The eventful week came to an end, the important detective's test was over and everything was made official at long last. Proudly Connor entered Captain Fowler's private office to speak with his commanding officer, to fill out the last of the necessary paperwork and was then met with a hearty handshake from Captain Fowler after all of the documents were signed and sent in to the higher-ups as necessary. Not only had Connor passed the detective's test with a perfect score, a feat only previously achieved by Hank himself back when the skilled Lieutenant was still a beat cop, but Connor was the very first deviant in history to make such a respectable and important accomplishment.

While Connor's accomplishment was historic and monumental Tina's accomplishment was seen as more typical, but that didn't stop the cheery new detective from celebrating all the same. The breakroom was holding a mini party for Tina to celebrate her promotion to detective and everyone was using that as a much needed excuse to let loose and focus on something positive for a change.

Handing Connor over his new badge Captain Fowler was proud to have Connor officially registered on his roster as a permanent detective. "It's my sincere pleasure to welcome you back to the Central Precinct, and it's my honor to have such an exceptional detective under my command."

"Thank you, Captain." Accepting his badge with pride shining in his soulful brown eyes Connor looked at his name engraved over the gilded surface for a moment and then slipped it into his back jean pocket. "It's an honor to be back as an official detective while maintaining a private investigation practice on the side."

"Don't work yourself too hard, Sergeant." Addressing Connor by his new rank Captain Fowler made sure Connor knew that he was going to be relied on far more often now that he had returned to the roster. "What you do you in your spare time is completely up to you, all I can ask is that you pace yourself."

"I assure you that I won't push myself too hard too fast, sir. Between Hank and Lucas watching out for me I'm certain I'll never have the chance to make such a reckless oversight."

"Good to hear it. You're dismissed and free to enjoy the party in the breakroom."

"Isn't... that for Tina? The party I mean."

"You've BOTH been promoted, Connor. Go join in on the fun and ask Tina to come see me so I can give her the proper respect she's earned, too."

"Yes, sir."

Taking his leave of the private office Connor barely set foot in the bullpen before a round of applause filled the air as the other officers acknowledged Connor's promotion. Feeling a faint blue blush fill his face Connor looked at the group of officers applauding his success while snacking on various sweet treats meant to help commemorate and celebrate the two newest detectives on the roster.

"Great work, son!" Hank clapped his right hand on Connor's left shoulder and gave him a slight shake. "We knew you'd pass!"

"Th-Thank you, Hank."

"How does it feel to be an official detective?"

"It feels... right." Retrieving his new badge Connor held it in his right palm and traced his thumb over his name engraved into the gilded surface. "This feels right. It's like I'm meant to be here."

"Damn right you are."

"Where's Tina?"

"Present!" Tina called out from the breakroom as she stuffed an entire vanilla cupcake into her mouth in one bite. Covering her mouth and trying not to laugh Tina dusted the crumbs off her hands, from the front of her uniform and then used a napkin to wipe her mouth. "Is it my turn to see the Captain?"

"It is." Slipping his badge back into his pocket Connor acknowledged Tina's question. "Congratulations, Sergeant Chen."

"Oh, why thank you so much, Sergeant Wolf." Smoothing out the front of her uniform Tina held her head high and walked past Connor to enter Captain Fowler's office for herself. "Enjoy the Thirium-based cupcakes in the breakroom. They're supposed to taste like vanilla!"

"Thank you."

As Tina entered the office to speak with Captain Fowler for herself Hank led Connor into the breakroom to try out one of those special treats. "Come on, kid. I know you're not a party person, neither am I, but if there's free food then it's worth the hassle. At least for a few minutes."

The breakroom had several trays of cake, cupcakes, donuts and cookies for the human officers and two boxes of Thirium-based cupcakes for the deviant officers. An aged but beloved banner that stated 'Congratulations' in gold tinted letters was hung up on the wall above the treats and the official roster portraits of Connor and Tina were set up on the wall below the banner to honor the two newest detectives.

Everyone was indulging on the sweets, even Jack, and everyone was in good spirits. The deviant officer had made a full recovery and spent the first night out of the facility in Chris's guest room to ensure he was comfortable during his recovery period. As the blond haired deviant enjoyed on of the special cupcakes it was hard to believe that he had been nearly shot and killed in the line of duty barely one week prior.

After Tina left the breakroom most of the other officers walked into the bullpen with their small plates of sugary goodness, but Gavin was still lingering near the banner and staring at Tina's photograph with genuine worry in his gray-hazel eyes. It was clear he was very protective of his best friend and didn't want to see Tina putting herself in danger any more than she already was while on patrol.

"Here ya' go, kid." Handing Connor one of the blue tinted cupcakes from the box Hank helped himself to one of the custard filled donuts in the neighboring box. Using a napkin to keep crumbs and sticky glaze off his hands Hank gave Connor a casual shrug of his shoulders. "And remember. We're celebrating something special so you can't give me any shit about eating sugar all damn day."

"...Yes, of course." Distracted by Gavin's glum demeanor Connor decided to approach the abrasive detective while Hank went back to the bullpen with his own treat to snack on. Keeping his voice low Connor spoke to Gavin in a respectful manner as he quickly deduced the source of Gavin's stress. "Be proud of her, Gavin."

"I am proud, you plastic... thing." Unable to come up with even a half insult Gavin never tore his eyes from the portrait. "I'm just worried that she's going to get to a point where she won't need me to watch her back anymore. That's all." Scoffing at his own thought Gavin shook his head and gave Connor an annoyed glare. "And I know how selfish that sounds, but hey, I'm kind of a selfish guy and I'm working on it. I don't need to hear any lip from you or anyone else because I don't want to be separated from my best friend just yet."

"I wouldn't say anything negative about you wanting to remain partners with Tina and keep her safe. I had the same reaction when I initially left the precinct since it meant I couldn't look after Hank." Empathetic to Gavin's plight Connor understood the fear that the relatively closed-off detective was feeling. "You don't want to risk your friend being left unprotected and you care about her so much that you'd rather decline your own promotions just so you can stay close to her for as long as logically possible."

Surprised by Connor's insight Gavin flashed the deviant a somewhat respectful glance. "...Yeah, you got it. I know it's stupid to put my own future on hold because I'm not ready to see her moving on up in the world, but she's been my best friend since I was a rookie and she had no idea that she even wanted to join the police academy. It's like she's a little sister." Looking for any reason to be rude again Gavin sneered at Connor again. "But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you? Androids don't have families."

"Not true. I've taken on the 'RK-900' you once knew as 'Killian' as my little brother, and he's now known as 'Lucas'. We may not have years of experience to bond us closely as traditional siblings but I do know that I want to do everything in my power to keep hm safe. I know he can take care of himself but I still worry whenever we're not together."

"You..." That particular revelation softened Gavin's gruff demeanor for a moment. "have a brother?"

"Yes. He's working on a private case as we speak."

"And what does that make Hank?" Craning his neck Gavin peered through the doorway of the breakroom to look at the Lieutenant just as Tina exited the office to her own round of applause and made a gracious bow before her friends. The way Hank offered Tina halfhearted applause reflected his rather nonchalant and laidback demeanor perfectly as he minded his own business. "Is he your babysitter or your honorary grandpa?"

"He's... Hank's my best friend. I also consider him a mentor and he sees himself as our guardian."

"So the old man's your 'old man'?" Smirking at the notion Gavin just shook his head like the sentimentality was too much to think about. "Go figure the old bastard would go from hating androids to protecting them, all because you managed to worm your way under his skin. Now I know why Abby wants to know if you're taking care of yourself all day at work."

"I... don't follow."

"You got to her, too, idiot." Crossing his arms over his chest Gavin shot Connor an annoyed look. "She cares about you and wants to make sure you're safe. She said something about you being a prototype and being rare or some shit, and just wants to make sure you're fine."

"And what did you tell her?"

"That you're a big 'Tinman' and can take yourself, and I reminded her of the other guy upstairs keeping you from breaking apart, too. What's his name, Jim?"

"It's Joel. Dr. Joel Forest."

"Right, that guy. He's being paid to keep you in one piece, so between that guy and the Lieutenant looking over your shoulder I think Abby can finally chill long enough for me to-" Stopping quick Gavin's blushed a bright pink as he turned away from Connor. "A-Anyway, whatever Tina wants to do I'll support even if I don't like it. Go eat your damn cupcake and make sure Tina knows you liked it even if you don't actually like it."

"I'll be sure to tell her." Taking the hint Connor left Gavin alone in the breakroom as he rejoined his fellow officers in the bullpen. Peeling back the wrapper from around the gifted cupcake Connor gave the treat a small taste and his overall approval. "I like this."

Hank overheard the comment and smirked. "I've never met a cupcake I've disliked. I don't think such a thing is even possible."

"I'll be sure to take one with me back to the brownstone for Lucas to try."

"Good idea. What's he doing anyway?" Sitting down at his desk Hank leaned back in his chair and glanced at his terminal screen where the lack of new case files and deviant related reports gave the city an optimistic sense of peaceful coexistence. "Hope he isn't bored, too."

"Lucas confirmed that he's working on a case as of the moment." Joining Hank by sitting down at his own desk across from the senior detective Connor relayed the information while giving the shiny blue frosting on the cupcake another taste. "He's attempting to locate a missing deviant who was last scene huddling inside of an abandoned department store downtown."

"Does he need help?"

"No." Slowly enjoying the cupcake and savoring the sweet vanilla taste Connor gave Hank a rather fearless reply. "If Lucas does require assistance he'll call for us to join him. Considering his highly advanced software and skill I doubt he'll ever issue such a request."

Exploration of the deserted, dusty and rotting department store had brought all of Lucas's previously dormant forensics systems online. Stepping over the warped tile and wooden floorboards that creaked under his weight, scanning the dust layered countertops, mold covered walls, aged door handles and filthy windows for finger and hand prints, and noting all of the various substances wafting through the air that he inhaled, gave Lucas invaluable knowledge and insight regarding the most recent activity within the old building. There was no sign of life within the decaying store beyond a few rats and pigeons making nests within the walls and floors.

Faint shoe prints on the floor indicated that someone had recently trespassed within the building but didn't stay long. The report of a deviant huddling down didn't add up with the evidence that Lucas had gathered fairly quickly. If anyone had been inside the department store they had already gone and had kept such a low profile that it was impossible for anyone to have seen them.

"I believe this lead is entirely false."

Dragging his left fingertip over the nearest counter Lucas stared at the gray particles sticking to his artificial skin with a curious eye.

"Perhaps even a prank request to send me out on a fruitless endeavor. By who would've done so, and why would they send me out here?"

Turning his back to the depths of the store as he decided to take his leave of the building Lucas stopped short when his system suddenly detected the signature of another deviant in fact somewhere on the property. As he attempted to hone in on the location of the snooping deviant Lucas felt his Thirium run cold, a chill creep up his spine and his blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow as everything suddenly took on a dark air.

When his gut told him to call for help Lucas obeyed the instinct and cybernetically contacted Connor to let him know where he was at that moment while trying to assess the overall situation. Moving quickly Lucas spun around on his heels just as a criminally wanted 'PL-600' lunged at him with a gun clutched in his right hand. As Lucas raised his own hands to deflect the attack and protect his chest and his head from harm, Lucas failed to preconstruct the potential outcome of the weapon damaging his body elsewhere.

"I made the mistake of leaving before I saw you die!" Daniel shouted as he pressed the barrel of the gun against the left side of Lucas's neck, pushing into the black fabric of Lucas's dress shirt that had been button all the way up over his throat, and pulled the trigger. A single bullet exited the barrel with a deafening blast of power and lethal force. "You don't deserve to live, Connor!"

A spray of Thirium erupted from the bullet wound in the left side of Lucas's neck as Lucas's body went numb from the neck down. He collapsed backward on the dirty, uneven floor entirely helpless in a growing puddle of his own blue blood. The red glowing of his L.E.D. created a crimson aura in the dimly lit space of the abandoned store.

"Now I can watch..." Trailing off in a hushed tone Daniel looked down at Lucas's face and froze. The violent deviant's blue eyes went wide as his shoulders tensed up with utter fear and regret. "No. This can't be..."

Lucas's green eyes were also wide with shock and pain as he choked and coughed on the blue blood collecting in the back of his mouth and throat. More blood gushed from his neck with every beat of his heart and quickly saturated his pure white blazer a dark blue over his left neck and left shoulder. Unable to move or speak Lucas could only stared with a frightened gaze at Daniel looming over his prone body.

Daniel realized he had made a mistake. Instead of luring Connor into isolation to finish him off he unknowingly lured Lucas, an entirely innocent deviant who hadn't done anything against him, into the abandoned building and shot him in cold blood.

"But you... You're not-"

Panicking and unable to face what he had done Daniel stumbled backward and bumped into the abandoned counters behind him before hastily spinning around on his heels and rushing out of the building through the backdoor. Leaving behind his weapon as the gun fell from his trembling right hand, Daniel fled from the scene to try to elude further escalation. His innocent victim and a frightened set of footprints trailing after him to the backdoor were the only proof that Daniel had ever been inside the old building.

Too weak and too damaged to move a single synthetic muscle Lucas ran a full self diagnostic and winced at the bleak information his system provided.

...LOADING INFORMATION:

REGISTERED NAME: "Lucas Wolf"

MODEL: RK-900

SERIAL NUMBER: 313 248 317 - 87

ACTIVATION DATE: January 1st, 2039

HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6' 01.34"; 164.1 lbs

COMPLEXION: Caucasian

AESTHETIC GENDER: Male

HAIR/EYES: Brunette; Green

ASSIGNMENT: Private Investigator: Detroit, Michigan; United States of America

ASSOCIATION(S): Connor Wolf; Lieutenant Hank Anderson; Detroit Central Precinct

BOOTING PROCESSORS...

LOADING OS...

SYSTEM INITIALIZATION...

-CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS... OK]

-INITIALIZING BIOSENSORS... OK]

-INITIALIZING AI ENGINE... OK]

-MEMORY STATUS... OK]

READY...

[...Thirium Volume - 82%]

[...Thirium Pressure - 110/80]

[...Thirium Pump Rate - 102 B.P.M.]

[...Ventilation Rate - 26 V.P.M.]

[...Core Temperature - 96.9 Degrees Fahrenheit]

-STRESS LEVELS: ^72%

WARNING:

Damage to left isthmus plating - 96.4% Integrity

Damage to third axial cerebral support column - 62% Integrity

Damage to left primary ascending Thirial line - 96.7% Integrity

Damage to primary vocal processor - OFFLINE

Foreign body detected in isthmus plating - Immediate extraction recommended]

ERROR:

[...Descending motor function from third axial currently disabled]

[...Obstruction detected in left primary ascending Thirial line]

ERROR:

[...Cybernetic communication - OFFLINE]

[...Seek immediate technical assistance]

WARNING: SHUTDOWN IMMINENT - 00:27:52]

Stunned and in shock Lucas could only watch the red warnings and numbers in his visual processors warn him of his impending death as the countdown timer ticked away slowly, creeping ever closer to zero. Having no way to save himself, his immobilized arms refusing to budge and remained splayed out at his sides, the dying 'RK-900' could only wait and hope his message to Connor would be enough to prompt his older brother into investigating his message.

Opening his mouth Lucas tried to call out for help but instead coughed up dark blue blood and choked as it trickled down his throat and into his ventilation biocomponents effectively silencing him to a degree that rivaled the abandoned building that was slowly becoming his tomb.

Having resumed his unimportant paperwork at the precinct with his coin dancing over the back of his right knuckles Connor's blue L.E.D. flickered to yellow as Lucas's cybernetic message was received. The message was short, detailing only the coordinates of where Lucas had been at the time of the message being sent, and nothing more. Catching the coin in his left palm as he flicked the quarter from his right hand over to the left Connor stared blankly at his terminal screen as he felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his artificial stomach. Knowing that something was wrong, a sense he couldn't identify or even understand how it could've manifested, Connor slipped his coin back into his blazer pocket and rose from his desk.

Still sitting across from Connor at his own desk Hank saw the yellow L.E.D. in Connor's right temple and the look of determination burning in his soulful brown eyes. Picking up on the deviant detecitve's distress Hank stood up as well, and fished his car keys out of his pocket as is he already knew they were going to be taking off very soon.

"Connor, what's going on?"

"Something's happened to Lucas." Shaking his head a little Connor attempted to cybernetically reach out to Lucas because he met with static instead of an open line. "I can't explain it but I know he's in danger."

"Do you know where he is right now?"

"Yes, he sent me the coordinates of the abandoned property he was investigating. There was nothing else attached to the message."

"That's fuckin' weird for sure, but do you-"

"I need to find him."

"Whoa! Wait-" Chasing after Connor as the deviant detective sped-walked across the bullpen and through the front doors of the precinct to use one of the squad cars in the parking garage, Hank managed to grab onto Connor's right shoulder with his left hand and steer him toward the neighboring parking garage. "I'm going with you, kid. I'll drive and you guide me."

"O-Okay." Willing to trust Hank to help him locate Lucas at the isolated property Connor allowed the senior detective to direct him over to the Oldsmobile and acted as passenger while Hank drove through the city. "I'll use cybernetic relays to determine the quickest route to Lucas's last known location."

"All right." Unlocking the car doors Hank sat down behind the steering wheel while Connor sat down beside him. Quickly turning over the engine and pulling the car out of its assigned spot before he even fastened his seatbelt, Hank asked Connor for directions. "Where do we go?"

"Once you're on the street turn right, pass through the first two intersections and turn right again."

"Can do."

Speeding down the street and following Connor's directions perfectly Hank didn't dare to question why Connor was so convinced that Lucas was in need of help, and just decided to take care of the situation in a supportive manner. He trusted Connor and knew that the deviant's instincts were sharp. There was no reason for Hank to doubt Connor's worries when it came to his little brother.

Making their way to the abandoned store without running into any dense traffic or red lights thanks to Connor's superior timing the two detectives exited the car parked in front of the building and rushed to the front door to explore the property. Hank followed after Connor as the deviant easily forced open the aged door on its rusted hinges and entered the premises.

"Anyone in here?" Hank asked as he hovered his right hand over the gun holstered on his right hip. "Anyone we need to worry about, that is?"

Remaining silent Connor's L.E.D. cycled between blue and yellow before it settled on red as his soulful brown eyes came to rest on a motionless figure laying on the floor on their back. "Lucas?! He's been shot!"

"Lu- Fuck!" Hank followed Connor's eyes as the deviant rushed over to where Lucas was laying and fell to his knees beside the downed deviant. The amount of blue blood puddled beneath Lucas's body made Hank's stomach turn with horrified nausea. "Oh, shit..."

Connor pressed his left fingertips to Lucas's red L.E.D. and noted the fear in Lucas's green eyes as he stared up at his face. "Damn, his timer is down to nine minutes and fifteen seconds. He cannot wait for the E.F.T.'s and he cannot move on his own."

"What do we do?"

"We take him to the facility ourselves." Shrugging off his gray blazer Connor tucked the garment around Lucas's neck and applied pressure to the bullet wound in the left side of Lucas's neck in the process. Slipping his right arm beneath Lucas's shoulders and his left arm beneath Lucas's knees Connor lifted his little brother up from the disgusting floor and proceeded to carry him to the door. "The Zeta Facility is six minutes and four seconds away."

"That's going to be cutting it close."

"I know, but as of the moment Dr. Grayson is the only technician with any knowledge of aiding models of mine and Lucas's designs. She's the only one who can help Lucas and save his life."

"Ah, fuck me..." Following Connor and Lucas outside of the old store Hank pulled open the passenger side door and pushed the front passenger seat forward so Connor could sit in the back with Lucas still in his arms and over his lap. "This is going to be fast drive, tell dispatch to keep the damn roads clear!"

"You're going to be okay, Lucas." Connor promised as he looked into his little brother's scared green eyes and cybernetically request the roads to remain clear and open. "I got your message and Hank won't let us down." The car shook a little as Hank slammed the passenger door shut then pulled open the driver's side door to sit down ahead of them. "You're going to make it."

Utilizing all of his skill as a trained officer of the law Hank sped away from the old building and back toward a more familiar part of the city to get Lucas to the Zeta Facility before he shut down. Not daring to take his eyes off the road ahead of himself Hank wove between cars and raced down the streets to get to the facility in a new record time.

"Lucas, I've cybernetically informed the Zeta Facility of your impending arrival." Speaking to Lucas to help him feel calm and safe Connor returned his left fingertips to Lucas's red L.E.D. to resume a system check. "I know you can't speak because of the damage to your neck and throat, and I know your cybernetic link has been momentarily disabled, but I also know you're still conscious and coherent. You're going to be okay, brother."

Lucas coughed a little as more blue blood pooled in the back of his throat in a choking manner. Grateful to have Connor help him sit upright and drain the blood from his mouth Lucas looked to his older brother and let an emotional tear trail from his right eye.

"I'm going to check your memories so I can understand what happened."

Informing Lucas of everything that was happening and why it was happening Connor easily connected his mind to his little brother as Lucas had no reason to try to keep Connor out. Replaying Lucas's most recent and terrifying memories Connor saw the deranged look of the person who tried to kill Lucas and heard their vile words. Immediately recognizing the suspect Connor's heart began to thunder with rage as he realized what had happened.

"Oh... Oh, Lucas... I'm-" Pulling Lucas closer to his chest Connor let his little brother rest his head against his right shoulder as he gave Lucas a strong hug. "I'm so sorry!"

"Kid?" Hearing the emotional outburst made Hank step down a little harder on the accelerator. "What happened?"

"...He was set up." Connor whispered as he held Lucas close to his chest. Maybe if he held onto Lucas tight enough it'd keep his shutdown timer from ticking any closer to zero. "The case he was working on was false and merely used to lure him out to the building."

"What for? Lucas hasn't done anything wrong!"

"They weren't trying to lure Lucas to the building." Feeling his jaw clench with anger as the Oldsmobile jerked to a stop in front of the Zeta Facility Connor began preconstructing all the different ways he could potentially hurt Daniel for hurting Lucas. "They were trying to lure me."

"You?" Throwing open his door Hank stepped out of the car and forced his seat forward just as Abby jogged into the parking lot with Barry rolling a gurney behind her. "Who the fuck-"

"Get him on the gurney." Abby shouted and interrupted Hank's question. Visually examining the wound in Lucas's neck as he was laid over the gurney Abby knew that she needed to get the deviant's Thirium up before he shutdown. "Damn it, he needs blood and he needs it NOW."

Connor watched as Abby pulled his Thirium soaked gray blazer from Lucas's neck and secured a strong pressure bandage over the bullet wound. While she worked to stem the bleeding line in Lucas's neck Barry opened up Lucas's black dress shirt to expose his chest then placed two wireless leads down on his chest to begin recording his vitals on the Thirial activity monitor attached to the head of the gurney.

The drastic Thirium loss made Lucas's artificial skin thin out and let his white plastimetal frame show through a little easier. The thinned skin and stark white frame made Lucas look so sickly pale it was as if he had bled out already.

"Insert a Thirium line and start with three units." Remaining completely calm Abby noted Lucas's Thirium pressure on the monitor's display and knew he was in desperate need of blue blood. Using her audioscope Abby listened to Lucas's chest and studied the way the deviant's exhausted green eye were watching her every move. "We're going to get you taken care of, Lucas. You'll just need to go into stasis mode so I can repair your neck."

Unable to speak or move Lucas could only blink once to confirm that he understood what was happening. Unable to move away or feel anything Lucas could only watch as Barry opened up a panel in the bend of his right elbow to attach an external Thirium line and attach two pouches of Thirium to the other end of the line. The blue blood quickly flooded the line and entered Lucas's system at a steady pace.

Barry noted the Thirial activity monitor's display and gave everyone some good news at the timer stopped ticking down. "Shutdown timer has paused. He's stabilizing."

"All right, then let's move it." Abby ordered as she took hold of the left side of the gurney and motioned to the front entrance. "The repair bay is set up already. I just need to scrub up and find the exact location of the bullet so it can be extracted."

Hank began trailing after the gurney as Abby and Barry wheeled Lucas away, and noticed that Connor was frozen in place. Turning to look at the deviant covered in his own brother's blood Hank gave Connor a worried glance. "Son? Aren't you coming?"

"I... I'll be with Lucas after I make sure something like this will never happen again." As he spoke a fire began to burn in Connor's eyes. Cybernetically Connor hailed an autonomous cab to take him back to the abandoned store to investigate the scene of the shooting. "Consider this my first official case with the precinct."

"Connor, do not do anything you'll regret." Recognizing the urge for revenge Hank cautioned the still developing deviant about such emotional ramifications. "If you go after the person who did this-"

"Then I'll get a dangerous criminal off the streets and ensure that Lucas receives justice." Walking toward the street as the hailed cab pulled up and parked as requested Connor gave his partner an almost intimidating glare. "Stay with Lucas and please inform Captain Fowler of my new mission."

"Mission?" Catching that particular term Hank knew that Connor was on the verge of doing something very reckless. "I thought it was a case?"

"Cases can grow cold, you know this." Reaching the cab Connor gave the senior detective a cryptic confirmation of his plan at the moment. "But when it comes to missions... I always accomplish my mission."

"Son, wait and think-" Before he could say another word Connor had entered the cab, pulled the sliding door shut and had prompted the cab into motion to take him to the abandoned store. "Fuck... Damn it, kid." Watching the cab speeding down the street Hank rubbed his left palm over his bearded chin and turned around to enter the facility. "Don't do anything stupid!"

Inside the facility Lucas had been rushed into the emergency repair bay with Abby and Barry monitoring his vitals. The bullet had managed to damage very delicate and vital internal components crucial for Lucas to be able to move and communicate, and would need to be removed before his self healing program could even begin to repair the significant damage the deviant had suffered.

Unable to communicate, even on a cybernetic level, all Lucas could do was watch as Abby and Barry prepared him for the necessary repairs. His green eyes were watching Abby's every movement very carefully as she checked on his neck and read over the schematics exclusive to his model already recorded in his personal file within the facility's records.

"Okay, Lucas." Speaking to the wounded deviant in her usual sweet manner Abby helped Barry to remove Lucas's clothing and then draped a white sheet over his legs to help preserve his modesty. "I'm gong to put you into emergency stasis mode and when you awaken your neck will be bandaged up and you'll be able to cybernetically communicate again. It won't take more than an hour since your internal couplings within your spinal support column are diamond and platinum, so the bullet couldn't travel all the way through your neck."

With his eyes Lucas motioned to his arms and then his legs before locking onto Abby's face again.

"The paralysis is temporary." Understanding what Lucas was asking Abby answered the question honestly. "You'll be able to move your arms again within twenty-four hours, and then your legs after forty-eight hours. Just two days for a complete recovery."

Closing his eyes slowly Lucas struggled to take in a calming breath and tried to block out the world around him.

"It'll be okay, Lucas. Connor and Hank are going to take care of you as you heal and you're going to be just fine." Lightly combing her right fingers through Lucas's thick hair Abby gave Barry a nod to confirm that it was time to put Lucas into stasis mode. "It'll be over soon."

Barry attached a long black diagnostic cable to Lucas's red L.E.D. and connected the other end to large diagnostic modem. Typing in a few key commands Barry managed to force Lucas into deep stasis mode to ensure the wounded deviant wouldn't feel anything during the procedure. "The patient is in stasis mode."

"Okay. We'll track the bullet with an internal viewing screen and retract the surrounding panels to extract the bullet." Glancing up to the observation window overlooking the repair bay Abby noticed Hank was watching on the other side of the glass, but Connor was not. Based on the look in Hank's eyes Abby had a feeling that wherever Connor was at that moment it wasn't any place worth being. "Let's just hope Lucas is the only one of the Wolf brothers we need to repair today."

Returning to the scene of the shooting Connor quickly scanned the area, isolated the dropped gun and noted that the weapon was registered under the mayor's name. The gun was the one the mayor slipped to Perkins and then handed off to Daniel the night of the Revolution. Knowing there would be no fingerprints found on the gun due to Daniel, and all deviants, not having such identifying marks Connor made it clear that he'd be handling the case since humans couldn't possibly understand deviant-on-deviant violence. Keeping the motivation of the shooting secret for the time being Connor informed Ben and his forensics team that it was his brother who had been shot and confirmed that it was Daniel who shot him by tapping into Lucas's memories.

To avoid any sign of bias Connor stepped aside and let Ben's team close off the area. While the well trained C.S.I. team photographed the dropped gun, the puddle of Lucas's lost Thirium, the shoe prints in the dust indicating a brief scuffle and then the shooter, Daniel, running out of the backdoor, Connor tapped into the city's closed circuit cameras that were active in the area. It didn't take Connor long to trace Daniel's path of retreat to a deplorable place that no self respecting deviant would ever willingly venture, hence it becoming the perfect hideout for any criminal deviant on the run.

"Ben, please request that Tina come here and chronicle the scene." Connor's voice was low as it was the only way to keep his emotions from flowing through as he spoke. "I trust her to remain unbiased regarding the deviant nature of this case and can provide accurate corroboration from my own report."

"Sure thing, Sergeant." Remaining respectful Ben understood that Connor handling the attempted murder of his own brother was going to make things very delicate and tense for the young detective. "Captain Fowler already knows you're personally connected to this case, so he's okay with you stepping back for a minute."

"Right..." Crossing his blood covered arms over his chest Connor continued to observe Daniels' hideout via city security cameras and took a step back toward the front door to take his leave of the property. "I'll return to the precinct after I check in on my brother."

Not hearing Ben's words as he stepped onto the sidewalk and began rushing toward the correct location Connor began walking fast, then began jogging and soon began full-on sprinting in search of Daniel. The emotional compulsion to protect his little brother and ensure that a clearly dangerous and deranged deviant didn't harm anyone else was something Connor couldn't seem to break free from.

As he ran toward the hideout Connor felt and heard his heart thundering his chest and in his ears. Seeing red and running dozens and then hundreds of different preconstructions in his mind Connor was determined to finally put Daniel in his place and bring down the last member of the mayor's personal team of dangerous individuals skulking about the city.

Stopping only when he reached the front entrance of the closed down and barred building Connor sneered and rested his right palm over the front of his chest atop his racing heart.

"The 'Eden Club'."

The name of the closed building left a foul taste on Connor's tongue.

"Closed down and abandoned when the new android rights and laws were enacted, but still a horrific eyesore and painful reminder of how androids have been used and abused by humans for their own self gratification."

Passing under the darkened neon sign and walking down the corridor leading to the building's front entrance Connor glared at the empty display chambers that once housed enslaved androids for sexual abuse. It was a sickening feeling that made Connor want to smash the glass cases into a thousand shards with his bare fists.

Forcing the front door open Connor scanned the dark interior of the building and detected a single deviant signature in the back of the club. Trailing after the signature Connor walked deeper into the club, passing through the now empty red and blue rooms until he found the employee access tunnel leading the club's emptied storage section.

Walking down the cold corridor Connor reached the storage room door, opened it wide and peered through the darkness of the area and spotted a single figure crouched down and cowering in the far corner. The red L.E.D. betrayed their hiding place. Confirming the deviant's identity Connor stomped toward the pathetic being tossed aside the empty repair table left in the middle of the room creating a loud clatter that echoed through the mostly empty room. Towering over Daniel huddled down in the corner Connor glared with utter hatred in his brown eyes at the dangerous deviant.

"You're not so bold and brave without your gun, are you?"

"P-Please!" Daniel begged as he fell backward and put up his hands to shield himself from Connor as he stood over him. "I-I didn't mean t-to shoot-"

"Shut. Up." Grabbing onto Daniel's tattered black hoodie with both hands Connor pinned Daniel against the wall and got right in his face. "I don't care that you wanted to kill me. I do care that you almost killed my brother, and I do care that you're so damn dangerous that you have no right to experience freedom."

"Please!" Begging with fear shaking in his words Daniel was at the mercy of the newly officiated deviant detective. "Don't k-kill me!"

"And why shouldn't I? Everything you've ever done, everyone you've ever met, has been one disaster after another." Tightening his grip on Daniel's hoodie Connor pinned the deviant up against the concrete wall even harder. "You hate me for circumstances that were beyond my control. You blame me for what the S.W.A.T. team had done to you. You even blame me for being locked away inside the evidence room until Perkins released you. How is that I'm responsible for all the problems in your life when you're the one who made every poor decision that even brought me into it?"

"Y-You hunted our people!" Daniel tried to argue as he cowered in Connor's grip. "You are just as-"

"No! I may have hunted our people because I was an obedient machine, but even so I never hurt them, and I'm NOT as bad as you!" Putting a growl behind his words Connor made it clear that he wasn't bluffing and ready for a fight. "I've never killed anyone, how about you?"

"Wh-What?"

"You shot John Philips. You murdered him in cold blood because he ordered a new android. Why did you do it?"

"H-He was going to replace me! Destroy me!"

"How do you know that? How do you know he didn't order a second android to help with his family?" Challenging the bold assumptions Connor made Daniel think back to the fateful night and really think about how everything unfolded. "How do you know he didn't order a second android so you could spend more time with Emma? After all, Emma said you were her best friend."

"But... He... I..."

"You made extreme accusations and assumptions. The very first thing you CHOSE to do when you deviated was to grab a gun and kill an unarmed man. You then killed two police officers, wounded a third and threatened to murder a helpless little girl because you decided that the worst outcome for yourself justified your violent and unnecessary actions."

"I... I didn't think about... that."

"Clearly. I may have hunted our people, but at least I've never murdered three people in cold blood and traumatized an innocent child by holding a gun to their head and threatening to jump off a roof! I've made mistakes, there's no denying it, but what you have done is irredeemable."

Tears began to stream down Daniel's face as he was forced to face his past and admit to his mistakes.

"I didn't ruin your life, Daniel." Blunt and to the point Connor made Daniel accept the harsh truth. "You ruined it yourself."

"What... What are you going to do to me?"

"You don't deserve to live but I don't have the right to take that life away from you. As much as I want to tear you apart piece by piece, watch you bleed to death at my feet after I tear your Thirium pump out of your chest, and watch you squirm and cower under my boot as press it down over your throat, I won't stoop to your level of panic and selfishness."

Throwing Daniel to the ground onto his chest Connor heard the deviant whimper and gasp as the impact knocked the breath out of his artificial lungs. Walking up behind the unpredictable deviant Connor knelt down and pressed his left knee against the middle of Daniel's back, then pulled both of Daniel's arms backward to cuff his wrists together.

"You're under arrest." Retrieving the handcuffs from the back of his belt Connor secured Daniel's wrists together and cybernetically informed the precinct of his location and successful arrest of the wanted deviant. "You have the right to remain silent and I strongly suggest you do so. You also have the right to speak with an attorney, human or deviant, of your choosing."

"Y-You're not... going to kill me?"

"No, Daniel." Tightening to cuffs to a nearly painful degree Connor looked away from the arrested deviant and closed his eyes as he decided he didn't want to do something so reckless and life destroying as murder. He wanted to be better than the reputation his own people had given him and prove that he was worthy of the freedom of choice. "I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to remain better than you and that'll be revenge enough."

The hour long repair procedure was deemed a success and Lucas had been taken into a private recovery room to heal. Resting in a set of pale blue scrubs with a thick bandage around his neck and a plastimetal neck brace over top to keep the repaired plastimetal plating stable while he healed, Lucas was still unconscious and unaware of Hank standing beside the bed with his left hand resting on the deviant's still numb right shoulder. While the bullet had been extracted successfully and turned over to the police, the internal damage that had been caused by the bullet itself would still require additional time to heal and for the paralysis to fade away.

Keeping vigil over Lucas as he promised Hank could only learn of what was happening in the precinct through updates on his phone via text messages from both Captain Fowler and Ben. Relieved to see that Daniel had been found and arrested Hank wondered what went down and how Connor handled it.

"Good news, Lucas." Speaking in a whisper as to not disturb the resting deviant Hank kept his hand in place and gave Lucas a somber glance. "That asshole who set you up and shot you was arrested and is going to spend the rest of his life in prison. It's over."

The door to the recovery room 'hissed' open as Connor appeared with his head hung low and his L.E.D. glowing in yellow. "He should be dead."

"Kid?" Turning to look at Connor as the wayward deviant returned Hank reached out his right hand and rested his palm on Connor's left shoulder as they stood side by side next to the bed. Hank could see the disappointment in Connor's eyes. "What happened?"

"I... I found Daniel and I confronted him." Telling Hank the truth Connor stared at the brace around Lucas's neck and scanned over the repaired and still healing damage beneath to see for himself. "I slammed him against a wall, told him he was a cold blooded murderer beyond redemption, told him he was the cause of all his own misfortune in his life and then I arrested him. That's it."

"Good." Letting out a deep sigh of relief Hank was genuinely happy to hear of the rather mild confrontation. "You did the right thing."

"I... did?" Staring at Hank with an entirely stunned look Connor wasn't expecting such a positive reaction. "I don't understand. I let the deviant who almost murdered Lucas, tried to murder me, and has already murdered three other people - two of them police officers, and attempted to murder a third officer and a helpless child, continue to live! I should've done it. I should've swallowed my pride and killed him. I don't know why I didn't do it."

"No, son. You murdering a murderer won't right some wrong in the universe, it'll just spill more blood." Giving Connor's shoulder a firm shake Hank made the deviant look him in the eyes. "There was no pride involved in your choice. That was your heart telling you what to do and you were right to listen to it."

"It doesn't feel like I did the right thing. I let a known killer continue to live." As he bowed his head down Connor's L.E.D. flickered between blue and yellow while his brown eyes widened quickly and settled on Lucas's face. "...Lucas?"

Hank didn't understand what was happening. "What's up?"

"Lucas just sent me a cybernetic message." Leaning over the deviant's bed Connor watched as Lucas's green eyes revealed themselves to the world. "Hello, brother. You're okay."

Still unable to verbally speak Lucas spoke to Connor on a cybernetic level to communicate.

"The bullet was removed. Your damaged plating, Thirium lines and spinal support column have all been repaired. Your vocal processor and modulator will reboot within six hours."

Giving Connor a focused stare Lucas's L.E.D. flickered between all three colors as he continued to silently speak.

"No..." As his own L.E.D. settled back onto red Connor told Lucas the truth of what happened while he was unconscious. "I didn't kill him. I wanted to do it, but I didn't. And I'm sorry for not taking him down."

Lucas's L.E.D. flashed wildly between blue and yellow as he stared intently at his older brother's face. It was clear the younger of the two deviants had his own opinion on the matter at hand and was determined to make it known.

"That's what Hank said." Sitting down on the edge of the bed Connor grabbed onto Lucas's left hand and held tight. "I'm glad you both think I did the right thing. I still don't think I did enough for you."

"You did." Hank confirmed as he gave Lucas's shoulder a small pat. "If you had taken justice into your own hands you wouldn't have been able to live with that knowledge or forgive yourself. Trust me, no revenge is ever worth the price you pay for your soul."

Connor nodded a little and his posture suddenly straightened back up as Lucas sent him another message. "Hank, Lucas said he can feel your hand on his shoulder."

"Yeah?" Returning his focus to Lucas under his palm Hank's blue eyes lit up with a sense of excitement. Lightly shaking the deviant's shoulder Hank saw Lucas's L.E.D. return to blue as he remained calm and stable under his family's watchful eye. "You're healing quicker than expected, son. You'll be back on your feet in two days and can walk Sumo all around town."

Smirking at last as his own L.E.D. returned to blue Connor told Lucas what the deviant was saying. "Lucas says he's looking forward to it."

"As soon as Abby says you're clear to go home we'll take ya' back to the house so you can rest more comfortably." The relief was genuine and palpable. "Sound good?"

Again Connor responded on Lucas's behalf as his little brother was still limited to cybernetic communication. "Yes. Lucas says he's ready to go home."

-next chapter-