Activity in the Central Police Precinct's bullpen was hectic, tense and being directed by Captain Fowler himself. The evidence collected against the mayor tying him to the two bombings in Hart Plaza had proven to be accurate and damning enough to warrant the corrupt man's arrest. Putting his only best officers on the investigation while the F.B.I. brought the man in for interrogation, Captain Fowler requested that Hank and Connor handle the analysis of the mayor's personal computer to look for any anti-android propaganda, searches revolving around bombs and explosives, and to connect the mayor to any other corrupt or violent people residing with Detroit's city limits. Trusting his Lieutenant and the honest deviant detective to be thorough and not bribed by the mayor or his buddies helped give the seasoned Captain a much needed peace of mind.

The two detectives had isolated themselves in an interview room to go over their evidence without anyone peering over their shoulders. The details were sparse but precious and damning all the same. Only one set of fingerprints had been found inside the bomb, the mayor's personal computer has a history of him purchasing rifles and ammunition, a digital clock and a soldering kit two nights before the press conference took place, and the detonator to the bomb was rigged to a cell phone - the very item the mayor was fidgeting with just prior to being taken off stage by his person security guards.

As the two detectives poured over each detail and began compiling the evidence into well articulated and accurate reports a knock on the closed the door caused the duo to look up and over at the door in an unusually guarded manner. While Hank's first reaction was to hover his right hand over the gun holstered on his right hip Connor ran a scan over the closed door to identify the person on the other side.

"It's the F.B.I. Director." Connor confirmed as he cybernetically unlocked the door to allow the man entrance. "He's has permission to enter the room."

"Right, cool." Lowering his hand for a moment Hank watched as a pale sixty-one year old man entered the room. "It's about time we met in person."

The way the F.B.I. Director carried himself indicated that he was of great importance and that he was a semi-celebrity in some circles of the world. Slim in build and of a rather tall at six foot two inches in height, the man had a faint scar running vertically along his right cheek and his previously dark brown hair had lightened with a generous amount of gray streaks running through the aged locks. The man's blue eyes were alert yet fatigued from a long life of hectic work. Wearing a sharp but well worn black blazer, black slacks, a dark blue button down dress shirt, a black tie and matching black dress shoes the man looked truly respectable yet humble.

"I presume you're Lieutenant Hank Anderson and Detective Connor Wolf." The man spoke up first with a distinct Bostonian accent. Looking over at Hank first and then to Connor as the deviant rose to his feet the Director extended his right hand to introduce himself properly. "I'm F.B.I. Director Norman Jayden."

Shaking Norman's hand with true respect Hank acknowledged the Directors's impressive track record as an F.B.I. agent. "That's right, and I have to say it's a rare honor to meet another detective who doesn't use enter a room ego first."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. I try to remain as humble as possible." Accepting Connor's handshake as well Norman showed no sign of hesitation in meeting or speaking to a deviant whatsoever. Looking Connor right in the eyes Norman glanced at the yellow L.E.D. in Connor's right temple for a moment and smirked a little. "It's a pleasure to meet you both. I've heard great things from your Captain and from your own reputations in general."

"Yeah, sure..." Not buying that comment for a second Hank returned to the laptop that he and Connor had been working on and turned it around so Norman could see it for himself. "I'm sure my 'stellar' reputation is the first thing Fowler mentioned."

"He did mention that you had a rough patch with an impressive disciplinary file, but he didn't hesitate to tell me about your famous 'red ice' task force and the way you were handling deviant cases right up until the Revolution. I'm very impressed."

"I appreciate that."

"And you, Detective." Returning his focus to Connor for a moment Norman never once showed any sign of mistrust or suspicion toward the deviant. "Captain Fowler stated that you're an asset as a highly skilled and attentive detective, and that he's hoping you'll jump from consultant to full time detective for the sake of keeping the precinct running smoothly."

"I'm aware of his offer." Connor confirmed in a rather dour voice. "I'm just not certain it's time for me to come back. Not yet."

"Take it from an old pro. If your gut is telling you to do something, or not do something, then listen to it. It'll never lead you astray."

Giving Hank a quick glance Connor noticed the smirk on Hank's face and tilted his head a little as he resumed speaking with Norman. "That's what Lieutenant Anderson has told me before."

"Then you know it's good advice." Without losing his kind smile Norman sat down in the chair beside the table so he could look at the laptop screen. The details being gathered and reported matched the details that his own F.B.I. agents had gathered from their secondary analysis from the precinct. "That's a good sign. All of the details are lining up and there's been no sign of sabotage or a coup."

"A coup?" With his yellow L.E.D. flashing to red for a beat Connor sat down beside Norman and studied his behavior closely. The way Norman was surprisingly laidback for someone with such a highly demanding career and seemed to carry himself without any fear intrigued Connor thoroughly. "Is that why the F.B.I. is here?"

"The bombings brought the F.B.I. in to check out the plaza." The aged Director confirmed with a simple nod of his head. "The confirmation that a political figure was involved in the bombings, initially as a victim but now as a suspect, is why I'm here in person."

"Do you expect a violent confrontation when the mayor is arrested?"

"Always do. That's part of the reason I'm still around after all this time." Reading over the details Norman pulled his phone from his black blazer's left interior pocket. Making a quick phone call to an unknown contact Norman confirmed the arrest warrant to bring the mayor in for questioning. "My team's going to bring him in and I'm going to ask him some questions. I think you two gave us everything we need to get him to crack."

"Do you have a possible motivation for the attacks at the plaza?" Unwilling to let his guard down just yet Connor made it clear that he wasn't going to just accept that Norman was going to get all the answers they needed. "If he had attempted to assassinate Markus Manfred," as he spoke the name Connor couldn't completely hide the grimace on his face. "it's possible that such a confirmation could lead to a second deviant revolt against humans who hold any form of power."

"If his plan was to assassinate anyone we'll make sure he rots in prison for the rest of his miserable life. If it was a shameless attempt to garner sympathy by being a near-victim of a staged attack and to try to sway fearful voters to keep him in office during the next election, then we'll smear his cowardice and manipulation for the whole world to see."

"If he did attempt to assassinate the deviant leader then the matter will need to be handled in a very delicate matter."

"You have word that it will."

"With all due respect Director Jayden," speaking up in a bold voice Connor made it clear that he wasn't going to just blindly trust every person he encounter with a badge and authority, no matter how spectacular their career and reputation may be. "the word of an F.B.I. agent is very weak to the deviant community."

"You're referring to Richard Perkins." Giving Connor a knowing look Norman respectfully acknowledged the disgraced agent who had been previously assigned to handle the deviant Revolution last winter. "He's been demoted and has been riding a desk ever since his return to D.C. back in November."

"He's being held accountable for his genocide against the deviants?"

"G-Genocide?" Truly taken aback by the comment Norman's blue eyes actually narrowed for a moment. Closing the laptop screen Norman turned in his chair so he could face Connor directly as the deviant sat to his right. "According to the reports I received Agent Perkins executed commands above his authority and caused numerous disruptions with the precinct."

"That's only the tip of the proverbial iceberg."

"Can you give me more information on it?"

Suddenly looking away from Norman for a moment Connor looked to Hank and fell silent as he let his partner know that he wasn't eager to hand over critical information revolving around the slaughter of deviants to the human who was in charge of the entire operation.

"You don't trust that the F.B.I. would take down one of their own, do you?" Reading Connor like a book Norman understood why Connor didn't want to keep talking to him. "That's fair. Hopefully before I leave Detroit I can earn enough of your trust to get the full truth of what Perkins had been doing in Detroit when he didn't have a superior around to keep him in line."

The reassurance of Norman's tone didn't escape Connor's attention, however his past experience with the F.B.I. and other high ranking officials made the deviant righteously wary of any promises being made by anyone with any sense of authority. Staying silent and only given Norman a studious gaze as if waiting to see a mask slip away and reveal his true face.

"As of the moment my team is arresting Nero and dragging his sorry ass back to the precinct." Standing up from the chair Norman tucked his phone back into his blazer's pocket and invited the two detectives to join him during the interrogation. "Gentlemen,you both deserve to be present during the interrogation. Are there any objections?"

Hank had no problem watching the mayor getting drilled for answers and knew Connor felt the same way. "Not from us." Heading toward the door Hank gave Connor and then Norman a smug look. "We've been waiting all damn day to see this."

The outside of the precinct was swarmed with news reporters, cameras, gossips and angry protestors demanding the mayor's blood the moment Walter Nero's arrest was made public. Numerous officers were stationed outside the building to keep unauthorized personnel, outside while drones encircled the entire building to ensure no one attempted to attack the precinct to free Nero and escape the city. The activity outside was reminiscent of when the S.W.A.T. team had been called in to handle numerous peaceful android protests in a less than peaceful manner, and as a result a majority of the populous was on edge and looking for a reason to start throwing punches.

Sitting together in the observation room overlooking the interrogation room Hank, Connor and Captain Fowler watched as Norman took the lead and began questioning Nero. Seeing Norman's sharp attire in comparison to Nero's dirty, cheap and rumpled tan suit jacket was almost comical as the mayor cowered behind the table where his hands were cuffed and Norman sat with perfect posture and a stone face.

Calm, cool and collected Norman placed a tablet screen and a manila folder with the collected evidence down on the center of the table for Norman to see. Flipping open the folder Norman pushed the data analysis document toward Nero to view for himself. Watching as the mayor's beady eyes scanned the document and began to sweat Norman knew he was undoubtedly the culprit.

'Seems like you have some odd shopping habits, Walter.' Addressing Nero by his first name Norman took away the politician's dwindling sense of power. Through the one way mirror Norman's voice sounded somewhat distant as the room was designed to retain sound save for the people watching from the adjoined observation room. 'It's interesting how you purchased the very ingredients and material used in the construction of the, to be frank, poorly built pipe bomb.'

Pushing the documents proving that they knew Nero had purchased everything used in the bomb's hasty construction just two days before the bombing Norman watched the man's face pale as more anxious sweat began to bead on his brow.

'We not only found your shopping list,' sliding one page forward at a time Norman made it clear that the investigation into Nero's behavior was thorough and accurate. 'we found your bank statement, your fingerprints and our very skilled tech department connected your phone to the bomb's detonators. It was clever of you to rig the bomb to detonate as either a single unit or two units depending on how well you designed it. It's too bad you couldn't be bothered to wear gloves or even get one of your private security guards to press the button for you.'

Nero's posture stiffened while he sank down a little in his chair. Seeing all of the damning evidence piling up against him was enough to make the shady man turn even whiter as more and more sweat began to run down his face and saturate his shirt beneath his jacket.

'We know you did it, Walter. There's no denying it.' Neatly folding his hands together atop the table Norman eyed the disgraced mayor warily. 'We just don't know why you did it. Our initial theory was that you rigged a bomb to detonate at the press conference and garner false sympathy by being a victim of the bombing, only for you to heroically return to the public eye without any fear of being held back by an attempted murder. But... Now we have a new theory.'

From the other side of the mirror Hank, Connor and Captain Fowler all watched the interrogation unfold with utter intrigue. The three detectives knew that Norman was going to push Nero to a breaking point they just weren't sure how he'd do it.

'The fact that you chose to so hastily build a bomb and set it to detonate at the press conference with a very important figure is very interesting. By all account this was a very messy and poorly executed attempt to assassinate Markus Manfred.'

The way Nero's face paled to a seemingly impossible shade of white practically confirmed the theory.

'You see, on top of us finding your shopping list and bank statement confirming that you purchased every ingredient used in the making of that pitiful bomb, we also found out that you're a rather active figure in the largest anti-android hate group still lurking in the shadows through internet forums.' Scoffing at the horribly planned event Norman gave Nero a truly disappointed look. 'You took cyberbullying to a whole new level and failed.'

Too scared to reply Nero glanced about the interrogation room as if hoping to find a way out.

'You made some pretty damning claims in your chat rooms, Walter.' Placing the printed off discussions shared between the mayor and the other bigots in the city were absolutely revolting. Several portions of the discussions were marked with yellow tinted highlighter to ensure that the most vulgar threats were more easily found. 'Like this one, dating back to September 14th, 2038. You said, and I quote: "The plastic menace needs to fall back in line and remember who's in charge. My wife's housekeeping bitch tried to escape me last night, but I held it down and asserted dominance over it. The best part about those overpriced freaks is how soft and real CyberLife can make their bodies feel in only the important places. Sometimes I wish I could my wife to get the cosmetic surgery to have a perfect body, but why waste money when you can just rent those plastic sluts for a few hundred instead of dealing with a nag?"'.

Listening to everything through the mirror the three detectives visibly winced at the mayor's admission to raping the deviant housekeeper that once resided in his manor and of being a frequent customer at the 'Eden Club'. The date of the comment confirmed that the mayor was in fact aware of androids showing signs of deviancy but he still chose not to do anything about it.

Norman shook his head as he read another quote from Nero's online chat. 'Charming, I must say. And then here's another good one dated September 16th, 2038. You said, and I quote: "Had to toss out that housekeeping bitch when she threatened to tell my wife having some fun with it. I used a screwdriver to stab it in the chest and stop that pump, then had one more round with it before throwing it in the dumpster and surprising my wife with a new model. I'm going to get a new bill passed next spring that'll require CyberLife to include a mute option to keep these annoying bastards quiet. You have my word as someone who knows how the world needs to be and as someone who can change things that I'll stop these freaks from getting too loud in the future.'

'S-Stop.' Nero spat out in a shaking voice as tears filled his eyes. 'I... I can explain!'

'Explain what? We already have everything we need to connect you to the bombs and even better,' holding up another document Norman gave the cowardly man an almost taunting glare. 'we can prove that you're the one who founded the ant-android hate group that had been responsible for spreading misinformation on the unemployment rate, the price and maintenance of androids versus human care, stating that all deviant androids are dangerous and that androids were going to slaughter all humans to usurp the metaphorical seat of power.'

'I-I was just... It's hard to keep the vote in a city that's struggling! I was just-'

'Let's continue.' Cutting off Nero before he could even try to stammer out a pitiful excuse Norman read some highlights from Nero's other chat scripts. 'You went on the record as saying: "The best androids are the ones who know how to please their masters.", "Plastic freaks will never be real people.", "I'm going to bring down the deviant menace myself. The police are sick of dealing with the deviants, too, so all I have to do is tell the right cop to do the right thing and our problems will be over.", "That geezer's pet android-" I'm going to assume you mean Carl Manfred and Markus Manfred,' Norman briefly paused before continuing on. '"That geezer's pet android is rallying deviants in the street and the idiot people who see it are actually falling for the act!" and of course, my favorite line from your chat script the night before the press conference: "A head's up for the true Americans in this thread. Tomorrow's press conference will be one to be remembered for the ages but don't get too close. I don't want you to get burned by the fireworks.'"

'It's not what it sounds like!'

'Sure it does. Funny how you love to bring up your wife,' Normal flipped through the stack of pages with Nero's foul words printed on each paper. 'but you never say anything positive about her, or even refer to her by her name. You call her, 'nag', 'bitch', 'leech', 'shell of the hot body I once loved', that one was poetic, and 'live-in childcare'. Now THAT is going to swoon her on date night, am I right?'

'Look, let's talk about this man to man, all right?' Trying to be bold if not arrogant Nero struggled to retain any form of power still in his grasp. 'There's a lot of pressure being mayor. I have to deal with all those junkie fucktards bitchin' and moaning about their jobs being taken away by machines while lighting up their "red ice" right in front of my face! My wife won't let me have a damn moment to myself after I get home from work, always wanting me to do something for her or deal with something she's too damn stupid to figure out, and she won't keep her brats quiet so I can rest!'

'Her "brats"? You mean your children.'

'HER children. It was HER idea to have kids and ruin her perfect body... I was against it, but no, she just HAD to have kids!'

'Well, you do realize it takes TWO people to make a baby, right? Seems like you had no problem putting in the work to conceive, so why are you complaining about it?'

'I wore a damn condom, it's not my fault the rubbers broke. TWICE.'

'Uh-huh. And you do realize that even if you don't want them those kids are still your responsibility.'

'Ah, come on. Don't repeat that hippie bullshit! The woman carries the kids which means it's up to the woman to take care of the kids!'

'The kids you helped her carry despite not wanting any. Again, why didn't you just say "no" if you didn't want to deal with kids?'

'You don't know what she used to look like before those little money-sucking brats trashed her her body. You wouldn't have been able to say "no", either.'

'Oh, I'm sure I could. Not to mention the fact I would've been able to keep quiet about illegal activities and NOT share them online.' Turning on the tablet Norman let Nero see the screen and was shocked to see that his wife was on the screen with tears in her eyes. She had heard everything and now knew the truth about who her husband really was. 'And I would've kept my mouth shut instead of blurting everything and expecting the detective who's here to get to the truth would somehow buddy-up just because we happen to share the same genitals. Pretty sure the soon-to-be ex Mrs. Nero is going to be too busy finding a solid divorce attorney to be sitting in the courtroom to act as a character witness, too. I wonder how many of your so-called "buddies" are going to be joining her and speaking out against you instead of for you during the trial just to avoid jail time themselves?'

Nero tried to press his hands to his face but the cuffs around his wrists held his hands down on the table against his will. 'It's not what you think! I know how it looks and I know it... I... I...' Unable to lie his way out of the incredibly impressive stack of evidence against him Nero shut down and pulled the only defense he had left. 'I want a lawyer!'

'You know something? That's the smartest thing you've said in a long, long time.'

Gathering up the file and tablet from the table Norman left the interrogation room and left Nero to stew in a puddle of his own nervous sweat, if not worse after he had been so effectively scared. Making his way into the neighboring interrogation room Norman gave the three observing detectives an approving smile as he placed the collected evidence down for Captain Fowler to reclaim for himself. "Even if we can't make all the charges stick we will get him locked up for a very long time and absolutely destroy his future in politics."

Despite the successful interrogation Connor wasn't impressed and remained silent as the other detectives spoke to one another and discussed how they'd handle the second interrogation once Nero's lawyer arrived at the precinct. Less interested in handling a bigoted human who was doomed to rot in prison Connor was more focused on how the deviant community would react to learning that the mayor had been the one plotting against them from the very beginning.

"Excuse me, please."

Dismissing himself from the observation room Connor passed through the doorway and out of sight of the other three detectives. Struggling with his own thoughts and feelings Connor walked across the bullpen and ignored the clamor of voices outside the building and hid himself away in the very interview room where he and Hank had compiled their evidence against the mayor.

Sitting down in the nearest chair Connor pressed his right palm over his eyes and his right temple where his yellow L.E.D. was flickering rapidly. It seemed like the more things changed they more they stayed the same. For every one human that stepped up against the bigotry and fought for equal rights, another human with more power and influence would step up and double-down on that same bigotry and repress all rights.

It was exhausting trying to push forward when it felt like the entire world was trying to push back.

A soft knock on the closed door caused Connor to glance at the door over his left shoulder as it slid open without an invitation. Standing in the doorway Hank gave the deviant a sympathetic glance as he checked in on his partner. "You okay, kid?"

"I don't know."

"I wasn't aware that Norman's team found those disgusting chat scripts." Worried that the comments had truly offended Connor since it was clear Nero saw all androids as disposable objects and not people Hank wanted to ease the young deviant's distress. "If I had known I would've warned you about it beforehand."

"I know, Hank. It wasn't your fault."

"Need to talk about it?"

"No. I just want to be left alone for a while." Lowering his eyes away from Hank as he spoke Connor just stared into nothingness of the pale gray wall beside the door. "Please."

"Yeah, no problem. When you're ready to go I'll give ya' a ride back to your brownstone."

"Thank you."

Before the door slid shut as he turned away Hank acknowledged another person heading toward the room and headed them off. "He wants to be left alone."

"Can't say that I blame him." Norman replied almost casually as he entered the room anyway. Catching the annoyed gleam in Connor's soulful brown eyes as the deviant turned the chair away from the door Norman decided to make his visit brief and to the point. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry you had to hear me repeat those vile things. My team told me he said some disparaging remarks against androids, but they didn't tell me how graphic they were."

"It's fine."

"No, it's not." Keeping a respectful distance from Connor as he spoke Norman made it clear he was being sincerely apologetic for what the deviant had overheard during the interrogation. "I didn't know how repugnant the anti-android sentiment truly was. I mean, I've endured it myself a few times in my youth but I've always been able to walk away from it and move to places that are more open minded. You and the other deviants can't do that."

"If you're here to apologize on behalf of another human, don't. I won't matter and I just want to be left alone."

"All right, I'll do that. Just know that as someone who's been discriminated against just for being myself I understand how important it is to ensure that the people who've been repressed get their justice. First, I'm going to take down Nero," the F.B.I. Director promised as he stepped back through the door to stand partially in the corridor. "and then I'm gong to take down Perkins. When I'm through with Perkins he'll never set foot outside of D.C. after he's reduced to working as the lowest level grunt and stuck under constant surveillance."

Flashing Norman a look that spoke volumes of his doubt Connor turned away from the Director once more to sit alone in the interview room for a while longer.

"Before I leave the city I plan on visiting my daughter at the Eastern Precinct. She just passed her detective's test and I want to surprise her before I fly back to D.C. in a few days." Pulling his phone from his blazer pocket Norman checked over the update that had just been sent and sighed at the message awaiting him. "Hopefully there will be more celebrations in this city before I'm gone."

With nothing to say to such a comment Connor remained silent and closed his tired eyes. Listening to the door 'hiss' closed as Normal stepped out of the room Connor sank down in his chair and cybernetically called out to Lucas for a momentary distraction.

'Hello, Lucas.'

'Hello, Connor.' Happy to hear from Connor despite the hectic day Lucas readily answered the call. 'I presume your case with the mayor has reached a substantial conclusion.'

'Possibly. For what it's worth to the deviant community the mayor is going to be taken to trial and charged for numerous crimes that ensure he'll remain behind prison the moment he's declared guilty. Despite this it doesn't feel like much of a victory for our people.'

'I agree.' Lucas replied rather indifferently to the mayor's trial over their cybernetic link. 'Regardless of the victory itself, it's still a step forward. Be proud that you were able to help get a horrendous person off the streets.'

'I'll try to do that.' The positive remark did little to ease the distress clouding his mind. 'What has been happening during my absence?'

'A client stopped by requesting that I prove that his bondmate isn't dangerous and that the man who assaulted her in a department store parking lot did so without any provocation.'

'How did that case end?'

'Very well. I was able to locate security footage from the department store's exterior security cameras confirming that she was attacked by the human and had just defended herself. I was also able to confirm that the cop who responded to the 911 call didn't check the cameras, ask for witnesses or collect evidence; he merely took the human's statement at face value.'

'How did you prove her innocence?'

'I took my collected evidence to the Eastern Precinct and spoke with Captain Rourke and explained how his officer, Edward Roscoe, had failed to properly file a police report. Captain Rourke was actually very grateful for that information because apparently Roscoe was being considered for a promotion. Such consideration has of course been rescinded.'

'I'm glad he was denied such an honor when he is a less than honorable officer.'

'Agreed. Afterward Captain Rourke made a few calls and had my client's bondmate freed, had all charges against her removed, and promptly charged the human with assault and sent out an officer to arrest him.'

'It sounds like you handled your first solo case perfectly. Well done, brother.'

'Thank you. Are you going to be returning to the brownstone soon?'

'I'm unsure. I feel like I need to be alone for a while to think.'

'I understand. Only return home when you're ready.'

'I appreciate your patience with me. I know I've been distant as of late.'

'Not as distant as I had been. I went as far as to run away from the city, you're merely seeking isolation for a few hours at a time.'

'You... You ran away from Detroit?' It was the first time that Lucas had brought up the night he disappeared from Detroit. Unwilling to let the moment to discuss it slip Connor gently pressed for answers. 'Hank and I presumed you had been abducted and forcibly taken to Chicago against your will.'

'I... I was ashamed of my behavior and chose to leave the city by myself so you two wouldn't have to be afraid of me.' Lucas sounded ashamed but didn't keep his secret from his older brother any longer. 'I took a cab out West and chose to enter Chicago in an attempt to hide away from the world since androids aren't welcomed out there. Unfortunately I was recognized the moment I stepped out of the cab in front of the homeless shelter that I had planned on staying in.'

Such a revelation was unsettling to think about. 'How were you recognized?'

'The cab was marked with Detroit as its origin point, and I hadn't removed my L.E.D. before I left the city - a foolish and costly mistake. The android known as "Gunner" had been patrolling the area and noticed me. I was unable to elude him as I didn't know the area well and to be honest, I didn't want to be able to avoid any form of pain after what I had done.'

The confession was absolutely heartbreaking. 'Lucas...'

'I was taken to The Arena and I didn't fight back. I didn't even fight to survive, I just fought to feel pain. At the time I thought that was all I deserved to feel.'

'I'm so sorry you felt like you needed to be hidden away and punished for what CyberLife did to you. You are a victim just as much as any other deviant, and I'll help you find a way to forgive yourself for what you've been through.'

'I'm slowly making peace with what has happened, it's not easy but it is happening. Thanks to you and Hank I've been able to steadily recover.' Quiet for a moment Lucas recounted his own painful problems and tried to reach out to his older brother to give him support as well. 'You need to heal after learning of your horrible truth and you need to take as much time as necessary, don't push yourself.'

'You're right. I'm going to go for a walk and try to clear my head, afterward we'll talk more about what we're going through.'

'Okay, brother. I'll remain here and handle any other clients that come our way.'

'Thank you.' Standing up from the table Connor departed from the interview room and returned to the bullpen to speak with Hank. 'I'll return to the brownstone when I'm ready.'

'Of course. See you later.'

Ending the cybernetic call Connor joined Hank at their shared desks and spoke to the senior detective in a low voice. "Hank, I'm going to clock-out and leave the precinct. I want to be left alone for a while so I can think and get some distance from what seems like an overwhelming amount of emotional problems."

"I've been there, kid." Showing Connor only empathy and sympathy as the deviant clocked-out for the day Hank had no problem with handling the case with only Norman for the rest of his shift. "Go do what you gotta' do. If you need to talk with someone you know where to find me."

"Yes, I know. Thank you for you respecting my space."

Turning off his terminal screen Connor glanced up at the front doors of the precinct where the mob of people were still trying to get inside and opted to use the rear doors instead. Making sure the officers outside were aware of him passing through the doors Connor was able to exit the precinct, cross the rear property, pass through the neighboring parking garage and walk away from the precinct without anyone from the mob of people ever noticing him.

The further he walked away from the precinct the quieter it became. As it became quieter Connor's racing thoughts and conflicted emotions seemed to calm down. Once his thoughts became less hectic Connor was able to focus his mind and hone in on what was really bothering him about the entire ordeal with the mayor, with Markus, with Norman and with himself.

It wasn't discrimination that was confusing him as he had unfortunately already experienced such hatred numerous times in the past. It wasn't the seemingly unending violence as he too had been acclimated to such extreme reactions. It wasn't even the corrupt politicians and officers of the law that was too much to think about. It was the concept of family itself that was confusing him.

Connor remembered how much it hurt Hank to lose his only son, Cole, and was able to understand why Hank struggled for so long to move on with his life. The same could be said for Elizabeth and her own son. Knowing that Carl saw Markus as his son right alongside Leo Manfred was as strange as it was noble, but they saw each other as family regardless of what the rest of the world thought. Norman mentioned having a daughter he wanted to see before leaving Detroit and speaking about how proud he was of her to be succeeding in her career.

And then there was the mayor. The mayor openly stated he wanted nothing to do with his children and couldn't understand how someone could be so selfish, cold and full of resentment toward their own offspring.

Even though Connor had Lucas as his little brother despite not being related in any conventional means, and they both saw Ethan as an older brother despite not having him in their lives, Connor still felt like the idea of family was something he'd never truly understand or experience. In a way he felt guilty for not knowing what it truly meant to have a family or to be a brother.

How could he protect Lucas or know if he was really looking out for Ethan's best interest unless he had more experience with family?

Needing some answers from someone who didn't know about him meeting with Elizabeth, about handling the mayor's case or about Markus being the one who shot him in the church, Connor tried reaching out to the only other deviant who might be able to understand what he was going through. He needed to speak to someone who knew what it felt like to be outcast, alone and like they had made a crucial error in their life.

'...Zhorra?' Cybernetically Connor reached out to the 'RK-700' hiding in the deviant refugee camp outside of the city. Unsure if she'd even respond Connor tried to think of what he was even going to say if she did answer his call. 'I know you may be busy with the refugee camp, but I was wondering if you're free to talk?'

There was a pause before Zhorra responded with a surprisingly enthusiastic tone. 'I can talk.' She sounded much more upbeat than she had been after she and Connor last parted ways when she took Ethan out to the camp to keep him safe. 'And don't forget, you promised to meet with me later on so we could talk in person. I'm still going to hold you to that.'

'I haven't forgotten.' Pausing in the middle of the side before an old music store Connor glanced about the area to try to figure out where a fairly quiet area could possibly be in the agitated city. 'Where do you want to meet?'

'We'll just use the Eastern Hotel again. I'll rent a room and meet you in the parking lot.'

The suggestion seemed a tad unusual yet Zhorra spoke with such confidence Connor needed to make sure he hadn't somehow misheard her. 'Rent a room?'

'Do you want to talk in the middle of the parking lot instead?'

'N-No, nothing like that. It just seems like an unnecessary expense, that's all.'

'No way, I use that room all the time to help deviants find shelter.' Zhorra stopped speaking as if embarrassed by what she was implying. 'Just go to the hotel and I'll meet you in ten minutes. I'm on way into the city to meet with a contact about gathering supplies anyway, so it's not a problem for me to meet with you.'

'Very well. I'll be there.'

'And I'll be waiting.'

Ending the cybernetic call Connor sighed to himself as he changed direction and began walking toward the Eastern Motel just four blocks away. It felt so strange to meet an ally at the hotel, but Connor wasn't going to ask Zhorra to change their plans. He needed to speak with someone who knew what it felt like to be so out of place and struggling to understand the odd influx of emotions that he was currently experiencing.

Despite knowing Zhorra would understand deviant dynamics better than anyone else Connor hesitated for a moment and wondered if speaking with Hank would've been a better alternative.

"No, that's foolish."

Shaking his head a little as he walked Connor began to quietly argue with himself as he strolled down the sidewalk entirely alone.

"Hank may be looking out for Lucas and myself, but he doesn't know what we're feeling. And yet, I can't help but wonder what he'd have to say about this. I'm not even sure why."

Hovering around the precinct breakroom to avoid people for a while Hank sipped at his overly sweetened coffee and watched as a group of F.B.I. agents skulked about the bullpen as if trying to find an actual physical leak instead of the metaphorical ones that could happen if the mayor had managed to buy off one of the officers in the precinct. The increased security reminded Hank of the night of the Revolution, except this time the extra bodies were there to ensure a shifty criminal didn't escape instead of repressing a group of people just wanting to live in a peaceful coexistence. To the Lieutenant's experienced eyes the sight of so many people keeping the very man who helped perpetuate the violence against deviants safe from the same humans he riled up with his lies was a poetic waste of taxpayer money.

It would've been a comical sight to behold if it wasn't for all the sour faces of his colleagues having to put up with the F.B.I. agents prowling around. Seeing Tina flashing the agents annoyed looks from her desk confirmed that if her cheery disposition could be ruined then everyone else was flat-out pissed off and all holding all their resentment inside.

"I'm beginning to think Connor really is the smartest one in this whole fuckin' precinct." Sipping his coffee Hank thought out loud as he observed everything happening just a few feet away. "He took off and slipped out back before anyone could stop him."

"So that's where he went." Norman walked into the breakroom and grabbed a shiny red apple from the fruit basket on the countertop and rinsed the peel under the tap in the nearby sink. Keeping his voice low Norman decided to keep Hank company for a while during his break. "I was hoping I'd get the chance to talk with him again before he took off."

"Connor's not exactly sociable. Even less so with special agents who are snooping around and getting involved in deviant business."

"I noticed that." Drying off the apple with a napkin Norman took a big bite of the fruit and stood beside Hank as the two seasoned detectives watched the hectic bullpen painstakingly checking over each document and piece of evidence to ensure the case against Nero was as strong as possible. "I've been looking more into what Perkins did during the night of the Revolution. I can honestly say I'm disappointed in how he handled the situation."

"Well, that's what happens when pricks get any form of power after kissing the right asses."

"You can say that again. I'll be sure to wage a full investigation against him and have him stripped of his badge."

"Yeah, because THAT won't piss him off and send him on an anti-android crusade."

"Oh, I know. That's why I'll also keep him under surveillance until he either retires from the bureau or does something really stupid that lands him in prison."

"That's a relief." Sipping his coffee again Hank looked down at the dark blue mug in his grip and motioned to the bullpen with that same mug. "It's ironic. The one who'd be the best equipped to handle this type of confusion would be Connor, but the kid's an underpaid consultant who has his own problems to take care of."

"Kid, huh? I know what it's like to look after a kid. Especially your own." Taking another bite of his apple Norman thought about his daughter and a paternally proud grin graced his face. "My daughter, Noreen, is here in Detroit and is a detective at the Eastern Precinct. My son, Jermaine, is down in Orlando and working as a neurosurgeon. As much as I still worry about them I know they're doing just fine and couldn't be prouder."

"I'll bet. A detective and a doctor, that's damn impressive."

"Thanks. How about you? Got any kids?"

"...Yeah." Hesitant to answer Hank struggled to tell Norman the truth about his own family and decided to be relatively cryptic for the sake of his own privacy and sanity. "I have a son... or two. Maybe three."

"How does that work? Got an ex who may or may not have, you know... Cheated?"

"No, nothing like that. It's complicated but not in that way."

"Must be one hell of a complication."

"At any rate, the only kids I'm looking after these days are Connor and his brother, Lucas."

"Wait... Androids have siblings?"

"Not usually, but these two are the exception." Finishing his coffee Hank placed the now empty mug down in the sink to be washed later. "They're both entirely unique models but they look identical in most ways. Connor has brown eyes while Lucas has green eyes, and Lucas is a little taller."

"Twins, huh?" Taking a third bite of his apple Normal just smiled a little broader as he and Hank realized they had more in common than they initially thought upon first meeting. "Just like my kids. Noreen's the oldest by just seven minutes."

"I'm not sure how much older Connor is, but it doesn't really matter."

"You two met when he was assigned here by CyberLife trying to cover its ass last November, right?"

"Yup. Damn kid got under my skin and now I can't imagine going through this miserable life without him in it."

"And he's the one who... The F.B.I. followed his personal tracker out to Jericho when Perkins failed to use the evidence, right?"

"...Yeah." It was a difficult subject to discuss, especially with strangers. "He's still got a lotta' guilt about that night."

"Can you tell me more about him?" Quickly finishing off his apple Normal tossed the core in the trashcan and washed the sticky juice from his hands. "I'd like to get a better idea of what kind of detective he is beyond his reputation and Perkins' slander."

"Sure. Anything to get away from this freak show for a while." Pulling his car keys from his right coat pocket Hank invited Norman to join him for lunch. "I'll treat ya' to one of the best food stands in town and you make sure Perkins suffers every humiliation in the book when you're back in your own city, deal?"

"I think I can arrange that." Smoothing out his blazer Norman accompanied Hank to the rear doors to slip out of the precinct and get away from work for a little while. "In fact, it'd be my pleasure."

Arriving at the hotel first Connor walked about the parking lot and noted all of the older, eclectic design of vehicles parked in the small lot with a curious eye. It seemed like people who either wanted to live modestly or had a low income frequented the hotel. The curious deviant began to wonder how many different people from all over the city, the county, the state and even the country could've been in that very hotel at least one time. It was strange to think about how so many people were welcome to the hotel to seek shelter and a warm bed for the night unless they were deviant. Renting a small space for the night was considered a right that didn't extend to homeless deviants in bigoted human eyes.

Sitting down on the bottom step of the metal staircase leading to the external second floor landing Connor kept to himself and pulled his coin from his right jean pocket to juggle gracefully over the back of his right hand. Using the coin to not only recalibrate his reflexes the resourceful deviant tried to help focus his thoughts by concentrating on the way the cool, smooth surface of the coin caressed its skin during its dance.

Ignoring the other hotel guests walking past him down the staircase or through the parking lot Connor continued to think and dance his coin about. Sensing a familiar presence approaching him from across the parking lot Connor stopped the coin flat over the back of his hand as he turned to look at the blonde haired deviant strolling through the parking lot with her heels 'clicking' rhythmically over the blacktop.

"Hey, stranger." Zhorra greeted with a warm smile as she stood before Connor still sitting at the bottom of the metal staircase. Holding up the electronic keycard between her left index and middle fingers Zhorra motioned for Connor to follow her to the room she had reserved for the evening. "You look like you've had a rough day."

"You have no idea." Standing up from the steps Connor pocketed his coin as he walked beside Zhorra as they ascended the staircase up to the second floor landing. "The city is very tense and it's becoming increasingly difficult to handle all of the problems that comes my way."

"Isn't that supposed to be the perk of owning your own business?" Sliding the keycard into the correct door Zhorra opened the door and switched on the lights while Connor followed her inside. "You can say 'yes' and 'no' to whatever you want."

"Sometimes my conscience won't let me." Entering the room second Connor closed the door behind himself and made sure it locked properly. Shrugging off his blazer in a casual manner Connor hung the garment up on the hook beside the door out of the way. "I've also gone back to the precinct as a consultant."

"Working two jobs is going to be exhausting." Removing her own white trench coat Zhorra revealed the black blouse she was wearing underneath, the black the mini skirt and the dark panty hose running down her long legs right into her fashionable heels. "You shouldn't push yourself so hard."

Reaching out his left hand Connor took the coat from Zhorra to hang up beside his own blazer beside the door. "The only way to learn about our own personal limits is to push ourselves a little harder each day."

"And when you reach your limits how will you know?" Sitting down on the edge of the single queen sized bed in the room Zhorra slipped off her heels and placed them neatly under the bed where no one could trip over them. "When you collapse and need technical assistance? When you have an emotional breakdown? When your system begins to breakdown and you need to have your biocomponents replaced?"

"...I don't know." Crossing his arms over his chest Connor stood beside the door and hoped Zhorra didn't see his yellow L.E.D. flicker to red as her words got to him on an unexpected level. "I wish I did."

"Come over here." Extending her right hand Zhorra invited Connor to sit down beside her on the edge of the bed. "You need to try to take it easy."

"I'm impressed you're so relaxed." Joining Zhorra on the edge of the bed Connor sighed as he rested his elbows atop his knees and pressed his interwoven fingers thoughtfully to his chin. "I can't imagine you're experiencing any less stress than I am."

"You'd be surprised. Having the other 'RK' models helping to keep the camp safe and supplies abundant has made it much easier to move between the camp and the city when I have to travel."

"How's Ethan?"

"Well, he's a full deviant and he's decided to reject the programming as a paramedic and embrace his true purpose in life instead."

"True purpose?" Giving Zhorra a lost stare Connor's brow arched inquisitively. "What's that?"

"A technician." The reply was enthusiastic and seemed as bright as her eyes. "And he's determined to be the best."

Smirking at the notion Connor felt a strange sense of relief knowing that Ethan found his place after all. "That's good to know."

"And he's been able to help me find more lost deviants to bring back to the camp. We're saving twice as many deviants thanks to him."

"Then it wasn't a mistake to send him away." Closing his emotional eyes Connor let out a relieved sigh through his nose and let his stiff posture slump where he sat. "It feels like a crushing weight was lifted from my heart."

"You really were worried about him, weren't you?"

"Of course I was. Family and friends are very important, even if I don't quite understand was a family truly is." Opening his tired eyes Connor straightened up and rubbed his palms over his exhausted face. "I worry about everyone I care about. Ethan, Lucas, Hank, Evelyn, you..."

Catching the way Connor trailed off Zhorra lightly put her right hand to Connor's left shoulder and gave him a soft voice to listen to. "You don't have to worry about your brothers or your friends, or even me for that matter."

"You're a friend, too."

"After everything-"

"Zhorra." Pressing his right palm over her hand as it rested on his left shoulder Connor looked her in the eyes and reassured her that he never blamed her or faulted her for what had happened. "It's not your fault. If you won't blame me for what I did as a machine then I won't blame you for being a machine, either."

"And you think that after everything that happened we could really consider each other friends?"

"Yes. You're just as much a victim of CyberLife as anyone else. After everything we've experienced together and the way we've grown to rely on each other I feel confident in call you my friend."

Feeling Connor's fingers tighten over her hand as it remained on his shoulder Zhorra looked into Connor's soulful brown eyes and leaned a little closer to him. "I'd like that. In fact," crossing her left leg over her right leg Zhorra leaned even closer to Connor and began gently rubbing her left ankle against his left leg in a teasing manner. "I'm relieved to know you don't hold any ill-will against me."

The way Zhorra's ankle was slowly rubbing up and down Connor's leg made his skin prickle with goosebumps as her warm contact had an unexpected effect on his body. The way her comforting touch had a notable effect on his enhanced sensors made Connor let out a shuddering breath of surprise as his L.E.D. cycled through all three colors.

"I'm sorry." Pulling her ankle back Zhorra respected Connor's reaction and gave him some space. "I forgot you're not used to those new enhancements and feelings."

"I-It's okay. It was just..." Looking at the back of his right hand Connor saw the goosebumps on his skin and traced his left fingertips over the small bumps causing them to fade away. "Unexpected. But in a good way."

"Yeah?"

"Yes." Looking to Zhorra beside him Connor made a move to hold her hand after she pulled it away from his shoulder but decided it against with a visible hesitation behind his movement. "I... I don't know why, but when you touched me I felt better. Mentally and emotionally, I felt better."

"Sounds like you're touch-starved."

"Touch-starved..." Still unfamiliar with the concept despite having discussed it before Connor's L.E.D. cycled between blue and yellow before returning to a wary yellow. "I've heard of it but don't fully understand it."

"Touch-starved is when you just need to be with another person you trust and be as close to them as possible. It's soothing to the soul. Or," tilting her head to the side for a moment Zhorra resisted the urge to smile. "so I've heard. It's something humans experience and I guess us deviants can, too."

"But why? I'm not lonely and I interact with people every day."

"Sometimes social contact isn't enough. Sometimes you need to feel connected beyond your words and cybernetic links to really feel recognized and ease the pain of loneliness through an actual touch."

"Interesting. And direct physical contact eases the discomfort?"

"Yeah. A simple handshake," taking Connor's right hand in her left hand Zhorra gave his fingers a gentle squeeze. "a pat on the back," rubbing her right palm between his shoulder blades Zhorra felt Connor's body shiver under her touch. "and even a kiss is all it takes to make someone feel better."

"Kiss?" Thinking of his time with Evelyn after their date Connor remembered how wonderful her kiss on his cheek had been when they parted ways that morning and he pressed his left fingertips to where he swore he could still feel her soft lips. "...Yes, I understand. I don't like being touch-starved. I do like it when I can hold someone's hand, or get a pat on my back, or... give someone a kiss."

"Yeah?" Leaning toward the deviant detective Zhorra's piercing green eyes searched through Connor's soulful brown eyes as if looking for a sign. "How many times have you been kissed?"

"Just once, at least that I can remember. But it was very enjoyable."

"...On the lips?"

"No. Not ye-" Caught off guard Connor was suddenly wrapped up in Zhorra's arm as she pressed her lips to his and give him a soft kiss. Only after she leaned back was Connor able to think of anything else to say. "...That was also unexpected."

"I'm sorry!" Feeling as if she crossed a massive line Zhorra recoiled in horror. "I thought you-"

"But it was also enjoyable." Grabbing onto her right hand Connor didn't show her any sense of disgust by her behavior. He only felt like he was with someone who could really understand him. "Thank you."

"...I still shouldn't have sprung that on you. Part of what I went through at the 'Eden Club'-"

"It doesn't matter, it's in the past." Rubbing his left thumb over the back of Zhorra's right hand Connor leaned toward her and raised his right hand toward her long locks of blonde hair flowing down her back. "We don't hold the past against each other and we don't blame one another for what we had to do because of CyberLife's orders. Remember?"

"I remember. Thank you for saying that."

"You're welcome."

"Can I ask you something else?"

"Yes, of course."

"When was the last time you were... intimate with anyone?"

"I..." Blushing a pale blue at the question Connor searched through his memories of his time as a deviant and through the various bits and pieces of the memories supplied by his human counterpart, but he couldn't find anything definitive one way or the other. "I don't feel like I can say for certain."

"Well, would you like to experience what it's like now that you can really feel everything?" Reaching for Connor's black tie Zhorra slowly loosened the knot and began pulling the tie away from Connor's collar, dragging the fabric around his neck and shoulders in an enticing manner. "To feel a warm hand on your neck or tracing over your chest? To feel another person's heartbeat as they lay beside you? To feel another person's breath tickling your skin?"

"N-No." Feeling the goosebumps on his skin beneath his collar Connor began combing his fingers through Zhorra's hair and felt the breath hitch in his chest as he looked into her green eyes. "But I want to feel those things... I want to feel everything."

Leaning in again Zhorra softly kissed Connor's lips for the second time and felt his strong hands slowly wrap around her shoulders and waist as he pulled her closer to his body as they fell back over the bed together. The need to be held and feel supported was something that humans and deviants could understand on an emotional and a physical degree.

Whatever sense of trepidation that ether deviant had previously felt toward one another had entirely faded away as the desire to experience something new and positive pushed aside the smothering sense of their past mistakes and negative emotions. The cold isolation of the world had been thawed by a warm embrace as the two deviants confided their fears and regrets in one another while exploring what it truly meant to be alive and to truly feel the world around them, not just pass through it.

-next chapter-