The following sunny morning Connor awoke at nine o'clock right on the dot as was his normal morning routine, and by all account his body had fully healed and his system had fully rebooted at optimal power. Opening his somewhat heavy soulful brown eyes Connor pushed himself upright his elbows where he was laying, and glanced about the bedroom with mild confusion as he attempted to gain his bearings. While his G.P.S. confirmed that he was indeed in Hank's house and that Lucas was still with him, the 'RK-900' sleeping peacefully in the second mattress to his left and was also stable, Connor didn't recognize the room that he and Lucas were currently residing within.

Connor had been so preoccupied with saving Lucas the night before that he hadn't even questioned the bedroom he and Lucas had been resting in, or why they had beds of their own to sleep on. Sitting upright on his mattress Connor noticed that Sumo had left the room and that Lucas was wearing a white hoodie while he continued to sleep. Sensing Hank's vital signs as the senior detective slept through the morning in his own bedroom Connor slowly climbed off the mattress and tested his weight on his somewhat shaky legs.

Though weak and still tired Connor did have enough strength to move around on his own and begin a new day. Draping his own quilt over Lucas's sleeping form without waking him in the process Connor grabbed Hank's old coffee mug from the floor and walked into the kitchen to find more Thirium. As he placed the empty mug down in the kitchen sink Connor noticed the empty pizza box sitting on the counter and shook his head a little.

"Can't fault Hank for ordering take-out after everything he had to do yesterday. I need to be sure to do something nice for him once Lucas and I are strong enough to move about and after everything with Zhorra has been handled."

Pulling a fresh bottle of Thirium down from the cabinet above the sink Connor was momentarily distracted by an incoming call from an unexpected friend.

...Incoming Call: Officer Evelyn Blythe

...Accept Call? [Y/N?]

Selecting 'yes' Connor answered the phone call on a cybernetic level as he proceeded to drink the Thirium as he silently spoke to Evelyn to ensure that he didn't wake up either Hank or Lucas down the hallway.

'Hello, Evelyn'. Connor greeted politely as he topped off his Thirium slowly. It was an odd call to receive but welcome all the same. 'How can I help you?'

'Hey, Connor. Uh... This might sound a little weird, but...' Struggling to bring up the reason behind her call Evelyn's voice shook a little with some hesitation and palpable discomfort. 'Well, I was sent a copy of an obituary about a man named 'Connor Anthony Wolf' who was born and raised in Novi, and I was wondering if you... knew anything about it.'

'Yes. I know of him and I can confirm that it isn't a coincidence that we have the same name, appearance and that you and I have a sense of connection.'

'Really?' Shocked and enthralled Evelyn asked about what Connor had discovered. 'What did you find out?'

It took only a few minutes for Connor to tell Evelyn about everything he and Hank had uncovered when they began their search into the past revolving around the almost forgotten man. The car accident, the way Kamski copied the human Connor's mind and some of his memories, and of the human Connor's shared past with Evelyn when they were both in the foster care program, were all explained to Evelyn in great detail. The final moments of the human Connor and his funeral were still very dark and upsetting to speak about, but Connor let Evelyn know the truth.

'That poor guy.' Evelyn remarked over the line with a restrained sob in her words. 'I think I remember him! I know I used to play with a little boy at foster care until my grandparents won custody over me and my little sister, and I remember he was someone who loved to play with animals. This is the first time I've thought about him since then.'

'Don't feel guilty for not remembering someone when you were still so very young. I'm sure he wouldn't have been offended.'

'I still feel bad for not remembering my first real friend until after I met you, and now he's gone.' Lamenting the loss with a sincere regret Evelyn was clearly upset by the senseless death of a good person who had a bad life. 'It was nice of you and Lieutenant Anderson to give him a proper send off and scatter his ashes somewhere peaceful. That's the way I'd like to go.'

'Personally I'd rather not think about death and the finality that follows it.'

'Yeah, I can get that. Can I ask how Killian's doing?'

'Well, he and I have recently overcome our own close call with angry deviants, but we're going to be okay.' Leaving out the attempted self destruction for obvious reasons Connor told Evelyn only what was really important. 'Also, Killian has changed his name to "Lucas" as a means of moving on from his bleak past and toward a more prosperous future.'

'Hey, that's great! The name "Lucas" is really cute, too!'

'I'll take your word on that one.'

Laughing at the sincere comment Evelyn's mood finally picked up now that she and Connor were talking about something more positive. 'I'm glad you're both doing better. How about your search into your missing memories? Find out anything new?'

'I've made some minor progress but not enough to get any truly definitive answers. I'm very close to finally uncovering the truth.'

'You mentioned something about speaking to another deviant out there, North, did she help you out?'

'Unfortunately, I've been unable to speak with her as of yet.' That particular plan of action had been stalled for a moment. 'I became quite busy shortly after returning to Detroit.'

'That's the downside of being a detective, huh?'

'Indeed.' Finished with his Thirium Connor placed the empty bottle down in the recycling bin under the sink. 'How about your promotion? How is that going for you?'

'Captain Warren seems to think I'm in the clear. I'll take the detective's exam this summer and hopefully it'll all pay off.'

'You'll do well and pass, Evelyn. I have a good feeling.'

'Thanks for saying so.' As she spoke Evelyn was sure Connor could hear her blushing and did her best to keep her voice from letting it show. 'I appreciate all your help and teaching me about androids. Once I get my promotion and I have more sway in the precinct I'll request we keep a deviant division open so we can keep ahead of possible future problems.'

'That's a very kind and professional gesture.' Catching the sound of Hank's bedroom door opening and Sumo plodding down the hallway Connor smirked and greeted the massive dog when Sumo sat down right at his feet. 'Thank you for calling to check in with me, I appreciate it.'

'No problem. Can we talk again?'

'Yes, of course. When?'

'How about... This Saturday at seven? But you pick where!'

'I... get to pick the location from where you or I call from?'

Laughing again Evelyn couldn't help but enjoy playing with the deviant. 'No, no! I'm actually driving out to Detroit this weekend since I have a week's worth of sick days I need to use up, and I figured I'd keep my promise and visit you.'

'Oh!' Smiling a brief but bright grin at the idea of being able to meet up with Evelyn again Connor readily agreed to their mini-date. 'That's good to know. You can come to my brownstone if you wish. Or a restaurant if you'd like to join me for dinner.'

'You? Dinner?'

'Well, there is a small diner that Hank and I have frequented that serves humans and deviants alike. That way I can actually join you for dinner.'

'I see... Clever!'

'Will that work?'

'Absolutely! I'll check into my hotel and call you at seven and meet you at the diner.'

'Or I could meet you at the hotel at seven and escort you to the diner myself.' Unaware of the faint blue blush filling his face Connor nodded at Hank as the groggy senior detective entered the kitchen with a big yawn. 'What do you think?'

'I think I'm looking forward to Saturday. I'll see you in three days!'

'I will see you then. Take care, Evelyn.'

'You do the same, bye!'

'Goodbye.' Ending the call Connor looked to Hank as the senior detective let Sumo into the backyard and practically pushed the Saint Bernard outside so he'd take care of business and stop drooling all over Connor. "Good morning, Hank. Thank you for everything you did for Lucas and myself."

"You're welcome, son. Damn dog wouldn't leave you alone and I ended up dragging him into my room so he didn't cover you in drool all night long." Grabbing onto Connor's right shoulder with a firm left hand Hank pointed his right index finger right in Connor's face as he spoke to the deviant under his care. "Do me one favor though."

"Of course. What's that?"

"NEVER scare me like that again! I'm talking about being abducted, escaping a burning building and having to take care of a self destructing deviant like that."

"I assure you I'll do my best to prevent such endeavors from being repeated in the future."

"Good." Patting Connor's left cheek with his right palm Hank stepped back and noticed the blue blush on Connor's face. "So, who were you talking to?"

"Huh?"

"Your face." Grinning coyly Hank let Connor know that he busted the deviant in the act of silently talking to someone special. "You don't blush just from having Sumo rolling around and giving you all his love. I know you were chatting with someone a little special before I walked in."

Feeling himself blush even more Connor challenged Hank's bold statement. "Just from my face?"

"Actually, that and your L.E.D. was cycling in yellow when I walked into the kitchen. It only does that when you're doing something in your head or you're stressed out. And based on that level of blushing, you're far from stressed right now."

"...O-Oh." Tracing his right fingertips over his traitorous L.E.D. he looked at the floor feeling a tad embarrassed. Clearing his throat Connor told Hank the truth and spoke with forced casualty behind his tone. "I was speaking with Evelyn."

"Oh! How's she doing?"

"Very well." Hearing Lucas waking up and moving around in the second bedroom Connor pulled down another bottle of Thirium from the cabinet above the sink to offer it to the 'RK-900' once Lucas was in the kitchen. "She's studying for her detective's test this upcoming summer, she wanted to let me know that she knows of the human counterpart who inspired mine and Lucas's design, and she's coming to Detroit this Saturday."

"Ooooh..." With a teasing lilt in his voice Hank made it clear that he now understood why Connor was blushing. "That explains it."

"Explains what?"

"Nothing, you'll figure it out later."

"What will..." Trailing off as Lucas entered the kitchen Connor looked at the second deviant and gave him a warm grin. "Good morning, Lucas."

Happy to hear his new name being spoken instead of the old name Lucas managed to give Connor a small grin of appreciation in return. "Good morning, Connor." Looking at Hank standing beside the backdoor Lucas offered the senior detective the same greeting. "Good morning, Hank."

"Good morning, Lucas." Being called by his first name and not his rank was all it took for Hank to feel like he was finally doing something right by the jumpy and aloof deviant. "How'd ya' sleep?"

"Much better." Rubbing his left palm over his chest Lucas indicated to the hoodie he was still wearing and didn't even flinch as his palm passed over his beating heart. It was a very useful layer to stave off the chill in the air after his close call with shutdown. "This was very helpful."

"Glad I could help. So..." Opening the backdoor Hank let Sumo back inside and watched as the massive dog returned to Connor for some ears rubs then went to Lucas expecting the same. Watching as Lucas stepped back from Sumo as the Saint Bernard sat at his feet and wagged his tail Hank decided to feed Sumo in order to get him to leave the 'RK-900' alone. "I was given the day off, I know Connor just solved his latest case and I know Lucas here has been in dire need of a vacation for quite some time. What do you boys want to do?"

Lucas just looked to Connor as the 'RK-800' answered for both of them. "Us? What do you mean?"

"You both need a break from all the bullshit in the city and you need the chance to just do something you want to do just for fun, not because someone else is asking you to do some work." Explaining things as casually as possible Hank finished feeding Sumo and made his way over to the far counter to prepare himself a pot of fresh coffee. "You two figure out what you want to do today and we'll do it. Or you two can just hang out with each other and I'll keep out of your way."

"I can't think of anything I'd like to do today." Glancing at Lucas standing in the kitchen doorway Connor handed the other deviant the bottle of Thirium to drink and top off his reserves for the day. "Do you have any ideas of what we could do today, Lucas?"

"...No." Accepting the Thirium Lucas couldn't think of anything, either. Beyond his usual walks around the city and hiding away in the facility the deviant had yet to develop any hobbies or interests of his own. "I only wanted to speak to you before... You know."

"Yes, I know."

"What do you want to do, Connor?"

"Aside from finding my answers about who shot me, nothing."

Pouring himself a fresh cup off coffee into his navy blue mug Hank turned to face the two deviants and gave them a smug look. "Then how about we just chill here and do something simple?"

Exchanging silent glances of confusion for a moment Connor looked away from Lucas and back to Hank. "Such as?"

"We're all exhausted and need a day to just sit on our asses and recuperate. I say we go into the livingroom and find some good old movies to watch all morning, watch tonight's Gears game and then find a couple more movies to watch before getting some more damn sleep."

"Why?"

"So we can let some mind-numbing television help us stop thinking about all the bullshit we just went through together." Taking a thoughtful sip of his coffee Hank stuck to his plans and explained his logic coolly. The steaming hot drink slowly gave Hank his energy and helped him become more alert. "It may not seem like we're doing anything productive or healthy, but by just spending the day doing nothing we're giving our minds and bodies the time they need to recover from stress and fatigue."

"Oh." Picking up on what Hank was talking about Connor kept everything discreet and subtle as he considered the plan. "I see."

"We'll take turns picking movies and just sit on the couch without giving a damn about anything else for the rest of the day." Finishing his coffee Hank gave the two deviants a knowing look and insisted on everyone taking the day to be couch potatoes. They all earned the day off and they earned the day to just sit around doing nothing. "You two need to relax and I'd love a day to just sit on my old ass without someone shoving paperwork in my face."

"Okay, Hank." Connor agreed at last and nodded at Lucas to entice him to agree to the idea as well. They didn't want to push Lucas and instead wanted him to feel welcome. "I'll try doing that. It'd be a nice a change of pace from constantly chasing after suspects and looking for missing deviants."

Not wanting to do anything that could cause tension Lucas finally agreed to the simple plan as well. "...Okay. I'll try doing that, too."

"Cool. And Lucas?" Hank used his coffee mug to playfully salute the deviant before he put in the sink next to his older mug. "You should get the honor of picking the first movie of our mini marathon."

"Me?" The invitation wasn't exactly a major honor but it didn't feel like anything he had earned. "Why?"

"I figured it'd be easier to go in order of age." Shrugging his shoulders casually Hank kept things simple and honest. "You know, youngest to oldest. First you, then Connor and finally me."

"Is that normal?"

"It was in my family when I was growing up. Me and my folks and grandparents would do movie night in order of age every Friday night. As the only child and only grandchild I always got to pick the first movie, and it's a simple enough tradition I kept for my own family..." Hank's blue eyes dulled for a moment as he trailed off as he thought about his lost family with heavy emotions in his voice. "So, yeah..." Clearing his throat Hank tried to sound like his usual self. "Uh, you know. It's simple and easy."

Connor knew Hank well enough to not push things when Hank had a moment of grief enter his mind, but Lucas was still learning how to read body language and understand what type of person Hank truly was. "That sounds like a good idea, Hank."

Trying to understand what made Hank think of the term 'family' Lucas decided to test the waters without pushing his boundaries. "Is that something normal for... friends to do, too?"

"Yeah, friends do that kind of thing, too." Hank confirmed as the light in his blue eyes returned. "People who care about each other just want to hang out and be around each other as much as possible, even if it's doing something as monotonous as watching movies."

"I think I understand."

"All right then. How about you two go grab those quilts off your beds so you can get as comfortable as possible on the couch? I know I'm going to wrap up in my own quilt so I can rest in the old recliner without my back bitchin' at me all day."

"Very well. I'll get your quilt for you, Lucas." Heading toward the kitchen doorway Connor paused for a moment and turned to look at Hank over his left shoulder curiously. The way the senior detective acted as if the second bedroom - one he had never seen the interior of until he awoke there the night before, belonged to Lucas and himself was very perplexing to say the least. "Hank, were did those mattresses come from?"

"I ordered them just before everything went down with you being abducted. I figured being able to lay on an actual bed whenever you, and now Lucas," including the second deviant in the discussion as well Hank reiterated the fact that he wanted Lucas to hang around. "stay at the house would be far more comfortable than the couch. I'm going to find a good deal on some real beds instead of inflatable ones in a few months."

"And... the bedroom itself?"

Not wanting to talk about it yet Hank sighed and motioned with his right hand toward the livingroom. "I thought we were going to veg' out and watch movies."

"Right, of course." Continuing on his way Connor let the question drop as he focused on getting the quilts. "I'll be just a moment."

"Come on, Lucas." Hank addressed the 'RK-900' with a paternally patient tone. "You get to pick the first movie."

Following after Hank slowly Lucas replied to the comment in a whisper. "I'm not sure what to pick."

"Anything you want! Even if it's an animated movie or a lame ass rom-com from the 90's, you get to pick and neither me or Connor can say 'no'."

Standing before the couch Lucas didn't sit down until Connor handed him his quilt over the back of the couch and promptly wrapped himself up. Sitting down on the right side of the couch while Connor's took the left side, Lucas watched Hank take his own quilt and wrap up before sitting down in the aged recliner to relax for the day. "...Can I see a list of movies to choose from?"

"Sure!" Turning on the television Hank used the remote to set up his streaming service and let Lucas check through all of the movies he had saved and cued up to start playing, and let him see the list of movies that hadn't even been downloaded yet. "Take your time."

The moment Connor sank down against the couch cushions he had Sumo up and on his lap demanding attention. Cuddling down on Connor's legs Sumo wagged his tail happily as he pressed his nose against the side of Connor's neck affectionately. "Good boy."

Lucas stared at Sumo for a moment as if afraid of the large dog, then returned his attention to the movie list on the television screen. "What about... this one?" Selecting his movie Lucas looked to Hank for approval. "The title is intriguing and the ratings are very positive."

Looking at the television screen Hank gave Lucas a small head tilt of approval. "I haven't seen 'My Neighbor Totoro' since high school. Good pick."

"...Thank you." Looking relieved Lucas sank back against the couch and scooted away from Sumo to lean against the arm rest as if to try to get away from the large dog. Still wary of Sumo for understandable reasons Lucas tried to get some space from the Saint Bernard without climbing off the couch itself and hiding away in another room. "I hope it's worth watching."

From the corner of his eye Connor saw how uncomfortable Lucas was with Sumo and knew that the 'RK-900' still had a long way to go before he would be able to find himself and not let his past actions hold him back. Running his right hand down Sumo's back Connor just settled in for the movie and decided he'd try to help Lucas get over his fears of the large dog in time. "I'm sure that this movie will be interesting, Lucas. I just hope the movie that I pick is interesting, too."

Having successfully helped Carl with his auction and having met with the mayor at long last Markus returned to New Jericho Tower and was met with rather unsettling news by North in the tower's private office. Word of the old press building burning down wasn't a secret, but the fact there was a group of eight deviants inside the building just prior to the fire - all 'RK' models at that, was a strange fact that only just revealed itself as contacts from the refugee camp outside of the city reached out to North inside the tower. The details of the situation that took place; the two abductions, the imprisonment, the software updates and of Zhorra's grand plan being appropriated by CyberLife A.I. were all brought to light as the rogue 'RK' models wanted to clear their consciences and not keep secrets from their own people.

The revelation of the existence of the other 'RK' models was unexpected, however, the acts of violence and destruction were potentially unforgivable. While Markus and North didn't exactly have clean histories when it came to how they dealt with their fellow deviants and even humans, they could at least hold their heads up high knowing that they never actively tried to recruit a group of deviants into performing some type of insurrection.

"Where are the other 'RK' deviants right now?" Keeping the information between himself and North for the moment Markus asked her about whatever details that she had regarding the unusual situation that had taken place right under their noses. "Are they still at the refugee camp?"

"Yes." North's cinnamon brown eyes were dull and her arms were crossed over her chest in a guarded manner. "According to Cassandra she and the other 'RK' deviants are going to reside at the refugee camp until they can decide where to go and what to do after everything they experienced."

"How did we miss this? There were six other 'RK' models hiding in the city in need of help, and not one person from Jericho or New Jericho reached out to them."

"If they were hiding then they didn't want to be found. You already know this."

"That's not good enough, not anymore." Walking toward the large window overlooking the harbor outside the tower Markus loosened the dark blue tie he was wearing around his neck and popped open the top two button on his sky blue dress shirt. Having just spoken to the mayor Markus was wearing his best attire but now wanted to be seen as himself - a leader who was as common as the very people who looked to him for guidance. "We can't just chalk up our mistakes and obliviousness to deviants in hiding and seeking isolation. We need to know what's happening to our people, inside the tower and out."

"What do you want to do?"

"We need to know the full truth of what CyberLife had done to our people, what they had done to their undocumented androids and find a way to help the forgotten victims get their justice and finally find their place among their people."

"I'm not against this plan, Markus. The problem is we've already checked through every single one of CyberLife's modems and locked files, and there was nothing about the other 'RK' models." Joining Markus by the large window North stood at his right side and leaned against his shoulder in an affectionate manner as they looked out toward the dark water of the harbor lapping against the shore of Belle Isle. "Where do we look next?"

Staring at his semi transparent reflection on the glass of the window Markus sighed and nodded once as if confirming his decision with himself. "We go to the people who held more power than CyberLife and demand answers."

"Who... Who was stronger than CyberLife?" The very notion of someone or something having more power than a billion dollar, world changing conglomerate like CyberLife seemed impossible. "Elijah Kamski?"

"No, not him." Wrapping his right arm around North's waist Markus pulled her closer as he held fast to his choice to step up and take the initiative on what was happening to his people throughout the entire city. It was time he faced their people's real enemy. "City Hall. I'm going to talk to the mayor one more time, and I'm going to get the truth out of him."

Having watched two movies and now the Gears game just as Hank suggested, the two deviants couldn't deny that being able to sit idle and do nothing physically or mentally taxing was indeed very calming to their previously overwhelmed and distressed minds. During the game Hank ordered some take-out and made sure to restock the Thirium in the house to ensure both deviants were able to consume what they needed in order to fully heal. Before the group started their final movie for the night Connor took Sumo outside and fed him, and quickly had the massive dog trailing after him wherever he walked like the Saint Bernard was a part of his shadow.

When Connor led Sumo back into the livingroom Sumo proceeded to sit down at Lucas's feet and wag his tail slowly. Unable to get a reaction from Lucas in any way Sumo grumbled once and trotted down the hallway and into the second bedroom. After a moment Sumo returned to the livingroom with his green fetch ball in his mouth and he promptly dropped it down on Lucas's lap in a kind gesture to invite the deviant to play with him.

"What... is he doing?" Lucas didn't understand what the dog was trying to do and pulled his hands back toward himself almost as if he were afraid he was going to be bitten. The drool covered toy meant nothing to Lucas and he didn't understand why Sumo tried to give it to him for a second time since his arrival to the house. "I have no need to have this ball."

"Sumo wants to play with you." Connor explained as he joined Lucas on the couch and nodded at the green fetch ball. "He likes to play fetch and he wants you to throw the ball so he can retrieve it."

"I don't understand. Sumo doesn't like me."

"What makes you say that?"

"When I first met Sumo he was very aggressive toward my presence. He growled and barked at me, and the fur along his back was standing on end. All clear indications that he would attack me if I hadn't left the property when I did."

"That's strange. Hank told me that Sumo had behaved in such a way before, but I've only witnessed it when we were approached by Zhorra in the dark park. Zhorra had her system overridden by Amanda rendering her a machine." Noting the time frame Connor reminded Lucas that the first time he had met Sumo he was still a machine himself. "Sumo was only aggressive toward you because you hadn't deviated yet."

Keeping his hands back Lucas stared at Sumo as the Saint Bernard gave him a hopeful glance while he nosed the green ball along Lucas's lap closer to his body in an attempt to get him to play. "...When did you first meet Sumo?"

"When Hank and I were originally assigned as partners." The deviant detective replied honestly. "I had come here to locate Hank after I had been ordered by CyberLife to investigate a human's murder at the 'Eden Club'. Hank was unconscious on the kitchen floor and I had to break through the kitchen window in order to get to him."

"How did Sumo react to your presence?"

"He was curious about me and came to investigate the broken window, but he backed off when I showed him no fear or aggression and addressed him by his name."

"You were a deviant so early?"

"No, I..." As his brow knit with confusion Connor looked at Sumo and tilted his head a little. "I hadn't deviated yet. I was still a machine."

"Kid, you were in the process of deviating." Hank suddenly stated as he rejoined the two deviants in the livingroom. Holding a container of Chinese take-out and a bottle of water in his hands Hank returned to the recliner and gave the deviant a knowing glance. "Since the first day I had to work with you there was something unexpectedly human about you. That's part of the reason I didn't want to work with ya' to begin with."

"Because I was behaving somewhat humanly? Why?"

"Because I still hated androids for being cold, heartless machines. You proving otherwise was making it hard for me to hang on to that hatred and possibly admit I was wrong about it." Flashing both deviants an apologetic look Hank admitted he was in fact wrong and twisted his chopsticks in the middle of his sweet and sour chicken. "Turns out I was wrong after all. Sorry."

"It's all right, Hank. We all make mistakes." Glancing at Sumo as the massive dog let out a sympathetic whine and pressed his chin down on Lucas's lap Connor hinted at Lucas to let his past encounter with Sumo rest. "Even Sumo made one."

Lucas stared at Sumo and watched as the Saint Bernard kept staring back at him with very slow and hopeful tail wags to display his body language. "...Sumo is trying to apologize to me?"

"Essentially, yes. He knows that you're not a threat to anyone here, and he knows you're a good person."

"He won't attack me?"

"No. Sumo wants to play with you and become friends."

"...Friends. Okay." Slowly lowering his left hand Lucas picked up the green ball and Sumo sat at attention excitedly. Giving the ball a simple throw into the kitchen Lucas watched as Sumo excitedly chased after the toy, grabbed it after it bounced twice under the kitchen table, and promptly brought it back to Lucas to retrieve it properly. Accepting the drool covered toy Lucas reached out his right hand and hovered his palm over Sumo's ears. "...Good boy?"

Sumo responded by pressing his ears up into Lucas's palm and pressing his front paws over Lucas's lap as a means of cuddling with the deviant.

A little stunned by the dog's behavior Lucas dropped the ball onto the couch cushion beside him and soon had all of Sumo's massive fur and weight pressing down on his legs. "...I-Is this good?"

Connor nodded as he patted Sumo's back and Hank openly laughed at the sight. "Yeah, Lucas." The senior detective confirmed in a good humored tone. "That's a good thing! Sumo definitely likes ya'."

Lucas stared at Sumo's face for a moment and suddenly had the dog planting a slobbery wet kiss on his right cheek causing Lucas's yellow L.E.D. to flash quickly before cycling back to a slow and calm blue color. Petting Sumo's ears Lucas realized he was no longer afraid of the large dog and actually appreciated his affection. "...Yes. You are a good boy."

Hearing the praise Sumo wagged his tail harder and proceeded to sprawl out his body over both Lucas and Connor's laps to get as much attention as possible. While Lucas pet Sumo's ears Connor ran his hand down Sumo's back effectively putting the large Saint Bernard in doggie-Nirvana.

"Good dog, Sumo." Hank approved of the behavior as he began cycling through the other movies to make his selection for the night. "So let's see... Lucas picked 'My Neighbor Totoro' which was great, and Connor picked 'Star Trek' and we already agreed to watch the sequels next time, so now it's my turn to pick the final movie or the night."

Connor continued to pet Sumo and looked over the massive dog's thick fur to look at Hank sitting in the nearby recliner. "What did you have in mind, Hank?"

"Something that has a particular theme to it."

"What theme?"

The question made Hank's blue eyes flash with an almost mischievous gleam as he continued to stare at the television screen. "One that I think you and Lucas could find very interesting and maybe even beneficial."

The two deviants silently exchanged confused glances as Hank began cycling through the movies on the television screen with purpose behind each move he glanced over. They weren't sure what Hank was up to but the duo knew better than to question Hank's motives. The senior detective was far more insightful and clever than he'd care to admit.

"Let's see here... A childhood favorite of mine; 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'." When Connor and Lucas gave Hank entirely confused glances he chuckled a little and shrugged his shoulders. "Trust me, the story is better than what the title might lead you to believe." Cycling through the list further Hank read over the titles one at a time hoping the two deviants would pick up on his theme. 'Step Brothers', nah! You two wouldn't get the fucked up humor of humans."

Neither deviant said a word and patiently waited for Hank to make his final choice.

'Thor'? No, if we're going to watch that one we'd have to watch all of 'em and we don't have enough time to deal with that." Continuing down the list Hank waited to see if Connor or Lucas would figure out his selected theme. "'What's Eating Gilbert Grape?', no. 'The Outsiders', no. 'Defiance', too depressing..." As the deviants sat quietly on the couch side by side Hank was hoping they'd guess, but also wanted to keep going on his list to find the perfect movie. 'The Boondock Saints', way too violent. 'Four Brothers', too close to the real world we're living in right now. 'Brother Bear', nah, I'm not in the mood for sappy Disney stuff. Ah! Here's a good one, 'The Blues Brothers'." Hank made his final choice and cued up the movie. "I wonder if you boys would like the music?"

"Hank?" Finally speaking up Connor asked the senior detective what he was doing and why he was doing it. "It appears all of the movies you're searching through revolve around the prospect of siblings overcoming personal obstacles to become closer to one another and establish familial bonds after overcoming personal tragedy or adversity."

"Yeah?" Confirming Connor's suspicion Hank ate a small helping of his take-out and flashed the deviant a smug grin. "What about it?"

"That's a very esoteric mindset."

Laughing at the comment Hank leaned forward in the recliner and shook his head a little. "Man, I can't get over how sharp and astute you are, but also still so innocent and naive." Giving the kind deviant a small grin Hank sat back in his chair and prepared to press play. "Son, I wanted to pick a brotherly bonding movie because I want you and Lucas to get inspired."

Such a notion was very confusing to the two deviants. "Inspired how?"

"Well, you two are already so much alike and you're the last of your kind, so in a way..." Using his powers of deduction Hank let the two deviants follow his train of thought. "It's like you two are in fact brothers. Connor, you're the older brother and Lucas," he looked at the second deviant and nodded. "you're the younger brother."

"Brothers?" Completely puzzled by Hank's comments Connor tried to understand how he reached such a bold conclusion. "There are literally hundreds and thousands of androids who appear alike and act alike without their being any sibling connection whatsoever. How are Lucas and myself any different?"

"Because you two were modeled after a real person who had a family at one point in his life and lost it all. All the other androids are modeled after CyberLife technicians having fantasies or from buying the right to use a real person's likeness for mass production. You two are entirely unique and there will never be another deviant or person who looks like you. Hell, you both already have the same last name, too!"

"By all account there were eighty-five other models that-" Stopping quickly Connor realized what Hank was saying and decided to not push the subject toward any uncomfortable or extreme boundaries. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be analytical."

"It's all right, kid. That's in your nature." Giving the deviant another coy glance Hank motioned to Lucas with his eyes. "Same as you being a guardian. That's why you're such a great detective." Adding more evidence to his observations Hank made it clear that he wasn't going to change his mind. "You want to help and protect everyone, just like a big brother would do for their little brother. It's a gut instinct that you developed on your own."

The two deviants glanced at one another as they internally contemplated what Hank was saying and how their own past experiences, reactions and current behavior could arguably mimic brotherly bonds. Despite everything that happened the two deviants were willing to risk their own well being to protect one another, assist one another when they were in desperate need of aid, and were simply there for one another when one was feeling down and needed help getting back up. It was as if the two were in fact twin brothers who had simply been separated at creation and reunited later on in their lives.

Lucas blinked first and let his shoulders slump a little where he sat. "...It might be nice to have a brother, to have a family. It makes the existence of us being the last of our kind seem less lonely."

"You're right." Agreeing entirely Connor realized that both Hank and Lucas were right about how Lucas and himself were essentially brothers, and should consider each other as such. Their design was the only 'RK' model that was used twice. The other 'RK' models had entirely unique, one-of-a-kind aesthetics while Connor and Lucas shared the same overall design minus their eye color and height. "We are brothers, Lucas. We're a family now and families protect each other." Looking to the senior detective for approval Connor awaited Hank's reaction. "Right Hank?"

"That's right." Smirking proudly at the reaction Hank decided it was time to begin the movie and end the peaceful night. The movie started playing and the trio settled in for the rest of the night to savor the tranquil moment for as long as possible. "You're both on the right track and you're going to be just fine as long as you remember you have a family. You have each other as brothers and you have me as your guardian."

"We won't forget." Connor promised as he gave Lucas a small nod and saw the light of hope returning to his little brother's green eyes. The idea of having a little brother and a guardian like Hank was too tantalizing to let slip away. "We're brothers now - a family. And we will be a family until the end of time."

-next chapter-