The muggy, rainy morning took down only a small amount of the sweltering heat that was smothering Detroit during the harsh summer. Sitting on the black leather sofa in his study with his coin spinning on his right index fingertip Connor eyed the display board on the far wall as the photographs of seven humans who had been found murdered throughout the city stared back at him with an unseeing and unblinking gaze. Unable to walk away from such a brutal trail of bodies and behavior that showed all the signs of an active serial killer Connor began working on the case while off the clock and away from the precinct as a means of placating his own racing mind.

Seeing a pattern and knowing that the case was too important to be ignored Connor couldn't think about anything beyond solving the case even though it fell under the homicide division, not the deviant division. Since Hank had been reassigned from homicide to the deviant division the case had fallen under Gavin and Tina's responsibility. Despite their skills and dedication Connor felt deep down in his gut that they wouldn't be able to handle the case on their own.

Ignoring the thunder echoing outside the brownstone and over the city Connor's soulful brown eyes remained transfixed on the display board ahead of himself. Even the rush of muggy air didn't distract Connor as Lucas returned to the brownstone covered in rain and carrying two bags of groceries in his arms.

"I purchased extra Thirium and found a sample of twelve new Thirium flavors to try later on. Any luck with discovering a suspect, brother?" Carrying his groceries into the kitchen Lucas raised his voice in order to continue to communicate with Connor in the study. "From what I can tell based on my own investigation none of the suspects are related to one another or socialized together."

"That is correct." Moving the coin from his fingertip and over to the back of his thumb Connor began flicking the quarter up into the air and to catch in his right palm before returning it to the back of his thumb to flick into the air and catch it again. "There is no common ground among the victims through age, gender, race, employment or social affiliation."

"Curious."

"The victims have been stabbed to death in a very meticulous and consistent manner." Cybernetically Connor shifted the images of the victims off the display board and to the photographs taken of the victims after they were found dumped throughout the city, and upon their autopsies. The horrific imagery revolving around the deceased victims was extraordinarily graphic and bloody. "Ten stab wounds each. All of the victims bled out within seconds of being attacked."

Rejoining Connor in the study Lucas glanced at the board and sat down beside his older on the sofa to try to assist him in the investigation. "Each stab wound mirrors the placement on each of the seven victims." Noting the deep and fatal wounds Lucas picked up on the same pattern that the rest of the investigating detectives had been studying. "One wound to each kneecap had effectively disabled any attempts for the victims to flee. Such wounds were most likely the primary wounds that prevented the victims from escaping their assailant."

"The age of the wounds confirms your theory. The matching wounds to the centers of each victims' palms would also make it difficult to fight back." The four wounds weren't the fatal injuries that resulted in their deaths, but were painful and severe all the same. "The two wounds to either side of the victims' central torso nicked the kidneys causing extensive and painful internal damage. The remaining four stab wounds outline the heart perfectly, severing through all four arteries through the ribs in an instantaneously fatal manner."

"Those final stab wounds, their accuracy and efficiency, seem somehow familiar."

"Such an attack once took place in New York City in the winter of 2009." Motioning to a large book on the bookshelf next to the display board Connor indicated an old cold case file from that era that had been of great interest to the deviant, but largely ignored because the macabre cases were overshadowed by the uncharacteristically and historically cold weather from that same winter. "The victim was stabbed to death and essentially had their hearts carved out of their bodies while the organ remained in the chest."

"That is... disturbing."

"Very much so."

"What prompted such a brutal attack?"

"Unknown. The suspect, Lucas Kane," recognizing the discomfort that came from the similar name Connor gave his little brother a small shrug of his shoulders to dismiss the coincidence. "was a man who lived a seemingly ordinary life with his only family, an older brother named Markus Kane," again the familiar name made the two brothers a little uncomfortable. "and Lucas Kane seemingly snapped out of nowhere and murdered a man in a diner restroom. Lucas Kane has since been confirmed deceased by the detectives who were investigating the murder he had committed."

"Still very interesting to consider."

"However, our killer is not a deranged human but a vengeful android." Certain of his theory Connor explained his reasoning to his little brother to ensure that his investigation wasn't stagnating or grasping at straws. "The consistency of the assaults and stab wounds indicates a single mind with a single purpose behind it."

Glancing at the display board and the photographs again Lucas agreed entirely with Connor's assessment. "That doesn't narrow down the suspect pool. There are quiet a few vengeful androids in the city who would lash out at humans if given the opportunity."

"Yes... They would." Catching his coin in his right palm again Connor slipped the quarter into his right jean pocket as he leaned forward on the sofa. "In fact, that might be the common ground among the victims we've been searching for."

"Being human?"

"No, being humans who have done or said something that would elicit the rage of an android. Perhaps by digging into the background of the victims we might be able to uncover the cause of the murders."

Needing only a second to process what Connor was suggesting Lucas knew that his older brother was suggesting something truly vile. "If you're implying that there is a deviant targeting and murdering bigoted humans then that could cause mass panic in the city."

"I am making such an implication, but I will not make any public statement until I have definitive proof and not just a theory."

Two firm knocks on the front door prompted Connor to cybernetically hide the display board behind the bookcase while Lucas answered the door after peering through the peephole. Watching as an elderly lady in her seventies entered the study Connor noted that the woman was moving in such a way that indicated that she should be in the care of another person instead of fending for herself.

"Allow me to take your umbrella." Lucas politely offered as he let the new client lean most of her weight against his left arm while she balanced on her cane with her right hand. "My name is Lucas Wolf and this is my brother, Connor Wolf." The younger of the two brothers confirmed their identities as he helped their client walk over to the vacant sofa. "How can we be of service to you?"

"My caretaker, a lovely deviant named Larissa, has been gone for an entire day." The elderly woman admitted with tears in her eyes and her voice. "I'm so worried about her. She isn't responding to my phone and she always answers when I call her."

"What can you tell of us Larissa, Missus...?"

"Hudson." Giving Lucas and Connor her name the elderly client introduced herself. "My name is Sophia Hudson."

"Mrs. Hudson." Lucas acknowledged her name politely as he sat down beside her on the second sofa across from Connor on the first sofa. "You stated Larissa has been gone for a full day. Has this happened before?"

"Oh, no. Larissa is never away from me for more than an hour." Clutching her cane between both of her trembling hands the old woman, a whopping five foot two in height and barely eighty pounds soaking weight, had tears in her aged blue eyes. Her long locks of gray hair had been pulled into a neat bun atop her head and her aged skin was a dark complexion with only a handful of wrinkles around her eyes and mouth. "She went to pick up my medication yesterday afternoon and never returned."

Lucas ran a scan over his client and noted her advanced age, arthritis and reliance on the walking cane. "May I ask about your condition?"

"I have multiple sclerosis, and the medication Larissa was supposed to pick up was my pain medication and the new drug that's supposed to keep my joints from degrading any further. I'm worried that she was attacked because she was carrying pain killers."

"That would be a plausible theory. Does Larissa reside with you at your residence?"

"Yes, she's been with me for eight years now." Mrs. Hudson confirmed with a small sob. Her emotions were causing both Lucas and Connor to sympathize with her current stress and worry. "She moved in shortly after my husband passed away and has been a blessing! She's so kind and warm, and I knew she was a deviant long before the news said anything about it. I didn't fear her and she knew she was safe with me, that's why she's still with me even after everything that's happened. It doesn't make any sense that she'd just run off or disappear!"

"Agreed. If it's all right with you I'd like to take you back to your home and investigate Larissa's room for more information."

"Yes, please!" Allowing Lucas to help her stand up as he walked her to the door Mrs. Hudson sounded so grateful for Lucas's help. "Anything to help find my dear, sweet Larissa!"

"Very well. Connor," opening the front door Lucas opened Mrs. Hudson's umbrella and held it for the elderly woman as he cybernetically hailed an autonomous cab to take him and his client back to her residence. "I'll be tending to Mrs. Hudson if you require my assistance."

"I'll be fine." Grateful that Lucas was going to handle the case alone Connor saw it as an opportunity to resume the investigation. "You take care of Mrs. Hudson and Larissa, I'll remain here unless I find a lead on my own case."

Once the door to the brownstone closed Connor returned his full focus on the display board and the case revolving around a serial killer stalking humans in the city. Not wanting to bother Hank during their time off Connor elected to collect all of the details he had uncovered, discussed with Lucas and of his current theory revolving around the distinct possibility of a single deviant seeking revenge against android bigots in the city through violent murder.

If there really is a deviant stalking the streets and killing bigots then the case would fall back into the territory of the deviant division instead of homicide.

"I need to bring this to Captain Fowler's attention."

Folding his hands together Connor pressed his knuckles to his chin in deep thought and let out an exasperated sigh. Such a reaction was normally reserved for deviants who were beginning to overheat, but in Connor's case it was a habit he had picked up from associating with Hank for so long.

"This can't wait. I must-"

A second pair of knocks on the door pulled Connor out of his thoughts again as he let out another sigh. The second sigh was one of frustration rather than exasperation. Approaching the door Connor peered through the peephole and froze as his soulful brown eyes went wide and he took a shaking step backward while thunder rumbled in the distance. The face on the other side of the door was one that Connor hadn't anticipated in seeing and wasn't sure how to respond.

Placing his trembling right hand down on the brass handle Connor opened the door slowly and hovered his left hand over his back where his holster and gun were normally secured, but felt open air in place of his protective weapon. Choosing to face the visitor unarmed Connor swallowed his pride and held his head up high.

Standing in the opened doorway Connor stared at the visitor soaked in the rain with an embittered gaze that made his heart feel hollow. "...Hello, Markus."

The deviant leader himself was standing in the rain with his hands tucked into the heavy gray overcoat he had worn when he had snuck into the Stratford Broadcast Tower prior to the Revolution. The rain dripping down his face and soaking into the material of his coat made Markus look less like the leader of his people and more like a solicitor desperate for a client.

"Hello, Connor." Keeping his distance and removing his hands from his pockets to show he was unarmed Markus presented Connor with non-confrontational body language. "I... I understand if you don't trust me or-"

"What do you want?" Snapping and wanting to get right to the point Connor had to make a conscious effort to not slam the door shut in Markus's face. "The idea of speaking with my attempted murderer isn't something I care for."

"I deserved that." Not denying what he did or how he looked in Connor's eyes Markus respected Connor's wishes to explain his presence. "You have every right to be angry and even hate me for-"

"I'm well aware of my rights. As a detective of the law I'm more familiar with the rights and laws of our people than most, and as such I also have the right to defend myself and my property if I feel as if you're a threat to my safety." Narrowing his eyes Connor glared at Markus with utter disdain. "Based on our past experiences I can confirm that you are very much a threat to my safety."

Nodding subtly Markus didn't even try to hide the shame in his mismatched eyes as finally confronted Connor after far too long. "I'm here to apologize and tell you how wrong I was to make that choice, and how I can't forgive myself unless you can somehow forgive me first."

"And why would you come to face me now after all this time?" Motioning to the placard beside the door with his, and now Lucas's name, engraved over the surface making it very clear to see that Connor was inside the brownstone. Enough time had also passed that Connor's reputation within the deviant community to garner Markus's interest. "What's happening now that would require you to finally face me?"

"The truth is I want to run for mayor this coming fall. And... I can't try to represent myself as an honest person who wants the best for our people without owning up to what I had done to you."

"Do you honestly think admitting that you had tried to kill me and that by now asking for my forgiveness will undo the past?" Feeling his anger mount, an emotion he had tried to suppress as to not let it become a known factor in his decisions, Connor's right hand tightened over the brass door handle. "Regardless of what you do, where you go, or who you try to become you will always be my attempted murderer."

"I know." Bowing his head down Markus acknowledged his guilt and knew he could never escape his past. "And I'm prepared to live with that knowledge and spend the rest of my existence just attempting to make amends with you. I also know it would've been too much to hope for you to talk to me, let alone actually forgive me. I won't try to deny what I had done, or try to justify it in any way, but I will do whatever it takes to make things right between us."

"And how do you plan to do such a thing?" Intentionally dismissive and uncooperative Connor challenged Markus at every comment he made. "An apology and a handshake doesn't equate to attempted murder."

"Nothing I will ever say or do will be enough. I just had to get this off my chest so I can at least know I faced you and acknowledged that I was wrong and will always have that horrible decision weighing on my conscience." Looking up at the rainy sky above him Markus found himself momentarily saw himself navigating the muddy android graveyard filled with the bodies of his own people who were either dead, dying or begging for death to end their misery. "I'm not a perfect leader and I know perfection is impossible, all I can hope to do is become the best possible leader for our people's sake. In order to better myself I need to own up to my mistakes and admit I was wrong. Connor?" Looking the deviant detective in the eyes for a moment Markus slowly lowered himself to the ground until he was kneeling at Connor's feet in the summer rain puddles dotting the sidewalk. "I was wrong. I'm sorry and I am here to beg for forgiveness."

Unmoved by Markus's words and actions Connor just looked down at the kneeling deviant with absolute disgust in his gaze. "Get up. Get up, now."

Moving just as slowly Markus straightened himself up and stared at Connor with a studious silence.

"I won't forgive you for what you have done to me. You haven't earned it and I won't give you false words to cling to for misplaced hope." Tearing his hate filled gaze away from Markus and to the rainy city beyond the deviant leader Connor made his decision regarding Markus and their current standing relationship at the moment. "But I won't say anything that'll harm your chances at running for mayor. I know firsthand the corruption of City Hall that's running rampant through the city, and it needs to be ended. If you can clear out the corruption and aid recovery for humans and deviants alike then I won't interfere."

"Thank you, Connor. That's... more than I was expecting."

"Or deserve."

"You're right about that, too." Unwilling to risk their delicate balance at the moment Markus didn't dare to say anything that could jeopardize the small amount of progress they had made. "I know my words don't mean much to you considering what I said and what I've done the night on Jericho and in the church, but I swear that I will do everything in my ability to put this whole city on a path of healing."

"That's yet to be seen. Until then, please leave." Closing the door slowly Connor gave Markus one last glare through the gap before shutting the door entirely to resume his own investigation. "And never contact me again. We're finished."

Standing on the other side of the closed brownstone door Markus listened to the sound of the lock turning in the door and of Connor walking around the interior of the brownstone with heavy footsteps.

"We are finished here, but I can't sever all contact with you. Not yet."

Backing away from the door and turning to walk away Markus gave the placard on the building a passing glance as lightning flashed in the sky and thunder echoed from an unseen distance. The stroll through the warm rain wasn't nearly as cleansing as Markus had hoped.

"I won't give up on you a second time, Connor."

Despite Connor's request Markus knew that keeping his distance from the deviant detective would only make things worse, not better.

"I swear I'll never make such an egregious mistake like that ever again."

Alone inside the brownstone Connor began pacing about his study as his mind raced with conflicting thoughts and emotions after unexpectedly speaking to Markus on that miserable rainy day. Unsure of what he was expecting to feel, if anything at all, when he and Markus eventually clashed Connor clenched his hands into tight fists and withheld an angry shout as he swung his right fist with all of his strength and speed at the wall beside the bookcase and display board. Creating an impressive sized hole in both size and depth in the previously flawless wall Connor retracted his fist and stared at the blue blood staining his knuckles through his torn artificial skin.

"Damn it..."

Hissing in pain as his relaxed his fingers and felt the fractures in all four of his knuckles Connor realized that speaking with Markus had affected him more than he had anticipated. The wounds would need to be cleaned and bandaged until the artificial skin could regenerate.

"I can't let Markus distract me from what's important."

Glancing at the display board and the seven victims still needing justice Connor prioritized what was truly important over what was merely inconvenient.

"It doesn't matter what he does or what he says, I know who he really is and I'll be watching his every move."

The rain continued to pour throughout the afternoon, evening and well into the night. A rude three a.m. wake-up call had pulled Hank out of bed and to the scene of an eighth discovered murder victim as the victim had been found within a known 'red ice' den with the offensive drug on his person. Hank's knowledge from his time leading the famous 'red ice' task force and experience in homicide made him an invaluable set of eyes and ears at the crime scene. Grumbling about the foul weather and intrusive phone call from Captain Fowler dragging him out of his soft bed into the middle of stormy night Hank called Connor to let him know what was up, and then asked for his partner to meet him at the scene.

Driving the recently tuned-up and repaired Oldsmobile to the abandoned house Hank stepped out of the aged vehicle and into the storm while showing his badge to the patrol officers keeping nosy people away from the crime scene. Passing through the holographic police line and holding up his right hand to shield his tired eyes from the flashing red and blue lights of the police drones hovering overhead Hank entered the house and saw Connor already at the scene and examining the body.

"Shit, kid." Pocketing his shield Hank stared at the deviant crouched down beside the body under the white sheet in the middle of the blood soaked floor. Connor was wearing his gray trench coat but not his fedora to shield himself from the rainy weather. "Even at stupid ass late hours you're here before anyone else."

"I wasn't in rest mode when you called." The deviant detective admitted as he used his left hand to peel back the sheet over the body to view the victim's expressionless face. His right hand was being kept in his right pocket out of sight in a less than inconspicuous manner. "I was already focusing on this case."

"Yeah?" Craning his neck Hank looked at the body as well and gave him an indifferent glance. "Why's that? Bored at home?"

"No. I believe that these murders are being committed by a single person, and that person is in fact a deviant."

"Said what now?"

"The eight victims are all humans with no other common ground beyond one very damning place." Standing up from where he had been crouched down Connor help up his left palm and presented Hank with a holographic projection of the most recent victim's face and name, and then did the same for the other seven victims. Connecting them all together at last Connor gave his partner the visual evidence he needed to go with the current theory. "They were all outspoken anti-android bigots."

Looking at the information on Connor's palm Hank crossed his arms over his chest and began contemplating the theory in a serious notion. "You're sure about this?"

"Yes." Shifting the holographic image Connor added the online handles that each victim had used while chatting and planning targeted attacks at android exclusive locations and facilities throughout the city. "Not only have these eight victims confirmed their hatred through discussing their anger and bigotry in numerous conversations that have spanned the past three years, seven months, two weeks and two days, but there is photographic evidence of these humans participating in anti-android rallies throughout the city prior to the Revolution."

"Damn it. And this isn't a coincidence, is it?"

"No." Once more the image on Connor's palm changed as he connected each of the veight ictims to their online handles and the vile transcript they shared together in their small hate group. The messages were as recent as three nights prior - the day that the first victim had been found. "This is not a coincidence."

"Shit, all right." Putting his hands to his hips Hank sighed and motioned to the door of the rotten house with a nod of his head. There was nothing more they could do in the house since the only thing left behind the body and the unconnected 'red ice' in the victim's pocket. "We'll go back to the precinct and compare notes to whatever it was Gavin and Tina have uncovered."

"Okay." Lowering his left hand Connor stepped away from the body to head toward the door as Hank suggested. "With any luck this will be the last victim we have to identify."

"How many people are in that little online hate group?"

"Eleven. However," stepping into the rainy night Connor waited for Hank to join him before continuing on toward the street. "it appears the eleventh member had left the group four months and three days prior."

"Did he get kicked out?"

"It's possible. I'll show the full chat transcripts from most recent comments to oldest comments in order to track the activity of our victims."

"Sure." Motioning to the Oldsmobile Hank began heading toward the passenger side door so he could rest for a few minutes during the drive back to the precinct. "You drive. I'm not fully awake yet."

"I cannot do that." Lying quickly Connor resisted the urge to shift his broken right hand about in his coat pocket. "I require full concentration to chronicle the transcripts and connect them to our victims."

"Fuckin'... Fine." Moving to the driver's side door of the car Hank sat behind the wheel and waited for Connor to join him and sit down beside him in the front seat. Turning on the radio Hank sighed as he fastened his seatbelt and watched as Connor did the same, using his left hand only. "You drive like an old man when it's raining, anyway."

"Being cautious due to foul weather while driving an old vehicle doesn't have anything to do with advanced age."

"That's true." Shifting the car from park and into drive Hank pulled the car along the rain soaked street and began heading back to the precinct to report to Captain Fowler and meet up with Gavin and Tina in the bullpen. "But driving ten miles under the speed limit is very 'elderly' of you."

"If reduced speed when driving is a reflection of age then you're apparently a kindergartner."

Chuckling at the comment Hank paid no mind to the deviant's sass and focused on the road. "Like I'd take offense to having recess all day and nap time. Hell, if I had my way the entire precinct would have a mandatory afternoon nap time to keep pricks like Gavin quiet for once."

The bullpen was unusually quiet as the four detectives sat together at Hank and Connor's desks while comparing all of their collected evidence and notes. The late hour prompted Captain Fowler to go home for the night and leave Hank in charge and asked for the front desk receptionist, Pamela, to stay and earn some overtime to ensure that if other reports came in she could call in other officers to help pick up the slack. Having a skeleton crew of patrol officers answering phones and handling old files while the four detectives were working during such a high profile case seemed counterproductive, but in reality it was a bright reflection of how much Captain Fowler trusted and respected his detectives to handle the case on their own.

It seemed as if Gavin and Tina had picked up on the anti-android bigotry as well and had compiled an identical list to what Connor had created during his off time at his brownstone. All of the names of the eight confirmed victims lined up with the registered names of the people in the online hate group, and through the registered names the four detectives were able to match the online handles appropriately. The only problem holding up the investigation was the missing three names from the online hate group.

Without a confirmed suspect to track down and observe the four detectives knew their next best bet would be to identify the other three potential targets and protect them from the murderer. Until the detectives could get a warrant approved to have the information of the other three members divulged the four detectives would have to use their own deductive reasoning in order to properly play bodyguard and watch for any suspicious deviants in the area.

"Show us the victims, their names and their online handles, Connor." Leaning back in his seat Hank sipped at a cup of hot coffee and watched the deviant place a portable projector down on the vacant neighboring desk to make everything easier to view. The requested details appeared on the sixty by forty inch rectangular holographic display through Connor's cybernetic connection to the projector. "Those are the eight victims who are also a part of the the hate group. What do we know about them?"

"The first victim was named Roger Jefferson, age twenty-six." Connor highlighted the image of a young Caucasian male with long blond hair, mean green eyes and dozens of hate filled tattoos on his arms, chest and back. "He was found in the junkyard where he had previously employed when the opening manager stumbled across his body three days prior."

Tina chimed in with her own details on the case. "He was apparently the founder of the group, he went by the admin name of 'Plastic_Fucker_01', what a charming name at that..." Tina grimaced at the crude and vulgar name. "And started the group shortly after losing his internship at the I.T. department for a lucrative hotel business when the android janitor reported him for drinking on the job."

Sighing openly Hank shook his head the atrocious behavior and response to losing his career because an android did the right thing. "The idiot threw away his own future with his drinking problem and decided to dedicate himself to hating all androids because of it. What about the second victim?"

"Her name was Chandra Watkins and aged thirty-two." Bringing up the image of a woman who had a promising career as a fashion model - she had a dark complexion, thick black hair, deep brown eyes, an award winning smile and a flawless figure, Connor detailed her body's discovery. "Her body was found three days prior in her private residence when her manager was unable to reach her on the phone."

"She joined shortly after Jefferson founded the group and went by the name 'PhoenixRising'." Tina confirmed as she and Connor compared notes while Hank and Gavin silently observed the investigation. "From what we've been able to uncover an android dentist noticed that Chandra was showing signs of bulimia with decay on her teeth and reported it to her manager. As a result Chandra had to go to a rehab facility to overcome her affliction and lost two modeling contracts during her time away."

Dragging his right hand through his shaggy gray hair Hank put his coffee mug down with disappointment in his blue eyes. "The android saved her life and she ends up spending her time filled with hate and resentment. Seems about right."

Continuing with the third victim Connor noticed that Gavin was being uncharacteristically quiet and couldn't seem to look at the evidence. The way the abrasive detective was standing back with his arms folded over his chest and not saying a word was very curious. "The third victim is Kylie Hanson, age forty-one." The woman was Caucasian, very overweight, had short cut brunette hair and brown eyes partially clouded by cataracts. "Kylie was found in her house three days ago by her caretaker when she failed to answer the door."

Tina revealed Kylie's online handle and her backstory. "Ms. Watkins used the name 'demandsjustice100' and Ms. Watkins had lost her job due to her failing eyesight due to increasingly worse diabetes, and was replaced by an android afterward. She refused to take care of her failing health and blamed her replacement after she failed to comply with her company's fitness requirement. She was in the military after all..."

"Pathetic." Hank grumbled as he heard more about the lives of the eight murder victims. "Who's next?"

"Our fourth victim was Jerome Stone, age seventeen." Connor recounted as he showed the teenager's photograph. Jerome had a strong, athletic build with a dark complexion, short black hair, warm brown eyes and a promising future with a sport's scholarship. "He was found two days ago on his high school's football field by the football coach who was preparing the field for morning practice."

Sighing despondently Tina gave more information on Jerome. "This young man used the handle 'burn_the_plastic' and joined the hate group when he was only thirteen years old. He lived with his mother after his parents divorced. His father got busted in the act when he snuck out to the 'Eden Club' and his ex-wife noticed the transactions at the club when she looked at their monthly bank statement. The parents got divorced four years ago and Jerome blamed the 'Traci' his dad had been hooking up with for the cause of the divorce, not his dad for committing adultery."

Without any further commentary Connor presented the fifth victim's name and photograph. "Dr. Robert Li, age thirty-three." The deceased doctor was of Asian decent with slicked back black hair and dark green eyes. The fit and athletic man had been easily overpowered and killed before he had any chance to try to defend himself. "Two days ago the victim was found in his office when his receptionist arrived to begin his morning routine and discovered the body."

"And this doctor used the handle 'DoctorOfMankind'." Tina noted as she shared his online name and put a copy of his repugnant transcript on the holographic image for everyone to read. "His gripe came from when he had an android working as his receptionist two years back and noted that he was trying to charge his patients for tests he never performed. When the android brought this to his attention and made a record of the chronic 'mistakes' the I.R.S. swooped in and gave Dr. Li a surprise audit. He lost over $300,000 in fines and back taxes."

Hank's blue eyes widened with shock at the hefty sum the now deceased doctor had to pay. "Son of a bitch... I don't think I've ever had $300,000 throughout my entire life."

Proceeding with the investigation Connor brought up the image of the next victim. "Janet Walker, age forty-two." The blonde haired woman had shallow gray eyes, a very pale complexion that was darkened to an unnatural shade with bronzer and had a majority of her body enhanced with plastic surgery. "She was a high power lawyer and found two days ago when her pool cleaner stopped by the property to tend to the pool."

"She used the handle 'PlasticHasNoRights'." The new name and transcript was just as vile as the other people around her. "She was a mother to four but lost custody to her ex-husband when her alcoholism got out of control and he demanded a divorce. To avoid any bias during the divorce proceedings the court ordered an android social worker to talk to the kids and examine the house, and since the social worker couldn't be bribed or threatened by Mrs. Walker's lawyer position Mrs. Walker lost everything in the divorce and has been blaming androids for all of her problems."

Not wanting to make any comments about being a foolish alcoholic Hank held his tongue and was a little surprised that Gavin had done the same thing. A few people knew about Gavin's troubled childhood and knew he had an abusive alcoholic father. The fact that Gavin didn't jump at the opportunity to verbally assault alcoholics didn't go unnoticed.

"Our seventh victim was Walter Fuller, age seventy-two." The image of the old man was a pitiful sight. Walter's white skin was sickly pale, his blue eyes were shallow and sunken in, his body was scrawny and out of shape and his head had been shaved bald to show off his prison tattoos of hatred and bigotry on every inch of visible skin on his arms, hands, neck and the back of his head. "He was an out loud and proud 'neo-nazi' who spent thirty years in prison for beating his wife and abusing his two children. He was found this morning by his landlord when he failed to pay his monthly rent."

Visibly disgusted by what she was reading Tina threw the information up on the holographic display. "This guy actually went by the name 'whitepower' and decided that androids were the cause of his problems since android prison guards wouldn't give him any special treatment and actively kept him away from other prisoners who shared his bigoted attitude. Things were made worse when he got out of prison and discovered that his ex-wife and kids not only wanted nothing to do with him, but had purchased 'TR-400' androids to act as personal bodyguards to keep him from laying his hands on them ever again."

Again Hank waited for Gavin to make a comment about the abusive behavior but Gavin stayed quiet. It was as if Gavin was thinking about something that was somehow more important than the eight murders needing to be investigated.

"The latest victim was John Cordell, age twenty-six." Connor continued on with a forced indifference to his tone. "Mr. Cordell found in a known drug-den when an anonymous tip told the police where to find him one hour, twelve minutes and sixteen seconds prior."

Shaking her head Tina put the final collected details up on the board to be viewed by everyone. "Using the handle 'fuck_the_world', again charming, Mr. Cordell was a college drop-out. Three years ago he got busted during his final year in college for making 'red ice' in his dorm room when the android security guard roaming campus noted the noxious smell of the drugs being cooked in his room. He's been in and out of rehab and had been keeping up his hatred of androids by using a burner phone to chat online."

Taking all of the facts into consideration Hank glanced at the hateful words on the transcripts and sighed with an obvious disappointment. "So we can confirm that all of the victims were a part of this online hate group and have been killed off one at a time. How does that confirm the killer is a deviant?"

Connor took the lead and highlighted each photograph of the victims' bodies and overlaid the eight photographs atop one another and showed that all ten stab wounds lined up perfectly with one another. The accuracy and consistency was only possible by a deviant's steady hand. "The perfection of the wound placement cannot possibly be made by a human's hand."

"Fuck..." For the first time in his controversial career as a homicide detective Hank was truly surprised by the flawless display of the wounds and confirmed that he had never seen such a string of murders like that before. The killer was undoubtedly a deviant. "All right, what about the other three members of this hate group? Where are they?"

"The only information we have on the other three members are their handles. We currently have no names or locations."

Tina held up her tablet and proceeded to put the three remaining handles and their transcripts up on the holographic board after restoring the images of the eight murder victims and their own deplorable words. "The handles are: 'Recycle-the-Liars', 'DestroyCyberLife' and 'eliminate_plastic'. The member with the name 'DestroyCyberLife' hasn't been active for just over four months and their last comment was, and I'm quoting here: 'I don't want to waste my time here anymore. All I've done is bitch and moan about androids who aren't even in my life and all it's done is give me nightmares. I'm out. If you guys want to keep whining to each other go ahead, just leave me out of it.'" Giving her colleagues a somber glance she continued on with one other detail. "That was of course met with response from the other members calling this person a race-traitor, a coward and a bunch of other nasty names. The member who left never responded."

Nodding a little Hank determined that the inactive member had a change of heart and was trying to better their ways. "Sounds like this person had their eyes opened and backed off before things got out of hand."

Taking in a steadying breath Tina relayed the last messages exchanged before the murders started. "The final time the victims entered the chatroom together their exchange was simply this: 'The androids needs to be exterminated and fucked back into submission. They think they're better than us because they were programmed to be perfect but they'll never be better than a living, breathing human being. The police won't do their jobs which mean we will. This Friday we'll meet at the big facility on Tenth Street and burn that damn building to the ground.'"

"The fuckers were ready to commit arson tomorrow night." Hank acknowledged the time frame and rubbed his left hand over his bearded chin. "That must be what set the killer off. Question is, how did the killer know about the plan?"

"If we could reach out to this person we could put patrol outside their residence and keep them safe." Tina suggested as she put the tablet aside on Connor's desk and looked for confirmation from her three colleagues. "With any luck they might also cooperate and give us the names of the other two potential targets."

Connor agreed and attempted to access the information on the three remaining handles to gain a name or face to look for. "I will attempt to access the registry for the hate group through administration access, otherwise I'll try accessing the moderator privileges."

Agreeing with the plan Hank gave the three other detectives new orders. "All right. You and me will stay here and keep looking for names." Turning to look at Tina and then Gavin for a moment Hank dismissed the two for the night. "And you two, go home and get some sleep. Don't come back for at least eight hours."

"But we're-"

"Tina." Holding up his right hand to silence the protest Hank made it clear that his orders weren't going to change. "Go get some sleep. You and Gavin have been working on this all day and need to sleep. Use autonomous cabs and get some rest."

Looking more like a scolded child than the skilled detective she truly was Tina relented and pulled her phone from her pocket to hail an autonomous cab. "Fine. I'll be back at... Wow. Noon! It's four in the morning." After hailing the cab Tina grabbed onto Gavin's right bicep and made her partner jump where he had been standing. "Come on, Gav'. We'll share a cab."

Blinking a few times Gavin's gray-hazel eyes slowly focused on Tina's face as if he had been in a trance. "Y-Yeah. Let's go."

Watching the two detectives walk across the bullpen and to the front doors of the precinct Connor went to follow after them only to feel Hank's right hand reach over the two desks and grabbed onto his right wrist as Connor kept his right hand in his coat's pocket. "You're staying here, kid."

Freezing in place to avoid Hank putting any pressure on his concealed broken hand Connor didn't take another step further. "Very well."

"While you're trying to figure out the identity of our missing three people and trying to find a deviant who has a reason to kill them, you're going to answer my question."

As Hank pulled his hand back Connor gave his partner a perplexed glance. "Which is what?"

Raising his eyebrows in an accusing manner Hank grabbed onto his coffee mug with a firm grip. "What's wrong with your hand?"

"...My hand?"

"Don't play dumb with me. You're not a good liar and I'm trained to observe people." Standing up from his desk Hank walked over to the breakroom and put his right hand on Connor's left shoulder to coax the deviant detective into accompanying him into the small space. "What's wrong with your hand?"

Still embarrassed by his emotional outburst from earlier Connor pulled his right hand from his pocket and revealed the white bandages protecting his fractured and exposed knuckles. "...I was angry."

"Shit, I'll say." Making a move to examine Connor's hand for himself Hank saw the thick bandages cushioning the deviant's knuckles and knew Connor had thrown one very angry punch. "What set ya' off?"

Lowering his hand to his side and his eyes to the ground Connor felt the left corner of his mouth tic from stress. "This afternoon I-" Stopping suddenly Connor's eyes lifted up from the floor and widened with worry. "I just received a text from Tina. She and Gavin were just jumped outside the precinct!"

"Fuck!"

Rushing across the bullpen the two detectives passed through the curiously empty receptionist area and burst through the front doors of the precinct. They both glanced about the area in search of their downed detectives and Hank quickly noticed a figure laying slumped on the sidewalk beside the street just behind a lamp post. As Hank moved over to Tina's side to check on her Connor's eyes swept over the street looking for any trace of Gavin.

"Tina? Tina, look at me." Kneeling beside the dazed detective Hank took her phone from her right hand helped her to sit upright on the sidewalk. Gently he used his palms to check her head and neck for any sign of injury as she regained her senses. "Hey, what the hell happened?"

"S-Someone jumped us when we went to climb into the cab." Pressing her left palm over a small bleeding cut over her left eye Tina struggled to articulate everything that had happened. "I didn't see them. Where's Gavin?"

"I didn't seen him." Turning to look at Connor over his left shoulder Hank noticed the deviant crouching down on the sidewalk and pressing his left fingertips to something down on the concrete surface. Without needing to watch he knew Connor found some blood and was pressing it to his tongue to identify who the blood belonged to. "How'd you two get jumped like that?"

"I was talking to Gavin and asking him why he was being so damn quiet." Wincing a little as Hank helped her to feet Tina never dropped her hand from the cut and continued to apply pressure as Hank studied her pupils. "Someone rushed up behind me and smashed my head against the side of the cab and that's all I remember."

"Looks like whoever knocked you down attacked Gavin and then hijacked your cab."

"Fuck me."

Connor joined Hank and Tina standing to the side and gave them worried glances. "I found blood on the sidewalk. It belongs to both Tina and Gavin."

"So he is hurt." Tina looked like she was either going to scream or throw a punch of her own. "Shit!"

Taking control Hank pointed at Connor for a moment as he guided Tina back inside the precinct. "Look around and figure out where their cab went. I'm going to get Tina patched up."

"Very well." Scanning the area as he continued to cybernetically look for any names associated with the hate group Connor was met with a very disturbing realization and quickly rushed through the front doors back into the precinct to get to Hank and Tina. "Wait!" The break in the case wasn't something that Connor had been anticipating. "I think I know what's going on."

Hank and Tina stopped right in front of the vacant receptionist desk and turned around to give Connor his full attention.

"I managed to break into the hate group's registration records and I found a familiar phone number linked to the account." Giving Tina a sorrowful gaze Connor sighed and told her the truth. "It belongs to Gavin. He is 'DestroyCyberLife' and he's the one who left the group behind."

"...What?" The connection made Tina's face pale with absolute shock. "That was Gavin?"

That revelation made Hank's heart sink into his stomach. "And he was just attacked from behind by someone we can't even identify."

"Not necessarily true." Glancing past Hank and to the empty receptionist desk Connor's own heart sank. "Where is Pamela?"

"You're not... No!" The idea of the deviant receptionist being a serial killer was beyond belief. "How could that be possible?! We would've... Shit!"

Tina approached Connor and gave him a focused stare that seemed to pierce into his very soul. "Connor, are you sure?"

Nodding for a moment Connor help up his left palm as he tapped into the precinct's own security camera and noted Pamela getting up from her seat and running out of the precinct just seconds after Gavin and Tina had left the building together. "I'm sure. I can locate Pamela through her signature and figure out what had happened." Lowering his hand Connor began backing toward the front doors knowing Hank would follow. "We'll need to hurry if we're going to find out where she has gone."

"Right. Tina, stay here and call in Fowler, Chris, Ben, Jack... Anyone!" The patrol officers inside the bullpen knew something had happened the moment Hank and Connor raced out of the precinct and were now looking into the receptionist area curiously. "Do NOT try to accompany us. You're hurt and too close to the case."

"Sir, Gavin's my partner!"

"I know." Placing her phone back down in her hand Hank was steadfast in his orders. "Which is why you have to stay here. Trust me and Connor to save Gavin before it's too late."

Taking in a few deep breaths as Hank and Connor disappeared through the front doors Tina let out a loud scream and slammed her right fist down on top of the receptionist desk with anger and fear for her best friend's life. Letting a few stray tears run down her face Tina made the appropriate calls and hoped that it wouldn't be too late to save Gavin.

"You better be okay, Gavin. If anything happens to you I won't forgive myself!"

Cybernetically Connor located Pamela's unique android signature and he noted that Gavin's phone was in the exact same position as Pamela. Their best bet to find Gavin was to keep following Pamela and hope that he was with her and that she hadn't just stolen his phone and run off. As to why Pamela was doing what she was doing and if she truly was the serial killer had yet to be determined. While directing Hank to the correct location in pursuit of Pamela somewhere in the distance and Connor checked into Pamela's background before she came to the precinct to work as a receptionist and internally swore at the information he had uncovered.

Prior to the Revolution and the shift in the city dynamics Pamela had been originally assigned as an online moderator for local communication, chat rooms and social groups. She had specialized in recognizing potential threats that needed to be reported to the authorities. She had heard and read every vile word of anti-android sentiment in the entire city for the past five years since her initial activation and had to sit in the precinct and see how few deviant cases were actually being reported. The hatred she had been subjected to had finally gotten to her when the final communication from the online hate group threatened to burn down the Zeta Facility.

"Pamela had been designed to monitor online activity in the city." Connor relayed as he helped direct Hank in the right direction. "She never stopped and she knew of the plan to burn down the Zeta Facility in advance."

"So why not tell us so we could protect the place and arrest up to ten would-be-arsonists?"

"According to Pamela's record of reports during her time as a citywide moderator, all of her reports of android bigotry and threats were always dismissed. She was even ordered to weed out the android cases from the 'real problems'."

Unable to fault Pamela for being unable to trust the precinct Hank just focused on the road before him. "Son of a bitch."

"Her signal is getting stronger." Honing in on Pamela's exact location Connor focused on the coordinates and told Hank where to go. "She's at the filled-in android junkyard."

"That place is huge! Where exactly?"

"Near the middle of the location." Confirming that Gavin's phone was still along with Pamela the deviant detective was certain they'd find Gavin along with Pamela in the old junkyard. "We need to hurry."

Speeding to the junkyard for the last half mile Hank slammed hard on the brakes when he spotted an autonomous cab idling at the junkyard. Throwing the car into park Hank jumped out of the vehicle to run after Connor as the deviant detective exited the other side of the car and sprinted forward to locate Pamela, and hopefully Gavin.

Traversing the soft, sandy terrain and following the signature Connor heard a loud scream of pain from a human male just three hundred yards away. More screams echoed over the junkyard as the inflicted pain continued to mount in agony and desperation. Hearing a familiar voice begging for their pain to "please stop" filled Connor's heart with dread as he recognized Gavin's voice immediately.

"Shit!"

Leaping over an overturned construction beam Connor landed on the other side and pulled his gun from the holster around his back and under his coat. Aiming the gun straight ahead Connor shouted at the attacker before they had the chance to strike again. "DROP THE KNIFE!"

Pamela, covered in Gavin's fres blood and with her eyes solid black and fully opaque, turned to look at Connor as she knelt over Gavin with the massive hunting knife clutched in her right hand and being held high in the air above her head. In the short time it took for Pamela to drag Gavin's unconscious body from the cab and into the center of the junkyard she had stabbed Gavin in both kneecaps, both palms and in both kidneys.

Gavin was stunned from the blow to the head back at the precinct, and too dazed from the assaults on his person to fight back Gavin shuddered and took in pained breaths. "P-Please... I'm s-sorry!"

"Pamela, drop the weapon!" Creeping closer to the armed deviant Connor tried to get her to stop the assault before it was too late. "I will shoot!"

Turning away from Connor to resume the assault Pamela brought the knife back down and struck Gavin in the middle of his chest. A spray of bright red blood erupted from the fresh wound and covered Pamela in a wash of crimson.

Pulling the trigger Connor begrudgingly made the choice to shoot Pamela and effectively shut down the deranged deviant in a matter of seconds. As Thirium burst through the wound in the right side of Pamela's head Connor dropped his gun and pushed Pamela's limp body away as he dropped to Gavin's left side to check on his wounds while cybernetically contacting 911 to request an ambulance.

"Damn it!" Tearing open Gavin's dark purple t-shirt Connor scanned over the dying detective's chest and noted that the knife had struck Gavin's lower inferior vena cava, and he was bleeding internally at an alarming rate. With no time to wait for the paramedics to arrive Connor retracted the artificial skin from his left hand and pressed his index finger into the wound and applied direct pressure to the damaged artery. "Shit... Hold on."

"Connor?!" Hank had heard the shouting and gunshot from where he had been trailing after his partner. With his own gun already drawn and aimed before himself Hank's face paled almost as white as Gavin's complexion when he spotted all of the blood and two bodies on the ground. "What the fu-"

"Gavin's been stabbed." Without tearing his eyes away from Gavin's deathly pale face Connor used his own finger to plug the hole and apply pressure to the critically damaged artery in Gavin's chest. The quivering of Gavin's heart confirmed he was still alive but his heart was struggling to maintain a proper beat. "I have applied pressure to the wound and contacted the paramedics."

"Fuckin' hell!" Aiming his gun at Pamela's limp body laying on the dirt beside Gavin's legs Hank stared at the deviant's unseeing inky black eyes that were wide open. Pamela had an expressionless face and wasn't moving. "What did I miss, and why is-"

"I had to do it, Hank." Ashamed of himself and wracked with guilt Connor closed his eyes and focused solely on Gavin. "She was already attacking Gavin, refused to stop when I ordered her to do so, and would've killed him if I hadn't shot her."

Approaching Pamela warily Hank used his left hand to press down against the center of her chest and couldn't feel her Thirium pump beating. "...It's okay, kid." She was undoubtedly shutdown. "I had to make that choice last month, remember?"

"Yes... I remember." The knowledge of Hank killing someone to protect Connor flowed into his mind. Shortly there after the knowledge that he had to kill a fellow deviant to protect a fellow officer filled Connor's mind and heart with an internal conflict. He had finally done something he hoped he'd never have to do, he had to take a life. "She wasn't coherent. She wasn't herself! She wasn't-"

"We'll focus on that later." Kneeling down on Gavin's right side Hank checked the wounded detective's abdomen as Gavin took in shuddering pained breaths, and saw the horrific stab wounds that had damaged Gavin's kidneys. Only able to offer basic first-aid Hank shrugged off his black and white dress shirt and took two big handfuls of the fabric in his grip and pressed the fabric down over Gavin's abdomen to apply further pressure to the dual wounds. "How's his vitals?"

"Weak." Connor replied before giving Hank more accurate numbers. "Heart rate at one-hundred and twenty-eight, blood pressure is down to ninety over sixty, his respiration is twenty and shallow and his temperature is beginning to drop from blood loss."

"Keep doing whatever it is you need to do to keep him alive." Recognizing the shadow of death whenever it hung over a person made Hank feel an icy chill that always made his blood run cold. "You contacted 911, the precinct knows what happened and they'll know where to find us."

The sound of sirens filled the air and red and blue flashing lights encroached over the scene as the ambulance neared. Three police drones began circling over the three detectives as a means of directing the ambulance to the correct location as the emergency situation was cycled through dispatch.

"Hang in there, Gavin." Hank looked at the younger detective's glassy eyes with genuine worry as Gavin stared blankly into the nothingness above him. "You're a little banged up but you're going to be okay."

Despite Hank's optimism and the reassurance that help was on its way Connor couldn't help but feel like he had somehow messed up. Walking right past their killer and not noticing her trailing after Gavin and Tina until it was too late made his heart feel heavy. The knowledge that he had to kill Pamela in order to save Gavin made his heart feel cold. And knowing that he took someone's life made his heart feel hollow.

Even as he felt his own heart beating in his chest right alongside Gavin's heart beating under his hand Connor began to question whether or not he had the right to make the call over who lived and who died that night.

Connor knew he wasn't anyone with any authority to decided who lives and who dies, yet that's exactly what he had done without any hesitation.

The waiting room of St. Mercy Hospital was filled with officers and detectives from all over the city. Word of the attempted murder of Gavin Reed and the identity of the serial killer as a deranged deviant had made things in Detroit incredibly tense and lured the media to the hospital. Captain Fowler had to threaten to have nosy reporters arrested for stalking a patient and was even willing to quote H.I.P.A.A. violations if they really pushed it. Afterward he had to practically push Tina into a treatment room to have her skull checked for potential fractures, have the basic cognitive tests to check for any sign of a concussion and to receive stitches to her lacerated brow.

Meanwhile Hank took it upon himself to call Abby and let her know about Gavin's condition. It didn't take long for the fiery technician to arrive at the hospital to check on her boyfriend and ask about his condition. Having to answer her questions himself since Connor was in a form of emotional shock and couldn't speak Hank did his best to give Abby the comfort she needed.

"And you're sure that it was one deviant who was doing this?" Trembling as she spoke Abby struggled to keep the tears out of her hazel eyes. "I mean, I can believe that a deviant went crazy and attacked people, but I just need to know it's just one and not one of many."

"Just the one. Connor confirmed it himself." Hank soothed as he stood with Abby in a quiet corner of the waiting room mostly away from other people. "And he had to put her down to protect Gavin." Glancing at his partner sitting in the opposite corner with his blood covered hands hidden in his coat pockets Hank knew that he was in for a long night of watching over a scared kid who was guaranteed to have nightmares. "He feels like shit for doing it, too."

Understanding Connor's pain of having to make tough choices Abby folded her arms defensively over his chest. "I know how he feels."

The glass sliding doors dividing the waiting room from the corridor leading to the depths of the hospital slid open as Dr. Wilson entered the space to speak to Gavin's family. Without any direct family and having Tina registered as his emergency contact the kind doctor and surgeon told Tina and Captain Fowler about the wounded detective's condition, and advised them to prepare for the worst. When Abby was brought up to speed her legs shook and Hank quickly steadied her before she collapsed to the ground with worry.

"Gavin's as stubborn as they come." Hank tried his best to keep Abby from losing her composure. "He won't go down so easily and will need all the support he can get while he recovers. You and Tina are going to have one hell of a challenge ahead of you. Have fun with that."

The offer to see Gavin as he rested in the I.C.U. was readily accepted by the group and Hank let go of Abby's shoulders as Captain Fowler and Tina made their way to the correct room to see the recovering detective with Dr. Wilson leading the way. While the group in the waiting room began to murmur amongst themselves Hank approached Connor in the corner and grabbed on to the deviant's shoulders to get him to look him in the eyes.

"Come with me for a minute. You need to be taken care of."

Struggling to get to his feet as he mind continued to race with conflicting thoughts and emotions Connor sluggishly accompanied Hank as the senior detective led him into the nearest men's restroom for a moment. Moving on autopilot Connor didn't resist when Hank led him over to the white sinks and turned on the water to a warm but not hot degree.

"Let me see your hands."

Pulling Connor's hands one at a time from the coat pockets Hank rinsed the drying, sticky red blood off of the deviant's still exposed left white plastimetal palm and didn't stop until the water ran clear as it circled down the sink. Lightly patting Connor's now clean hand dry with a paper towel Hank then focused on Connor's wounded right hand to check on the breaks beneath the white gauze.

"Fowler took your gun after you dropped it at the scene." He remarked almost casually as he focused on taking care of his partner. "Joel is going to do the apportionment on Pamela to determine what caused her to go berserk and to use her memories to justify what you had to do."

The idea of Pamela being opened up and dissected for analysis was truly ugly. "...That's not much of a comfort."

"I know. Trust me, I know how it feels to have a shooting investigated." Removing the white bandages Hank sighed at the fully healed right hand but decided to wash it under the tap anyway for the sake of comfort more than anything else. "You never did tell me how you broke your hand. What happened?"

"I..." Tightening his right hand in a fist under Hank's touch Connor closed his emotional brown eyes and forced himself to tell his friend the truth. "I was visited this afternoon by someone I hadn't expected while Lucas was tending to a client. It was Markus."

Hank's hands paused momentarily before he resumed washing off Connor's right hand in the warm water. "What did that prick want?"

"He... He apologized and begged for my forgiveness. But I couldn't do it."

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

"I was judging him for trying to kill me, a fellow deviant, and then tonight I... I actually did kill a fellow deviant. I worse than he is."

"You did that to protect Gavin, who was in immediate danger." Hank clarified with a stern voice of logic and reason. "Markus tried to kill you because you might've been a possible risk. HUGE difference."

"Not to me." Letting Hank dry off his right hand Connor opened his eyes to reveal the heavy tears that had formed from speaking the truth. "I survived. Pamela did not."

"Son, look at me." Turning off the water Hank put his left palm to the back of Connor's hair and made the young deviant look him in the eyes. "Deviant or not you made a judgment call and saved Gavin's life. If Pamela had been a human would you feel any better for shooting her?"

"No! Of course not!" The question seemed too callous to be taken seriously. "I still would've taken a life."

"That's right. That doesn't mean you're the infamous 'Deviant Hunter' that everyone tried to call you. You're just a detective trying to protect the city and the people living in it. You're not a bad person and you're not a hypocrite, I promise."

Breaking down entirely Connor began to silently cry as the full weight of what he had done had sunk in and ached at his already pained heart without mercy.

"Shh..." Pulling Connor closer Hank wrapped up the deviant in a warm hug and supported his best friend and unofficial son during one of the worst moments in his life. "It's okay, son. Just let it out and know that you're still a good person. I won't see you as anyone different."

The quiet of the I.C.U. was disrupted only by the sound of the cardiac monitor recording Gavin's vital signs beeping rhythmically and the ventilator breathing on his behalf. The surgical incision running down the center of Gavin's chest along his sternum was covered by a thick bandage to keep it clean as it slowly healed after his heart was surgically repaired. A dialysis machine was humming away beside the cardiac monitor as the damage to Gavin's kidneys had also been surgically repaired and the vital organs were struggling to function while also healing from the stab wounds. Thick bandages around Gavin's knees protected the kneecaps that would need corrective surgery later on, and gauze protected his hands that had miraculously escaped serious damage.

Pale, motionless and sedated Gavin was unaware of the tube running down his throat, the wireless leads to the cardiac monitor attached to his chest, the I.V.'s running into the bends of both arms to aid his dialysis while also replenishing the blood he lost and the antibiotics staving off infection through his injured body.

Numb to the world Gavin didn't feel Abby holding on to his right wrist or hear Tina whispering to him in a comforting manner. He had more people worried about him than he ever expected. The large window overlooking the private room had Captain Fowler, Hank and Connor standing on the other side of the glass as they watched Gavin from afar in the corridor. Not wanting to crowd the room or get in the way the trio kept their distance and waited for any sign of change.

Breaking the silence first Captain Fowler addressed Connor in a terse voice. "Due to the nature of this incident I'm going to have to ask you to go on one week's leave while everything is under investigation. I already have your service weapon and I have no reason to take your shield."

"...I understand." Whispering in shame as he stared at Gavin's weakened form through the window Connor didn't even try to argue against the order. "I'll remain in the city in the event you need to ask any further questions."

"And Hank?" Acknowledging the Lieutenant next Captain Fowler extended his orders further. "You're off for the rest of the day and are expected to return tomorrow morning. We'll need all the help we can get to cover three confirmed absences."

"Yeah, I'm on it."

"Go home." Giving his final order Captain Fowler was determined to stay back and wait for an update on Gavin's condition before leaving himself. "Ben's in charge at the precinct and the media is being told to back the fuck off and keep quiet. You two can go home, everything's under control."

"Right." Putting his right hand on Connor's left shoulder again Hank gave the deviant a little push to get him to move away from the window and take his leave of the hospital to get some rest. It was like trying to push around a mindless mannequin instead of a conscious being. "We'll go back to the house so you can chill with Sumo for a while. If anyone needs to have a massive furry oaf drooling all over them, it's you."

Giving Gavin one last passing glance through the window Connor looked like he was on the verge of breaking down again as the moment he chose to kill Pamela, a fellow deviant, to save a well known but reformed android bigot like Gavin filled Connor's mind and heart with doubt and fear.

Connor was now worried that he was a threat to innocent people instead of the guardian he wanted so desperately to become.

-next chapter-