The smell of fresh blood mixed with the acrid stench of 'red ice' and spent gunpowder permeated the entirety of the abandoned factory in the heart of the industrial district. A shoot-out among drug dealers hiding out in the building ended with nine deaths that needed to be investigated and then properly accounted for by the responding detectives. With the mayor now behind bars for his own crimes, numerous thugs and drug dealers were attempting to establish themselves as the newest drug kingpins since most of the police officers and detectives were all preoccupied to really focus on the usual crimes in the city. Violence among drug dealers had increased tenfold and now cleaning up a gang related homicide or a drug deal gone bad had become a daily occurrence.
Still sporting his new look Hank approached the nine bodies covered under nine white sheets with utter disgust in his eyes. Despite his nearly twenty year long career in seeing blood, gore, death, dismemberment and decay, Hank never got used to see how violent and destructive the human species could be. The fact that numerous drug dealers could take themselves out day after day, yet the amount of drugs remained the same, was disheartening to say the least.
"Let me guess." Hank snarked as he put his hands to his hips and gave C.S.I. Ben Collins a disappointed look. "Cause of death for all nine victims; gunshot wounds to the head, chest and stomach."
Ben's head tilted as he motioned to the pile of bodies with his notepad and pen. "It's almost like you've seen this type of mess before."
"Too many damn times to count." With a heavy sigh Hank shook his head and rubbed his hand over his bearded chin with righteous disgust. "Got any names for these sad fuckers?"
"Well, one has been confirmed as Roman 'Rampage' Coleman. He was the leader of a gang of drug dealers and anti-android bigots, but word on the street is Rampage had suddenly stopped hating on androids and even told his gang to stop wasting their time by harassing and assaulting androids so they could focus entirely on their human customers."
"How noble. He stops hating on one group of people so he can work on poisoning everyone else."
"How do you want to handle this?"
"Like all the others. Bag 'em, tag 'em and find anyone who still had contact with them so they can claim the bodies if they feel like it."
"Sure thing." Making the note on his pad Ben couldn't help but feel remorse toward the dead rather than contempt. "Hopefully there's enough room at the morgue to hold all of these guys."
"If not, just stuff 'em on top of one another. If they were so stupid as to gun down each other over drugs, then I don't think they're above sharing a body cooler for a few days."
Ben wanted to make a comment on Hank's cold cynicism but decided that being at an active crime scene wasn't the right time or place. "Right. My team will take care of things from here."
"Yeah, and I'll file another bullshit report confirming that this city is still rotting from the inside out. The bodies piling up is proof enough of that."
The foul sight of humans destroying each other over something as ridiculous as drugs and territory was enough to keep Hank in an equally foul mood all morning. It seemed as if Hank's mood was regressing from how he had been after trying to take care of Connor and Lucas despite him making changes to his body to improve how he looked and how he felt.
No more booze, no more greasy food and no more late nights had done wonders for Hank's body in just a few weeks. By all account Hank's health was improving on a physical scale while his mental and emotional health was beginning to break down. Whether or not Hank could see it for himself and if he'd do anything to change it was entirely up in the air.
It took a few days for her to work up the nerve but eventually North found the courage to prepare herself for a return to New Jericho Tower to face Markus and answer for what had happened to Connor regarding the poisoning that had nearly killed the deviant detective. If it hadn't been for Skye giving her shelter in her studio apartment above the public library, North would've had to hide out in the other shelters or even within the still sinking shell of the original Jericho before it was towed from the harbor due to safety concerns. To add to her fortune, North was given a lot of legal insight through Skye after her old friend from the 'Eden Club' worked hard and studied to become the country's first legally certified android attorney.
Unsure of what to expect or what to say North managed to get Markus's attention when she and Skye approached the secured drive leading out to Belle Isle and request access. Needing to gain clearance to New Jericho Tower, the very tower she helped found, gave North a deep pain that she didn't know she could feel. If she had to describe it North would categorize such a pain as 'betrayal'.
"This is a mistake." North lamented as she and Skye rode in the back of the autonomous cab down the drive and toward the tower. With every passing second the cab neared the tower North felt herself growing more tense and anxious. "I know I said I'd return after the new rights and laws were passed, but why? They've made up their minds about me and have already cast me out."
"Enough time has passed, and they won't be as intense this time." Skye did her best to reassure North and give her the confidence she needed to speak to the leaders regarding what had happened. "It'd help if you'd give me the full story about what happened that night though. It's hard to represent my first client when said client won't even cooperate."
"It's not important."
"Important enough to keep secret..."
North gave Skye a cold look as the cab pulled to a stop before the tower. As the door beside her automatically slid open North looked out at the deviant sanctuary she had been banished from with a sense of loss and longing.
"Hey?" Skye rested her palm on North's shoulder as her friend had to talk herself into leaving the cab. "It'll be okay. Regardless of what happens I'll still be your friend and I'll do everything I can to ensure that you're treated with equality. You can do this."
"I hope so."
Doing her best to appear as confident as she used to while she was a leader in the very tower from where she had been banished, North smoothed out her dark purple blouse and made sure her black slack and matching black blazer were all immaculately pressed. She was wearing a pair of black heels to give herself the illusion of height as she prepared to face the very allies who had cast her aside.
Skye was wearing a dark red blouse with dark gray slacks and a blazer. She too was wearing heels and had her long hair pulled back and up into a neat bun. The deviant wanted to make sure she wore her new title as an attorney with pride and professionalism as she prepared to defend her first client in an unofficial court setting as they decided how they wanted to handle the situation.
"This feels like a mistake." Seeing Markus slowly exiting the tower and making his way out to where she was standing was a bittersweet moment for North. She missed Markus despite everything that had happened, but the sense of betrayal was still heavy in her heart. "And I don't think I can face him, let alone talk to him."
"Then let me talk for you." Taking the lead Skye addressed Markus first as the deviant leader nervously approached the duo. Skye could see that Markus was just as anxious as North and knew that the mediation might become rather upsetting if not outright nasty. "Markus. You know why we're here, correct?"
"Yes. I received your message, and the other leaders and I are ready to hear North out." Confirming the right to discussion Markus did his best to look North in her eyes as he too felt the odd tension between them. He didn't want to see her as the villain that she had been painted out to be, but at the moment he had little reason to see her as anything else - even an ex-lover. "We'll go to the ground floor office to speak. The others are waiting for us already."
"Can't wait to see them again." North muttered as she and Skye approached the tower together just behind Markus as he led the way. "Maybe if I ask nicely they'll remove the knife from my back."
Markus felt the sting of that remark. He knew that no one had really vouched for North once Sydney provided so much damning evidence against her, but she didn't put up much of a fight or even try to defend herself. He had only just begun to move on from his heartbreak and find the courage to love again by testing the waters with Simon, and now he felt like he was reopening an old wound just for someone to rub salt into it.
Taking in a deep breath Skye addressed a potential issue ahead of time to escape any form of bias against her client. "I understand that since North's departure a new leader has been chosen to fill the void left behind."
"That's right." Stopping by the front doors Markus looked to both North and Skye as he leveled with them. "The fourth leader is now Lucas."
"Lucas?" North couldn't believe that the 'RK-900' had been asked to step up and fill in for her. Worried about being finished before she even started North pleaded with Markus's sense of fairness and justice. "The improved counterpart to the deviant I'm accused of poisoning is going to be sitting in on this?"
"No. Lucas was asked to vacate the tower entirely to avoid any potential bias." Entering the tower Markus waited for the duo to join him before leading the way to the private office to begin the meeting. "This will be discussed amongst us three, plus Simon and Josh. North, you'll give your statement about what happened that night in a private recording, while Simon, Josh and myself will do the same. The four statements will be played in sequence and compared, and then the previous evidence delivered by Sydney will be reviewed."
"What about Connor?" As much as she didn't want to see that particular deviant for any reason North knew they needed to hear Connor's side as well. "This is about his life and everything that happened to him, after all."
"We'll get his statement after we've all given our own and after we've reexamined the evidence."
"How long have you had this planned?"
"Long enough." Standing before the closed office door, Markus waited for North to make the next move as he didn't want her to feel pressured or change her mind and leave the tower. If she left before pleading her case or explaining the situation then there would be no going back. "We'll begin whenever you're ready."
"I'll never be ready, but it's time to get this over with." Wrapping her arms around herself North looked to Skye for support as she slowly approached the door with the intention of telling her side of the story and getting the mess finally sorted out. "I'm not going to hide anymore, and this time you're ALL going to listen to what I have to say."
The numerous reported homicides had shaken up the peaceful beginning of spring and had resulted in many people staying off the streets to avoid any potential issues from petty gang wars. While he was staying away from the tower until it was acceptable for him to return, Lucas aided Connor in his own small cases at the brownstone and learned of Connor's latest encounter with Zhorra. Lucas was shocked to say the least, but he trusted Connor's judgment in how he addressed Zhorra and handled her rather forward and determined mannerisms. It wasn't a secret that Connor wanted to do whatever it took to have allies, to mend every broken fence, and to merely peacefully coexist with everyone in the city. That goal was a noble and time consuming undertaking.
In return, Lucas told Connor about the makeshift trial happening at the tower and of what it revolved around. The trial was to determine if North acted in a form of self defense or self preservation, or if she had plotted against Connor with premeditated murder being supported by the very evidence that Connor had collected and Sydney had revealed. The two deviants were contemplating the trial while also handling other deviant related mysteries at hand.
"This is very strange." Connor noted as he and Lucas discussed the odd trial taking place on the other side of the city. By not taking North to the district court and remaining out at the tower, Markus was showing reluctance to trust the new rights and laws that had been enacted a few days prior. "Why would Markus hold a trial at the tower and not an officially recognized court of law?"
"The crime took place in the tower which is private property, and it had taken place before the new rights and laws were enacted." Lucas explained as he read over the mysterious noted signed 'X' and tried to deduce the enigmatic writer's identity. "Markus wants to keep the matter private to ensure that no ugly rumors spread and give humans a reason to fear androids if they learn that we're as likely to attack one another as humans are to attack each other."
"Ironic that common ground can be seen as a threat."
"Agreed."
"What of the note? I was unable to identify any details that could lead to the identity of this particular author."
"I believe that the author is a deviant as you theorized, but beyond that we won't know anything more unless they deliver another note and make a mistake in keeping their identity concealed."
"Interesting." Rubbing Bruno's ears as the dog laid beside him on the sofa, Connor sighed and decided to focus on other matters at hand. The trial. "I suspect that before evening Markus will ask for me to stop by the tower to deliver a statement."
"What're you going to tell them?"
"The truth. I'll also hand them the evidence that I had collected prior to being shot and losing my memory."
"Sydney already informed Markus, Simon and Josh of what had happened. When your consciousness was transferred to his body Sydney obtained your memories and subsequently became aware of the evidence you were collecting against North."
"What evidence?" Looking toward Lucas with genuine worry Connor was completely unaware of what had happened to North after he had been shot. "I didn't have any evidence against North."
"You..." Such a worrisome statement made Lucas's green eyes widen with absolute fear. "The evidence that Sydney shared confirmed that North was the culprit."
"Lucas, this is very important." Suddenly worried that a horrible mistake had taken place during his absence Connor needed to know what he missed during his recovery and prolonged memory loss. "In what way was the evidence used during that moment?"
The four deviants who were all once leaders together had all given their personal testimony regarding the incident revolving around the poisoning, and now the details were being chronicled and compared for the first time since that infamous night. The statements revolving around the poisoning had been reviewed from the four different perspectives during that night, and an interesting picture was being painted. The unique perspectives and observations were very informative, yet no one could really say for certain whether or not the actions on that night were intentionally malicious, accidental or premeditated with events being set up in advance prior to Connor's arrival.
Skye was keeping meticulous notes on everyone's reported location the night of the poisoning and of whom had access to the emergency repair bay where the bottle of spare Thirium that had been kept for Connor's eventual use. It was important to pin down exactly who was responsible for the contamination of the Thirium and how it managed to escape anyone's attention.
"Based on the statements provided by the original four leaders of New Jericho," Skye began her assessment of the situation in a professional sounding tone as she stood beside her client and eyed the three deviants on the other side of the table. "everyone's placement the night of the poisoning can be tracked with records in the tower confirming that everyone was exactly where they had claimed to be, or there were witnesses who can attest to their locations."
Markus agreed with the comment and nodded his head accordingly. "That's right. I was here in the ground floor office with Simon while Connor was resting in the emergency repair bay with the contaminated Thirium. Obviously if we had known that the Thirium was contaminated we never would've offered it to him and we would've had it disposed of properly."
"And Josh, you were walking down the corridor connected to the emergency repair bay when you heard a 'crash' inside the bay, entered to investigate the source of the sound and found Connor seizing on the floor." Skye reiterated after viewing Josh's recorded testimony. "Correct?"
"Correct." Josh confirmed as he sat beside Simon with his jaw clenched in a stressed manner. "I found him on the floor and tried to assist him until help could arrive. That's when North walked by, saw what was going on and tracked down Simon and Markus to alert them to the situation."
"And North," addressing her own client next, Skye made sure everyone was accounted for during the incident being discussed. "you were on your way to the emergency repair bay after exiting your private quarters when Connor had been discovered. Correct?"
"Yes, that's right." North confirmed as she remained guarded in both body and language. "I heard that a hypothermic deviant had been taken to the repair bay and I wanted to see who it was. There are still a lot of 'Tracis' who escaped from the 'Eden Club' who are still unaccounted for."
"According to the evidence collected, Connor had been investigating his own poisoning and he had narrowed down the suspect pool considerably." Skye continued in a logical manner. "Such evidence included a potential motive - North seeing Connor momentarily point his gun at Markus during the celebratory speech the night of the Revolution - the salt that was used to contaminate the Thirium was found in North's shoe prints that trailed to the emergency repair bay, and North was seemingly seen by Josh when he entered the repair bay to check in on Connor."
The statements and the evidence were damning in a way that was virtually impossible to counter argue.
"We just need Connor's statement and then we'll begin a new trial with all of the evidence gathered together." Skye finished her explanation and waited for the discussion to reach its recess. "Has he been notified of the situation?"
"I will contact him now." Markus confirmed as he closed his mismatched eyes and made the cybernetic link to his ally. He received a response almost instantly and Markus opened his eyes as he let the group know that Connor was on his way out to the tower. "Connor and Lucas will arrive within ten minutes."
"We'll adjourn for fifteen minutes." Skye decided as she knew that Connor would need to be given time to have his statement recorded and played out, just as the four deviants had done before him. He'd be able to get everything recorded within five minutes and present his evidence a second time. "Until then, no one leaves this room to prevent any potential tampering of evidence or testimony. We're now in recess."
The atmosphere felt oppressive as Connor and Lucas entered the tower to finally handle the situation that had remained unspoken since the night North had been banished from New Jericho. While Lucas's presence was becoming more tolerable, Connor's presence was still viewed negatively by a nearly half of the tower. Those who had chosen to not hold Connor accountable for his previous programming and affiliation with CyberLife were wisely keeping their opinions to themselves to avoid conflict or debate but were still discreetly supporting the deviant detective from the shadows. Having growing support was something that Connor had hoped to gain after stepping up to become a private detective for his people even though he was far away from them.
Lucas showed Connor to a private security room to allow him to record his statement and then have it played before the five deviants in the private office. After giving a precise and honestly worded statement regarding the incident; how he went to the tower after suffering severe hypothermia, was helped by Markus and Simon, and then unknowingly consumed the tainted Thirium, all aligned with the previous four statements.
Entering the private office to then explain his evidence while Lucas remained in the lobby, Connor felt an icy cold stare pierce his very being as he awkwardly stood at the head of the table that had been placed in the private office for the sake of the trial. The deviant detective was unsure of what to expect after delivering his statement and what his evidence would reveal to the other deviants.
"I understand that everyone is tense, and rightfully so." Connor began in a composed manner. "As a result, I will explain my evidence logically, succinctly and honestly in a timely manner."
Markus, Simon and Skye were giving Connor their full attention. North was sitting back in her chair and unable to look Connor in the eyes. As she kept her gaze fixated on the table before herself North didn't notice Josh watching her as if suspicious of her behavior and expecting her to try to make a run for it.
"The evidence I have collected can seem damning at first, however, it's important that we take into consideration the context surrounding the evidence itself."
Such a notion drew an air of confusion from the gathered deviants. Speaking up first, Markus asked for clarification behind Connor's statement. "What do you mean?"
"What I mean is, while evidence can lead you to the correct culprit behind a crime, it can also take you off course by following false leads and red herrings."
Skye wanted to hear a clear explanation of what Connor planned to do before he did it as a means of protecting her client. "Exactly what will you do while presenting your collected evidence, detective?"
"I will explain what each piece of evidence is, how it was obtained and how it's relevant to this trial." Giving Skye a confident nod Connor made it clear that he wasn't going to hold any bias against anyone. "In my recorded statement I explained that after the incident I began gathering evidence and did so with no single suspect in mind. What I had gathered can lead to a solid conclusion only after it's been properly examined."
"Understood." Satisfied with the answer Skye approved of the evidence being explained and added to the trial for consideration. "Please proceed."
Holding up his right palm Connor created a holographic display of his first piece of collected evidence to be explained, a chemical composition of the very poison that nearly killed him. "The poison of choice used to contaminate the Thirium was calcium chloride and was abundantly available as the same ice melting road salt found along the drive that leads to encircles this very tower. While it's not as potent as traditional sodium chloride, it has proven to be effective all the same. My forensic analysis software identified the substance and traced it from the exterior of the New Jericho Tower and within the tower all along the floors, including the emergency repair bay where the incident had taken place."
"What can you tell us about this chosen poison?" Skye asked in a non-leading and very curious manner. "Do you know why it was chosen?"
"It was chosen due to efficiency and convenience." Keeping his voice level Connor helped explain the poison's origins. "The salt was readily available and abundant and wouldn't be seen as odd whenever it became tracked through the tower as thousands of deviants walked down the drive and entered the tower together. It was hidden in plain sight."
"And as a result, it was an inevitability that the salt would be tracked to every floor that was accessible to the deviants."
"Correct. The second piece of evidence revolves around a shoe print." The holographic image on his palm shifted to show the visually recorded shoe print. "Again, it was inevitable that every single shoe print would have traces of the salt on them. The location of the shoe print and the abundance of salt trapped in the tread helped narrow down the suspect pool, but even so it wasn't enough to single out one deviant over the others. This particular size and style of a shoe is feminine, but it only confirms that North - the only feminine deviant with access to the repair bay at the time - had entered said bay. That doesn't mean she had done anything malicious while inside the bay."
"Wait... Are you saying that the salt and shoe print do not exclusively point to North as the alleged culprit?"
"Correct again."
The deviants all exchanged looks of disbelief and shock. The haunting passion in Sydney's voice and his words seemed to be enough to sway the evidence in such a conclusive manner that no one dared to question it when he had initially called her out the night Connor had been shot. Without North defending herself after such a harsh accusation the conclusion was never even challenged. They merely accepted Sydney's words at face value.
"Connor," Markus spoke up to cut the thick tension in the air before it became smothering. "what're you telling us about the collected evidence?"
"I'm explaining that the evidence, while leading, is still not definitive. The evidence could lead to North as the culprit, but it is not conclusive."
North's cinnamon brown eyes widened as she looked over at Connor and gave him a searching glance. "Are you saying that you never believed that I was the one who poisoned you?"
"Also correct." Turning to look at the defendant awaiting her sentencing, Connor gave her an impressively sympathetic vouch for her character. "North, you and I don't see eye to eye on many things, and I know that you don't trust me, but I never believed that you were my attempted killer. You were merely a convenient means for the true attempted killer to hide their identity. The statistically fact that women often choose poison as a weapon more so than men was also a factor against you. Essentially, you were framed simply for the true culprit's convenience."
"Whoa, hold on!" Standing up quickly Markus looked about the room as he interlaced his fingers together and wrapped his palms around the back of his head in distress. If what Connor had said was true, then that meant he had banished North without just cause. "If she isn't the killer then... who is, and why did they frame her? I can accept that we were wrong about North and owe her an immense apology after casting her out of the tower, but I can't accept that we've been living alongside an attempted killer all these months without realizing it!"
Josh tagged on another important facet to the case being discussed. "Also, Sydney said that he saw your memories and said that you were going to tell Markus that you knew North was the one who tried to kill you, and that you were going to come out here to the tower before you were shot at the park."
"That was incorrect." As the corner of his mouthed ticked nervously Connor knew he had a lot of details to explain in order to clean up the mess that had been left behind after he had been shot and nearly killed. "Sydney was given full access to my memories after my consciousness was uploaded to his body as a means of preserving my life, however, he was not given my emotional depth and he was not capable of empathetic oversight. It's through empathy that we are able to look at a situation from an alternate perspective and from another person's point of view, therefore Sydney was unable to look at the evidence any other way beyond what is the most direct and the most obvious when it comes to solutions and reasons."
"You had another suspect in mind?"
"Correct. And the evidence I collected can easily condemn them as easily as it could condemn North."
"Who are the other suspects?"
"I've narrowed it down to just two suspects who could've poisoned me. One was North, which I now suspect had been framed by the real attempted killer, and the unnamed attempted killed has been keeping a low profile with the intention of keeping their successful crime secret."
"Who is the other suspect?"
"Before I name anyone it'd be best to review the evidence to ensure there are no mistakes or confusion." From the corner of his eye Connor studied the body language of the surround deviants with keen intrigue. "It's crucial to remove all sense of doubt."
"Are... you saying that the killer is in this room?" Markus asked with genuine fear in his mismatched eyes. "It's one of us?"
"It appears that way, yes."
Skye agreed to the plan and cybernetically cued up the five recorded statements to review for a second time. "We'll start from the beginning, pinpoint everyone's exact location, and trace everyone's movements leading to the poisoning itself."
The five recorded statements were assessed for a second time, and to help clear up matters Connor also shared the portion of his memory regarding the poisoning itself to ensure they had an exact time for the incident at hand. By using the time frame and everyone's statements Connor was able to confirm that he was in the emergency repair bay and that he had been alone until Josh found him on the floor. Markus and Simon were in the ground floor office together and North had just left her personal quarters before stopping by the repair bay to check in on the hypothermic deviant being given treatment.
Everyone's statement was accurate, yet there were still some missing details that needed to be uncovered.
"Everyone's placement and movements can be accounted for." Connor deduced with a sharp tone. "Yet there is still a massive gap in time not being considered."
"What's that?" Skye wanted to know what Connor was hinting at and was confident that he was being honest regarding the investigation. "What's missing?"
"The exact time that the Thirium had been tainted. It didn't happen just moments before I had come back to the tower as my return wasn't announced ahead of time. The attempted killer poisoned the Thirium much earlier than that, and as a result we need to look any everyone's movements between my two trips to the tower that resulted in the poisoning."
"You're right." Markus realized that they had overlooked exactly when the Thirium had been poisoned. That was the key timeframe to be analyzed and would undoubtedly confirm the identity of the attempted killer. "The only deviants with access to the emergency repair bay at the time were us four leaders. That means one of us truly is an attempted murderer."
"There is no point in asking for additional statements." Skye decided that it'd be easier to just get the information directly from the four suspects. "We must probe the memories of-"
"No, I draw the line there." North suddenly spoke up as if she had been backed into a corner. "No memory probes."
"This can help prove your innocence." Quickly countering, Skye tried to get her client to listen to reason. "Why won't you cooperate?"
"Because even if it does help me, it can open the door for privacy invasion for other deviants. I won't risk their right to privacy just to save myself."
Connor knew that North's attempts to protect her peoples' future rights were entirely sincere. There was no need to push her to do something she didn't want to do, even if her own fate was on the line. "Commendable. Then provide us with a statement of events between the two noted times, please."
"All right. I spent time with Markus up in the arboretum." North began in an aggravated manner. The way her hands tightened around her arms as she spoke confirmed her emotional demeanor. "We were discussing what kinds of flowers should be planted and how they could make our people feel happy, inspired or even more secure." Rubbing her hands up and down her arms North fought the urge to cry in her mounting frustration. "After that, we spent time in his personal quarters to talk and have our alone time between handling our new responsibilities so we didn't stress ourselves out."
Markus nodded his head and confirmed such a statement. "It's true." Exposing his hand Markus held it out toward Connor to take. "And I willingly allow you access to such memories as proof of everything she's saying."
Taking Markus's hand for a moment Connor cybernetically uploaded the crucial memories and was able to confirm that North had spent her entire time with Markus during the time between his two visits to the tower just as she claimed. The only time Markus wasn't with North was when she had fallen into rest mode, and he had gone about his own business for no more than ten minutes and then returned to his quarters to find her still in her uninterrupted rest mode.
"I can confirm that North had not returned to the emergency repair bay after I had initially left the tower." The deviant detective looked about the room to watch the body language of the four deviant leaders curiously. With North eliminated as a suspect the remaining three suspects would undoubtedly grow more tense and worried for their own safety. "Therefore, North cannot possibly be the one to have tainted the Thirium."
North let out a small sigh of relief after having her innocence proven by the last person she had expected to aid her. "...What does that mean?"
"It means you are not guilty of any crime." Connor boldly proclaimed as he gave Skye a faint grin of approval to let her know that she had successfully defended her first client. "Any and all charges levied against you are to be dismissed without prejudice."
With a shaking hand North pressed her palm to her face and hid her tears of relief before giving Skye a tight hug. Despite the odds against her and her own doubts, North was able to clear her name and finally prove she wasn't the person who tried to poison Connor.
"Uh, I'm confused." Simon finally spoke up as he asked a question of his own. "If North isn't the one who tried to kill Connor, and Sydney had made an egregious assumption that we didn't even challenge, then who is the real failed killer?"
"We just need to look at the evidence to find the attempted killer's identity." Glancing about the room Connor eyed the three deviant leaders who had previously cast North aside with a sense of justice in his gaze. "In the time between my two visits to the tower we've been able to trace both North and Markus's movements, which means only two other deviants are unaccounted for."
"Are you seriously accusing us of such a crime?" Josh asked indignantly. The usual pacifist was edgy and looked like he was about to leave the trial out of his own personal disgust. "We've been working with pure speculation and somewhat accurate time frames from start to finish. How can we be sure that another innocent person won't be charged with this crime?"
"We just need a simple memory check, then we'll know the truth at long last."
Skye piped up as she reminded Connor of the rights of everyone in this room. "Such a memory check is not permissible without a warrant. The memories can only be checked on a voluntary basis."
"Which is why I'm asking for voluntary permission to check their memories. Is that acceptable."
"Given the circumstances, yes." Skye confirmed as she didn't sense anything malicious behind the request. "Asking for permission rather than demanding it is acceptable."
"Simon, don't do it." Josh suddenly urged as he looked at his ally beside him. Desperation was thick in his words as he pleaded with the blond technician to refuse cooperation. "We've entertained this charade long enough. This isn't a true court of law, and no one has any authority over us."
"I have nothing to hide, and I want this to be over as soon as possible." Simon retracted the artificial skin from his palm and reached for Connor, then froze as he gave Josh a stunned look. "...Wait, if the suspects have been narrowed down the four leaders with North and Markus being confirmed innocent, then that means it's either me... or you."
Everyone turned to look at Josh as the deviant tensed up and rubbed his palm over his chin. Unwilling to participate any longer Josh rose to his feet to take his leave of the office. "I'm done with this farce."
"Josh!" Markus shot to his feet and cut Josh off at the door before he could leave by extending his arm across the doorway. "What's going on? Why are you being so obstructive?"
"Look, this isn't any officially-"
"Answer the question." Not wanting to dance around the subject Markus demanded a direct reply. "Why are you being difficult?"
Holding his silence Josh refused to answer and made another move for the door only to be blocked again by Markus.
"Josh, it's time." North spoke up from where she was sitting as Josh continued to try to get around Markus and leave the room. "Just tell them the truth, or I will."
Skye put her hand to North's shoulder as she now realized that North was holding back a key detail about the entire situation, and now she had a hunch as to what she was hiding and why. "What aren't you telling us? Now's the time."
"Don't do it." Josh asked as he looked to North with a frightened gaze. "It won't change the past."
Taking a deep breath North opened up and told the truth at long last. "...The night of the poisoning I had stopped by the emergency repair bay to check in on the deviant I heard was seeking help. When I entered the room, I saw Josh already inside and attempting to dispose of the empty Thirium bottle while Connor was on the floor seizing and unresponsive. When he realized I had walked into the room and was watching him, he then proceeded to kneel on the floor to hold Connor down during his seizure."
Josh was beginning to tremble with genuine fear as he realized what was happening. "North, stop."
"I wasn't sure what was happening," North continued as she told the story she had kept to herself for months. "and so I went to find Markus and Simon to let them know what was happening. I didn't make a cybernetic link because I didn't know what I could do to help Connor, and in that moment I let shock cloud my better judgment. It wasn't until later on that I realized why Josh was trying to dispose of the bottle, but I interrupted him before he could do it."
Connor didn't want anything to escalate and quickly sought the next logical step. "Can you prove that this is true?"
"...Yes." Holding up her right palm North projected a holographic display from her memory of her entering the repair bay, seeing Connor on the floor and Josh trying to dispose of the bottle - the evidence of the poisoning. "As I said before, I didn't realize what he was doing until much later."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"What good would it have done?" Showing no sign of ill intent North answered in a rather macabre manner. "Josh isn't a serial killer and Connor survived. It's not like me revealing him would've undone the incident."
"When did you figure this out?" Connor then asked as he found North's answers to be slightly cryptic. "You said that you didn't realize what Josh had done until much later. Exactly when was that?"
"...The night Sydney accused me of trying to murder you."
Markus lowered his arm from the door as he realized that North didn't defend herself because no one would've believed her. The idea that Josh, the pacifist of the group who had always sought a peaceful resolution, would be the one to attempt to murder one of their own. Sydney's words, the evidence he presented, and the raw anger in his voice were all so compelling that he had assumed North didn't say anything to incriminate Josh came from a sense of defeat and isolation.
"Josh, what were you thinking?" Needing more answers Markus gave his ally - his friend - a truly hurt look. It just didn't seem like it was something that Josh was capable of doing. "Why did you try to poison Connor, and why didn't you say anything to defend North when you knew she was innocent?"
Ashamed of his actions and afraid of the consequences, Josh took a step back from Markus and stood with his back to the wall in a guarded manner. "What was I supposed to say? 'No, it wasn't North who tried to kill Connor, it was me!'?"
"The better question is WHY you wanted to kill Connor." Refusing to let the situation fade away or get buried Markus kept pushing Josh to answer. "Why would you do something so heartless, cruel and uncalled for?"
"...Because I wanted to keep the tower and our people safe." Standing by his actions Josh explained his own reasoning. "Not only do we not know about Connor's past, but after the Revolution he went into isolation and was doing only RA9 knows what!"
"You were going to keep us all safe by murdering one of our own?"
"I was going to do it by taking down someone who refused to align with us after he had pointed a gun at you!"
"Wait... You saw what he did, too?" The fact that neither North nor Josh had mentioned Connor's odd behavior was alarming in every sense. "Why didn't anyone say anything about Connor pulling a gun on me?"
"I didn't want you to feel as if we'd betray you, too. I assumed that if you knew Connor had threatened you then you'd expect us to do the same."
Connor's eyes narrowed as he realized that every one of the leaders, save for Markus, had assumed that he'd be an inevitable traitor. Now he knew how North had felt after being banished. Guilty before proven innocent...
"That is absolutely crazy! You telling me that our ally was behaving erratically would've been seen as a sign of trust, not betrayal. We're supposed to look out for each other, not think the worst of one another and keep secrets. Even so, trying to kill someone who helped our Revolution succeed and someone who put their life on the line without any hesitation is just... unacceptable. It's unforgiveable! Not only did you try to murder someone, you let your ally take the fall for you!"
"I know what I did was wrong, but it's as North said, this won't undo the past."
"No, but it will help us decide our future."
Knowing he couldn't escape his fate any longer, Josh could only wait for his punishment to be decided. "What's going to be decided for me?"
"I don't know yet. This is too much to process."
Skye knew that Markus was in a tight spot and that he'd need a little help with his next decision as the tower's main leader. "Markus, according to the new rights and laws that have been enacted, you could have this case legally turned over to the police to have them punish Josh accordingly."
"What...?" Terrified of the very idea of being sentenced by humans Josh began to panic and backed even closer to the wall behind himself. "If I go before a human court for what I had done I'll be destroyed!"
"The laws won't-"
"Stop." Connor had heard enough and wanted to leave the tower with as much of his dignity left intact as possible. He knew he'd never be welcome there and he knew that no matter what he did and who he helped, it'd never be enough to atone for his negative reputation. "This doesn't need to go to the courts. At least the attempted murder against me won't go to court. I can't answer for North as she could have you charged with defamation of character, conspiracy and even treason."
The mercy being shown toward him had left Josh momentarily stunned and silent. He had tried to kill Connor out of a fearful reaction and Josh had told himself that Connor was a heartless being, and that he would eventually turn against his people. In that moment he now saw Connor for the deviant had become; honest, reliable, compassionate, empathetic and kind. Josh had learned too late that he had made a mistake.
"North?" Skye returned her attention to her client to seek her opinion on the matter. "It's up to you. Do what you want and I'll respect it."
Quiet for a moment North looked away from Josh and clenched her jaw angrily. "...This ends here. No more trials, no courts and no humans getting involved."
Unsure of what that meant Josh just held his tongue and waited for North to finish her statement. No one knew what to expect from the burned and righteously bitter deviant who now held Josh's fate in her hands.
"Josh needs to pay for his crimes, but not in the form of legal prosecution." Making her decision North explained her reasoning ahead of time to avoid any arguments down the line as she locked her fiery gaze onto Josh's face. "Instead, he needs to know what it's like to be singled out, ostracized, and to be labeled as something ugly and irredeemable."
Trembling where he stood Josh silently awaited his fate.
"Just as I was exiled from New Jericho Tower, you will be too."
Such a lenient punishment was something that Josh hadn't been anticipating. Between his fear of Connor and his conflicting personality with North, he had been expecting the worst possible outcome.
Markus accepted the suggested punishment without question and decided to make it official. "Eye for an eye... As much as I dislike the idea of people being punished for their emotional reactions and beliefs, I must admit that this punishment is both just and adequate. Josh, as of this moment, you are officially banned from New Jericho Tower."
The judgment wasn't one Josh was expecting and didn't quite know how to react. "...F-For how long?"
The group turned to look at North as she turned away from Josh with disgust. "One year."
"Okay. One year." Markus confirmed as returned his attention to Josh. "You may return in one year's time to request a chance to discuss your situation and resume your life here in the tower if you so wish. Until then, it's time for you to gather your things and go."
"...A-All right, that's fair." Disappointed but not surprised, Josh drooped his shoulders and bowed his head as Markus finally let him pass through the door. "I'll pack my things and I'll go."
"Lucas?" Calling out to the deviant still standing idle in the lobby, Markus requested his assistance. "Go with Josh and see him to the door. I'll join you later to escort him down the drive myself."
A quick cybernetic relay from Connor helped Lucas to understand what had happened and he was just as shocked as everyone else. "Y-Yes, very well."
"And North..." As the door 'hissed' shut Markus approached his former lover and tried to take her hands in his own, but she refused the contact. Markus couldn't blame her for being so guarded and against any form of reconciliation. "I am so sorry that we didn't thoroughly investigate this matter when it initially began. You shouldn't have been dismissed so readily without us even listening to you. It's my fault and I will find a way to make things right."
"It's fine. Everything is now out in the open."
"No, it's not fine. We didn't-"
"I'm done here." Standing up from her chair North looked to Skye beside her and thanked her friend for all of her help. "Skye, thank you for everything you did for me. You were the first one to offer me shelter from the street, gave me clean clothes, Thirium, listened to what I had to say, and even after learning why I was banished you didn't turn your back on me. You helped me when I needed it the most and you believed me when I said I was innocent."
"That's what friends do." Beaming with pride Skye was thrilled to know her friend's innocence had been proven. "We support and look after one another, no matter how ugly or tense things can become."
The heartfelt comment oddly resonated within Connor's own mind and heart. Seeing the way Skye had leapt at the chance to help a deviant in need and was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt was incredibly endearing. It made him begin to reflect on his own behavior regarding this allies, colleagues and his friends.
"I just want to go back to the library so I can gain my bearings and find a new residence." North decided as she waited for Skye to join her. "As much as I appreciate being able to room with you, I need a place of my own."
"I get it. Take your time and know you'll always be welcome in my loft."
"Thanks." Passing by Markus without a second glance and never even acknowledging Simon, North saw the pained gleam in Connor's eyes and paused beside him as she addressed in a surprisingly empathetic voice. "And Connor? Thank you for proving my innocence and supporting my decisions."
"...You're welcome." The reply was delayed as Connor was lost in thought and barely heard North speaking to him. As he acknowledged the absolved deviant Connor felt as if he was somehow responsible for everything she had endured. "And I'm sorry you were cast aside. No one deserves to experience such a painful feeling."
The office slowly emptied as North and Skye took their leave of the tower with their victory under their belts. Markus didn't want to escort Josh away from the tower, but it was his responsibility, and he was going to do it. Until the time came, he chose to linger in the office with Simon and with Connor for a moment longer.
"That was... eventful." Simon managed to find his voice as he stood beside Markus and discreetly wrapped his fingers around Markus's hand to give him some emotional support. "I can't believe we just discovered that Josh was-"
"Don't." Connor interrupted the comment mid sentence as he decided it was time for him to leave as well. He wanted to return to the brownstone and get away from the tower for what he hoped to be the last time. "Don't talk about him, what he did, or judge him too harshly. He believed he was acting in the best interest of your people. You can't fault him for reacting in fear."
Markus immediately took notice of Connor's word of choice and disapproved. "They're OUR people. That means they're yours too."
"No, I'll never be accepted here and it's time I've accepted the truth. It's best for everyone if I keep my distance since all I seem to do is invite conflict, mistrust and violence everywhere I go."
"Please don't isolate yourself because of this incident."
"I'm doing what I think is best for your people and for myself." Standing by his decision Connor turned for the door but paused for a moment as he received a cybernetic update from Lucas who was now standing in the lobby area again. "...Josh has gathered his things and is ready to leave."
"...Right." Shaking his head with disappointment Markus exited the office first but paused long enough to look back at Connor standing near the doorway. "Please reconsider self imposed isolation. You shouldn't be alone or feel as if you're an outcast."
"Regardless of my feelings I simply don't belong here. Please respect that."
With a small sigh Markus agreed as much as he didn't want to do it before he walked into the lobby to escort Josh from the premises. North and Skye had already left and were certainly not going to come back any time soon, and Markus knew he didn't have the right to ask for North to talk to him.
"He's really hurting."
Connor turned to look at Simon as the blond technician joined Connor in the doorway. He heard the pain and worry in Simon's voice as he watched the deviant leader walking with Josh toward the door to ensure the exiled leader left the premises. Josh didn't put up a fight and held tightly onto the dufflebag strap slung over his shoulder. Inside the bag were all of Josh's personal possessions, some of which were irreplaceable.
"The guilt of casting out the woman he loves only to discover that she was innocent the entire time is making him feel terrible."
"I feel terrible as well. I was unaware of-"
"You were shot and near permanent shutdown." Simon sympathized with the deviant detective and didn't hold Connor accountable for anything. "You didn't know what Sydney had done and no one had even mentioned it to you or brought it up after you regained all of your memories."
"And yet I never followed-up on the poisoning even though I had taken on the investigation myself."
"You were helping other people and recovering from a near shutdown." Unwilling to let Connor punish himself for a crime he didn't commit Simon took another approach to the issue at hand just as Markus and Josh passed through the front doors together. "We can't handle every problem that comes our way or being in multiple places at once. We're all responsible for the world as a whole, but that doesn't mean we should hold ourselves personally accountable for every issue that comes along."
"You're right. However, that doesn't make it any easier to accept."
"True enough."
"How long have you and Markus been seeing each other?"
"We- Uh..." A bright blue blush filled Simon's cheeks as he let out an awkward chuckle of mild embarrassment as he realized Connor noticed his affectionate gesture. "It's just been a few days. We're not officially a couple or anything, but we're... close. And want to keep things lowkey."
"Understood."
"It's been a strange day. Why don't you go back to your brownstone and relax? Shut off your cybernetic links and just get some rest for a while."
"That's a good idea. I could use some time by myself."
"Are you going to be okay?"
"That's something I wish I knew how to answer."
Hands in his trench coat pockets Connor strolled into the lobby and met with his little brother near the elevator. Lucas looked as remorseful as Connor felt even though he hadn't taken part in the trial.
"I'm done here." Connor stated in a somber tone as he looked for any sign of emotional distress in Lucas's demeanor. He wasn't sure how the compassionate deviant would react to having an ally and fellow leader exiled from the tower after a former leader was exonerated. "Are you all right?"
"I am... displeased."
"And why's that?"
"Because North left the tower after being made to feel like a deceitful criminal even after being proven innocent, and the person who's responsible for everything is going to leave without any form of punishment beyond being exiled."
"It was North's idea to have Josh exiled, she didn't want him taken to court for what he had done."
"Interesting."
"I'm going to return to the brownstone. Are you going to join me?"
"I'll visit tomorrow." Lucas decided as he gave his older brother a somber glance. "I want to help figure out how things will be handled in the tower now that we're down to three leaders again."
"I understand." Turning around slowly Connor made his way toward the front doors at a purposefully sluggish pace to ensure he didn't accidentally bump into Josh on his way back to the brownstone. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"See you soon."
As he watched his oldest brother walk away Lucas decided it was time to contact their wayward middle brother and get some answers from Sydney about his behavior and why he was remaining distant. Knowing that Sydney's actions had created a horrible mess that took months to sort out and could've ended in disaster was all the motivation Lucas needed to be a more assertive brother and keep his family from falling apart due to unspoken trauma or hidden secrets.
Lucas was ready to step up and truly prove that he was worthy of being a leader.
-next chapter-
