To Make A Machine Cry (LevixReader) AU! Chapter 5

Chapter Five: What We Still Don't Know



"Five o'clock get a call to go blading at the skate park down by the mall!"

Levi's eyes snapped open at the sound of his T.V. blasting downstairs. Looking at his clock he was curious if (Y/N) had even gone to sleep last night.

One morning...he just wanted to be able to sleep in for one morning. The man rubbed at his dark eyes before stretching his arms. Curious as to what the hell (Y/N) was doing to have woken him up he shuffled into the living room.

The (H/C) haired girl sat watching the television as if studying it. On the screen some blue and white robot was getting into some type of shenanigans. Levi sat down next to (Y/N) who jumped slightly.

"Good morning Levi. Though, I suppose it is not such a good morning seeing as your brain levels indicate that you did not go through your sleep cycles properly last night. I can see that you hardly left stage one and two of sleep. May I recommend seeing a doctor for insomnia?"

"Well your loud show didn't help keeping me asleep. What the hell are you watching?"

"I apologize. I had not realized the volume would increase so greatly during the theme song and attempted to turn it down upon my realization. As for what I am watching; I am watching a children's T.V. show called My Life as a Teenage robot. It is making me very glad I was not designed as a teenager....What were you like as a teenager?"

"Stupid. So why the hell are you watching this?"

"I have been conducting research on how the media portrays robots. The Terminator, I-Robot, Robocop, Wall-E, Transformers, Big Hero Six, the androids from Dragon Ball Z and now this. From what I gather I am either intended to be a hero or a villain...there is no middle ground. I can't really see myself represented in anything."

"Which one do you like the most?"

"What?"

"Which representation do you like the most?"

"Well I like what I'm watching now because she's different yet manages to be so similar to everyone else. But in Dragon Ball Z I enjoy that they choose to be good, even though they were designed to be bad. I like that they have a choice in what they do."

Levi watched her from the corner of his eye. She looked the most upset he'd seen her since they met. He hadn't figured she was aware of her lack of free will but was beginning to see that she was not only aware but resented it. The tired man had no idea what to say to her and simply swayed his eyes back to the screen.

"Who's this kid?" Levi asked trying to shift (Y/N)'s mind to something else.

"Oh umm that's Sheldon. He's in love with Jenny."

"That's the robot right?"

"Yes."

"That's weird."

"What is?"

"A human falling in love with a robot. I mean can she even return the feeling?" Levi was so used to blunt honesty but realized that he could have just offended (Y/N) with what he just said. He glanced at her but she simply smiled like he was a clueless child.

"Well she has human emotions so she could if that's what she felt. But in this series she only sees him as a friend."

"Why doesn't he just reprogram her? It seems like a lot of trouble to try and make her fall in love with him when he can just flip a damn switch and make her love him. He can rewire her brain can't he?"

"I suppose but then it wouldn't be her. Besides the same can be said for humans."

"In what way?"

"Its an old saying that if you hear something enough than you soon believe it to be true. There's even been studies proving that you can convince someone they committed a crime just by reassuring them that they have. I suppose the same can be done with love. If you tell someone they are in love with another for long enough they will eventually start to believe it."

"I don't think it works that way. It's more complicated than that. If you don't love somebody than you just don't."

"Stockholm Syndrome."

"What?"

"Stockholm syndrome is a psychological phenomenon in which hostages express empathy and sympathy and have positive feelings toward their captors. Often times this can simply mean a defending of this person but other times romantic feelings can develop as well. Under the right circumstances you can make a human feel like they are in love with someone. I am under the impression that you believe humans are much more complex than they really are."

(Y/N) smirked at Levi slightly watching him roll his eyes at her.

"Whatever get ready we're leaving."

"Where are we going?"

"I need to run a quick errand and then we are going to go out and get you new clothes." Levi turned to look at (Y/N) before realizing something was off about her. "Hey you look kind of pale, is that even possible?"

"Perhaps the colour of my exoskin was bleached by the cleaning chemicals we used yesterday. I will discuss the matter with Creator Hanji." (Y/N) said quickly, before shutting off the T.V.

"Okay well come one today I'm calling a taxi because we're going on the other side of town."

"Exactly what kind of errand are you running? Can I be of any assistance to you?"

"No, it's best for you to stay in the car. I won't be gone long. And when we go out do not speak; just do what you did last night when that guy showed up here. And try not to do anything that would make people think your anything other than human got it?"

"Understood."

"Good , we'll be leaving after I get ready."

(Y/N) nodded and watched as Levi got up from the couch. She listened to his footsteps and when she was sure he was gone decided to tune into her tracking system. The signal she was searching for finally showed up on her radar.

"There you are. I'm glad you're still okay." (Y/N) whispered to herself before turning her attention back to the show she had been watching.
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"So Armin how's your internship with the mad scientist going?" Eren asked his friend with a teasing grin.

"Oh well we're getting a lot done given that it's only the two of us." Armin said stirring his coffee slightly. He enjoyed days when he and his friends had their schedules line up and were able to actually spend time together.

"Didn't she have five interns to start with? Mikasa asked.

"I guess they couldn't handle the pressure. It worked out for the best Ms. Hanji's working on some pretty top secret stuff right now so the less people that know the better."

"Is she still working on those robot things you told us about? Come on it wasn't secret before you can let us know we won't tell anyone." Eren urged his friend slightly.

Armin just smiled at his two close friends. Back when he first started helping Hanji with her artificial intelligence she hadn't intended to keep it a secret. She wasn't exactly screaming it out to the world but she didn't feel the need to keep any information on lock down. After T Tech started sticking their noses in her experiment she had informed Armin to no longer discuss their work with anyone but her.

"Well between us we have something on a trial run right now. It's the first time we've taken this creation outside of the laboratory. I'm really just hoping everything goes okay. Of course I'm not sure of Ms. Hanji's plans should this experiment works out."

"Is it another robot? I heard Hanji gave up on creating them but I wouldn't put it past her to keep it out of the public eye."

"Mmmm so how's football going Eren?" Armin asked trying to deflect the topic.

"Ugh I was enjoying it until we got a new member. Some foreign exchange student, Jean. Cocky son of a bitch managed to piss me off in two different languages. I'd kick his ass if it wouldn't put my scholarship at risk. Unlike Mikasa I don't have grants being thrown at me from everyone since she's good at everything."

"Seriously Mikasa you could probably ace any major at this school so tell me again why you want to be..."

"A freaking preschool teacher!"

"I like kids." Mikasa replied with little emotion.

Both boys merely shook their heads at their friend. Armin chuckled just a bit before his eyes took notice of a certain couple at the stop light.

He could see (Y/N) and Levi sitting in the back of a taxi cab. Both looked equally annoyed and bored. Armin was really beginning to worry about (Y/N)'s well-being with Levi. Not that he thought Levi would intentionally harm her but Armin didn't want him to treat her like a random appliance. She needed social interaction and to be treated like a person not a microwave.

"Hello Armin?" A tan hand came in to Armin's view as Eren tried to get him attention. "Are you okay? You were staring off."

"Oh I'm fine I was just looking across the street." Turning his head the blonde realized that the taxi had already taken off down the road.

"Well come on we need to leave now if we're going to meet up with the rest of the group and catch that movie." Mikasa said finishing the rest of her drink. Eren groaned slightly.

"Why do we always have to go to the movies so early?"

"Because the first showing is cheaper and all of our friend's are broke college kids now let's go." Mikasa said grabbing Eren's arm and pulling him out of his seat.

Armin followed behind the pair quietly eyes still wandering  down the street.

Unfortunately for him, if he'd turned away from the street he may have noticed a certain young man sitting at the table right behind the trio.
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(Y/N) watched as they pulled up to a rather extravagant looking apartment complex. It looked like something only the very well off could live in.

"Okay, I won't be more than ten minutes at most. Now don't go with anybody, don't look at anybody, don't speak to anybody, and above all stay your ass in the car okay?"

(Y/N) wanted to ask where they were but she could see the taxi driver glancing at her through the rear-view mirror. The girl merely sighed and nodded.

"Good, I swear if you don't listen to me I will make you clean my fucking house from top to bottom again. I'll be back." Levi put something into his pocket before getting out of the car and disappearing into the building.

(Y/N) sat in awkward silence before she heard a throat clear from the front seat. Looking up she could see the driver giving her a sympathetic look from the front seat.

"Blink twice if you're being held against your will."

(Y/N) simply cocked her head to the side, not quite sure what the guy was saying.

"This guy that just got off, is he your boyfriend?"

(Y/N) nodded enthusiastically suddenly aware of what he was implying.

"Geez young ladies today have no self respect. Does he always talk to you like that?" Another nod from (Y/N) caused the man to scoff. "And you let him? If you were my daughter I'd have kicked his ass and then kicked your ass for letting him treat you like that."

(Y/N) merely shrugged and offered the man a small nervous laugh. She threw a quick sign at him to indicate that she couldn't speak.

"Aaa so you can't speak. Well I don't understand sign language but if you want to run I won't tell him which way you went."

The young girl laughed again but shook her head. She didn't want this guy to have a bad impression of Levi so she quickly looked around for something to write on. Luckily she found a clean napkin on the ground and motioned for the driver to give her his pen. She jotted down a few words before handing it back.

"Levi doesn't mean to be like that. It's just his personality and he really does only mean the best. I'm here because of him and I will always feel grateful to him for that. I don't think he realizes the impact he has on people sometimes and I don't think he always knows what he's saying but his heart's the right place." The driver read the girl's words aloud but was still incredibly skeptical of it.

The man was about to say more before Levi walked out of the building. (Y/N) looked at him and for once was in awe. He didn't look tense and angry like he usually does. While he wasn't exactly smiling (Y/N) could see the slightest upturn of his lips. That plus the small gleam in his eye made the young girl wonder exactly what this errand had been.

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"Levi, I'm not sure that this fits the way it's supposed to and I can't close it in the back. Can you help me?"

Levi rolled his eyes at the whispered voice coming from the dressing room of his large department store. The pair had been here for all of ten minutes when Levi realized that (Y/N) had no clue about anything. She didn't know her size in anything. Apparently Hanji hadn't programmed her to have an opinion on anything she wore.

She came out of the dressing room several times not sure what she was supposed to look like in certain outfits. And apparently she was having difficulty trying on whatever piece of clothes she had now.

"What is it? Come out here so I can help you." Levi said, knowing that he asked his employees to keep everyone away from this dressing room.

The moment (Y/N) stepped out Levi knew he should have asked what she needed help with before hand. The (H/C) haired android stepped out of the dressing room in a pair of lacy black underwear and seemed to be clenching a matching bra to her chest.

"Hanji never made me wear a bra before and I can't seem to clasp it in the back. Would you please assist me?"

"(Y/N) you can't just walk out here like that."

"Hmm why not? You informed me that you had this area blocked off. Only you would be out here to see me."

"That's not the point. You shouldn't flaunt yourself around like that in front of someone you just met."

"I'm not trying to flaunt myself I merely need your assistance."

"Fuck fine. Turn around."

(Y/N) turned her back to Levi and made sure her hair was out of the way. The black-haired man focused in his gaze to the hooks on the back of the garment, not daring to let his eyes drift further down.

"You look like shit in this lighting, your skin is definitely a shade paler than it was before. Wait, I sure as hell didn't pick this out for you and I don't think you would venture into the lingerie department on you own."

"The sales associate picked it out for me. She said you might like it."

Levi's eye twitched slightly. He knew most people would assume that he and (Y/N) had some sort of relationship since he was buying her an entire wardrobe of clothing but it didn't annoy him any less.

"Of course this one made me more comfortable than the one she originally suggested."

"And what was that?"

(Y/N) pointed to a tiny pile of leather and black ribbon.

"God she is so fucking fired."
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"Mr. Dok, I have urgent news."

"Come in Oluo. Sit and tell me what you've found out."

"I overheard Hanji's assistant talking to some of his friends and it has led me to believe that the DA-11 is no longer residing in Hanji's lab."

"That's ridiculous why would Hanji remove her from the most secure area she has?"

"Arlert stated that their creation was on a test run."

"And you're sure he was talking about the DA-11?"

"Well no but he deflected the topic of what it was rather quickly. I honestly believe that the DA-11 has moved locations. And if it is on a test run I believe it is safe to assume that it is with the person who will oversee it upon completion. I still don't know why Hanji is creating these androids but if we can find out who has it we can know why."

Nile smirked at this newly acquired knowledge. Sitting up in his chair he quickly wrote a few things down before turning to Oluo.

"Very good. It seems you are of some use to us. However your job here is not done. Though it is our top priority to find the DA-11 we also have one more agenda. We need to know how these things work. Where are their operating systems and programming centers. Until that time I need to show you something. Follow me."

Oluo stood up from his chair and followed a few steps behind Nile. The man led him to a hallway he'd never been down before. Using his ID in the scanner the door opened swiftly. This same process was done through several doors imputing passwords and scans.

Finally the last door clicked open and Nile gestured for Oluo to step inside. The nervous man took a deep breath before walking into the room.

Immediately his eyes were drawn to what lie in the centre of all the wires and machinery.

"I-i don't understand."