~WARNING: Strong sexual adult-themed content ahead. You have been warned.~

~Connor~

Never in a million years did Connor think that he would ever be standing outside in the cold with Sumo waiting for Reed to return. Sumo, who was taking forever to take care of his business, shuffled around the snow as Connor peered up and down the very empty streets. No, never in a million would he have predicted this. And yet here he was waiting, and he had been waiting for nearly two hours now.

Connor scanned the streets, listening for the hum of Reed's engine, the blast of heavy metal, or the screeching of his tires against the asphalt. Anything to bring him some peace of mind. Although, he had also been listening to the sound of Hank snoring from the couch, which did bring him some comfort; it did not help despite the unease that tickled his fingertips. At least one of the humans, who he was trying to keep alive, was getting some rest.

Connor acknowledged that many people found the sound of snoring to be ranked amongst the top ten annoyances in a relationship. Connor, however, enjoyed it. He enjoyed many things that other people found annoying. For instance, the sound of Hank's loud chewing brought him comfort. He was happy that Hank enjoyed his food. The sound of Hank singing obnoxiously in the shower reminded him that neither of them could hold a tune. Connor was not programmed for singing, though he could easily rectify it. It was not his concern. He rather liked having something in common with Hank.

Indeed, Connor had discovered many things about himself during his time with Hank and he could not wait to experience more. The thought of his future seemed forever entwined with that of Hank Anderson.

"Sumo, come on," Connor ordered as Sumo sauntered back towards the house.

Connor scrolled through his text messages to Reed.

1:36 AM Connor: [Why are you not in route?]

1:43 AM Reed: [Shut the fuck up.]

1:48 AM Connor: [You are cutting it close, Reed.]

1:52 AM Connor: [Reed?]

1:57 AM Connor: [Reed, I will come to get you.]

1:58 AM Connor: [You have 2 minutes remaining.]

1:59 AM Connor: [Reed!?]

2:00 AM Connor: Timer chimed

Connor placed another call to Reed. He got no response. Closing the door behind him and Sumo, Connor grabbed Hank's phone and tried him from there. Again, no answer. He circled the kitchen and cleaned what he could as he placed a call to Chris, who might have known where he was. Reed could have been ignoring him, it surely would not be the last.

"Connor, everything okay?" Chris asked with sirens blaring in the background.

"Have you heard from Detective Reed?" He asked.

"No, hold on a sec," Chris checked over the radio. "Gavin status?"

Again nothing.

"Should I go check on him?" Connor asked.

"No, I'll go. I'm sure he just crashed." Chris' confidence assured him. "Sit tight. I'll call you when we wrap up here."

"Okay, I'll try him once more," Connor replied.

"Sounds good."

Another hour had passed, and dawn was approaching. Connor tried again and received no response. He had spoken to Chris an hour ago. He felt like shit for being so impatient, but RK900 was on the loose. There was just too much going on for Connor not to be worried. For the better half of a week, Reed had been a thorn in both Hank and Connor's sides. It was doubt easier to deal with the two hostile airheads than his android peers who hated him.

Connor watched as Hank tossed and turned nearly falling off the couch for the third time. Luckily for Hank, Connor was there to catch him each time. As Connor muddled around the house eager for something to distract himself, but there was nothing to do. So, Connor stood over Hank struggling to keep his ticks in check. He grimaced as his software instability rippled then stabilized. When Hank grew too quiet, Connor scanned him to make sure he was breathing. He did not need to touch him, but he could not help himself.

"Hank," Connor gently stroked Hank's forehead.

As soon as Sumo realized what Connor was doing, he jumped up and began licking Hank's face.

Hank leaped up, "Connor!" He shouted.

Connor erupted into laughter. "That wasn't me."

"Sumo!" Hank shouted, ruffling Sumo's head, before wiping the saliva from his mouth and the sleep from his eyes. "Dammit, Connor, you're already dressed."

"When you don't sleep, you have no choice but to be proactive," Connor said, following Hank into the bathroom.

"Stop bragging Connor," Hank groaned as he went through his morning routine. "Are you going to follow me around like a poodle?"

Connor grinned. "Yes." He paused. "Would you prefer I wait in the living room?" He asked, watching as Hank dressed.

"No," Hank replied, looking Connor over. "What is it?"

"I haven't heard back from Detective Reed," Connor informed.

"I'm sure he's fine," Hank replied with a sneer before examining Connor's face. "Why? Are you worried?"

Connor looked up at Hank, "a little." He admitted, but his answer did not seem to sit right with Hank.

It would have been great if they could have slept the day away. Connor only wished he could sleep. He stepped into the bathroom, Connor noticed Hank's heart racing as he claimed the space that separated them. Dark thoughts seeped through the positive moments that he had worked so hard to hold onto.

"Hank," he whispered as he took Hank's hand in his. "If something happens to me…"

~Hank~

Hank did not need a crystal ball to know where this conversation was going. He had been here a million times before, both in reality and in his nightmares. Nightmares that he wished were far from the truth. Nightmares that masqueraded as dreams. Not even minutes ago, Hank had woken from a one that made his blood run cold. Connor and RK900 standing over his dead body smiling down at him. Their smiles were dark and lifeless, something he never wanted to see again.

Hank was not going to let Connor finish his sentence. He leaned forward hard, his lips were hard-pressed against Connor's always flawless touch. He could have stayed there as their tongues danced around each other. He pushed Connor up against the wall and devoured him slowly as the words he refused to hear faded into the backdrop.

Connor did not seem opposed to the assault of passion that now fueled Hank's every move. He filled the space between them with his body as Connor yanked at his shirt. With his free hand, Hank eased Connor deeper into his mouth. The feeling consumed his body and soul. Hank had tasted heaven and hell as Connor melted into him.

Without a word, Hank piled away from Connor's lips and walked him into the bedroom. His body burned with tension as Connor removed his shirt. Hank watched with a tinge of hesitation as Connor peppered kisses down his chest and licked the trail of hairs that led to his throbbing cock. Hank let out a sinful moan that tainted the air with a feverish thirst that needed to be quenched.

Hank grabbed Connor by the waist and pulled him onto the bed. He kissed him hard and long as Connor whimpered with pleasure, the sound rattled his nerves. He devoured Connor's scent as their bodies collided. Every move Hank made; Connor matched tenfold. Their hands took on a life of their own as they explored one another's bodies with vigor and delicacy.

Hank sighed woefully as Connor reached into Hank's boxers and wrapped his delicate fingers around Hank's manhood. He could contain himself as he thrust hard against Connor's touch. His dick swelled with excitement as he lost himself in the waves of lust. He did not care about what people might think, Hank was in love with the feelings he thought had vanished.

It was not just about the sex, he knew that his life would not be the same if Connor disappeared. There was no fighting that reality. He wanted Connor. He wanted him all to himself. Hank had spent too much time shutting people out and too much time shutting his emotions out. As Connor's soft gaze met his, he knew there was no going back, but he knew that. It was a realization that he had come to the moment he heard Connor's voice three weeks ago.

"Connor," Hank whispered as he ran his hand through Connor's hair. "I..." he muttered.

Connor stopped and pressed his head against Hank's chest. His dick was throbbing against Connor's stomach, the soft hum a reminder of just how different they were. Hank wanted to do more, but he was not sure how far they could go.

"You don't have to say anything," Connor said as he stroked Hank's beckoning manhood.

"No," Hank said, sitting upright despite the urge to slip into Connor's tainted touch. "I need you to stop," he whimpered as Connor's stroking continued, increasing gradually as Hank began to curdle.

Hank grew weak as Connor suckled at his neck, how sinful and contradictory he had been. His words of accusation against humanity for their lack of companionship with one another, he now regretted. Because here he was, reaching his peak as his toes curled under the sweet feeling that was building in his cock. Hank could not stop himself. No matter how hard he tried to hold back the feeling, he failed. And again, he let out a low grumbly moan that made the bed shake as his cum cascaded down Connor's fingers.

"Fuck," he cried, collapsing back onto the bed.

Hank drowned out everything, all he could see was Connor smiling deviously at him as if he had won.

"We need to go," Connor said before going to the bathroom.

Hank quickly collected himself, he grabbed a shirt from the floor and wiped himself clean. His ribs ached a little as he got up from the bed. He sighed as Connor exited the bathroom, he noticed a familiar look flash across Connor's face. A look of deceit as if Connor was trying to hide something. Hank had a gut feeling that something was off with Connor. Not just his facial expression, but his behavior, it was not all bad but sometimes it felt as if he was forcing himself to do something. Later, he would ask him after he worked up the courage to tell Connor how he truly felt.

~~ Jericho~~

~Connor~

Connor drove to Jericho in a stew of silence, his mind was flooded with possibilities. He had so many choices to make and not all of them would make Hank happy. Despite Hank's obvious pensive demeanor, Connor kept his mouth shut and played Hank's favorite songs on the car stereo. After the third song, Hank did not seem to mind the distraction.

"Inbound call from Detective Reed," Connor altered Hank as his phone began to ring.

"Hey, Lieutenant," Chris said as Hank put the phone on speaker. "Reed's fine. He crashed on his couch." Chris reported.

Connor sighed in relief. "Thanks, Chris."

"Tell to get his ass to work," Hank ordered before hanging up. "Satisfied?"

Connor nodded as Hank shook his head and leaned back in his seat. He did not think Hank was mad at him, but when Hank folded his arms, he knew better than to broach the subject. Connor owed Chris, he had done so much for him since his return. There was not much he could offer him, but he would surely make it up to Chris somehow.

"Hank," Connor started as he pulled into a parking spot outside of Jericho. "Wait here…for Reed please. I'll update you when I return."

Hank was about to say something when they looked up to see Simon standing in front of the car. Whatever Hank was about to say would have to wait until he got back.

"Hi, Simon," Connor said as he exited the car.

"Welcome back, Connor, and nice to see you again Lieutenant," Simon smiled.

"Yeah, hey, Simon," Hank replied as Connor tossed him the keys. "Don't take too long."

Connor nodded with a grin, he had to keep things short, he did not want to say here longer than he had to. The voices were already seeping in as he joined Simon.

"The Deviant Hunter…he's returned…the android hunter is back…"

Connor tried to tune them out as he looked back to see Hank watching him as they made their way down the port.

"Connor," Simon called in the same calm voice he had always used. "How many more of us are they going to take?"

"Unfortunately, I can't answer that question. If we want them to keep their guns down then we have to play by their rules." Connor saw the disappointment on Simon's face.

Had Connor been a child, he might have felt as though he had disappointed his parents. The look on Simon's face was heavy and concerning that Connor wished he would have put a stop to all this long ago.

"Don't say that too loud, North might hear you." Simon jested, but Connor grimaced.

"Is she here?" He asked, checking his surroundings.

"Markus put her in charge of parts and services today, thank RA9." They laughed.

"After your colleagues from the police station came by yesterday, we all feared the worst." Simon smiled acceptingly before escorting him to Markus's studio. "Everyone's doing their best to keep an eye for any unusual behavior."

"I will put an end to this," Connor reassured him as they walked by the gathering hall.

Connor did his best not to make eye contact with them but their words rang loudly in his head.

"I've missed you, Simon," Connor said, tuning out their slurs.

"I've missed you too, Connor. Your ability to so easily maneuver and work alongside humans fascinates me. I admit I am a bit jealous of you and Markus." Simon said, matching Connor's stride. "I know things were hard for you here, but this will always be your home."

Simon's words only made Connor feel more insecure about the decisions he had made. He was not going to return to Jericho, but it did make him wonder how his life would have been different had he stayed. Ultimately, he was happy with most of his decisions, though he was reminded of the human lives he had taken every time he saw Kairi. Every event in his short life had led him here. Thankfully, he had Hank in his life, he reminded him that regret was inevitable no matter how hard he fought against it. It was a natural feeling to experience.

"Thank you," Simon turned to look at Connor before opening the doors to Markus' studio. "I have a favor to ask."

"By all means," Simon encouraged.

"Have any of the new androids coming in been flagged?" Connor asked. "And has anything gone missing?"

"Not that I have noticed, we do morning and evening logging as discussed. Ivan has been the only one to go missing," Simon paused, flipping through his memories. "There is one thing, Connor."

"What?"

Simon mouthed the words instead of speaking, "Ivan worked with North on guard duty. She's missed curfew twice from what Josh told me. Markus was supposed to speak with her before you arrived but..." Simon stepped back as the doors to Markus' studio slid open.

"I was just wondering what was taking so long," Markus stated, gesturing for Connor to join him.

Simon did not follow them in, he only nodded gently before closing the doors behind them. Connor wanted to know what he was about to say, but it would have to wait. Maybe he could extract some more information from Markus.

"Hi, Markus, I have some questions to ask you and I want to apologize for my mishandling of Ivan," Connor admitted. "Ivan threatened the lives of Hank and Detective Reed."

"Your colleagues said as much the other day when they threatened me at the gates of our home," Markus replied harshly to Connor's remarks. "They said you were busy, naturally, I could not allow them access to the androids that were recently rescued. It would be too...traumatic."

Connor nodded, feeling slightly uncomfortable by the soft edge of Markus's voice.

"Sorry, complications arose yesterday," Connor started, watching Markus, who seemed to have his attention elsewhere. "I came to warn you..."

"Connor," Markus interrupted calmly. "But we have a guest."

Connor looked around the room, the scanned, noticing what had Markus acting so oddly calm and strange. Connor felt a rush of heat spread across his body. Despite Connor's feelings toward Kamski, he knew how Markus felt. The two of them were close thanks to their mutual friend Carl. Connor did not know the details of their relationship, he only knew what Markus and Kamski had so casually shared with him. Kamski had been a fan of Carl's work for many years. At some point in time, Carl painted several pieces of work specifically for Kamski. Artwork that Connor had seen at Kamski's home. As a thank Kamski gifted Carl with a top-of-the-line hand-crafted android.

"Connor," Kamski asked in his typical modulated voice. "Nice to see you again."

Connor stood rigidly in the middle of the room as Kamski and Chloe approached him.

"Kamski and I were just discussing your desire to assets the DPD as well as your many accomplishments." Markus started humbly.

"You flatter me," Connor said, turning to greet Chloe.

This Chloe was not the one he had befriended. Connor was sure that this Chloe was the same one that he nearly shot in the head a month ago. She was cold and emotionless. Deviancy did not seem to have affected her, though Connor was not sure if deviancy even applied to the Chloes. Much like himself and Markus, Chloe was different. Different in ways that Connor did not fully understand yet.

Markus side-hugged Connor as Kamski stood and applauded their closeness.

"Bravo," Kamski said, placing both his hands over his heart. "This…this right here. Seeing the two of you together again brings me such joy. Like a proud parent seeing his children reconcile."

Connor felt physically and mentally ill. If he had a stomach, he would have thrown up its contents twice over. Chloe stood three feet away her eyes taking in everything but she remained void of emotion. Connor stumbled back Kamski stepped toward him.

"What's wrong?" Markus whispered. "Don't be mad."

"Another time," Connor asserted, placing his hands behind his back. "What brings you here, Kamski?"

"Kamski has been funding Jericho's reconstruction," Markus admitted, oblivious to the mask that Kamski was wearing.

"Does that include smuggling bio components and blue blood into Jericho?" Connor questioned.

"What! No!" Markus said defensively, taking a step back to examine Connor's face.

Kamski laughed delicately, "Connor, have you come to take more of your brethren away? How many more androids must you hail off before you realize there won't be many of your kind left?"

Markus stood between him and Kamski, and Connor was glad he did. This is what Reed must feel like, the constant need to hit someone for simply opening their mouth had Connor's fist curled and itching for a fight.

"I have a job to do," Connor said firmly.

"Playing cowboy and executioner for the DPD must be a vice for you then?" Kamski jested.

"Jericho is a haven for androids all across the nation. It is also a prime opportunity for smugglers, red ice druggies, and other varieties of ill-intentioned individuals to take advantage of androids." Connor contested as Markus examined his face.

"You think someone here is responsible for the strange occurrences?" Markus asked concern drenching his tone.

Kamski grinned, it was a grin he knew all too well. He was involved somehow.

"I did not say that Markus," Connor looked over to Kamski, whose face was utterly and eerily calm.

"Oh my, he has not told you about RK900?" Kamski said softly.

Connor glowered at Kamski, whose face remained unaffected by his intense look of disdain.

"RK900?" Markus repeated, looking to Connor for answers.

"Yes, an RK900 model has been impersonating me," Connor admitted as he adjusted his sleeves.

"How is that possible?" Markus asked aloud before switching. "I thought you destroyed all your copies."

Markus and Simon were the only ones that knew what he had done. They had not helped him do it, but they knew. Connor nodded, acknowledging that he might have made an error in returning to Cyberlife to destroy his duplicates.

"Connor, I'm sorry," Markus said, sincerely.

"I'm worried that he might come after you," Connor stated. "We're not entirely sure what it wants, but its ability to revert deviancy puts it at the epicenter of the strange behavior being exhibited by androids across the city."

"As it should be," Kamski said, smoothing out his hair.

"Elijah, what do you about it?" Markus asked bluntly, something Connor wish he could do.

"My dear friends," Kamski walked around them as if they were manikins on display. "As the father of androids, many people sought to recreate what I had already perfected. Needless to say that this RK900 is a poor attempt at replicating Connor."

"He's faster, stronger, more resilient," Connor admitted.

"Aren't strengths and weaknesses all part of the human experience continuum? You cannot have one without the other." Kamski gleamed. "Cyberlife wanted what it couldn't have."

"What would that be?" Markus asked.

"Why control of course? Control equals power. Cyberlife already held a monopoly on the android market, but to control the flow of global consumerism. By God, that would impeccable." Kamski laughed. "Lucky for everyone the two of you were able to bring an end to them."

"What can I do to help?" Markus asked, looking at Connor.

"No, stay here and safe, I doubt it would attack you with so many others around," Connor replied softly.

"It is truly a wonderful sight, seeing you all together, isn't Chloe?" Chloe smiled, then nodded as she joined us in the middle of the room.

Connor had been so distracted by their conversation and the unease he felt that he had not noticed Markus' newest artist pieces. Lined along the brick back walls of the studio were several paintings of himself leading the androids out of what could be described as darkness. Others mimicked the events that had taken place in the city square. Peaceful and colorful hues were used that made him wish Spring was here and others were muddy and dark reminding him of nightmares. It was a lot to take in now that he saw them.

"The three of you are very special. Special in ways that only I can understand." Kamski spoke as if his tongue was made of silver. "You getting the coding just right..." he paused, throwing his head back as he reminisced. "It's like creating a masterpiece or a perfect dish. If one line or spice is missing it ruins everything. Humans are like that. Always one step or even three away from perfection. But androids, they're perfect and will always be perfect."

"Kamski!" Connor shouted. "Is this a game to you?"

Kamski laughed. "Not at all."

"Connor, calm down," Markus said, rushing to Connor's side. "How do we stop this RK900?"

"Stop him?" Kamski questioned. "How do you stop a virus that has already begun to spread?"

Connor thought for a moment. "You don't," Connor answered. "You let it run its course. Then, build up a strong offense."

"Exactly," Kamski agreed with a bright smile.