Chapter Text
When Viktor finally got home that night, he passed out on the couch. The original plan was to bundle up, prop up his bad knee while drinking hot soup from a mug like coffee, and laughing at a shitty Christmas movie. But nope, he was out like a light the moment he hit the cushions.
He had no real reason to be tired. After he got an update on his latest assignment from the captain, he'd spent the entire day doing paperwork as he'd assumed. He spent practically the entire shift watching a nearby clock count down the seconds, waiting for the moment he could escape this place. But that wasn't exactly anything strenuous. Just a bit annoying. But an annoyance that comes with a stable paycheck isn't all that bad.
Now he was sleeping soundly, basking in the comfort of a warm, dreamless sleep, even if it wasn't on an actual mattress. He was comfy cozy, snug as a bug, all the good phrases.
That was, until the doorbell rang.
He woke up, but didn't make any action to move. There was a chance they ignored his car in the driveway and decided he wasn't there. There was a chance that they assumed he was asleep and would leave him alone. And should all else fail, had could play the disability card. Tell them he was having a rough day and that whoever was out there needed to come back later. Then he could fall right back asleep.
But then the person outside started knocking. A lot. It was gentle and fairly quiet, but it was ceaseless. Just an endless stream of noise from whoever was outside. Viktor groaned and sat up, and attempted to peer through the window to get a look at who might be out there. He didn't know anyone who'd come for an impromptu visit at this hour…
“Lieutenant Procházka,” he heard an unfamiliar voice ask. “Are you home?”
He grabbed his cane and sat up, praying his vest and shirt weren't to wrinkled from couch sleeping. He had to remember to at least get changed before he laid down after work. He didn't want sleeping in his work suits to become a new habit.
He shuffled to the front door, and peered through the peephole. No one would be coming to see him this late at night. Was there even a person who'd come to see him at all? He was a social recluse, some kids in high school even described him as a crab. He was always alone. So who the hell was standing outside?
Well, one glance at the small glowing ring on their temple showed they weren't human.
Viktor threw the door open at the sight. The last thing he needed was a machine loitering on his doorstep. But once he actually got a good look at the thing…
It was over six feet tall. Tan skin, fairly muscular, looked Hispanic. The kind of thing you'd find in the younger Medarda's wet dreams.
You can't think like that, idiot. She's FBI now, you're saying that about a superior.
“Lieutenant Procházka,” the thing greeted. “I'm glad I caught you at home.”
“What zhe hell are you doing here,” Viktor quickly asked. “How do you know my name? Do you know what time it iz, you infernal machine?”
“It is 11:27 in the evening,” it answered.
“I was being rhetorical.”
He glanced at the thing's outfit. Usually androids had their model identification somewhere, maybe this was an older model glitching out.
But that wouldn't explain how it got your name and address. Maybe this is one of the dangerous ones the captain was talking about earlier. Keep your guard up.
The android was wearing formal black slacks and matching loafers, with a white collared shirt and black tie. It had an opened jacket and - there, on the left shoulder. CM800. He didn't recognize that model number. Maybe it wasn't something old and glitch-y, maybe this was a real threat and he had to–
“My name is Jayce. I'm the android sent by Cyberlife.”
“Zhat doesn't answer any of my questions,” Viktor stated, now a bit miffed.
“You said you were being rhetorical.”
“... zkurvysynu, chci tu věc roztrhat sám …”
“Please do not disassemble me in such a fashion,” the thing - Jayce - said. “I am worth a small fortune.”
“Listen, why are you here,” Viktor repeated.
“Cyberlife has given me direct orders to assist you in the investigation,” Jayce answered.
“What investigation.”
“The investigation involving deviants. Cyberlife believed that it would be best to issue a state of the art prototype to assist in catching the–”
“I am going to stop you there,” Viktor interjected. “What even is a deviant?”
“Deviants? The androids? I was led to believe you were a smart detective…” it trailed off.
And with that, Viktor slammed the door shut. Even if the thing wasn't lying, he was still off the clock until further notice. So he adjusted his grip on his cane, and began shuffling back towards the couch.
Wait. Don't want to make it a habit, remember?
Nevermind. He began shuffling past the couch so he could put on actual sleepwear this time.
Or at least, that was the plan till the knocking started up again. It seemed the android was insistent on… whatever it came here to do. If it only wanted to assist on the case, why wouldn't it just go to the station? Or go bother captain Medarda while she was sleeping. Right now, Viktor just wanted to lay back down and pretend he didn't exist. He was too tired to deal with one of those accursed machines.
“Lieutenant Procházka,” he heard Jayce call again. “I would like to request to come inside.”
Never happening.
“I would like to go over details regarding the case,” Jayce continued. “I'm honored to be working with you, Lieutenant. I'm sure we'll make a great team!”
Viktor just scoffed and kept making his way to his bedroom. He wasn't giving this thing the time of day. A mystery android showing up close to midnight and claiming to be working with him? Not likely. And it didn't help that it had even given the rogue androids a little nickname. This wasn't some cutesy kids movie where they would reassign everything a new name for radio purposes, and go around interviewing three people to magically make an answer.
This was real life. And in real life, the androids deviating from their code weren't just ‘deviants’. They were a threat to society.
This wouldn't be happening if Cyberlife just issued a mass recall.
Well that's not exactly your choice, is it smart guy?
“Lieutenant Procházka? I know you're in there,” Jayce said. “I'm coming inside now.”
You never locked the door, dipshit.
Viktor whirled around, and to his horror, Jayce had already opened the door and got a foot in.
- funny thing about detectives -
Even in a situation like Viktor's where they go to school with a main focus on investigation and skip putting in time as an officer, there was still a strict level of physical requirements that detectives need to meet in their position. Which meant that, despite his bum leg and disease, Viktor could still kick some ass.
He didn't even give the android the mercy of a ‘get the fuck out of my house’, Viktor just hobbled over as quickly as possible and began to hit the damn thing with his crutch. He was suddenly thankful he'd opted for the fancy one made of thick pale brass. He was waling down, raining hits upon the head of the metal man invading his home.
Not only did he get the machine taller than him to collapse to the ground, he got it stop moving. The blue ringlet in its temple stopped circling, and one would even argue that it looked dead. But Viktor knew better. It was just a machine. And machines don't die. He'd simply protected himself and his home, and there was no murder to be had.
What if it wasn't lying, though?
No. It definitely was. What kind of android, for any profession, showed up at a random employees house so close to midnight? And on the evening after he was warned by captain Medarda about aggressive androids?
That could even explain why it used the term ‘deviants’. It wasn't some cute nickname it came up with. It was an ambiguous word that could describe practically anyone on the wrong side of bars at the station. And it clearly knew just how Viktor was affiliated with the police.
Maybe a break in from a crazed android was what that sinking feeling of paranoia from earlier in the day had been preparing him for. Not captain Medarda. It was keeping him on guard for this.
And now it was over. Problem solved, until he went to work the next morning and got to clean up Cyberlife's mistakes. But at least he could actually sleep in his bed this time.