connor at the side with his own, who slowly nodded while forming a small smile. "Did you just assume that my choice of clothing made me look otherwise, Parker?"  Connor quickly replied back, successfully without stuttering, as he saw his doppelganger dramatically blink his eyes with his mouth half-opened making the advanced android's turn to laugh. His first genuine laugh. 

            "I didn't expect you to already know about sass!! Oh God, what am I going to do with this competition?" The advanced android heard the younger reply back while laughing, seeing how the other's eyes were shinning in such a pure and warm way that Connor believed were prettier than the suit's advanced technology... definitely taking first place after being able to understand the beauty of laughter...

This being the main sign of Connor's third emotion...being able to be happy...when he was at Peter Parker's side.

     It took exactly thirty minutes for Connor to answer his doppelganger's excited questions about himself, in which the younger boy didn't seem to get tired or run out of energy as he began jumping in disbelief about how "bright" the future was. As the advanced android knew very well about how he was pushing back the constant alerts about his inner critical state could definitely backfire him, he couldn't help but be so...carefree around the younger boy. Clearly, he really seemed to enjoy being with Peter, for Connor thought his doppelganger's golden persona was the most interesting yet emotional-touching he has ever analyzed...and connected with...

"Okay OKay, so lemme get this straight- you're telling me that next year a genius young scientist called Kamski is gonna...create a world-wide company called "Cyberlife" on Detroit...so he could start building and selling highly intellectual androids at a... surprising cheap price?!...while developing your kind's own blood which is blue freaking Thirium...as well as inventing each model's "biocomponents" that work like...your organs while being perfectly exchangeable and upgraded this is!!- I-I don't know how to put this in words...I'm just so-WOW!" Connor listened to Peter Parker's breathlessly rambling as he followed his gaze towards his movements, the younger boy walking back n' forth while counting each fact with his fingers...which the android found it...funny.

"And like- what's even more WOW! is that you were designed and built by them as a prototype, which is insanely awesome because that means you're not ordinary and left alone how you say that you left your under-protocol-ed program and becoming deviant!!!...Which by the way Con, what does deviant mean exactly- Con...? Are you...why are you crying?...I-I'm sorry if it's something wrong that I said..." The advanced android, overwhelmed by the young boy's admiration over him while showing how he cared, lead him welling some light-blue tears...until he couldn't hold them back anymore...as well when Peter stopped in place while instantly got worried and speaking with that...soft tone again...

                   "I-I'm o-okay...I'm okay....I-I got...I'm sorry, please forget it." Connor trailed off while shaking his head, for he meant to say: 'I got very happy feeling appreciate for once' and knew that if he said that then...it would mean he was attached when he shouldn't...it could be dangerous for the both of them. After he apologized for his sudden behavior, the advanced android quickly wiped away the fallen tears...and as fearing his doppelganger's gaze being a pitiful one, he began to remove Parker's suit while shyly handing it back towards the other...and mumbling an: "Thank you for keeping me...warm. You weren't exactly obligated to..." . But during such, he felt Peter Parker's gently brush his hands over Connor's while pretending he was grabbing his suit back, in which the advanced android quickly pulled back while blushing in embarrassment...Slowly did he lift his face to lock eyes with the younger boy who was...staring at him in a way he couldn't quite...understand?

"Con..I know we just met and all that jazz...but I want you to know that you don't have to apologize for well, feeling. It's normal and it's healthy...and in general, you don't have to apologize for being you. Besides that...you're right. I wasn't obligated to. But I...wanted to. Because... I think you are-"  The young boy spoke to him ever so gently and softly, in a way where the advanced android couldn't just ignore and look away...somehow, Peter was able to grasp his whole attention and ground him while ironically taking him into a trance in the tip of his fingers just like that...

    [ It felt...right...their connection it felt...right.]

    Noticing the younger boy stop suddenly, as some ringing sound filled the air, the advanced android slightly flinched while blinking in confusion over such coming from the...out-dated phone that his doppelganger took out from his pocket...a bit disappointing that the other couldn't finish what he was gonna say about what he thinks of him

             ^Peter!! You've been gone for nearly an hour dude!! Any minute now we're gonna be dropping off the bus at the art museum, and...Shit our history teacher is gonna call each of us by our last names in order- YOU HAVE TO GET HERE, LIKE NOW DUDE!"^ Connor heard a voice from another unknown person coming from his doppelganger's out-dated phone, it's increased sound scaring the advanced android a bit until he heard Peter Parker reply back "OH FUCK, RIGHT! I'm- I'm on my way dude!! Just- stay cool and low! I'll be there in a jiffy, you'll see!!" as "calmly" as possible, as the advanced android noticed the disconnection from the other line and before Connor took the time to process what was going on, he noticed Peter Parker's change of breathing and heartbeat as he spoke...

"What'cha say Con, wanna...go on a little journey with me?"

  *In the meantime, during Peter and Connor's meeting*

       "No, no, no and no. Over my dead body am I gonna work with these...bastards again!" Mr.Stark stubbornly groaned with wild eyes while being in a furious discussion with Dr. Strange, who settled a meeting with him to inform about some breaking news on what was happening in their reality...while of course hiding the fact that he secretly contacted the Rogue Avengers (Steve, Sam, Natasha, Wanda and Vision) to come over as well...who were as uncomfortable and unsettled on working together as Tony was. Except that they were trying to cooperate while pushing back what happened between them nearly two years ago "in the past", which frustrated and hurt the genius billionaire.

               "Either you decide on finally thinking as an Avenger and help us on protecting our world from the unknown threat that my powers detected coming here by an altered space-time vortex because of a strong wave radiating from the Space stone a the Asgardian's ship towards here OR you take your leave while taking your dirty ego with you, douchebag." Dr. Strange snapped at Tony while giving him a deadly glare, who didn't take the sorcerer's brutal advice in consideration not even the slightest, as he immediately  took of his sunglasses so his new nano-technology based Iron-Man suit would start appearing in his skin. 

        "Bring it in, wizard. Let's test out how great your powers really are, unless you make me a balloon animal, of course."