"Jury Bias"

A squad car from the precinct in Detroit arrived around noon to take Lieutenant Anderson and the wanted android back to Michigan.

Connor had been able to force himself into a light standby mode for a reasonable amount of time, and with work from the technicians, he was able to repair some of the damage from the bullet wound that he had been unable to fix himself. The technicians had done their best to remove and isolate the virus from the android's system, reassuring him that it was likely the cause of the abnormalities in his healing program and standby mode. Connor's Lieutenant, however, had been banned from entering his room, per the android's request, until it was time to return to Detroit.

Hank refused to leave the Android Emergency Center, staying vigilant in the waiting room all day, should his partner change his mind about letting him stay with him. He did not.

The older detective rubbed the sleep from his eyes, checking his watch for the time. He was exhausted, and felt emotionally beat. His first encounter with Connor in months had been so...honest. It was the most honest conversation they'd had in a long time. But when he'd gone to see Connor in his room for the first time, he just seemed...cold. Distant. Robotic. The thought sent a small chill down the spine of the detective. Connor had seemed so...devastated the night before. The sight of his young protégé with the barrel of his own gun in his mouth danced around the edges of his mind. He couldn't help but wonder how much of that was truly due to Scarver's virus.

Today was different. Connor's demeanor had turned around completely. Hank almost began to ask himself if the android had been reset. The thought made his stomach drop.

"God I need a fucking drink." He thought to himself as he let his face fall into his hands. "Or a dozen."

"Lieutenant Anderson?" A voice asked.

"You're looking at him." He replied, looking up from his brooding. A lanky looking beat cop stood in front of him. Must be the Calvary.

"Ah, you here to get me out of this god-forsaken state?" He asked somewhat wearily, the humor in his voice falling flat. The cop nodded, sticking his thumbs in his belt loops.

"I'm here for you and the committed android, registered RK800: Connor." Hank gave the officer a funny look, rolling his eyes as he sat up.

"Just Connor will do. And the kid ain't committed by any means. He's far too willing to be here." Hank sighed standing to his feet. He pointed at the door on the far left of the eating room. "Exam 18." He said, "I'd go with you but I think I've been evicted from the room." The cop turned his head to the side, a bit confused by the detective's statement, but carried on through the door without hesitation.

When the officer returned, he noted that he was dragging a very defeated looking Connor behind him, hands cuffed behind his back. The android looked surprisingly weak in the legs, though his face showed no trace of discomfort.

"Handcuffs?" Hank remarked, feeling somewhat heated. "Really? He's not going anywhere, look at him!" Connor's face remained stoic.

"It's standard procedure, Lieutenant." The young officer responded. Hank, feeling frustrated, made his way towards the cop, his shoulders squared and figure looming over the young man's small frame.

"Listen here, kid, I don't know who the hell you think you are, but if you haven't noticed I rank a little bit above you here. So you'd better get your sorry little-"

"Stop it Hank." Connor finally spoke up, looking into the Lieutenant's fuming eyes. "It's not your place. He's just doing his job."

"The hell he is!" Hank responded, now turning his attention to the android. "He's acting like you're a damn convict! You're his fucking superior!"

"No I'm not." Connor replied. "As far as anyone is concerned, I don't work for the precinct anymore. I haven't for 3 months." Hank threw his hands up in the air, frustrated and tired.

"Come on, Connor! You gonna let him jerk you around over a technicality!?"

"There's nothing technical about it Lieutenant." He turned and nodded to the police officer, who had remained silent during the detective's tantrum, giving him silent permission to proceed. "It's just what it is." The officer led Connor to the exit, leaving Hank feeling flustered in the middle of the waiting room.

Hank climbed unwillingly into the passenger seat of the state-issued Accord, his arms crossing as rage still pricked at him quietly. He watched from the rear view mirror as the cop pushed Connor gently into the backseat, his hands still clasped behind him. The old detective could almost swear he saw the android's face wince...in..pain? No, that wasn't right. Androids don't feel pain...right? He watched as Connor curled up slightly on his injured side.

"Sorry." He heard the police officer mumble, confirming Hank's suspicions. His thoughts wandered over to Connor's headache at the precinct, far before he'd been infected with this weird ass virus. He began to wonder how long Connor had been truly able to feel pain.

The car ride was long and silent and tedious. And Hank couldn't help but feel exhausted from his severe lack of sleep. But his mistrust for the young cop that operated the vehicle had overridden his need for rest. He gave the man several sideways glances, glaring daggers at the poor officer. Connor noted the behavior but chose not to speak of it, in favor of forcing himself into standby again, hoping to dull the strange discomfort that throbbed in his right side.

Being able to retreat into standby seemed to help as his plastimetal frame slowly began to heal. He noted that his healing program seemed to be reconnected thankfully. Though the throbbing hadn't quite subsided since he was shot by his final target. Connor hadn't mentioned the strange sensation to his technicians, though he was regrettably starting to wish he had. The android didn't want to mention that he might be feeling legitimate pain. It wasn't normal for an android…just another reminder that there was something else wrong with him.

The voice of the phantom Scotsman hadn't made a sound since his near self destruction. The product of a...virus...is what he'd been told anyways. A virus that he hadn't detected at all since his long and tiresome vendetta. It had felt so real...like the mercenary was beside him, guiding him hand in hand through his assassinations. All because of some virus? Connor couldn't help but wonder if everything that had happened could have been avoided with a simple visit to a technician...If he had turned himself in then...instead of running for three months. He felt his demeanor start to crumble again, his LED switching from blue to red before settling on a concerned, yellow hue. He couldn't do this right now. Not in front of Hank. He'd done his best to hide his guilt in the presence of his old friend, hoping that the detective would believe his unforgiving satisfaction regarding the deaths of Scarver's clients. Perhaps he would leave him alone and accept whatever was meant to happen in Detroit. It was for the best.

He could feel the Lieutenant's vigilant gaze on him, radiating heat through his closed eyelids. Why did he have to care so much? It just made things harder. Connor couldn't admit to Hank the terror that was running through his mind. He'd stand before a jury, admitting his crimes, and he would pay accordingly. But what would they do with a deviant murderer? He had caught plenty in his past back when he was a hunter for the rogue androids, but he'd never considered the legal consequences.

Were his crimes gruesome enough that he would be decommissioned? Torn apart and left to die? Or perhaps they would lock him up...leave him alone in a cell until the 200 years of his battery life were spent. He knew that Hank wouldn't live nearly that long. Maybe 3...4 more decades if he was being generous? The thought left Connor feeling sick. New generations would be born and everyone Connor knew would be gone. He'd die alone...forgotten...and he deserved it. The android began to wonder if he had made the right choice.

Before he knew it, the door in the back of the squad car was being opened, and the young officer was leading him out towards the doors of the precinct. It was a bit past midnight and the lights of the building were dim and hazy, only a few night shift officers burning the midnight oil. Connor stepped out of the car at the officer's command, catching a glimpse of his old partner's face. He looked… well, like shit if he was being honest. His face was haggard and the dark bags under his eyes made it look like he'd just been punched. Connor wondered if he had gotten any sleep. He felt his LED shift to yellow before catching himself and attempting to switch himself back to a steady blue. He hoped Hank didn't notice.

The officer led Connor into the precinct by his arm, Hank following wearily behind. As the trio walked past the clerical desk and past the gates, his stomach filled with a sense of dread. Every person they walked by in the precinct was a friend or acquaintance, someone he'd had a conversation with...someone Connor knew personally... and they were all staring at him.

A few averted their eyes, only daring to look up once Connor had passed their desks. Others looked up in shock, trailing the android all the way down his seemingly endless walk. He felt his face burn hot with shame.

"God, just make it stop." Connor thought, pleading in embarrassment. He felt so dirty.

As if his prayer had been answered, the sound of a very loud and hot-headed police Lieutenant filled the thin air.

"The hell you SHITHEADS staring at, huh?" Hank called out, much to the surprise of many of the officers, his voice cutting through the dead silence. "I didn't realize you were getting paid to SIT ON YOUR ASS! Someone should have told me that a long time ago!"

Connor couldn't help but smirk in amusement at the sudden clamoring of his coworkers as they all buried their faces in their terminals. But his joy was short lived as they came to the small holding cells in the back of the station. The cop opened the cell door, leading Connor inside before pressing him gently against the wall. He unlocked the cuffs on his wrists. Connor felt the stiffness in his limbs as he brought his wrists out in front of him to rub them. He turned around as the officer was closing the large glass window. The android felt as if he was on display, like some sort of caged animal. He shrunk at the thought.

As the officer walked out, he bid the Lieutenant a good night which was received with an irritated grunt from the detective. It was then that Connor noticed Hank was just…staring at him. Like he was waiting for something. Waiting for the android to break down again? Maybe. But he couldn't, not yet at least.

They stood like that for some time, which felt like an eternity, until Connor broke his gaze and sat down onto the bench in his cell. He looked up at his friend, trying his best to hide the despair on his face. He felt so helpless, and he knew Hank could see it.

Finally, Hank sighed, leaning up against the wall and dropping his eyes to the ground. Connor did the same, letting his gaze wander to his newfound surroundings. He could almost swear he felt cold…

"Listen, kid." Hank began, his voice hoarse from exhaustion. "I know you shot it down before, but I'm just giving you the facts here." Connor didn't look up but gave his full attention to the detective. "This virus...the malware that O'Sullivan got in your system...it's enough. I've called my lawyer about it. He's never handled an android case before but he's gotten me out of some of my own run-ins with the law…" Connor felt the need to interject, but the weary look on Hank's face silenced him. "We can't really deny the other assassinations anymore...not if we use the flash drive as evidence. The list draws a clear connection…" Connor felt his gaze shift to the side, regret evident on his face. "But...if we use his virus as your testimony...the only murder you can be tried for is O'Sullivan's. The others can be written off with you as an unwilling accomplice...We try you here and keep the feds out of your case...let them go chasing the others with Scarver as the lead man."

"So what?" Connor asked, his voice dark. "I'll be tried for murder and found guilty whether it's in Detroit or the federal courts."

"The so what is that you've got a key witness that makes all the difference here in this city." Connor looked up, confused. "Agent Jareau." Connor felt sick.

"W-what?" He stammered, finally looking up to Hank.

"You killed the guy who offed the man this city was in love with. A no name beat cop from back when Detroit was a shithole who went on to become a federal agent."

Connor felt his mouth open to speak, but no words came out.

"The jury is already on your side, kid. They just need a reason to make it believable. That's where you come in."

"W-what.." Connor began. "What am I supposed to do?" Hank still hadn't looked up, almost dreading the words that were hanging on his tongue.

"It's really simple...when asked about your infection from the virus...you just tell them that…"

"That...what?"

Hank looked up suddenly, his tired eyes meeting those of his partner.

"That you were infected before Scarver's death."

"Y-you…" Connor's LED began cycling yellow, "you want me to lie to the courts?" He asked, almost feeling infuriated at Hank's request. "You're asking me to just...fake my way out of a sentence? And what? Play into an already corrupt jury? Hank I can't. How does that make me any better than any other criminal we know that's avoided justice?" Hank sighed, dripping his head to the ground and pushing himself off the wall. He turned to leave before looking back once more.

"I'm not asking you to do anything, Connor." He turned his head away and started walking again. "I'm giving you a choice." And he was gone. The android found himself wishing that he wasn't

Connor listened patiently for the sound of Hank's receding footsteps. He felt his heart sinking as he was left alone in his cell.

"Home at last…" Connor whispered, sliding onto the floor and bringing his knees close up to his chest, folding his arms over them. He looked out miserably, feeling more alone than he ever had when he was on the run. At least he could talk to himself. Connor buried his face into his arms, breathing heavily as he tried to keep himself from breaking. But his efforts were fruitless. He brought his hand back from his face, finding it damp with tears.

"Dammit…:" He thought quietly, putting his face back in his hands to attempt to muffle the sounds of short, stifled breaths. "Not here...Not now…" He thought miserably. At least Hank was gone.

But Hank wasn't planning to go home tonight. He sat against the back wall, separating him from the holding cells as he listened to the small cries of his partner.

Connor met with Hank's lawyer several times in the next coming weeks, though he was seeming less and less talkative with him. He sat quietly in the corner of his cell, listening to the words but glazing over them in his evidence would be a hard connection to make, especially since they were still waiting for the technicians in the precinct's lab to isolate the virus and determine the qualities of the malware. From what they had learned so far, it affected many of the android's systems including his healing and standby programs. Although they could not prove an effect on his judgement, Hank's testimony and the technicians' report on an active hallucination might be just enough.

Connor felt weary awaiting his court dates. He'd had his bail posted weeks ago, but his months of running had forced the state to set it higher than Hank could afford. Not that Connor would have let him anyways. So the android remained in the precinct for the remaining weeks until his trial, Hank visiting him nearly every day. They didn't speak much, but Connor was always somewhat relieved when Hank came by.

When the date of Connor's court session finally arrived, the tension between the young detective and his Lieutenant could be felt hanging thick in the air. Chris was the officer assigned to Connor at the time, and kept him company as they waited in one of the adjoining rooms of the courthouse. Hank waited alongside them, feeling worried for the outcome.

The android had yet to make up his mind on what he wanted to say to the jury. He felt wrong, working with Hank's ambitious lawyer on the correct way to phrase his answers, his demeanor...his lies. He felt as if he was trying to evade the law itself, throwing aside everything he had ever worked for. He wasn't sure what to do.

When the time for the session finally arrived, Connor found himself scanning the room for familiar faces. The courtroom was packed, full of familiar and unfamiliar faces alike. Connor found many of them to be retired from the DPD, people who had worked with agent Jaraeu through the years.

Introductions were made and Connor was called up by the prosecution, a state lawyer who acted as Connor's opposition. He had a very relaxed demeanor, as if the case did not particularly concern him. And his questions almost caught the android off guard.

"Tell me Connor," He began, pacing the room with hands clasped behind him. "My clients, on which I am tasked to defend today, including Cyrus O'Sullivan and Mick Ketchner." He finally turned to face the accused. "Were they...good men?" Connor's head perked up as he stared in confusion. This was not the kind of question he had suspected.

"I...I'm sorry?" The lawyer repeated himself.

"Were they good men? Good people?"

"They...they were criminals…" Connor answered slowly. Leading questions with answers that were skewed in Connor's favor. The entire court seemed to have some sort of bias. This was wrong.

"I see…" He muttered quietly. "Tell me what happened before you met with O'Sullivan."

"I received a phone call in the hospital after my partner had been shot. From Lt. Anderson's personal cell phone. He let me trace his location and told me to meet him immediately."

"And he had contacted you before with similar demands?"

"Yes...when he had Lt. Anderson hostage. But I called for backup and he ran before I could meet him."

"So you had reason to suspect this was a trap, yes?"

"He shot my partner the first time...He could have had somebody else. Another member of my precinct could have been harmed if I refused." He had indeed thought of that when he received the call but it certainly wasn't the reason he had complied with Scarver's requests. But Connor began to wonder if he really wanted to go to prison. Leaving out those details and going along with the court's obvious bias against Scarver may give him a second chance...If he could live with the guilt that had been weighing on him the whole time.

"So even if he didn't have a gun on him, there was still a threat to your safety or that of your team?" Scarver had never directly mentioned any kind of threat. He just stood there and let Connor kill him...Why? Was it in hopes of ruining the deviant's life? Why even escape prison? Whas he truly that unhinged? He had seemed so...calculated.

"I...I had assumed so when I arrived, but-" The lawyer cut him off.

"And I know the courts have been provided with evidence regarding a flash drive you were given by O'Sullivan." He replied, "Tell me about that."

"Well," Connor spoke with uncertainty, eyeing the Lieutenant sitting a few rows back. "It contained a list of clients that had been associated with O'Sullivan's organization...and...his escape."

"Did you receive this flashdrive from the victim?"

"It was...in his apartment when I arrived. I scanned it to my program out of curiosity. I assumed it had been left for me." He deliberately left out details of when he scanned it when he found Hank's eyes trailing him.

"And are you aware this flash drive contained a malicious virus designed to target android programming?"

"Not at the time...but I've been made aware."

"Did you see or feel anything abnormal after downloading the software?"

"I saw…" Connor faltered for a moment, thinking back to obnoxious songs and cruel words that had been playing in his head during those months. "I saw O'Sullivan. He spoke to me...encouraged me to go after the men on the list...he...told me I'd be destroyed if I went home...That I didn't have a choice after I killed him." He paused for a moment as waves of fear began to overcome him. His L.E.D cycled yellow in response. "So I ran...I thought my partner might be dead and...I didn't want to shut down."

"Do you feel you were truly in control of your actions during the months you were missing?" Connor paused for a moment, the uncertainty washing over him.

"I thought I was but...I could have been...mistaken…"

The jury was turning a blind eye to this, acting like the other lawyer had just made some hard-to-beat points. It seemed even the prosecution was on his side.

The jury was given a few minutes to go over Connor's testimony and the android felt himself relax a little bit. This...wasn't right. This certainly wasn't justice, but Connor wasn't sure he could protest what the court was doing. He'd killed people out of anger and hate but...they were bad people. They'd gotten people and androids alike killed.

Connor buried his face in his hands. He just wanted this to be over.

When the jurors returned, the judge sat ready to make his decision.

Connor wasn't surprised when he informed the crowd that he had ruled Scarver's murder self defense and pinned the others on his faulty and infected programming. Shortly after, the court was adjourned and the members began vacating the courtroom.

"Well that was throwing a case if I've ever seen it before." Hank remarked, a smirk painted over his features as he went to retrieve Connor, who was still sitting blankly at the defendant's table. He stared up at the Lieutenant for a moment and then back to the table.

"I've watched so many other androids be destroyed or put away for similar crimes without a jury to back them up.." He spoke softly, "It seems...unfair that I get to get off without punishment."

Hank sighed and put his hand on his partner's shoulder.

"This country's justice system hasn't ever been fair. I've been in the field long enough to see it countless times myself…" He paused for a moment, giving Connor a pained and weary smile, "But for once, I'm glad to see it. I missed you kid. You and that dumb face and goofy voice. I...I may be a bit biased as well but I wanted to see you home. You're just about the only family I've got. And if I had been in your shoes, I likely would have done the same thing. As would most of these cops." He smirked again nudging Connor slightly, "Hell, even Gavin stood up for you in his own way."

Connor stared at him for a moment before standing from his chair.

"I...I think I'd like to go home now." He spoke slowly, trying to push the troubling thoughts from his head. "If...that is still an option."

"Course it is son. Let's get out of here and get you some rest, alright?"

"Alright…"