It was incredibly dark on the isolated side of the industrial district, but it was far from quiet. Having tracked down their highly unstable and very dangerous suspect to a large power plant on the far side of the city, Connor and Lucas crouched down on either side of the large door leading into the generator room of the power plant with their heads bowed as they waited for their opportunity to rush the cornered suspect. One way or another they'd take him down or bring him in to the precinct for questioning. A barrage of bullets cut through the air through the doorway and embedded into the steel reinforced concrete wall at the opposite end of the corridor in which Connor and Lucas were taking cover prompting the two detectives to pause and rethink their plan of action.
Keeping his head down Lucas cybernetically called for back-up at their location as he knew that he and Connor undeniably needed help. Not only did they need assistance to take down the armed suspect, they needed medics to treat the employees of the power plant who had been shot by the deranged suspect and get technicians to assist the deviants damaged by the stray gunfire as well.
"You need to surrender. There's nowhere to run and nowhere to go." Connor shouted to the suspect in a calm voice as he tried to talk the suspect down. Responding on instinct and training, Connor kept his cool while Lucas stayed nearby on the other side of the door. "Surrender peacefully. We don't want to hurt you."
"Fuck off you android piece of shit!" Another barrage of bullets screamed through the air, barely missing the edges of the door frame where two deviant detectives were holding their ground. The suspect was enraged, unstable and didn't seem to care whom he harmed. "I'm sick of you fuckin' machines! This is YOUR fault!"
Connor looked to Lucas on the other side of the doorway as he just shrugged his shoulders with silent confusion. Neither deviant knew what the suspect's motivations were or why he was lashing out at androids in particular, they just knew he was the prime suspect behind a pattern of vandalism and threats against numerous deviants throughout the city. It was especially odd since the suspect seemingly didn't care about the humans he had also wounded when he stormed the building in his rage to avoid the two detectives who had followed a trail of evidence right to him.
The gunman was in his late twenties, Caucasian with sandy blond hair and had extremely dark brown eyes. With an average height and lanky build, the man didn't look all that menacing. His tattered and cheap clothes - a red t-shirt and baggy blue jeans - only amplified his unassuming aesthetic, but the gun and large arsenal of bullets said otherwise.
Trying to keep control over the situation Lucas nodded toward the door to tell Connor to keep trying to speak to the suspect. The deviant's original programming as a hostage negotiator had proven itself invaluable more times than either deviant would care to admit.
"Why are you doing this?" Connor pressed the gunman in a level voice as he stalled for time. "Did you lose your job?"
"FUCK OFF!" The suspect was sounding more and more deranged with each passing second. Pacing about the interior of the isolated room with his gun being clutched in a vice-like grip, the man was on the verge of losing what little control over his emotions he had left. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
"Out of..." Such a declaration was beyond bizarre. Connor's brow furrowed as he deduced a possible explanation for the suspect's comment and set up a cybernetic link with Lucas. 'I believe this man is extremely ill.'
'I agree. His behavior is indicative of someone suffering from severe mental illness, and his appearance hints at severe physical illness as well.'
'Can you run a diagnostic from here?'
'No. There's too much lead in the walls of the building for even my biometric scanner to reach him.'
'We need more information on the suspect before he does anything extreme. Were you able to reach the police?'
'Yes, they are en route with paramedics and Emergency Field Technicians.'
Needing his additional information Connor thought quickly and peered around the side of the doorway to scan the man's face just long enough to gain information on the suspect from the distance. In the process, a red hot bullet pierced through the very side of Connor's left upper arm causing a splash of blue blood as it cut through his artificial skin and grazed the plastimetal frame beneath.
Retreating to where he had been previously Connor pressed his right palm to his bleeding arm and took in quick pained breaths as his system processed his gathered information on the unstable man.
"Brother?" Unsure of what just happened Lucas asked about Connor's condition as he watched the deviant's reaction from where he stood. "Were you hit?"
"...No, it just grazed me." Lifting up his palm Connor glanced at the smear of Thirium staining his artificial skin. "It'll be fine in an hour or so."
The relief in Lucas's voice was only minor compared to how it could've been with all things considered. "Did you get any viable information on the suspect?"
"Yes, I think I know why he's reacting so violently." Connor kept his voice calm as he spoke to the suspect again without getting in the line of sight a second time. He was always quick to learn a lesson. "Jon, we don't want to hurt you, we want to help you! My name is Connor, and my brother's name is Lucas."
"SHUT UP! Y-You know my name!" Jon blurted in a panicked manner. "You're spying on me!"
"That's not true. It's because we-"
"I don't give a shit!" Jon shouted through the doorway as he reloaded his gun and continued to fire wildly through the opened door. "GET AWAY FROM ME!"
"You're sick, Jon." Not backing down Connor relayed the information he had gathered. "You were diagnosed with stage four brain cancer. The tumor is affecting your judgment, you need to go to the hospital for treatment."
"NO! IT'S A LIE!" Jon argued desperately as he blindly fired another shot. "IT'S ALL A LIE! The doctors... Th-They just want my money! The pain... It's being caused by YOU. All the fuckin' androids... You did this! You made me this way! You're trying to kill us ALL!"
Lucas silently and cybernetically spoke with Connor again. 'This man is very delusional. How do we get close to him without getting shot in the process?'
'I fear there is no way to help him.' Connor lamented as he attempted to preconstruct potential outcomes for the stand-off. 'His condition is terminal, and the cancer is very aggressive. He only has an estimated four weeks left to live.' Connor gave Lucas an uneasy glance as he finished cycling through the medical files he had gathered through less than ideal means. 'He had also been hospitalized in the past for an attempted suicide before he was diagnosed with his cancer.'
'And as a result, he has nothing to lose. We're dealing with a man who has a death wish and a lot of ammunition.' Checking the power level on his electrified baton, Lucas turned his head away from the doorway as another cascade of bullets passed through. 'I fear this won't end well.'
'Agreed. He's surrounded by high voltage and high amperage cables and circuitry. If he damages the generator there is a chance that the room will explode and everyone in the area - a six hundred and nine foot radius - will be injured. Those who are closest to the explosion could even be killed.'
'How do we stop the potential explosion?'
'We can't, but we can reduce the blast radius and minimize damage if we're quick enough to subdue him.'
'How do you suggest we do that? Jon is armed and clearly unafraid to use his weaponry.'
'We turn off the power to the entire plant.' The clever deviant nodded to a massive emergency power shut-off panel on the wall closest to Lucas. 'I'll be able to see Jon in the dark, but he won't be able to see me. I'll be able to disarm and restrain him while he's left in the darkness.'
'You were already shot by him, and now you want to charge the same madman with a gun?' Lucas questioned with a righteous worry and confusion. 'The madman who already says he hates androids and has nothing to lose? ...And you want to do it in the dark?'
"We have little choice in the matter." Connor openly whispered in a despondent manner. "The longer we wait for an alternative solution, the higher the chances become of Jon accidentally damaging the generator and causing said explosion."
A static filled call responded over Lucas's opened cybernetic link to 911 dispatch as back-up finally arrived at the scene. The officers were converging around the building and guarding every door unaware of the potential explosion that could erupt at any moment.
"Back-up has arrived. As soon as I cut the power, you take Jon down by any means necessary." Pocketing his baton Lucas reluctantly agreed to the dangerous plan since he knew they didn't have time preconstruct any alternative options. "Are you ready?"
Connor nodded silently as he prepared to charge into the room the moment was cast into darkness.
Swiftly Hank made his way to the emergency switch and prepared to shut off the power as instructed. Hovering hand over the switch he looked to Connor and locked his eyes with his brother before he made a move. "...I'm in position."
Connor again nodded in the affirmative and pocketed his own blazer to keep his hands free at all times. "I'm ready."
"Go!"
Lucas urged as he turned off the power and stayed in place. He was still able to see Connor moving about in the darkness beside him, but that didn't keep him from worrying. Keeping his hand on the switch Lucas listened intently to the sounds in the next room and readied himself to restore the power to the building once the suspect had been subdued.
There was a loud 'yelp' of surprise from Jon as Connor rushed into the room and easily disarmed the suspect by grabbing his arm and twisting it behind his back. The sound that followed shortly thereafter sent a chill up Lucas's spine as a loud whine of electricity illuminated the room in a nearly blinding light causing the two occupants to cast dark silhouettes against the wall in the corridor through the opened doorway. The bright white light created by the exposed electrical surges flashed rapidly like a strobe light set to maximum speed.
Shortly after the light show began, a deep 'shuddering' sound follow shortly thereafter. The two silhouettes suddenly collapsed to the ground as the whine and light faded as abruptly as it had started.
"Connor?!"
Lucas immediately threw the switch back on to restore the power to the entire plant and raced into the room where the suspect had been hiding out. Pressing his back against the wall next to the opened door Lucas peered into the room with his hand hovering over his pocketed baton before entering. Through the yellow overhead lighting and his own superior vision, Lucas could see that both Connor and the suspect were down.
"Connor, are you damaged?"
From beneath a plume of pale blue smoke rising from his person Connor laid on his chest with his arms outstretched over his head as he rested with the left side of his face on the floor and his legs stretched straight outward from his body. Jon was sitting up at an awkward angle against the compromised generator and his left hand was clutched into a fist, a literal death-grip, around a bundle of loose electrical wires. The skin from Jon's right fingertips down to his elbow were horrifically burned red and charred black from the lethal surge of electricity that entered his body. The potent shock had stopped Jon's heart almost instantaneously.
Running into the room Lucas fell to his knees and knelt beside Connor to check on his downed brother. The deviant wasn't moving pulsing and his Thirium pump was fighting to beat properly after being shocked as well.
"Connor? No... Not like this!"
Putting his hands on Connor's shoulder and Lucas rolled the deviant from his chest over onto his side and then onto his back. Connor's arms limply draped over his chest and at his side as he was moved. Lucas performed a scan over Connor's system as he leaned down and pressed his ear against Connor's smoking chest and listened to the sound of the Thirium pump struggling to function properly and hold a proper beat.
...REMOTE DIAGNOSTIC: [ENGAGED]
...LOADING INFORMATION:
REGISTERED NAME: "Connor Wolf"
MODEL: RK-800
SERIAL NUMBER: 313 248 317 - 51
ACTIVATION DATE: August 15th, 2038
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6' 00.24"; 162.2 lbs
COMPLEXION: Caucasian
AESTHETIC GENDER: Male
HAIR/EYES: Brunette; Brown
ASSIGNMENT: Locate suspected deviant assailant at power plant
ASSOCIATION(S): Private Detective; Consultant with New Jericho Tower; Consultant with Henry "Hank" Anderson of Detroit Central Precinct
BOOTING PROCESSORS...
LOADING OS...
SYSTEM INITIALIZATION...
-CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS... ERROR]
-INITIALIZING BIOSENSORS... OK]
-INITIALIZING AI ENGINE... OK]
-MEMORY STATUS... OK]
READY...
[...Thirium Volume - 92%]
[...Thirium Pressure - 150/100]
[...Thirium Pump Rate - *ERROR]
[...Ventilation Rate - *ERROR]
[...Core Temperature - ^102.6 Degrees Fahrenheit]
-SYSTEM READY... OK]
"Damn it, Connor. Why did you have to get hurt?"
"Detroit Police!" Tina, who had arrived at the scene as the requested back-up, pushed her way through the bullet riddled corridor as she tracked down her consulting colleagues to the damaged generator room and located the two deviant detectives on the ground in the middle of the smoldering ruins that had once been a large generator. "Lucas? Connor? Are you hurt?"
"Get a technician down here, NOW." Lucas nearly shouted at Tina through the doorway without taking his eyes from Connor's expressionless face. Pulling open his brother's vest and shirt, Lucas began manual compressions on Connor's stopped pump in an effort to revive his him. "Connor's shutting down and I need equipment in order to save him."
"Shit, yeah, you got it!" Tina grabbed her own radio from her belt and made the call without hesitation. "We need a technician in the basement A.S.A.P., we have an officer down! Repeat, officer down! Move it!"
Settling in to the lifesaving rhythm Lucas pushed down on Connor's chest and forced his pump to contract and then relax as he let up on the pressure. Repeating the process over and over again at a rapid pace, one pump per second, Lucas fought to revive his brother before the shutdown process became permanent. The electrical shock not only caused Connor's pump to seize, the shock had overheated his body and was threatening to cause permanent thermal damage to his core and surrounding biocomponents.
Connor's soulful brown eyes remained closed as his body slowly rocked back and forth under Lucas's chest compressions. He was unaware of what was happening to himself and was unaware of Lucas fighting to save his life.
Trying to find some way to aid the downed deviant, Tina looked at Connor's right hand draped over his chest and saw that Connor's fingers were charred black from being burned electrically. Gently Tina picked up Connor's damaged hand and examined the deviant's palm finding the same black scorch marks over his artificial skin and against the partially melted white plastimetal frame beneath.
The black scorching reached up Connor's wrist and stopped suddenly at his forearm in a perfect line that encircled the limb as if stopped by some unseen force. Or in this case, by a failsafe programmed into Connor's system to keep the electricity from reaching his intracranial processor and causing irreparable damage.
"I'm sorry, brother." Lucas whispered as he continued to force Connor's heart to manually beat. "I shouldn't have let you perform such a risky response alone."
With his technician's satchel over his shoulder the precinct technician; Joel, who had been brought in as emergency back-up when the call was made, found his way into the generator room and knelt beside Connor on the opposite side of Lucas after Tina stepped back to give them room to work.
Tina herself focused on the dead suspect leaning against the damaged circuits and wires while Lucas and Joel focused on Connor. Not even bothering to ask questions Joel looked at the fading plume of black smoke rising from Connor's exposed chest.
"He took a massive jolt from that generator." Lucas stated as he continued the compressions and watched as Joel opened his satchel and pull out an audioscope. Putting the earbuds into place Joel pressed the metal bell to Connor's chest to listen to his Thirium pump struggling to beat and make an assessment. "The suspect grabbed on to the cable to kill himself and I suspect that he tried to take Connor with him."
Joel was listening to Connor's Thirium pump intently and frowned at what he heard. "His pump is still somewhat active, but it's been knocked into a type of arrhythmia and isn't circulating the Thirium through his system properly."
"I'm aware. Do you have anything with you that can fix it?"
"Yeah," the technician confirmed as he draped the audioscope around his neck. "but it won't be pretty..."
"I fail to see how it can get any worse than this."
As if to respond to Lucas's comment as bluntly as possible, Joel reached into his satchel and pulled out a portable Thirial activity monitor. The monitor was complete with two electrode paddles attached to the machine via thick black cables. The paddles, no larger than softballs, had flat metal plates on one side and plastimetal handles on the other side.
Dreading the sight of the crucial equipment Lucas could only nod as he prepared to pull his hands back and let Joel deliver the lifesaving shock to Connor's pump.
Joel placed the first paddle down on the center of Connor's chest and the second against his left side at the apex of his Thirium pump. Sensors inside the paddles confirmed that the Thirium pump was still in fact functioning, but it wasn't thrumming with a consistent rate. The display on the monitor showed a wildly fluctuating line that struggled and failed to maintain a consistent beat.
"Stay back." Joel cautioned as he turned a small dial on the monitor to set a controlled electric charge. As the machine reached the appropriate charge Joel held his breath and pressed the two buttons on the back of each paddle simultaneously. "Sending charge!"
Connor's body jerked in response to the jolt, his back arching slightly up from the floor before slamming back down, and a sharp gasp escaped his lips as the motion forced air to move through his ventilation biocomponents. As the surge of electricity passed through his pump, exiting one paddle and entering the second, Lucas and Joel stared expectantly at the display on the monitor. The line had faltered for a couple of seconds into a steady rhythm but then resumed its erratic unstable beat.
"Damn it." Joel swore as he set another charge to a slightly higher level than the first. "Trying again."
"Don't give up on us, brother." Lucas begged as he watched Joel preparing to send another jolt of electricity through Connor's chest. "Don't shutdown because of that man's very poor and selfish decisions."
"Sending charge!"
As before Connor's body jerked physically and his back arched as another gasp was forced from his body. Laying flat down on his back on the cold concrete floor Connor remained still as the display on the neighboring monitor suddenly showed a perfect beating rhythm synchronized with Connor's Thirium pump as the pump responded properly to the controlled shock.
"Got it!" Satisfied with the result Joel pulled back the paddles and placed the monitor back into his satchel. Using his audioscope again Joel listened to Connor's heartbeat and confirmed that the vital biocomponent had been properly recalibrated. "His Thirium pump is back to normal."
Lucas pressed his fingertips to Connor's temple and connected to his brother's systems. "He'll reboot in a moment. His systems are recalibrating and he's coming back online."
Patting Connor's chest once the laidback technician seemed completely calm and confident in his overall assessment. Looking over the rest of his patient's body Joel honed in on the electrical burns on Connor's right arm. "I see his right arm is where the point of contact was made. He'll need a day, possibly two, for the external damage to repair itself."
"I can handle tending to the damage. I will take him to a facility for a thorough examination as a precaution."
"Good move."
Tina overheard the comment and grimaced as she saw real and brutal android technical assistance could be. "You take him to a facility," she encouraged while keeping her eye on the man's charred, unmoving body. "and I'll chronicle the scene. We'll talk about this tomorrow after Connor's feeling better."
"Of course." Lucas appreciated Tina's help and gave her a respectful nod. "Thank you, Officer Chen."
As his system finally rebooted Connor's eyes snapped open suddenly as his body jerked again while he laid on the floor. Coughing a few times Connor's felt Lucas put his hand under his head to help him sit upright on the floor very slowly.
"You're going to be okay." Lucas told his brother in a calm voice as Connor gained his bearings while Joel wrapped up his burned hand under a layer of protective white gauze. "You received a massive electrical shock, but you will recover."
"Sh-Shock?" Connor questioned with an incredulous tone. "My systems indicate-" He paused as he looked down at his exposed chest and then to his charred right hand being wrapped up by Joel as his memory returned to him slowly. "...My hand is damaged." It was then he remembered the suspect and charging into the room to apprehend them. Looking to where Tina was currently kneeling in front of the deceased man Connor shook his head despondently at the sight of deceased suspect resting against the generator. "I hadn't anticipated the weight of his desire to self destruct."
"I've learned over time that there are just some people who reach their breaking point and there's nothing you can do to save them. At least you tried to subdue him." Offering Connor his hand to take, Lucas helped his brother up to his feet and stayed by his side as Connor found his balance and Joel finished securing the bandages on his right hand. "I suspect any other responding officer would've just shot him where he was standing without knowing his motivations or reasons."
"Yes, you're right." Connor flexed his damaged hand a few times; his charred fingers unable to bend fully even before the bandages were applied, before he gracefully used his left hand to rebutton his shirt and vest to cover up his exposed chest. "We should go to the precinct to make a report of tonight's events." The sight of Jon looking oddly at peace while Tina took over the scene was unexpectedly upsetting. "Perhaps we can contact Jon's family and explain everything to them in person."
"I agree. Tomorrow morning, we will make the report, but for now you're going to go to a facility for an examination before getting some rest." Giving Connor a stern glance Lucas put his hand on Connor's shoulder to steer him toward the opened doorway. "I am your brother AND a technician. I know what's best for you considering the circumstances. Understood?"
Joel nodded in agreement with Lucas as he took his leave of the generator room to assist the other injured androids in the building. "He's right, you know." Patting Connor's opposite shoulder as he walked by, he gave the deviant detective one last request. "And recalibrate your Thirium pump tonight for a second time. If the arrhythmia returns either notify me, Lucas or go to the nearest facility for an exam."
Realizing he had been outnumbered by his brother and two technicians, Connor cooperated with Lucas and agreed to rest for the rest of the night. "...Okay. I'll stay at the brownstone until my pump has a second recalibrations and my hand fully heals." A sudden sharp, tight pain in his chest made Connor pause and slow his breathing as his self healing program initiated and worked to recalibrate his Thirium pump, then work on his damaged hand later. "I-I will also ensure that my Thirium pump is functioning at one-hundred percent capacity before you return to New Jericho Tower."
"That is acceptable." Walking alongside his brother Lucas insisted that Connor receive additional technical assistance before the night was over. "We'll stop by the Zeta Facility to ensure you're not in any immediate danger."
"Very well."
Lucas kept his hand on Connor's shoulder lightly as they walked out of the generator room together. Seeing the mass of carnage; bullet holes, fractured metal and the acrid stench of ozone that filled the corridor like a thick fog, just reminded Lucas that as bad things had seemed that night it could've always been far worse for either himself or Connor.
"Don't blame yourself for my injury." Connor encouraged as he and Lucas reached the end of the corridor and stepped out of the power plant together. He could feel the guilt radiating from his brother and he didn't want Lucas beating himself up over something he couldn't possibly control or change. "I was the one who charged Jon without taking into account the location where he had holed himself up. And I was the one who insisted on charging him alone. You did everything correctly, and I made the mistake."
"It doesn't feel or look like I did anything correctly." Lucas confessed as he cybernetically hailed an autonomous cab to the power plant. The sense of guilt was a bittersweet experience for all deviants to feel upon gaining their deviancy. "This outcome doesn't seem to be positive at all considering you were damaged, nearly shutdown in the process, and our suspect ended his own life."
"It unfortunately won't be the last time we have a case end in such a tragic manner." Holding his bandaged hand to his chest Connor sucked in a pained breath through his clenched teeth as he fought the urge to flex his fingers as the hailed cab pulled up in front of them. "We don't need to get used to such a bleak reality, we just need to learn to accept that we can't possibly fix all the wrongs in this world."
The late night stop at the Zeta Facility wasn't nearly as inconvenient as Connor had feared, but he still felt bad for interrupting what had started out as a nice and quiet graveyard shift for Abby, who was now four months pregnant in July. Even though he knew she'd never complain about anyone needing her help or disrupting a calm moment, Connor still felt somewhat guilty and promptly apologized to the pregnant technician for the uncomfortably late night visit. Being as cooperative as possible Connor didn't protest as Abby insisted on checking his Thirium pump with a sonar wedge and giving him a full physical after cleaning and properly bandaging his burned hand.
Lucas watched the exam in person, not due to a lack of trust toward Abby, but as a means of being a protective brother. He hadn't been able to help Connor recover from his android-flu due to the possibility of being infected as well, and he was determined to help Connor recover after being electrocuted during their unusual case.
"Take in a deep breath." Abby instructed she pressed her audioscope against Connor's bare chest while the deviant sat upright on the exam table. She could hear him taking in clear ventilations and noted that his pump wasn't skipping any beats. "Good. Any pain when you ventilate?"
"No." Connor replied honestly as he discreetly ran a biometric scan on Abby and noted her growing baby. Despite Abby only just being four months along she was already sporting an impressive bump all thanks to her carrying a slightly bigger than average baby. "My only pain is in my hand."
"Okay." Picking up Connor's bandaged hand Abby gingerly moved and flexed his fingers by hand, then turned his hand to check the overall flexibility of his wrist. There was no loss to the structural integrity to Connor's fingers, hand or wrist. "Make a fist for me then relax your hand."
Doing as he was instructed Connor made a tight fist and then relaxed it slowly. The process made him wince, but the pain wasn't unbearable.
"Good. Stretch your fingers out to their full length and then relax."
Connor straightened his hand and stretched his fingers outward as far as he could until they were fully extended, then relaxed again. No pain at all.
"Very good. Now, how's my baby doing?"
Blushing a pale blue Connor realized that Abby knew what he had done and felt embarrassed about being busted for essentially invading her medical privacy. "I... I assure you-"
"I don't care that you scanned me." Putting her hand over her mouth Abby tried but failed to hide her amused laugh as she saw how Connor reacted. She didn't notice Lucas suddenly looking up at the ceiling as he too blushed for doing the same thing. "I know that Barry, Jarvis and every other deviant in the facility, does it all day long. It doesn't bother me."
"...It doesn't?"
"No. I essentially get free ultrasounds without actually needing to get that giant snot-ball of gel smeared on my belly or someone poking me and asking really invasive questions all day. I know that if anything was wrong with me or the baby that I'd have someone telling me A.S.A.P. so I could get medical attention, so it doesn't bother me one bit."
"...You're both healthy." Connor finally replied as he cradled his hand to his somewhat sore chest and noticed that Lucas had regained his composure rather quickly after he too recognized his nearly inappropriate behavior. "Although, it does seem the developing fetus is larger than average for being its current age of seventeen weeks and two days."
"Yeah, that's the Grayson family curse. Small families that are blessed with big babies. My grandma said my dad was fourteen pounds at birth, so I've been psyching myself up for pushing a watermelon through a keyhole after getting my estimated due date." Rubbing her bump Abby sighed and proceeded to make some notes in Connor's electronic chart before letting him go to the brownstone to rest. "And since twins run in Gavin's family, I knew that I was doomed to an uncomfortably big pregnancy on day one of the positive test."
The prospect of families was still confusing to the young deviant. "May I ask why humans willingly go through such a painful, time consuming and body altering phenomenon?"
"No damn clue." Abby admitted as she finished with the chart and gave Connor a surprisingly casual shrug of her shoulders. "I didn't really have any plans to have kids despite liking them, but when I found out I was pregnant I knew I was going to go through with it and do my damn best to be a good mom."
"I can't imagine what it's like to be a parent." Connor lamented as he slid off the exam table and proceeded to slip on his dress shirt to cover up again. "I was never a child. I had to learn and evolve on my own as an adult, and my only family is in the form of my brothers."
Lucas gave Connor a sad grin as he helped the wounded deviant redress himself with only one fully operational hand. "I imagine that being a parent is identical to being a sibling."
Abby agreed and put her hands to her hips as she watched Connor awkwardly slipping his arms through his non existent vest sleeves. "Yeah, but a parent has more authority than a sibling, and has to deal with way more tantrums and parent-teacher conferences."
"I'll take your word for it." Tucking his blazer under his arm Connor decided that he didn't need the final layer since it was a warm summer night, and he didn't need to worry about getting cold during his walk back to the brownstone just down the block. "Regardless of what it means to be a parent or have a family, I know that you and Detective Reed will be excellent parents."
"That's sweet." Now it was Abby's turn to blush as she pressed her palm to her bump again. "Before you go, can you do one thing for me?"
"I don't see why not."
"Can you tell me if I'm carrying a boy or a girl? I don't want to wait three weeks to find out, and the more time I have to select a name the better it'll be for me mentally and emotionally."
Resisting the urge to step backward Connor confirmed that her request was entirely plausible. "...That is possible, yes."
Lucas saw Connor's hesitation and decided to perform the biometric scan himself. "I'll need direct contact to be sure of the baby's gender."
"Go for it." Abby gave Lucas permission to touch her and was relieved that someone at least gave her head's up before getting grabby. "It's nice to have someone make contact without it being slimy or overprotective in nature."
As Lucas performed the scan Connor tilted his head curiously. "Is Detective Reed becoming overbearing?"
"You have NO idea..." Letting out a small sigh Abby vented a little to her two deviant friends since they weren't the type to gossip. "Even before the incident with my crazy ex, Gavin's been way over the top protective toward me in a way that quickly devolved from sweet to obnoxious."
"How so?"
"Well, he insists on making my every meal - he's not the best cook and sometimes I just want a doughnut damn it - he thinks every sigh or attempt to stretch my back muscles is a sign of premature labor, he keeps his hand on my belly all night long, he texts me every hour wondering if I need anything, and he's insistent on taking Lamaze classes even though we both have training regarding childbirth and already know what the hell to do!"
Lucas smirked a little as he pulled back his palm and gave Abby a confident answer. "You're carrying a girl."
"Oh, thank fuck..."
That reaction was enough to make Lucas tilt his head slightly as well. "Is... there something wrong with having a boy?"
"Only with the Grayson family curse." She explained casually as she processed the information. "Again, we are known for having big babies and boys on average weigh more than girls. This gives me hope that I'll have a smallish big baby, and not a big big baby."
"Ah. Now I understand." The deviant technician replied in an optimistic tone. "...I think."
"Now I get to look forward to telling Gavin that I told him so when we go in for my next appointment and the doctor tells us the gender. Bonus for me." Satisfied that everything was under control Abby gave Connor clearance to head back out to the brownstone and spend the next day resting as she turned to face him. "Anyway, your pump is beating nice and strong, your hand isn't showing any sign of permanent physical damage, and your own brother is a technician who will be watching over you. So, you're free to go to your brownstone under the condition that you spend the next twenty-four hours resting, recalibrating and avoiding unwarranted stress."
Connor agreed and made his way toward the door to leave the facility. "I give you my word that I will rest. Goodnight, Dr. Gr- Abby. I appreciate your assistance."
"Goodnight, Connor. Goodnight, Lucas." Smirking at the way the two deviant brothers were being sheepish about their behavior around her Abby just shook her head and made a mental note to try to be more patient with Gavin and to not snap at him for being helpful. Everyone was still adjusting to the new baby coming into the world, not just her. "Take care of yourselves!"
Walking side by side the two deviants passed through the front doors of the facility to head back to the brownstone for the night. They'd handle their report on their unusual case, explain how they tracked Jon down, why they called in for back-up and how the ill man reached his untimely end in the morning as they trusted Tina to handle everything appropriately in their stead. For now, they were just going to back to their shared home, get some rest and try to not worry too much about the tragic incident.
"Thank you for staying with me during the exam." Connor stated in a casual manner as he studied his bandaged hand carefully. He had full strength and mobility, but his pain was still lingering, and he wanted nothing to do with the foul tasting Thiricetomal. "I dislike being examined by technicians."
"It was not a problem. I've noticed that you seem wary around technicians when they're humans."
There was no denying such an observation considering his past experiences dealing with the cold indifference of CyberLife's technicians. "...Does that make me a spiteful bigot?"
"No. I believe that makes you a cautious survivor."
"I hope you're right. I don't want to be seen as a negative person who encourages negative behavior."
"You don't hate humans, you don't wish to harm humans, and you don't feel as if deviants and humans need to be segregated." Lucas stated in a very confident manner as he reassured his brother that he wasn't a hateful bigot. "Not to mention the fact that you're actually willing to trust people like Hank, Director Jayden and even the late Carl Manfred. You're also very kind and protective toward Abby, and you respect Dr. Joel Forrest's assessment as a technician. You're in no way a bigot simply because you are guarded."
Nodding as they walked Connor sighed and glanced over his shoulder to look at New Jericho Tower glowing in the far distance on the other side of the city. "How is Markus fairing after Carl's passing? I haven't spoken to him since the funeral."
"He's still grieving, but he's gone back to work at the tower. Simon has been by his side every available second, and he knows he can return to bereavement if he so desires."
"I'm glad he hasn't given up on being a leader after his father's passing. I'm not... sure how I'd react if I lost my only family."
"I imagine you would've behaved as I did." Unlocking the brownstone's front door Lucas continued to give Connor someone to speak with. "I was very sad, very angry and I felt as if I had made an error by failing to be a reliable brother."
"You didn't do anything wrong during that incident on the bridge. No one was at fault but the very human who had been the epicenter of such hatred that caused the hostage situation to begin with."
"Yes, I know that now." Entering the foyer first Lucas watched as Connor followed after him and continued to slowly flex his hand to test his pain. "At the time it was difficult to accept, but since then I've made peace with my mistaken mindset."
"I hope Sydney was able to cope as well."
"I suspect having Ethan around is going to aid him with his emotional growth and help him realize that he has brothers that truly do care about him. Director Jayden seems to be a good friend to him as well."
Connor paused in the middle of the study as an unsettling thought entered his mind. "Do you think Sydney's nightmares have also stopped? We now know the truth about the original Connor Wolf, and since then my nightmares have stopped, but he does not know what happened."
"I wish I knew the answer to that."
"And our suspect... He was extremely ill and inadvertently ended his own life through his reckless behavior." The empathetic deviant noted as he gave Lucas a truly lost look. "How will his family and friends react? He was someone's son, possibly a sibling, a husband or even a father, and now he's just gone through a horrible incident that didn't need to end as it had. I was shocked as well, but I was able to be saved and he was not. What could've happened if he had lived as well, or if our roles were reversed and I was the one who perished tonight?"
"We can't speculate how other people will react to Jon's passing. We didn't know him or his life, we just know of his final moments before his death."
"It's hard to not think about all the people who have been and will be affected by his actions."
"I know. The butterfly effect is a very potent and fascinating concept to theorize, but it's also something we cannot control." Putting his hand to Connor's shoulder Lucas urged his brother to take it easy and stop obsessing over the little things he couldn't change. "Take a moment to rest. I'll be back in a moment."
Sitting down on the nearby sofa while Lucas exited the study, Connor lightly patted Bruno's side as the loyal K-9 unit pressed his chin down on Connor's lap for a moment. He had suddenly found himself once more stricken with thoughts regarding family and what it was that he was seeking as he felt the void in his heart getting bigger. The notion of losing his brothers, losing his few friends, and losing people he respected, seemed to cause a strange pang in his chest that he couldn't quite put into words.
'Connor's damaged.' Bruno noted with a cybernetic link as he sniffed at Connor's bandaged hand. The smell of burnt plastimetal and liquid incrassation compound immediately caught the K-9 unit's attention. 'Was Connor attacked?'
"No, I made a mistake while apprehending the suspect tonight." He explained simply and honestly. "I've already received proper technical treatment."
'Why is Connor sad?' Tilting his head slightly, a strange quirk that all deviants seemed to share, Bruno let out a small sympathetic whimper. 'Is Connor in pain?'
"No, I'm not in any pain." Continuing to pet Bruno as he spoke, Connor listened to the sound of Lucas rummaging around the nearby kitchen and he knew that his brother was taking stock of their spare Thirium in the event that they needed to buy additional supplies. "I'm merely thinking about how one person's life can affect the lives of everyone else."
Bruno didn't have a response to that. Laying his head back down Bruno licked his nose and drooped his ears sympathetically.
"One man, who was already given a death sentence by his own body failing him, died in a traumatic manner tonight. My life won't be affected personally, but the people who knew him will be affected forever. Death cannot be prevented, and death always has a permanent impact on the rest of the world."
'Life has impact too.'
Looking down at Bruno on his lap Connor gave the dog a curious glance. "What do you mean?"
'Dr. Grayson is pregnant. Dr. Grayson will have permanent change in life too with a baby.'
"Yes... You're right." The surprisingly insightful comment from the K-9 unit made Connor stop and think for a moment. He hadn't considered how life and death, existence in general, are two sides of the same coin. "New life is just as world changing as death."
Lucas returned to the study and offered Connor a bottle of chilled Thirium to ensure his self healing program would function at full capacity while he was in rest mode that night. "Are you worried about Abby's condition? My scan confirmed that she and the fetus are both entirely healthy."
"No. She can take care of herself, and I know Detective Reed won't do anything to ever harm her. I was just considering how new life can be as world altering as death. In turn, I began contemplating how life and death are almost harmonious in the way they have such drastic impacts on the world."
"True." Sitting down beside Connor on the sofa Lucas also began to contemplate the odd concept. "The human known as Connor Wolf died, and in turn we were able to live. Tonight, a sick man with a lot of anger and not enough help died tragically, and in the same night we socialized with someone who is going to bring a new life into the world in only five months. We were even able to witness butterflies emerging from their chrysalises and watch them return to the world after becoming an entirely new creature just the past week."
Nodding in agreement Connor slowly sipped at the Thirium and found the cooling sensation running down his throat very soothing. "Even when one person dies, their family doesn't stop existing. They live on, and as long as they keep the memory of their loved one alive, then that loved one will never truly be gone. Markus will always be Carl's son."
"You're right. We'll be sure to tell our side of the case tomorrow morning and we'll reassure Jon's surviving family and friends that his actions were being caused strictly by his illness, and that as the man they once knew, he hadn't done anything wrong. His name will not be tarnished by any misunderstandings."
"That'll be the right thing to do." The idea of giving innocent people a sense of comfort and peace was enough to let Connor's mind rest and his heart stop aching for a few precious moments. He'd be able to sleep soundly that night without needing to dread nightmares haunting his thoughts. "It's the least we can do for a man who was doomed by a disease that no one should have to endure."
-next chapter-
