"Victim of Opportunity"

Connor sprinted down the streets of Detroit as quickly as his feet could carry him.

Everything around him was deathly silent save the beating of his own thirium pump and an absent ringing deep within his ears.

His footsteps seemed to fall slowly and silently as if all of the gravity around him had been switched off.

Echoing gunshots continued to pound through his head.

BANG*

Parker

BANG*

Hank

Was this even real? Everything felt so fabricated. Connor couldn't even feel his body as it moved light lightening through the city. This couldn't possibly be real.

Then as the first raindrops of a fresh storm began to fall against Connor's face he slowed down for a moment. The cool touch of the rain and the sweet smell of the storm filled his senses, and for a moment, Connor felt like reality had returned.

Connor felt his hands reach for his own weapon subconsciously as he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to pull away from whatever surreal dream he seemed stuck in. This living nightmare.

This was real. Hank was out there, hurt, dying maybe. Connor picked up his speed, past what he thought was possible, as he pushed past crowds of people and ran straight through incoming traffic. The sounds of blaring car horns and screeching tires never phased him or slowed him down.

He ran towards the street corner of the abandoned convenience store, allowing the oncoming rain to pour through his dark hair and down his face, soaking his clothing. He could hear the sound of sirens blaring as Connor's backup raced him to Hank's location. He felt a bout of anxiety swell up in the pit of his stomach. If Connor could hear them coming, then Scarver could too. He knew the ringmaster would run.

Connor arrived on the street corner, soaking wet with his gun drawn and ready in case Scarver was still lurking about despite the sounds of the first responders.

"Hank?" Connor called out warily as the rain began to pour down more violently. There was no answer. The android felt his heart sink significantly. What if it was too late? Connor spotted the abandoned convenience store where the false report about the armed robbery was called in. He began to make his way towards the store, knowing that Hank couldn't be far from it.

"Lieutenant if you can hear me say something!" There was still no answer. As Connor approached the store, he noticed that the concrete below him started to turn an unusually red color as something was being washed out of the alley. He bent over the puddle for a moment, scanning the substance.

Connor grimaced as his suspicions were confirmed. Human blood.

He stood up from his place on the ground, following the trail of watered down blood with his eyes. The color became significantly darker as it led back to the alley.

"Hank?" Connor called out again. Connor clicked the safety off of his gun, aiming it at the ground as he stepped carefully into the alley. There, lying prostrate on the ground was his partner, lying motionless in his own blood as the slowly growing puddle was washed away by the rainfall.

"Oh my god...Hank!" Connor cried out in fear, running to his partner's side and flipping him on his back to assess the damage, putting his head in his lap. There were two wounds in his lower abdomen, that were bleeding profusely and staining the torn shirt he wore. He pulled off his uniform jacket, tearing open his partner's shirt and pressed it hard against the open wound. Much to Connor's relief, the detective shuddered in response to the pressure.

"H-hank! Stay with me, okay! Everything's alright detective." Connor tried his best to keep his voice steady and hopeful, but his partner's chances were growing slimmer as he continued to bleed out. "There are first responders making their way here now. Can you hear the sirens, Lieutenant?"

"C-co-"

Hank gasped at the sharp hot pain as he tried to take a breath. Connor had to hold him still against the ground as his body instinctively curled around itself.

"Don't move!" He yelled, a little bit too harshly. He grabbed onto his partner's hand with his free one, allowing the Lieutenant something to hold onto through the pain. "Just stay awake, okay Lieutenant?" Connor begged quietly, as he tried to keep his partner stable. His chances of survival were dropping lower as his heart rate began to decrease. "Shit…" He swore silently to himself as his own stress began to rise past critical levels. His partner's blood was staining his already soaked dress shirt.

"C-connor p-please.." Connor just shook his head, pressing harder to try and stop any major bleeding.

"Don't try to speak, Lieutenant!" Connor warned, "You have to j-just focus on staying awake." Connor squeezed his partner's hand as the approaching sirens blared louder.

"H..he's after y-you…" Hank groaned, "I..wasn't g-going t-to let him…"

"I know…" Connor whimpered quietly, "I-I know you weren't…you just wanted to protect me." Connor's voice broke as he tried keep his fear from showing.

Hank began coughing and choking on the blood that was filling the back of his throat.

"Hold on.." Connor felt tears filling the rims of his eyes. "You're gonna be okay…" Connor began to feel Hank's grip on his hand loosening as the detective began to lose consciousness.

"No!" Connor cried out, "Lieutenant, don't! Stay awake! That's an order!" Connor squeezed his partner's hand tighter, trying to get a response.

"I-I…" Hank started weakly, "I-I...I'm proud of y-you, s-son…" The detective's head lolled to the left as he lost all consciousness.

"Hank? Hank!" Connor lost all of his composure, breaking down over his partner's body. "Please! God no!" He sobbed openly as he felt himself push harder against Hank's abdomen. "Hold on please!"

"Please don't leave me alone…"

The sound of sirens grew louder in Connor's ears as his backup finally arrived.