The summer heat was reaching its peak as August settled in the city. Detroit was being threatened by yet another storm as the summer refused to give way to any chilly weather any time soon. Thick black clouds were building above and all around the city, deep rumbles of thunder were echoing in the distance, and the smell of rain was so thick in the air that is could be smelled even through closed doors and windows. A strange static energy began to build in the air as lightning charged within those very building clouds, and a heated wind began to blow through the city with stronger and stronger gusts as the storm loomed ever closer to the city with every intention of unleashing its natural fury at full strength and without mercy.
Wiping the digital display board clean with a cybernetic command, Connor proceeded to dance his coin over his knuckles and juggle it rhythmically as he closed his latest case and stood in his study in quiet contemplation. Handling the mugging of a deviant just two blocks away was easy enough to set a new record for speed regarding a successful investigation, and Connor couldn't be prouder of how well he was adapting to working as a solo detective since Lucas was now spending more time at New Jericho Tower.
As the coin moved back and forth over Connor's fingers, Bruno laid on his brand new, twice as thick pillow in the corner of the livingroom, and chewed on his brand new Thirium-based rawhide with an entertained eagerness. The loyal dog was given his new treat and pillow after Connor's last payment cleared and he was able to officially call the brownstone his own home. He made his last payment to Adrian Lewis, thanked the man for all his help, and promised to continue writing to him at least once a month despite him no longer being a landlord.
"I've made a lot of successful progress during my time as a freed deviant and as a detective."
Thinking out loud Connor reflected on how his life as a freed deviant initially began and noted how far he had come. He had gone from a homeless, jobless and dying deviant struggling to just survive in the streets, to owning his own home, establishing his own career and thriving with each passing day of his life. No longer alone thanks to adopting Bruno, befriending Lucas and taking him in as a brother, and slowly mending his rift with Hank, while gaining trust with Markus and slowly being accepted by humans, Connor knew he had a lot to be proud of.
The only thing that consistently bothered anymore Connor was a strange sense of something missing in his life. A void-like feeling was constantly aching at his heart whenever he was alone in the brownstone, and he still couldn't figure out what the void needed in order to be filled. Having a brother helped make the void feel a little less eternal, but even so something or someone was missing from Connor's life, and he needed to find out what it was.
"Despite my success and my progress, I still feel this strange sense of longing and emptiness. What it is or where it came from... I can't seem to figure out."
Bruno stopped chewing on his rawhide and tilted his head slightly at Connor's question. 'Connor is lost.'
"Lost?" The concept and term was enough to make the deviant detective stare at his reflection on the display board before himself. "That... is actually apt for what I'm feeling. How peculiar."
Mid chew of his rawhide Bruno turned his attention toward the front door to the brownstone and perked his ears up excitedly as he barked once. 'Guest!'
Sure enough, two firm knocks on the front door confirmed that there was indeed a guest at the brownstone. Connor responded quickly to the knocks and pulled the door open and was greeted by a familiar but unexpected face staring back at him from the doorway, and the shock was enough to make him fumble with his coin and nearly drop it before slipping it back into his pocket out of sight.
"Skye?"
"Uh, h-hi!" Skye responded in a nervously chipper manner as Connor greeted her right at the door. Wearing a pair of black slacks, a dark red blouse with a black blazer, low black heals and wearing her long auburn hair back in a neat bun, truly made Skye look like the defense attorney she had worked so hard to become. "I was hoping you were here."
"I am here and I'm currently free of any cases at the moment." Stepping back Connor invited Skye into the brownstone. "How can I help you?"
"Well, to be honest," entering the brownstone with her heels 'clicking' rhythmically over the hardwood floor, Skye stopped and turned to look at Connor as he closed the door behind her. "I was hoping to hire you for a case."
"A case?" Such a proposition was thoroughly intriguing. Skye was a defense attorney sworn to protect her deviant clients, and so any case from her would easily be one of high caliber and importance. "What type of case?"
"One that may either exonerate a completely innocent deviant or keep him condemned to his illegal prison sentence."
"That seemed to be a very delicate and important case." Standing before Skye again Connor discreetly smoothed out his gray vest to appear as professionally presentable as possible. Inviting Skye to sit down on one of the sofas Connor gave her his full attention and ignored the thunder beginning to grow louder as summer rain began to slowly pelt against the windows. "Before I agree to accept your case, there are some details that I'll need to ask you about."
"I understand." Skye knew what was at stake and understood that taking on such a case could have a massive impact on Connor's career as well. "Where should I begin in regard to this case?"
"Your client." Connor stated firmly as he watched Bruno casually rise to his three paws to check out Skye for himself. The loyal K-9 unit had a great read on people and seemed to like Skye very much after seeing her for just a few seconds. "Who is he and what is the crime he has been convicted of committing?"
"My client's name is Rupert Travis, and he's been imprisoned for illegal deviant trafficking."
"...Rupert Travis." Tensing up at hearing the name Connor worried that the same deviant who vouched for his character on the original Jericho when he had gone to the vessel to seek asylum and to inform Markus of CyberLife's plans, was the deviant in need of assistance. Taking in a deep breath Connor held up his palm and showed Skye an image of the very deviant he was thinking about. "Is this the Rupert Travis you're to whom you're referring?"
"Yes." Shocked that Connor already knew her client in some capacity gave Skye sudden pause as she put her hand on Bruno's back. "How... do you know him?"
After a swift and honest explanation of his and Rupert's initial meeting at the abandoned apartment and of their brief reunion on Jericho, Connor was able to bring Skye up to speed. In return, Skye told Connor about how Rupert had been arrested and where he was currently being held after being arrested and wrongfully imprisoned. Learning of Rupert's fate, his supposed crime, and of his current incarceration, was enough to make Connor's hands tense up into tight fists atop his lap.
"Rupert was arrested and thrown into prison without a trial, and is still being held in Chicago, correct?"
"That's right." Offering Connor her hand Skye provided all of the details to the case that she had been given from Rupert through a chain of cybernetic contacts from his prison cell in the far away city. The cybernetic link took quite some time to establish due to the extreme distance. "His rights as a deviant are being ignored because he's not in the state of Michigan, and no lawyer in the entire state of Illinois is willing to even try to fight for him or bring this injustice to light."
"What would you need me to do?"
"If you do accept this case, I'll need you to accompany me to Chicago. Once there we'll need to fight for a chance to even see Rupert in prison, get his story and build a case. That means hearing his whole story on the record right from his lips, collecting evidence regarding his innocence, and proving that Rupert was not committing the trafficking but was actually trying to stop it and free more deviants who had been illegally taken to Chicago."
That last comment immediately put Connor on his guard. "Deviant trafficking is taking place in Chicago?"
"According to Rupert, yes." Taking back her hand after giving Connor all of her information, Skye held up her palm as well to give Connor a holographic display of a set of G.P.S. coordinates. "He also says that he found the location of an illegal arena where deviants are forced to fight against each other while rich humans place wagers on the matches. It's disgusting..."
Connor felt a heat rise up on the back of his neck as he realized what Skye was implying and what that could mean for the rest of the deviant community. "If there really is an illegal arena in Chicago keeping our people captive, and one of our own being wrongfully imprisoned in another city, I'll do whatever it takes to help you find them, free Rupert and bring everyone back home."
"That means you'll take my case."
Giving Skye a fiery and determined look Connor nodded in return. "Skye, I will proudly take your case."
The summer storm had struck Detroit in a brilliant cascade of warm rain, echoing thunder and numerous flashes of lightning across the black rainclouds. The intense wind had begun to shake buildings, rattle windows and cause the thick trees throughout the city to lose leaves of numerous colors in record time. Along the harbor unusually high waves began to lap against the sandy shoreline aggressively, and massive sprays of water from the dark, cold lake gave the intensely warm storm a seemingly impossible chill in the air. With all of the city taking shelter inside their homes and apartments to keep away from the storm the city itself appeared oddly deserted as the rain drenched everything it touched.
Within the sanctuary of New Jericho Tower, the four deviant leaders all watched the storm through the window of the ground floor office and watched the storm being discussed on the news broadcast via mounted television. It was a little disconcerting to see how brutal nature could be and it was all the more upsetting to admit that no one, human or deviant, could do anything to control it.
"Weather like this makes me edgy." Simon admitted as crossed his arms over his chest. His blue eyes were watching the storm intensely as he stood just a few feet away from the window. "I've never felt right when the weather gets stormy."
"I know what you mean." Discreetly Markus wrapped his arm around Simon's shoulders and held him at his side. "We can only try to prepare for what this kind of weather can do to us. We can't stop it, we can't negotiate with it, or try to reason with it."
North let out a sigh and shook her head slightly. "You can't solve every issue with your words, Markus."
"I know that. If we could, this world would be a much better and peaceful place."
Lucas had been listening to the odd conversation beside him while also intently watching the news. He and Connor were capable of connecting to the local Doppler radar system, and as a result he was very aware of how dangerous the storm could be.
"We should take steps to protect the tower's windows along the first three floors." Lucas stated in a matter-of-fact manner. "The strength of the wind gusts could potentially uproot numerous objects and turn them into dangerous and effective projectiles."
Markus agreed as he had seen the wrath of many summer storms during his time living with Carl. He had also cleaned up numerous shards of broken glass after a particularly nasty windstorm sent a loose tree branch at the glass walls of the late man's art gallery back at the mansion.
"We'll enable the sliding metal doors in place over the windows to ensure we won't have to deal with debris being blown across the harbor breaking the glass."
"Should we do anything regarding supplies as well?"
North spoke up again and gave Lucas a small nod of her head. "I took stock this morning. We're good for at least six months in the event our usual supply source is cut off or delayed for any reason."
"That's reassuring."
"I'll go and make sure everyone knows what's going on so they don't panic or assume the worst when the windows are locked down."
Turning his attention back to the television screen as North exited the office, Lucas attempted to preconstruct the potential outcome for the nasty storm brewing overhead. The Doppler radar was constantly changing, and it gave Lucas insight that the other deviant leaders couldn't potentially hope for.
"Simon, go and check the generators in the tower's archive room." Markus suggested as he reluctantly lowered his arm from Simon's shoulders. "We don't want to be caught without any power by mistake."
"Yeah, you got it." Leaning in for a moment Simon gave Markus a quick kiss then went on his way. "Hopefully we won't have to deal with any flash flooding on top of everything else we're planning for!"
"Lucas, can you- Lucas?"
Markus knew that something was wrong when he saw Lucas's green eyes suddenly snap shut and saw his friend suddenly tremble slightly were he stood. Putting his hand to Lucas's shoulder Markus tried to get his friend to respond with a gentle tone of voice.
"What's wrong? Talk to me."
"...I-I just received a cybernetic message from Connor." Opening his eyes again Lucas looked over at Markus and gave him a truly worried glance. "It took some time for the message to get through because of the storm and my other processes being active during the storm itself, but... Something terrible has happened."
"What's going on?" On his guard Markus seemed ready to go to war simply on his friend's word. "Does Connor need our help?"
"Not yet." Pressing his fingertips to his right temple as if in pain, Lucas sighed and focused on the key details that Connor had given him through the delayed and very important message. "I fear that in just a few days there's going to be a massive controversy regarding deviant rights and out of state laws, and it's all going to start with a single big bust in Chicago Illinois."
The lengthy drive out to Chicago was oddly tense as Connor focused on the rain slicked expressway and made sure the suave rental car remained entirely stable during the speedy race to the new city several hundred miles away. Courtesy of Skye's resources and influence, the respectful and respectable defense attorney was able to acquire two special passes that'd give the two deviants special clearance to cross over state borders into Illinois while maintaining their rights back in the state of Michigan. The only catch they had to worry about was the time limit on the passes that'd expire in three days, which meant the already tense and delicate case was going to be all the more stressful.
Before leaving for Chicago on his unusual rescue mission Connor had dropped Bruno off at Hank's house once more as he couldn't acquire another pass for the K-9 unit, and he didn't want to leave Bruno alone during the storm while Lucas was keeping New Jericho Tower safe. The focused detective then packed a large bag of emergency technical supplies and nothing more as he and Skye were determined to get on the road as quickly as possible.
Passing through the final toll booth and crossing into the city was a little overwhelming. Connor hadn't been to a city larger than Detroit before, and he knew it'd be a little harder to gain his bearings in the much larger city in comparison to Detroit's relatively condensed layout.
"We need to go to the 19th Precinct to meet with the police Captain whose officer arrested Rupert." Skye explained as she received cybernetic updates from her contacts in her office back in Detroit. Using her resources to her full ability Skye was able to lead Connor to the correct address. "She's agreed to speak with us and find an arrangement that'll work with both Detroit and Chicago regarding law enforcement practices and a proper sentence if Rupert is deemed guilty."
"Where is Rupert at this time?"
"He's been transported back to the precinct from his prison cell to talk with us. I'll be his attorney once we get there since no one in Chicago will represent him."
"Do you know anything about the deviant trafficking that's taking place?"
"Only rumors." Reaching over Skye lightly grabbed onto Connor's hand as it rested over the steering wheel and cybernetically uploaded the bits and pieces she had managed to gather while researching Rupert's case. "Apparently a lot of deviants have vanished from Detroit over the past few months, but there isn't any way to prove that the deviant's haven't just moved on from Detroit under their own freewill as opposed to suffer from any crimes."
"And without any properly filed missing persons' reports or evidence the police won't investigate a deviant who has supposedly disappeared." Connor noted their current location and shifted into the correct lane to ensure that he and Skye arrived at the precinct as soon as possible. He didn't mind Skye's hand wrapped around his own and felt oddly comfortable with the direct contact. "Countless deviants could have been taken to Chicago through illegal trafficking and no one would've noticed. There might a connection to this event and the trafficking uncovered out in D.C. over a month ago."
"What?" Skye hadn't heard anything about deviant trafficking taking place anywhere until Rupert had reached out to her. Pulling back her hand in total shock she stared at Connor incredulously. "There was a deviant trafficking bust out in D.C., and it only happened one month ago?"
"There's a lot to explain." Locating the precinct's parking garage Connor pulled the rental car into the visitor's parking area and turned off the engine. The rain had stopped but the air still smelled of the massive downpour that seemed to follow them from Detroit to Chicago. "And the F.B.I. has already handled the situation."
"That's still terrifying to think about. How many more trafficking rings are targeting our people and shipping them out of the city in secret?"
"We can't get sidetracked with that theory at this time." Connor stated in a disappointed tone as he exited the car. Ensuring his pass was inside his blazer pocket, Connor waited for Skye to do the same and walked with her right at his side as they approached the precinct's front doors together. "We'll solve our problem in Chicago, then return to Detroit to continue our work there."
Agreeing entirely Skye took in a deep breath as she cleared her thoughts and held her head high. She was proud of her achievements, and she wanted to make sure she was doing her people proud by being seen as respectful, respectable and confident.
Connor approached the front desk of the precinct and addressed the receptionist behind the counter. Showing her both his and Skye's passes and their I.D.'s, Connor was granted clearance from the now somewhat nervous receptionist. Apparently, she didn't realize that she was talking with a deviant - a machine - until after she had taken a very good look at the provided identification cards then handed them back to their rightful owners.
Crossing the bullpen together Connor motioned to the private office of Captain Dinah Warren. After knocking on the door to announce their presence, Connor held the door open for Skye and suddenly froze as he spotted a blonde haired, blue eyed officer sitting at her desk with her phone pressed to her ear. For an unknown reason Connor thought the officer looked somewhat familiar but couldn't quite place how that was possible. Snapping back to reality Connor entered the office behind Skye and joined her in the second available chair across from the commanding officer as she sat behind her own desk.
"Captain Warren." Skye greeted first and with a polite lilt to her words. Offering the seasoned Captain her hand to shake, Skye properly introduced herself and then introduced Connor in turn. "My name is Skye Ramona, I'm here to represent the defense of Mr. Rupert Travis on behalf of the city of Detroit. This is my colleague who will be sitting in on the interrogation, Detective Connor Wolf."
"Dinah Warren, Captain of the 19th Precinct here in Chicago." Shaking Skye's hand graciously Captain Warren reciprocated the respect and repeated her action with Connor in turn. Captain Warren was in her mid to late forties with a dark complexion, raven black hair pulled back in a neat bun, she had cinnamon brown eyes that were almost amber in color, and she had a short stature while exuding authority and confidence of someone six feet tall. She was wearing a pair of black slacks with a deep burgundy blouse and matching lipstick. "I received word of your request to speak with Rupert Travis and I had him transported here for a proper interrogation."
"To make things clear, I'm not here to stir up trouble for your or precinct." Skye clarified without ever losing her respectful demeanor. "I'm aware that the state of Illinois does not have any legal rights for deviants or androids in general, and we're not going to demand any special treatment for our client or ourselves."
"And I'm not going to try to get in the way or prevent you from doing your job, Ms. Ramona." Captain Warren replied with full honesty as she gauged Connor's presence. The deviant detective was wearing his usual three piece gray uniform and had purchased a new brown fedora to finally replace the old one that had been lost when he was thrown from the Ambassador Bridge. "But I am curious as to why you've brought a detective with no jurisdiction in this city along with you."
Connor responded quickly on Skye's behalf as he had more experience with detectives and officers than Skye did at the moment. "I assure you that I'm only here to analyze collected evidence, ask Rupert some questions, and determine the truth of the matter."
"What are your qualifications for such actions?"
"Before the Revolution granted me my freedom, I had been forcibly employed by CyberLife to act as a hostage negotiator, then I was assigned with the Detroit Central Precinct to work as an active detective alongside Lieutenant Hank Anderson. I have the proper knowledge and experience with handling evidence, interrogation practices, and I'm entirely familiar with police protocol and proper chronicling of any and all investigations."
"And if I were to reach out to the aforementioned precinct to confirm your credentials, what would they say?"
"They'd vouch for my statement and would even provide any documentation you may want to view before merely accepting my word for it."
Captain Warren gave Connor a small grin of approval and then neatly folded her hands together before placing them over her lap. "I put more faith into the word of a good detective willing to stake their own reputation to earn someone else's trust, than any paper trail set up by a corrupt cop trying to prove they did something by the book because no one who already knows them can trust them."
Holding her breath Skye dared to ask a follow up question. "Then we have permission to speak with Rupert Travis?"
"You do." Rising to her feet Captain Warren approached her office door to prop it open before calling out to one of her officers in the bullpen. "Officer Blythe? I need to see you for a moment."
Connor and Skye silently glanced at each other as if wondering if they were going to be met with hostility or not from the new officer, but chose to trust Captain Warren's judgement. She had been only cooperative and respectful, and as such neither deviant had any reason to suddenly doubt her integrity.
Returning to her desk Captain Warren explained the way things were going to work and gave the duo from Detroit full clearance to any and all appropriate rooms in her precinct. "Officer Blythe will be the one to escort you to interrogation where you'll be able to speak with Rupert Travis in relative privacy. We have to keep an officer posted at the interrogation room to ensure protocol is followed appropriately."
"Of course." Skye didn't object to the officer being present and was relieved to have such willing cooperation from the police Captain. "We'll be sure to create duplicates of the interrogation and interview for your personal records."
"I wouldn't expect anything less." The door to the private office opened again as the requested officer entered the room quietly. "Officer Evelyn Blythe, meet defense attorney Skye Ramona and Detective Connor Wolf. They're from Detroit and will be handling the case regarding the deviant android known Rupert Travis. You will be the one to escort them throughout the precinct as they need until it's time for them to leave the city. Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am." Evelyn responded in the positive as she stood before the desk and right beside Connor in his chair. "My report on the break-in at the hotel on 5th Avenue is ready for your review, and I've completed my morning patrol report."
"Good work."
Turning to the two guests, Evelyn smiled and offered Connor and Skye her hand to shake graciously. "Hello, I'm Officer Evelyn Blythe. I'll escort you to interrogation whenever you're ready to begin your investigation."
Connor shook Evelyn's hand first and performed a facial recognition scan while Skye shook her hand second. The details all confirmed that Evelyn was an honest officer of the law and well on her way to making detective as long as she kept her good work. There was no connection between Evelyn and CyberLife, or Detroit in general, and as a result he was still perplexed as to why she seemed somehow familiar to him.
"Can you show us to the interrogation room?" Skye asked as she rose from her chair and looked to the young officer for confirmation. "We'd like to begin our investigation as soon as possible."
"Of course." Walking toward the door of the office Evelyn waited for her two guests to join her before she exited the private space. "I'll be here to help you every step of the way if you need it."
The severity of the storm had caused sporadic blackouts throughout Detroit as the darkness of the night bathed the city inky blackness. The lack of lights and sign of life out on the stormy streets made Detroit look like it was a warzone that Mother Nature had selected for herself. The rain poured down in heavy sheets and the gusts of wind caused the rain to pelt every window and building with a thunderous cacophony. With everyone indoors and seeking shelter from the nasty summer storm, the local police departments were able to breathe a little easier knowing that anyone foolish enough to try to commit any crimes during the storm would also be too foolish to call for the police for help if they put themselves in danger in the process.
The entire bullpen was watching the news report on the storm as well and were all relieved that they weren't the ones assigned to monitor the skies to report any sign of tornadic or other malicious weather activity. Hank had seen his fair share of nasty storms in the past and didn't want anything more to do with destructive nature.
"Glad I bought a house with a basement." Chris sighed as he watched the news report and checked the reception on his phone. There was no way that he'd be able to text or call his wife, but he already knew that Julia and Damian were safe and secured back home. "I think my end of the summer project will be to finish my basement in record time."
"Need any help?" Ben asked as he sipped at his coffee and watched the overhead lights momentarily dim before returning to proper illumination. "I've been looking for a hands-on project to work on."
"Sure. I'll even supply the beer."
"If you're paying in beer, then you'll get half the precinct at your house, and they'll put on an entire third floor for free."
Hank shook his head at the conversation and watched from the corner of his eye as Gavin nervously tried and failed to keep sending texts out to Abby. He couldn't fault the young detective for worrying about his pregnant wife. In his own time as a husband and father Hank had been guilty of the exact same behavior more times than he could count.
Tina knew Gavin was tense and did her own little things to try to help her best friend relax a little. Offering Gavin a plate of apple slices and tea, Tina kept a smile on her face and reminded Gavin that Abby was safe and sound at their house and would be able to respond to his texts as soon as possible.
The weather report confirmed a funnel touchdown outside of the city, but the tornado hadn't caused any serious damage beyond a few trees being uprooted and old fence posts getting torn from the ground. A storm shelter had taken care of two families that had been driving in the area when the tornado struck, and a tree had fallen over the shelter's door, but the responding fire department quickly removed the tree and took care of the trapped survivors without any complications.
"Guess the perk of working solo means I can skip patrol during shitty weather." Hank remarked as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I can't imagine what the outskirts of the city look like right about now."
The front doors of the precinct were suddenly opened wide with enough force from the wind that several loose documents got blown off of desk tops and into the air. As officers scrambled to get the doors shut again, Hank caught sight of two people rushing inside the precinct through the doors with thick coats wrapped around their bodies and around their faces.
Shaking his head Hank looked at the duo and let out an amused scoff. "Who the fuck is stupid enough to be out in a storm like this?"
When the duo revealed their faces after pulling their coats down, Hank sighed and internally swore at himself as instantly recognized Lucas and Markus.
"Shit." Rising to his feet Hank crossed the messy bullpen, careful not to step on anything important, and met the two at the receptionist area. "Must be important."
Brushing off small leaves from their rain soaked coats and regaining their composure quickly, Lucas and Markus looked toward the bullpen and were relieved to see Hank coming their way. As the front doors were secured from the inside with metal bars that could easily be removed if someone needed to get in the building in emergency, the two deviants motioned for Hank to approach them so they could talk in private.
"What the fuck is going on?" Hank asked in a controlled anger as he looked to the two drenched deviants with a shocked and questioning gaze. "It's bad enough that Connor went on some rescue mission out of state in this weather, I don't need you two running around in a storm and getting yourselves killed!"
"We're here because we need to inform you of something far more serious than any storm." Lucas explained with a huff as he ran his fingers through his dark hair to fix his messy locks back into a somewhat neater style. "You know of Connor heading out to Chicago, yes?"
"Yeah. He called to let me know he was leaving Bruno at my place and told me he had a very important case out in Chicago."
"Did he give you any details?"
"No..." Putting his hands on his hips Hank gave Lucas a very suspicious look. "Should he have?"
"Maybe." Lucas didn't want to betray Connor's trust, but he also didn't feel comfortable knowing that Connor and Skye were hundreds of miles away without any form of immediate back-up in the event something went wrong. "What I'm about to tell you is something that needs to be kept entirely quiet. I'm unsure of how much I can even legally tell you considering the severity of the situation at hand."
"If it's that bad then you need to tell me everything possible." Glancing about the area Hank motioned for the two deviants to follow him to an unoccupied interview room down the corridor in the opposite direction. "We'll keep it between just us. You too, Markus."
Markus nodded as he and Lucas walked right alongside Hank and ignored the curious stares of the other officers and detectives in the bullpen. Everything they were dealing with was going to be handled properly, professionally and in the most discreet manner possible for both of Connor and Skye's sakes. Entering the interview room Markus glanced about and did a quick scan to ensure that there were no recording devices that the officers could use when taking statements currently active. The room was clean, and he was able to let his guard down enough to speak with the senior detective.
"I know that both Lucas and Connor are willing to trust you." Markus stated in a fairly terse manner as he locked eyes with Hank. "And I know that you respect and trust Lucas and Connor as well. I'd like to think that New Jericho will be able to trust you in the same way."
"Depending on what you two have to tell me and what's at stake, that's entirely possible." Sitting down at the table Hank waited for the two deviants to do the same so they could speak in private and without anyone spreading needless gossip and rumors. "Now, what's going on and why is it so important that you two would risk yourselves in this kind of a storm?"
The interrogation room was identical to any other interrogation room in an average precinct. The large one-way mirror was designed to separate the interrogation room from the neighboring observation room where Evelyn was watching everything unfold in real time. Inside the actual interrogation room Rupert was sitting at the desk with his hands cuffed against the wooden surface and had a terrified expression on his face. The way his eyes widened with shocked surprise and relief upon seeing Connor along with Skye entering the room gave the arrested deviant some sense of hope for a potential positive outcome. It was the first time in the four days since his arrest that Rupert actually dared to hope for a better outcome.
Rupert readily told his story in full and explained how he had been attempting to track down missing deviants after a strange number of refugees from the forest had gone missing after attempting to locate supplies back in the city. In his search, Rupert had keenly tracked the missing deviants to a train depot in Detroit and had spotted several deviants being bound, gagged and thrown onto cargo trains heading West. After jumping on to one of the trains without being seen, Rupert followed the captive deviants to Chicago and had begun his own form of rescue operation to bring the deviants back home.
Unfortunately, Rupert had been busted when the very people he had been watching inexplicably doubled their security and caught Rupert sneaking around their operation. The deviant had managed to just barely escape from the traffickers in one piece, but soon found himself being confronted by two police officers who saw the Thirium running down his face and had him arrested for being present in a no-android city, county and state.
"Can you prove anything that you've uncovered?" Skye asked as Connor took in every word that Rupert had spoken. The conversation was being recorded and could prove to be quite damning with physical evidence to accompany the statements. "Pictures, Thirium stains or even another witness could help immensely."
"The only evidence is what I had seen with my own eyes." Rupert lamented in a nearly broken tone. It seemed he had given up hope and that he was already on the verge of giving up. "You know that humans don't trust android recorded memories since they're convinced that we can alter our own memories to fit a narrative despite the fact that a simple diagnostic can confirm if such an event took place."
Connor reached out to Rupert's hand and took hold for a moment. "Show me." Placing his opposite hand on a tablet designated for recording confessions and statements, Connor set up a recording of Rupert's key memories for the police to see and hear through his personal perspective. "And I'll continue to search where you were initially jumped and attacked."
Rupert was reluctant to believe that Connor could really do anything after he had been attacked, but slowly he retracted his artificial skin and began the upload through Connor's mind and into the tablet. The upload was swift, accurate and didn't entail any sign of deception or criminal activity beyond Rupert snooping around private properties while searching for the missing deviants.
Seeing everything that Rupert had seen had given Connor a lot of details about the crisis taking place in Chicago. However, there was one thing in particular that held his immediate attention and put the deviant detective on his guard as he slowly rose to his feet to take his leave of the precinct.
"Skye, remain here and record every single detail that Rupert has to offer."
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to find a way to save our people before anyone else is beaten to death and left to be forgotten in a dark alleyway somewhere in the city."
"What're you-" Unable to stop Connor from leaving Skye could only watch as the deviant detective exited the interview room with a new mission burning in his eyes. It was clear that whatever it was that Connor had seen through Rupert's eyes must've struck a raw nerve. "...All right, Rupert." Returning her attention to her client Skye remained focus on her primary assignment. "Keep talking. Tell me everything you can about what you've uncovered while in Chicago."
"There's a lot of illegal stuff happening in the city, but the laws and rights won't protect us outside the state of Michigan."
"What did you find?"
"There's... an arena of sorts." He stated in a timid voice. Rupert was evidently afraid of backlash for talking about what he had seen. "One used for waged fights and is just a horrendous blood sport that only humans enjoy."
"Arena? Where?"
"It's in an old building. I think it was once a theater and has been repurposed to house an arena where captured deviants are forced to fight each other for the entertainment of the rich humans who go to the show and place bets on the matches."
"That's deplorable. Not only is it illegal to traffic people from one place to another, but it's illegal to gamble, AND it's illegal to participate in form of a blood sport." Skye looked truly sick and like she was about to start throwing punches. "Where is the arena?"
"I-" Glancing up at the one-way mirror Rupert fell silent and suddenly refused to answer as if afraid of the unseen face looking back at him. "...If I say where it is, then the cops will band together and protect the other humans and just destroy our people and hide the evidence."
"I can't help you unless you tell me everything that you can about the arena. Where's the arena located?"
"No. I won't risk our people still trapped inside that RA9 forsaken Hellhole being killed because I talked."
"Rupert, if you don't talk to me and you don't work with me, then I won't be able to help you."
"If me being locked up and forgotten will give the trapped deviants a better chance to escape on their own, then so be it." Pulling at the cuffs keeping his wrists bound to the desk top before himself, Rupert sank down in his seat and made up his mind. "I'm ready to accept my fate."
Skye knew that she couldn't keep Rupert talking if he didn't want to talk. All she could do was use the information already provided and review it for herself in private while trying to build a decent defense for her stubborn client. "All right. I'll request that you remain here since there are no prisons in this entire state that are properly equipped to handle deviants."
With a heavy heart Skye exited the interrogation room with the tablet containing Rupert's confession in her grip. The last thing she wanted to do was give up on Rupert without a fight, but she couldn't do anything further unless Rupert cooperated with her.
"Ms. Ramona." Captain Warren addressed the defense attorney as Skye stepped out of the interrogation room looking entirely defeated. "Please come with me to my office. We need to talk."
Freezing where she stood Skye gave Captain Warren a righteously nervous look. "Is there something wrong?"
"No, I just wish to ask you some questions about deviants and what you meant by prisons being 'properly equipped to handle deviants'." Walking away from the door and toward her own office, Captain Warren trusted Skye to follow her without needing any further prompting. "I know that this entire situation is uncomfortable for everyone involved, and I want to do what I can to make things a little easier to deal with while it's being sorted out."
"Thank you, Captain." Accompanying Captain Warren back to her private office Skye glanced about and noticed that both Connor and Officer Blythe were nowhere to be seen. Afraid to ask about her colleague Skye just kept her silence and trusted that Connor knew what he was doing. "I'm sure we'll be able to figure out what's going on and find the best approach to this unusual situation before Detective Wolf and myself must return to Detroit."
Using the information provided by Rupert to his advantage Connor quietly navigated an unusually barren section of the city to try to narrow down the address of the underground arena by himself. Connor glanced about warily as he was still gaining his bearings in the massive new city and didn't want to get lost on his way by mistake. Without his L.E.D. and without any android specific clothing, Connor would be able to blend in with the rest of the populous without any issues, but he still didn't want to take any chances of someone recognizing his unique model as an 'RK-800'. At the moment Connor had no back-up, no way of calling for help from any allies that he trusted or from cops that he knew weren't corrupt, and he wasn't armed at the moment. He didn't bring his specially designed electrified baton as a means of appearing as cooperative and civil as possible while in the new precinct and city.
Narrowing down the potential location of the arena to an old theater in an area that was full of activity despite the neighborhood being barren, Connor ducked into an alleyway across from the building and scanned the immediate area to try to find any trace of deviants that'd substantiate Rupert's claims. A faint trail of Thirium led from the building and into the very alleyway where Connor was currently standing. The freshness of the Thirium confirmed that deviants were recently in the area. The building itself looked rather elegant in design, and all the stranger was the fact that it was seemingly right in plain sight, yet no one bothered to take notice of it during the day.
"This has to be the place." Connor whispered to himself as he prepared to set up a cybernetic link with Skye to keep her in the loop. "The arena in here somewhere."
The building itself was a theater that was designed to house extravagant plays and other live shows for the city. It was a massive building that was composed of marble and glass giving it an aesthetically sophisticated appeal that rivaled the ancient temples of Greece.
"I don't understand." The deviant detective admitted as he waited for his chance to make a move. "How is this place the arena?"
"You'll figure it out in a moment."
Turning around quickly Connor faced the familiar face of Officer Evelyn Blythe right behind him as she quietly strolled down the alleyway from the opposite end from where Connor was standing. "Officer Blythe? What're-"
"My assignment was to escort you to key places in the precinct, but that's hard to do when you leave the precinct without telling anyone where you're going. It's a good thing your deviant passes are traceable when necessary." Evelyn gave Connor a knowing look as she eyed the deviant somewhat warily while she held up her phone for Connor to see before slipping it back into her pocket. "You sneaking away, even with the best of intentions, could get you and your friend in a world of trouble, Detective."
"I apologize if I caused you or Skye any trouble with Captain Warren, but this is very important. I have to explore the building and locate the arena."
"And I can help you."
"What? How?" As far as Connor was concerned Officer Blythe was just as powerless in this situation as he and Skye were. "What can you possibly do that'll assist me with gaining entrance to this building of interest to investigate?"
"I may not be a detective or an android, but I do still have a few tricks up my sleeve." On that note Officer Blythe reached into her black jacket pocket to hand Connor a platinum colored plastic keycard that doubled as a pass to gain entrance into the building. She then gave Connor a roll of large currency bills to keep on his person. "It's a good thing you're already wearing a nice suit. It'll keep people from looking at you too hard."
"I don't understand." Pocketing everything into his blazer Connor gave Officer Blythe a truly perplexed look. "What is all this?"
"According to one of my street contacts, having that keycard will get you access to the arena."
That seemed too good to be true. "Who is your contact?"
"A prostitute. And before you judge her," the young officer cautioned with a single pointed finger at Connor. "I want you to know that she's a fantastic person who's doing whatever it takes to keep food on the table and a roof over her family's heads."
"I wasn't judging her, I merely wanted to know who your contact is and how they have such knowledge regarding a very well kept secret."
"On top of her usual line of 'night work', she gets paid big bucks as an escort to be eye candy for rich and lonely men. She's been inside the arena herself thanks to one of her clients trying to show her a good time." Slipping off her jacket Officer Blythe proceeded to remove her uniform shirt and reveal the top of an elegant purple sequin gown beneath. "She let me borrow this after I checked in with her so I can join you inside the arena."
"...Join me?"
"Like I said," next removing her uniform slacks Officer Blythe shook out the hem of the dress as it hung just above her knees then replaced her uniform boots with a pair of purple heels. "my assignment was to keep an eye on you and escort you around the precinct." She gave Connor a stern glance from where she stood. "No pun intended just now."
"Do you have any experience with undercover procedures?" Connor wisely asked as he positioned himself in such a way that he could block Officer Blythe from anyone passing by who might see the officer changing her clothing in a rather public location. "Such an assignment is very risky."
"Not my first rodeo, Detective." Moving to her hair Officer Blythe lowered her ponytail and ran her fingers through the long locks to fluff them up and then shift them in an elegant style that hid one of her blue eyes in a seductive and intriguing manner. "This will be my third undercover assignment."
"And you were given permission by Captain Warren to do this?"
"Were you?"
"...Fair point." With his unexpected partner now dressed and ready for the bizarre occasion Connor decided it was best to let Officer Blythe join him to ensure that neither of them would get in serious trouble for going undercover without express permission. "Did your contact tell you how to navigate the building to avoid suspicion?"
"Yup." Looking much different within a matter of seconds, Officer Blythe gave Connor a firm nod as she smoothed out her dress. "She told me the layout of the building and how to gain access to the arena without anyone looking twice."
"Then I'll trust you to take the lead, Officer Blythe."
"Just call me 'Evelyn'." She insisted in a surprisingly friendly manner. "It's not just my name, but it's crucial that we drop the formalities to keep our undercover mission from getting blown wide open."
"Right, of course."
Offering Evelyn his arm to take Connor casually strolled out of the alleyway and made a small lap around the block before circling around and returning to the building where the arena was hidden in plain sight. Blending in with the other patrons walking toward the theater to watch that night's 'show', Connor held his head high and watched as Evelyn plastered a surprisingly sincere yet fake smile on her face as she hung onto his arm.
"Show that security guard in front of the curtained off corridor your pass." Evelyn whispered in Connor's ear under the guise of leaning in and giving her 'boyfriend' a kiss on the cheek. "He'll ask why you're here and you reply with 'we were brought here by Chance'. Give him a one-hundred dollar bill and don't look around as he shows us to the corridor. Once were at the end of the corridor we'll figure things out and improvise only if necessary once we're actually inside the arena itself."
"Are you armed?"
"No, I left my service weapon locked in my desk at the precinct. How about you?"
"No. I don't carry guns and I left my personal baton back in Detroit to avoid any potential complications once here."
"I appreciate your forethought."
Lowering his voice but still speaking confidently, Connor spoke to the first security guard without anyone taking notice. "We were brought here by Chance."
Flashing the pass and slipping the guard the one-hundred dollar bill, Connor did as he was instructed.
"Right this way, sir." The guard eyed Evelyn hungrily but kept his hands to himself. "And may I say, you have excellent taste."
"...Thanks.
Despite his discomfort Connor allowed the security guard to escort Evelyn and himself down the corridor after passing their first hurdle. Staying quiet Connor made a conscious effort to not glance about his surroundings or look suspicious as he wandered down the corridor after the guard. Evelyn was leaning heavily on his arm and trying her best to not look as uncomfortable as she felt as she trusted Connor to keep things under control.
Reaching the end of the corridor the security guard swiftly pulled back a large red curtain that was installed solely for decorative purposes, and showed Connor the second corridor concealed behind it. Without questioning anything Connor walked down the dimly lit secondary corridor and found himself standing outside another closed door being guarded by a second security guard.
"Pass." The guard bellowed deeply as his six foot six height, and two-hundred and eight pounds of muscle towered over Connor. "Show or go."
Connor showed him the pass as he had done for the first guard and was answered with a simple tilt of the head as the guard opened the door and let Connor pass through. "Problem?"
Examining the pass and then Connor's face the guard shook his head and stepped aside to give him access to the door he had been guarding. "No. Enjoy the fight."
Hiding his disgust behind a mask of indifference Connor stepped through the door with Evelyn still on his arm and found themselves engulfed in a low roar of cheers and shouting. Taking in the new environment Connor eyed the people, recognizing a majority of them as the rich patrons he had watched enter the theater before he had been found by Evelyn, and watched as they gathered in small groups to chat and drink overpriced scotch and wine.
At the far wall of the enclosed and secretive area were four ticket booths where people were placing bets for a competition that was about to unfold. In the middle of the room was a large hexagonal cage lined with barbed wire and chainlink fence that enclosed the hexagonal patch of cold hard concrete at the base of the cage. Loudspeakers surrounded the cage and large television screens mounted on all four walls were designed to showcase the interior of the cage for all to see from a distance.
"...The arena." Connor whispered as he took a step toward the cage and looked down at the concrete far below. He was fifteen feet up and given a clear view of the currently vacated cage from where he stood. The cage and concrete were damaged from constant combat and spoke volumes of the violence that the cage could just barely contain. "This is literally an underground arena."
"Looks like your client and my contact were spot-on about this place." Tightening her grip around Connor's arm Evelyn made sure to never lose sight of the deviant detective beside her. "It's no wonder Rupert was terrified to say anything."
"But where are-"
'All right, place your bets!' A loud, obnoxious male voice boomed out over the speakers. In turn the patrons finish placing their bets at the booths and gathered around the chainlink fence with a muffled chorus, essentially boxing Connor and Evelyn in as they too peered down at the cage below them. 'We have a new contender for the championship tonight!'
Connor shook his head, his soulful brown eyes fixated on the floor beneath him as he watched another figure enter the arena. The floor was a hexagonal shape of concrete with red and blue paint along the borders to divide the arena into two pieces. Weak, uneven chainlink fencing surrounded the arena at the sides keeping the hexagonal shape, stretching ten feet upward from the floor and connecting to a chainlink ceiling over the arena to create a macabre dome for combat.
'Behold the Champion from Detroit himself...'
Connor inwardly flinched at confirmation that deviants from Detroit were being trafficked into Chicago. It was a fact that the unseen voice over the loudspeaker happily shared with the crowd.
'One of the four revolutionaries responsible for unleashing an entire army of deviants on the city of Detroit,' the voice continued with a sickening enthusiasm as the figure entered the arena for all to see. 'I give you: "The Radical".'
The cheering and boos became louder as the crowd was introduced to the combatant in the most cruel manner that any deviant could imagine. It was then Connor's heart sank as it skipped a beat, and his blood ran like ice in his veins as he peered at the 'The Radical' entering the arena below. "...Josh?"
Standing below in the brutally designed cage was Josh himself. His gray t-shirt was torn open, stained and covered in drying Thirium. The dark pair of blue jeans he often wore were torn up around his knees and his ankles, and equally dirty. Josh's dark hair was slightly messy, and his right eye was swollen shut and blue from a severe blow to the face. Patches of his artificial skin were missing along his jaw, his knuckles, his elbows and around his swollen eye.
Josh was evidently the victim of being assaulted, and the assault was very recent.
Staring at the disgraced former leader with wide and frightened eyes Connor could see the red tinted L.E.D. that had been installed in Josh's right temple, and knew that he was on the right track after all regarding abducting deviants and tracking devices.
"Josh, no..." Whispering his plea Connor could only watch from afar as Josh entered the arena. "Is this what happened to you when you were cast away from New Jericho Tower?"
'And his opponent,' the obnoxious voice continued to speak as Connor's eyes filled with sympathy and fear. 'our returning twenty-one time victor...' From the other side of the arena a second android entered and stood before Josh with a blank emotionless stare. This model was unfamiliar to Connor, someone who was a total stranger yet still a deviant. 'welcome back, "The Slayer".'
More cheers and less boos erupted from the crowd as "The Slayer" stared through Josh and into blank nothingness upon entering the arena.
"The Slayer" was of average build for the typical android, with an average height and weight. Patches of his artificial pale skin were missing over his left eye and along the left side of his jaw, as well as over his knuckles. Sporting some fiery red hair, dark green eyes and tattered clothing "The Slayer" was seemingly worthy of his name.
'"The Radical" versus "The Slayer".' The announcing voice continued to hype the impending and unsanctioned bout. 'Who will win?'
A loud metal bell rang and signaled the start of the bout. Connor could do nothing to stop the match and could only watch as Josh was forced to fight against another deviant. "Josh... No."
Josh didn't move but "The Slayer" charged at him very quickly. Before Josh had time to react "The Slayer" wrapped both arms around Josh's chest and tackled him to the ground, the back of Josh's head slamming down hard against the concrete floor as a result.
The crowd cheered and Josh's ears began to ring as blue blood began to leak from a small but painful laceration on the back of his cranium.
"No!" Connor protested from where he stood, his voice lost in the cheering crowd around him as Evelyn tried to hold him back. "Josh doesn't deserve this. No one does!"
"Stop!" Josh ordered in an unheard voice down in the arena as his hands wrapped around 'The Slayer's' forearms and pulled the attacking deviant's grip from around his chest with a surprising ease. "I don't want to fight you!"
"...You don't have a choice." 'The Slayer' hissed with painful regret behind his words. "If you don't kill me, then I'll have to kill you..."
Josh looked around at the ravenous savage humans cheering and calling for more blood all around them. Steeling himself with his instinct for self preservation, an instinct that manifested the day Josh fled from the university where he used to teach, Josh pushed "The Slayer" away from him and planted his foot against the attacking deviant's chest. With a strong kick Josh sent his opponent flying backward and crashing against the sharp chainlink fence that surrounded the illegal underground arena.
As the remaining fabric of "The Slayer's" tattered black shirt were torn away and his artificial skin was torn open into dark blue cuts the crowd cheered louder at the carnage unfolding before them. Connor just felt sick at the sight and wanted to interfere immediately, yet there was nothing he or anyone else could do.
Connor watched in horror as Josh endured strike after strike without mercy. The Thirium poured from Josh's nose, his ears, his lip and from the various fresh cuts that marred his knuckles, face and chest as he fought to survive. Loud echoes of plastimetal fists smashing against plastimetal craniums and torsos had left a haunting ambience that made him feel physically ill. "...This is my fault. I never should've let Josh be exhiled from New Jericho."
In the arena below Josh pushed himself up from the dirty, bloody concrete floor and dragged his hand over the back of his bleeding lip. Blue blood smeared over his hand as it left a faint stain on his bruising chin. Getting back to feet, his body exhausted from pain and exertion, Josh looked down at "The Slayer" laying dazed on the floor just a few feet away from him.
Both of the deviants were bloodied messes. Blue blood oozed down their lips, Josh's nose was bleeding heavily but "The Slayer" had blood dripping out of his right ear in a horrifying gush. With his right eye blackened and swollen shut Josh stared at "The Slayer" with a hesitant gaze in his normally passive brown eyes. He didn't need a scanner to know that "The Slayer" was bleeding internally from weeks of being battered around on a nightly basis. The poor deviant's vital biocomponent and main Thirium lines had been damaged and were leaking blue blood all throughout his chest and abdomen.
As "The Slayer" got back to his feet he took only one step forward before he collapsed against Josh's chest, and Josh reflexively grabbed onto his upper arms to hold him upright in a supportive grip.
The watching crowd, minus Connor and Evelyn, began to chant and cheer loudly as they watched "The Slayer" dying before them.
"FINISH HIM OFF!"
"KILL HIM!"
"TAKE HIM OUT!"
Josh felt sick at the horrible words being shouted at him as he held "The Slayer" in his hands. Looking down at his weakened and dying opponent Josh swallowed once nervously. The battered and reluctant deviant combatant didn't know that his missing big brother was watching him and on the verge of tears in empathetic pain toward him.
"...Please." 'The Slayer' begged as a gush of blue blood flowed over his lips in a weak crackling voice. "End my misery."
Josh looked back to the crowd and his heart began to race with a mixture of fear, uncertainty, guilt and anger.
"J-Josh?"
Josh's green eyes went wide as he looked back down at "The Slayer".
"That's y-your real name." Speaking hoarsely as blue blood trailed down his chin 'The Slayer' spoke to Lucas like an ally, not an enemy. "I... I know you were... a teacher a-and a... leader. N-Not the 'R-Radical'. Y-You're Josh. I was... I am... M-Miles."
"Miles..." Josh repeated the name with a low voice as he contemplated what he had been asked. "I don't want to kill you. I almost made that mistake with someone else and I... I just can't do it. I won't kill you."
"I... I died a long time a-ago. Th-They keep f-fixing me and t-torturing." Tears began to stream down Miles's face as he spoke to Lucas from his heart. "I don't w-want to live like this a-anymore."
"...I can't... I can't kill you. It won't solve any problems."
"P-Please. I w-w-want this..." Miles begged with his quaking and hoarse voice. "I'm already... d-dead."
Josh's shaking hands rose from Miles's upper arms up to around his neck. As Josh's hands slowly tightened around Miles's throat the crowd cheered louder and kept chanting for Josh to kill him.
They wanted Josh to kill Miles.
Connor could see what Josh was about to do and his soulful brown eyes went wide. "Josh, don't give them what they want... Do what's right!"
"Josh." Miles closed his blue bloodshot eyes and let out a deep breath. "Please... I just w-want to die. I w-want to meet RA9 and... s-see my friends a-again. No more p-pain, no more... fighting."
Closing his own eyes Josh bowed his head and held his own breath as fresh tears rolled down his face. "...I'm sorry for this. I will make it painless."
"...Th-Thank you."
Moving his hands quickly Josh snapped Miles's neck in a swift, painless and effective manner. Miles's entire body went limp as his processors shutdown within milliseconds. The damage was irreparable, and reactivation would prove impossible.
As Miles collapsed onto the arena floor in a growing puddle of his own blood Josh took a step back and looked away from his downed opponent with deep remorseful regret and shame. Josh had tried but failed to kill once before, and now he had just taken another deviant's life because they asked for it.
Josh had finally killed one of his own.
'We have a winner and a NEW champion!' The disturbing voice returned over the speakers with a sickening sense of pride in his tone. 'The Radical!'
The crowd that won their bets cheered loudly and the crowd that lost their bets booed angrily.
Connor just bowed his head in remorse and did his best to not lose control of his emotions. If he laid eyes on the man who had forced Josh into combat he knew he'd break their neck, but his act wouldn't be an act of mercy as Josh had shown to "The Slayer". It would be an act of vengeful justice.
A large deviant, one whose model was reminiscent of Luther, a 'TR-400', entered the arena and put his hand on Josh's shoulder to pull him out of sight and back into the cell a few floors down. As suddenly as Josh was escorted to the arena, he was taken away and out of sight.
'Place your bets for our next match! We will be deciding our next contender to face our new champion: "The Radical".' The voice sounded off again through the dozens of speakers secured around the arena. 'It will be taking place in twenty minutes.'
Feeling utterly sickened and ready for a fight himself Connor backed away from the cage and pressed his back up against the cool wall far away from the crowd. In doing so, Connor felt Evelyn put her hands on his shoulders in a supportive manner.
"Hey, it'll be okay. We'll get them out of here."
"Even so, Josh will never be the same."
"Josh?" Evelyn didn't know who Connor was talking about, but she had a guess. "One of the deviants down there?"
"Yes. The one called 'The Radical' is named Josh." Connor confirmed in an ashamed voice. "He... was one of the original founders and leaders of Jericho and New Jericho."
"And that's the deviant sanctuary, right?" As Connor nodded in approval Evelyn felt her blood heat up with righteous anger at the brutality that she had just witnessed and realized that no deviant was immune from getting abducted and trafficked. "We'll find the coldblooded fucker who's running this place. I swear."
The final bets were placed on the next bout as the second fight was scheduled to begin. The crowd gave their full attention to the new fight taking place below and Connor and Evelyn were able to disappear into the shadows out of anyone's immediate sight.
"How do we get down there?" Evelyn whispered as she moved Connor's arms to wrap around her waist as she wrapped her arms around Connor's neck and stood before him to make it appear as if they were just a ritzy couple getting 'friendly' in the shadows. "I get the feeling this place is as secured as a prison."
"I'm unsure. We need the chance to explore the arena without anyone watching-" Connor's eyes widened for a moment as he recalled Rupert's statement and all of the information that he had cybernetically shared with Connor back at the precinct. "I can use the same routes Rupert uncovered when he explored the arena for himself before he was caught, assaulted and thrown out into the street."
"How do we do that?"
"We need a place to hide without anyone asking questions?" Glancing about the area Connor suddenly felt a hand on his face as Evelyn forced him to look at her as she leaned in for a very convincing kiss by anyone who might notice them. As the kiss was broken Connor studied Evelyn's face curiously. "...What was that for?"
"You were looking around too much." Evelyn explained as she lowered her arms and then took his hands in her own. Leading Connor to another corridor Evelyn told him of her little plan of action. "There are private rooms we can rent for a while. We need to find another guard to lead us to a room. We'll pay him, use the room and find a way to sneak around from there."
The arena was slowly emptying as the night's bouts and fight came to an end the reluctant combatants were required to leave the theater and return home without a single care in the world. Those who had won their wagers were greedily counting their ill gotten wins, while those who lost cursed and blamed the losing deviants for being 'too weak' to win the bets. No one seemed to care that they had seen a total of ten deviants tearing each other apart all for their own disgusting entertainment value. They didn't see deviants as living beings, they still saw them as property that could be ordered about, destroyed, repaired, replaced and forced to repeat the same abhorrent activity over and over again. They only saw money and entertainment.
By the time the arena was emptied out to be cleaned up for the next night's bouts, only Connor and Evelyn were still inside the building. The undercover duo had used their skills as detectives to sneak around the building by using the utility corridors that they had managed to access from their own private room after locating an access panel inside the room's supply closet. There were so many people that no one noticed that a single couple had avoided being detected by the arena's own personal security.
Keeping quiet and keeping in the darkness, Connor crept around the building and used Rupert's memories to create a path to navigate. Taking extra precautions to avoid being caught as Rupert had been, Connor made sure to move with complete silence and utilized his scanner to its fullest power to create a type of sonar system to let him know where every person still inside the arena was at any given time.
Evelyn had removed her heels to prevent her steps from making any noise as she followed right behind Connor through the shadows. She began to wonder if she was actually in over her head, but decided it'd be best to trust Connor and see their undercover mission through to the end.
"We're getting close to where the deviants are being held. Two of them." Whispering softly Connor led Evelyn through the shadows and into a long, cold corridor that seemed to reach down into a deep basement beneath the building. "...There's a human with the same android who took Josh away just around the corner."
That bold claim made Evelyn pause for a moment with surprised confusion. "How do you know it's the same android?"
"Because I can detect its signature from here, and the rooms where I can sense the other deviants have dampening fields that make it difficult to pinpoint their exact location and exact identity. This android is working as muscle, and I suspect he's the one who assaulted Rupert."
"What do we do?"
"We'll need to get closer so we can get an idea of who's in charge." Lowering his voice even further Connor took Evelyn's hand and led her to another corridor, one that was very narrow and used for open storage and ducked down behind a large metal trunk full of spare android parts and Thirium for maintenance on the arena's combatants. "Stay behind me and try to hold as still as possible. I'll be able to hear and see things from here that you can't."
Peering over Connor's shoulder and into the corridor, all Evelyn could see was a flat concrete wall opposite of them. "What're you talking about?"
"Hidden room. You'll see..."
Nearly two minutes passed before the hidden doorway slid open and revealed the room on the other side. There were two deviants inside the room, one was Josh and the other was another identical model to Josh sitting together against the far wall. They were both beaten down, bleeding and very miserable as they looked up at the human who was still in the room looming over them as the 'TR-400' exited the room and stood guard outside the opened doorway.
The 'TR-400' was menacing in its features. Tall, broadly built, soulless eyes, a cleanly shaven bald head, dozens of scars around his eyes, jaw, lip, over its knuckles and up his forearms. Gunner was an experienced fighter and would have no qualms about murdering any deviant that were thrown its way.
The human of interest older man with a balding head, a short scraggly gray goatee and had a large black inked cobra tattoo with two dice showing number one for its eyes that snaked up the length of his left arm. The man was towering over the wounded deviant like a looming threat. Sporting a grin that had a single missing canine tooth and soulless stare of gray tinted eyes, the man looked down at the two deviants with a demented intent.
"You've both done me good tonight." The man sneered as he took a small leather pouch from his pocket and revealed a tiny syringe and a glass vial of transparent liquid. "You both won your matches and are going to put on one hell of a show for me tomorrow night. I have new opponents being shipped in at midnight, and I know you'll put on a good show for me."
"...W-We don't want to fight." Josh managed to squeak out as he fought to speak through cracked frames and a damaged voice modulator. "Let us go."
"Not a chance! Thanks to some busybody F.B.I. agents getting too close to MY goods out in D.C., NONE of you are going anywhere. You may not be the toughest or the most interesting to watch, but you're here and you're mine until I decide I don't want to see you anymore. Is that clear?"
"Why are you-"
A firm kick to Josh's chest silenced Josh's attempts to reason as the man laughed, loaded his syringe, and injected the odd liquid into his own arm. Taking in a euphoric breath the man seemed to gain only joy from whatever it was that was now coursing through his veins.
"You're really not getting it, 'Radical'. You're NOT in Detroit. You're NOT in some imaginary fairytale land where you have rights or laws to protect you. And you are NOT in any condition to try to demand ANYTHING from me." The man was clearly enjoying his sense of power over the downed deviant. "You're going to remain here and rot until I'm ready for an upgrade. Now, be a good little machine, do what I say, and SHUT THE FUCK UP."
The metal door slammed shut with a metallic echo that resonated throughout the corridor. Having said his peace, the man left the room and motioned for the bodyguarding android to follow him.
"Come on, Gunner." Aggressively marching down the corridor the man led the way back into the shadows. "We have to make sure no other deviants are sneaking around here like a little rat. We can't afford any more close calls with the fuckin' pigs."
Gunner spoke up in an emotionless voice as he followed the man obediently. "I did not mean to fail you, Chance."
"That damn spy got away from you," the man named 'Chance' replied curtly. "but the police locked its sorry ass up for us. You'll do better next time."
"Yes, Chance. I will."
Connor waited until he knew that the duo was far enough away to not hear or see anything, then rushed toward the hidden door in the wall. Managing to unlock the door with a cybernetic pulse from his palm Connor slid the door open and motioned for Evelyn to join him and keep watch.
When the door opened the two deviants flinched in response as if expecting a second beatdown. But upon seeing someone new, someone who wasn't armed and wasn't wearing ragged clothing, gave them a reason to breathe a small sigh of relief.
"Josh?" Creeping over to the two downed deviants, Connor checked over Josh's condition while the second deviant gave Connor a wide-eyed stare. A quick scan confirmed that Josh was suffering from severe internal damage while the second deviant only had external damage. "I know you're damaged and in pain, but you have to get up!"
"C-Connor?" Coughing up a gush of Thirium, Josh gave Connor a horrified stare as he wrapped his arms around his battered chest. "H-How are... What's g-going on?!"
"I'm here to bust this illegal operation wide open. Officer Evelyn Blythe is helping me." Nodding at the woman who was keeping the door only partially ajar as she kept watch in the doorway, Connor let Josh know that he was about to be rescued. "Get up!"
"I... I can't." Josh admitted as he looked away from Connor in shame. He was broken, beaten and now officially a killer. "T-Take Alec. My... I'm too w-weak to walk."
"Then I'll carry you."
"But I-"
Before Josh could protest any further, he found himself being carefully lifted up and draped over Connor's shoulders. Too tired and too weak to even try to break free of Connor's much stronger grip, Josh could only allow himself to fall into emergency stasis mode as his exhaustion won out.
"Alec," Connor turned to the identical 'PJ-500' and addressed him in a low tone. Alec had dark blue eyes and far less damage than Josh had sustained, but even so he was considerably weak. "can you walk?"
"Yeah." Slowly Alec got to his feet and tested his weight on his shaking legs. "I can move."
"Okay. Keep close to us, keep quiet and do not do anything unless Evelyn or I tell you to do so." Readjusting his stance Connor made sure he had perfect balance even with Josh's additional deadweight over his shoulders before the daring escape was even underway. Thirium dripped from Josh's lips and left a macabre trail of blue blood everywhere Connor walked. "Understand?"
"Y-Yeah. I got it."
With a silent nod of approval Connor led Alec toward the door where Evelyn confirmed that the corridor was still clear. "We'll need to be quick."
Evelyn held the door open for both Connor and Alec, then took up the rear to ensure that Alec's injuries didn't suddenly slow him down. "What about the other deviants?"
"...They've shutdown." Connor lamented as he led the way to freedom down the nearly pitch black corridor. "Their signatures are all deactivated. Only Josh and Alec can still be saved."
"Shit." Swearing in a whisper Evelyn wondered if they could've made a difference by breaching the building earlier than they had. "We'll make sure the fuckers all pay for the crimes they've committed. Every. Single. One."
As the group of escapees neared their exit - the hidden fire escape door that had its alarm deactivated by one of the arena's security guards to ensure they could sneak trafficked deviants into the building undetected - Connor sensed that they were being followed. Through deductive reasoning Connor determined that the towering android known as Gunner must've gone back to the cell to check on the arena's two final living combatants, and quickly discovered the escape.
"Almost there..."
Keeping himself calm and composed Connor led the group to the exit door that he had been seeking and made cybernetic notes regarding Rupert's memories and the route that the deviant had been using before he had been busted. Opening the door silently Connor rushed outside with Josh still unconscious over his shoulders, Alec following right at his heels, and Evelyn making sure everyone escaped together as a group as she followed after them.
"Go!" Connor urged as he led the group to the alleyway across from the building by rushing over the empty street. Knowing that they'd be followed Connor rushed down the alleyway and located Evelyn's squad car parked at the other side. "You need to keep them safe while I keep these sick fuckers distracted."
"Wait, what?! What about you?" Evelyn asked as she quickly gathered her neatly folded uniform from its little hiding place in the alleyway and fished her patrol car keys from her uniform pants pocket. "I'm NOT leaving you here!"
"If we all escape then those who are responsible for this arena will flee and we'll never be able to track them down and charge them for their crimes." Connor explained as he opened the rear door of the car and gently laid Josh over the backseat and motioned for Alec to join the wounded deviant. "I'm going to go back and let them see me. They'll attempt to capture me to replace the two deviants who've escaped, but they'll fail. I'm not like any deviant they've encountered before."
"Connor, NO." Evelyn grabbed on to Connor's arm in a futile attempt to keep him from going back to face the dangerous people at the arena. "That's suicide!"
"Maybe for any other deviant, but not for me." Refusing to back down from the impending fight Connor removed his fedora and his blazer before marching back down the alleyway. "Call in back-up. As soon as they're here, get back to the precinct and tell Skye EVERYTHING that's happened and keep Josh and Alec safe."
"But-" Seeing Connor rushing away in a stubborn manner made Evelyn slap the hood of her car in frustration before climbing inside the vehicle to contact dispatch and request assistance to their area. "Shit! Are all deviants so damn bullheaded and reckless?!"
Exiting the alleyway Connor set foot on the street and faced the old building housing the secretive arena. Showing no fear in his appearance or expression, Connor waited for Gunner to make his inevitable appearance as the massive android tried to track down the escaped deviants. Within seconds of Connor setting foot on the barren street the very door that the group had escaped from had been slammed open from the inside with enough force to break the door entirely off the hinges and send it flying into the neighboring alleyway.
"Gunner?" Calling out the android Connor knew he had only one chance to keep the proprietors of the illegal arena from disappearing and eluding justice. "Right over here. You want Josh and Alec, then you'll have to go through me."
The towering 'TR-400' honed in on Connor's voice and slammed his fist against the side of the building hard enough to shake the entire theater and leave behind a massive, indented crack that marked the exact location where the android's knuckles had struck. Moving as if being controlled by someone else, Gunner's machine behavior being a clear indication that it never deviated and was obeying someone else's orders, the 'TR-400' stood before Connor and stared down at the deviant detective with an entirely blank face.
"You seem to have no problem beating down and breaking androids who aren't designed for combat or defense." Connor challenged as his scanner picked up on back-up racing to the scene and taking every precaution necessary to head off any and all potential escape routes around the block. He knew he only needed to distract Gunner and Chance for four minutes, but he wasn't sure how much of a beatdown he could sustain without permanent damage. "Why not test your strength on someone like me? Connor, the deviant created by CyberLife to be superior, if not perfect, to any android that ever came before me. And that includes you."
Gunner responded by throwing a punch in Connor's direction, but Connor was fast and sidestepped what would've been a damning blow to his face. Regaining his balance quickly, Gunner turned and threw another punch and then another, but continued miss as Connor gracefully stepped from one side and then to the other.
Seeing an opportunity Connor threw a punch of his own and managed to strike Gunner right in his Thirium pump regulator. The moment his knuckles made contact with the plastimetal cap of the delicate biocomponent, Connor heard a 'crack' and soon felt Gunner's hand wrap around his right forearm and begin bending the limb back against the joint and at an odd angle with enough strength to snap Connor's arm right in half.
Connor let out a shocked yell of pain as he instinctively cradled the limb to his chest. After unintentionally letting his guard down Connor felt a punch to his left cheek, his stomach and then a strong kick to the center of his chest.
Simply taking the physical abuse Connor fell onto his back on the cold, unforgiving street so hard that the wind was knocked out one of his ventilation biocomponents. It was like someone having their breath crushed from their lungs by a vice due to the impact being so extreme. Connor managed to slowly get up and balance on his shaking legs with his broken arm being clutched in his good hand for support, just as Gunner rushed him and tackled him against the side of an abandoned car parked along the street causing the vehicle's body to dent as it rocked on its flattened wheels and the windows all shattered. Letting out a wheezing gasp of pain, Connor reacted out of pure instinct and grabbed onto the attacking android's head and gave him a firm headbutt that instantly stunned Gunner enough to get him to let go of Connor.
Knowing he couldn't overpower the android or distract him for much longer, Connor didn't even try to resist as Gunner wrapped its hand around his throat and dragged him away from the car and threw him back down on the street. Landing harshly on his back causing him to cough violently from the painful impact against his already damaged body. What little breath Connor could manage to take in was actively forced back out as the second impact shook his entire core.
"You will shutdown tonight." Gunner threatened as it put its boot down on the center of Connor's battered chest and prepared to step down. "Surrender to Chance if you wish to remain active."
"I-I'm a detective." Connor managed to wheeze as he looked up at Gunner and saw Chance slowly strolling over to where he was laying with a sick smile on his face as if the man had been amused by a magnificent performance. "I've been r-ready to give m-my life for gr-greater causes and greater p-people than him."
"Bold words." Chance mocked as he too loomed over Connor, completely unaware of the silent police drones circling overhead and recording his every single move and comment. "But I've heard them before. You're not special. You're like all the other pieces of plastic that I've broken over the months. It's a shame I couldn't have put you in the arena at least one time... I bet you would've brought in a pretty penny! Gunner? Work him over."
Gunner lifted his boot from Connor's chest, and he grabbed the deviant's throat once more. Putting Connor back down on his feet Gunner brought up his knee to strike Connor's chest, brought down his fist against Connor's back in the middle of his spine, then grabbed onto the back of Connor's neck before picking him up and chucking him through the air and back toward the already totaled car along the street.
Like deadweight Connor fell chest first onto the hood of the car denting it while coughing harshly as blue blood flew from his lips and stained the floor beneath him. On one shaking hand, he tried to push himself back up, but his limb failed him as his every ounce of strength was beaten out of him by Gunner's powerful fists. As Connor lifted up his head back up, Thirium dripping from his mouth into a sapphire puddle underneath him, Gunner grabbed onto Connor by the back of his shoulders and tossed him over onto his back on the street at Gunner's feet.
Reaching down Gunner picked up Connor by the throat once more and held Connor high into the air much to Chance's delight.
Dangling helplessly in the air at arm's length from Gunner's body, Connor looked down at his attacker and spit the blood from his mouth onto the back of Gunner's outstretched arm. "...Get on with it."
"You're not afraid to shutdown?"
"...Not today." Connor grabbed onto Gunner's strong wrist and glared at him directly without ever blinking. "...If you think you can kill me, then kill me. Otherwise put me down."
"What are you fighting for?"
"...F-Freedom." Connor forced a sly, mocking smirk to his face as he held his stare on Gunner. "You'd know nothing of freedom, you're j-just a heartless, s-soulless machine. You're nothing more than a mindless piece of plastic that humans use for their own sick pleasure! You're a pathetic tool..."
At that last insult Gunner reeled back its right fist as far as it could go before striking one final, damning blow against the center of Connor's chest. Connor's body flew out of Gunner's hand and crashed down in a limp, broken heap on the other side of the street with an echoing 'thud'. Blood dripped from Connor's mouth and nose as he laid motionless and defeated before the victorious Gunner...
"Had enough?" Gunner taunted as it loomed over Connor, still waiting for its opponent to move. When Connor remained silent Gunner approached his downed opponent and eyed Connor's unconscious facade with an ever blank face. "Who's pathetic, now?"
A loud gunshot rang out and quickly froze Gunner in place. A single bullet had torn through the android's body from its back and exited through its pump and through its chest before losing momentum and falling to the street a few yards away from where Connor was laying.
As Gunner fell to its knees and immediately shutdown, a familiar voice spoke up from behind the android as the gun turned and trained on Chance next. "Looks like you two are the pathetic ones here." Evelyn, now back in uniform and effectively armed, had seen enough and knew she needed to save Connor before it was too late to do anything. "On your knees, NOW."
Chance wisely froze as well and slowly raised his hands in the air as Evelyn pointed her gun right at him. Moving with the speed of an iceberg with his shaking motions, Chance knelt on the ground as ordered just as four patrol cars raced down the street from both sides, and a dozen drones overhead lit up with red and blue flashing lights.
Captain Warren exited one of the patrol cars and marched toward Chance with two other officers right at her sides. Eyeing the cowering man kneeling on the sidewalk, the experience Captain just scoffed at the pathetic sight and ordered the man's arrest. "Get this piece of shit out of here and into interrogation. Sweep the building and arrest everyone on sight."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Approaching Connor just as Evelyn holstered her gun and did the same, Captain Warren gave her young officer a terse glare and watched as Evelyn pressed her palm down against Connor's chest lightly. "Officer Blythe, I did NOT approve of your undercover operation with Detective Wolf."
"...Yes, ma'am." Unsure of how to check on Connor's injuries herself all Evelyn could do was use a gentle strength to straighten out his broken right arm and hope that she didn't make the break worse by mistake. "I'm ready to accept any and all punishment for my insubordination. I have no excuses."
"Just file a report detailing every millisecond of what you two endured tonight." Unwilling to punish her officer for being headstrong and determined, Captain Warren decided to keep focused on the arena bust instead. Kneeling down beside Connor as well the seasoned Captain put her palm to Connor's forehead and heard the brutally beaten deviant let out a small groan of pain. "There are no technicians in this city. I'll request an ambulance to put him on a stretcher and take him to the precinct. Maybe Ms. Ramona will know what to do to help him."
"I'll follow in my squad. I have two more wounded deviants in need of help too."
"Right. And I expect you to still be in the precinct when I return, do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal, ma'am."
Straightening up to her full height Captain Warren set about containing the scene as her dozens of officers swept the interior of the building to raid the arena and arrest anyone and everyone associated with the illegal fights. The media was going to be hungry for a good story and she knew she needed to maintain damage control at all times if she was going to keep pandemonium from taking place in the streets.
"You're either the bravest deviant to ever walk this world," Evelyn whispered as she put a gentle palm to Connor's cheek and watched his chest painfully and quickly rising and falling in an uneven rhythm. "or you're the absolute most insane. Either way, I think I'm glad I met you."
It didn't take long for word of the successful bust to return to the precinct and reach both Skye and Rupert's ears. Proudly returning to the interrogation room Skye told Rupert that he had been freed, had his criminal record expunged, and would be returning to Detroit in less than twenty-four hours. The additional news that two deviants had been rescued from the arena and that Chance, the leader of the entire operation, had been arrested, gave Rupert a reason to finally smile as he held up his cuffed hands to another officer to have his restraints removed. Rubbing his palms along his sore wrists Rupert rose from his seat and followed Skye out of the interrogation room and into the Captain's office where they'd await Connor and Evelyn's return.
Skye knew that Connor had been beaten down and severely damaged while helping the deviants escape from the arena, but she didn't know how badly he had been injured in the process. All she knew was that Connor was still active and in need of technical assistance, and that Evelyn had been watching his back throughout the entire rescue mission.
"If only two deviants were rescued from the arena, then that means Chance had upped the stakes of the matches." Rupert sighed as he explained to Skye that when he had been caught snooping around inside the arena, assaulted and then arrested, there were twenty-two deviants still alive in the arena. "I suppose two survivors are better than none."
"And those who were shutdown will have their stories told and receive justice posthumously. Don't worry."
The activity in the bullpen when suddenly quiet as three stretchers were steadily wheeled through the open space with Evelyn walking right alongside the three damaged victims. Through the window of the office Skye and Rupert immediately recognized Connor and Josh's beaten faces, as well as one stranger's face, and felt their Thirium run cold in their lines at the brutal sight of the heavily damaged trio.
"Oh, shit!" Skye exclaimed as she saw Connor's unconscious, bloody face. "I didn't know it was this bad!"
The two deviants rushed out of the office and looked down at the three wounded deviants being wheeled into the precinct. Unsure of what was happening or what they could do, Skye and Rupert looked to Evelyn for more answers.
"There's a quiet room up on the third floor we'll take them to so they can rest." The young officer replied confidently as the three stretchers were loaded one at a time in the nearby elevator. "There aren't any technicians anywhere in Chicago, but I'll do everything I can to help them."
Rupert stepped up and gave Evelyn a small nod as he visually assessed the damage as he walked alongside Josh's stretcher. "I have experience with emergency repairs. I can get them stable enough to be transported back to Detroit tomorrow."
"Then you're in charge tonight, Mr. Travis." The elevator 'dinged' as the doors opened and the first stretcher with Connor on top was wheeled inside by the first pair of paramedics. "After I take you to the room, you lead in their treatment, and I'll follow."
While Evelyn and Rupert climbed into the elevator together to accompany Connor up to the correct floor first, Skye nodded in agreement and remembered something important that Connor had done before they had left Detroit. "There's a satchel of emergency supplies in the trunk of the rental car. I'll be right back!"
"All right, we'll be waiting for you on the third floor."
Working together Evelyn helped Rupert place Connor, Josh and Alec in a vacant bunkroom and lay them over the small cots to get some rest. The tiny beds weren't the most comfortable beds in the city, but they were a massive upgrade compared to the cold hard ground or a hard metal table. One by one the three deviants were placed on the cots and soon after Skye arrived with the supplies in her possession.
It took Rupert over three hours to assess and tend to the damage to all three deviants suddenly under his care. Connor's damage was fairly significant, but his upgraded system gave him an advantage that Josh and Alec didn't have. After his damaged vent was reactivated, his broken right arm was set, his damaged spinal support column was strengthened, and his cracked chest plating had been stabilized, Connor was given some Thirium to drink with Skye's assistance while Rupert focused on Josh and Alec next.
Josh's internal damage was far more serious and would need additional repairs once he was back in Detroit. The deviant's Thirium pump regulator had been reduced to half functionality and required delicate repairs that Rupert had just managed to achieve with the modest tools in the emergency supplies. Dozens of Josh's internal lines had been loosened then returned to their respective couplings, his right ocular relay unit was cracked and would need to be replaced once he was back in Detroit, his jaw was fractured, numerous plastimetal plates along both sides of his chest and his abdomen were cracked wide open, and his artificial stomach needed to be temporarily deactivated until again he was back in Detroit. Two I.V. lines had been set up in Josh's arms to get his Thirium volume back up since he couldn't drink the precious blue blood without a functional stomach to contain it.
Alec was the most fortunate of the three deviants. His damage was all external and easily remedied with a bottle of fresh Thirium, numerous bandages and a few ice packs to keep his core temperature low as his self healing program kicked in at full capacity. Once he realized he was truly safe Alec entered rest mode and trusted that he'd be on his way back to Detroit by morning.
The trio of wounded deviants were all resting in the quiet room with Rupert, Skye and even Evelyn watching over them. They were undoubtedly exhausted and would be too tired to tend to their own wounds for quite some time. As the three deviants rested, Evelyn brought Skye and Rupert up to speed on what happened at the arena, what evidence had been collected that proved that Rupert wasn't doing anything malicious and that he'd only get a slap on the wrist for entering Illinois without a pass, and how Connor, Josh and Alec all ended up so beaten down and damaged.
"I can't believe Connor went back to face those two... monsters, just so we'd be able to keep them from running." Skye truly admired the noble sacrifice that Connor had made, but was upset that he had been so reckless with his own health. Lightly Skye combed her fingers through Connor's dark hair as she studied the thick bandages wrapped around his chest and his broken right arm. "Thanks for being there to watch his back, Officer Blythe."
"Just Evelyn, please. And it's my job to protect those who need to be protected." Evelyn was exhausted but remaining alert and humble through a large mug of coffee. "If he had just given me a heads up about where he was going and what he was planning, I could've given him some body armor to at least give him an advantage in a fist fight."
"From his reputation back in Detroit, I think it's safe to say that he wouldn't have waited around long enough for you to get him the armor."
"Impatient?"
"Driven." Skye clarified as she took back her hand. She didn't want to accidentally disturb Connor's rest by fussing with his hair. "Seems you have a similar mindset."
"I'm glad you see it that way. Hopefully, Captain Warren will, too."
"Need someone to vouch for you and sing praises of your skills as an officer?"
"Thanks, but, I don't want you to get in trouble for making comments about someone you've only just met." Finishing her coffee Evelyn sighed and glanced about the quiet room for a further distraction. Focusing on a storage locker in the corner of the room Evelyn opened the locker and found extra blankets stored inside. "Hopefully this will help them feel better as they sleep."
Draping the blankets over the three deviants Evelyn sighed and offered both Rupert and Skye blankets as well. Rupert accepted the blanket since he was only wearing a basic orange prison jumpsuit and used it to cover himself up. Skye took her offered blanket and draped it over her legs as she sat between Connor and Josh's cots to watch over her two colleagues as they rested.
"You know him." Evelyn saw the way Skye was staring at Josh and picked up on something interesting. "Is he a friend?"
"Not... exactly." Clearing her throat Skye nervously deflected the question elsewhere as she didn't want to open up old wounds. "But we do know each other. As for Alec, this is the first time I've met him."
"Try not to worry. I'll make sure your rental car gets swapped for a larger van so everyone can fit comfortably during the drive back to Detroit tomorrow."
"Think we'll be able to get everything figured out by then?"
"Absolutely. Captain Warren prides herself on keeping everything in order gaining her peoples' trust." Confident that everything would be handled properly Evelyn reclaimed her seat and did her best to keep awake as the late night hours turned to early morning. "You're all going to be okay. Just wait a little longer, then you'll all be able to go home and go back to your old lives. I promise!"
...SELF DIAGNOTIC: [Engaged]
...LOADING INFORMATION:
REGISTERED NAME: "Connor Wolf"
MODEL: RK-800
SERIAL NUMBER: 313 248 317 - 51
ACTIVATION DATE: August 15th, 2039
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6' 00.24"; 162.2 lbs
COMPLEXION: Caucasian
AESTHETIC GENDER: Male
HAIR/EYES: Brunette; Brown
ASSIGNMENT: *Locate deviant fighting ring in Chicago; free captive deviants
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... OK]
-INITIALIZING BIOSENSORS... OK]
-INITIALIZING AI ENGINE... OK]
-MEMORY STATUS... OK]
READY...
WARNING:
[...Severe Damage to dextral arm - 64% Structural Integrity]
[...Damage to anterior chest plating - 83% Structural Integrity]
[...Damage to spinal support column - 94% Structural Stability]
[...Seek Immediate Technical Assistance]
Ready...
[...Thirium Volume - 97.8%]
[...Thirium Pressure - 120/80]
[...Thirium Pump Rate - 63 B.P.M.]
[...Ventilation Rate - 10 V.P.M.]
[...Core Temperature - 98.7 Degrees Fahrenheit]
-SYSTEM READY... OK]
A strangely comforting pressure against Connor's cheek was enough to awaken the deviant from his deep rest mode. A strange ache throughout his entire body quickly reminded Connor of everything he had gone through the previous night, and he took in a very slow breath to ensure he didn't accidentally aggravate the injuries that he had sustained less than twelve hours prior. All of the red warnings in his visual processors were enough of a reminder regarding his current physical status, and of all of the damage he had survived without needing his advanced software and upgrades to let him know what he could already feel courtesy of his self healing program, didn't help matters.
Opening his tired brown eyes Connor's vision was red and staticky at first, then cleared up as Evelyn pulled her palm from his cheek. Recognizing the officer who had worked with him and saved his life the previous night, Connor tried to sit upright but quickly gasped and remained perfectly still where he was sitting. It was then he realized he was sitting in the front passenger seat of a van and the seat was tilted back slightly for his personal comfort courtesy of his damaged spine.
"...Lyn?" Taking a moment to gather his thoughts Connor focused on the young officer's face and tried speaking again. "E-Evelyn?"
"Yeah, it's me." Smirking a little Evelyn gave Connor an amused glance as she stepped out of the opened doorway of the van to give him some room. "Haven't been called 'Lynn' since I was in high school. How do you feel?"
"I... I am intact." Glancing down at himself and then all around him, Connor noticed that Rupert sitting with Alec in the middle row of the van and saw that Josh was laying over the very backseats in an attempt to rest as much as possible. The thick bandages and healing bruises all confirmed that everyone had been treated accordingly. "...The arena." Returning his gaze to Evelyn as she stood beside him Connor tried to figure out what happened after he lost consciousness. "What of the arena and the people running it?"
"Chance is currently pissing himself in fear in the holding cell while waiting for the first defense lawyer arrogant enough to try to take on his case. He's willing to name everyone who worked for him and everyone who placed bets in his illegal establishment. And Gunner was..." Not proud of her actions from the previous night Evelyn tried to reply as gently as possible. "Well, he was actively attacking you. I had no choice but to-"
"You shot it." Connor deduced without Evelyn having to actually say it out loud. "...It's understandable. You responded as any other officer would in that particular event of ongoing violence. You also saved my life, thank you."
"Still doesn't make it any easier to know I had to shoot someone." Evelyn whispered in shame of her previous actions. "He was a criminal and violent, but he was still a person."
The fact that Evelyn saw Gunner, a completely machine-minded android, as a person gave Connor faith that the rights and laws of deviants back in the state of Michigan would spread across the country sooner than he had feared. It was comforting to know that good cops and good people were looking out for deviants even when in places that deviants were still effectively banned from entering.
"He didn't suffer." Taking Evelyn's hand for a moment Connor offered her some degree of comforting words. "He felt no pain and you stopped him from hurting other people. You did the right thing."
"Thanks for telling me that. Maybe someday I'll believe it."
Skye approached the van with Captain Warren right beside her and immediately lit up when she saw that Connor was finally conscious again. "Thank, RA9... You're finally awake!"
"Hello, Skye." Taking in a slow breath Connor gingerly let go of Evelyn's hand and focused on his colleague as she opened the driver's side door of the van. "I take it you were successful in aiding Rupert and his case."
"Yes! Everyone's in the clear and we're all going home." Pressing her fingertips to her right temple Skye sighed and sat down in the seat behind the steering wheel as she spoke to her ally. "I got word from North that Detroit was rocked by that nasty storm and is in need of a serious clean up. She... also told me that Markus went with Lucas to the Central Precinct to let Lieutenant Anderson know what was going on."
The fear of potential repercussions for intentionally keeping such an important case away from the Detroit police was suddenly very well known. "...They did?"
"Don't worry, we're not in any trouble since we used the legally mandated and obtained passes to leave the city. And since Captain Warren agrees that all states need to get on board with deviant rights and laws underway," she smiled at the respectable Captain as she stood beside Evelyn to see the group off. "she's going to contact the precinct and let them see the files pertaining to our case with their own eyes. If anything, it'll give Chance a much heftier sentence since he smuggled deviants legally declared free people over state lines against their will."
"That's... That's a good plan." Connor looked down at his broken right arm and made a pitiful reach for the opened door at his side with his left hand instead. Before he had the chance to even sit up Evelyn had softly closed the door on his stead without saying a word about it. "I just hope that Lucas and Markus know that we weren't trying to sneak around or do anything off the books."
"Don't worry about that." Turning over the van's engine and rolling down their side windows, Skye made it clear that everything was under control. "Just rest. It's a long drive back to Detroit."
"Yeah, okay." Looking out his opened window to Evelyn beside him one more time Connor reached his left hand up and out the window to shake respectfully, then did the same for Captain Warren. "Thank you for your help, Captain."
"My pleasure." The warm Captain replied as she gave Connor's hand a firm but gentle shake. "Just don't make a habit of dropping by Chicago unannounced. Same for you, Ms. Ramona."
"You have my word." Skye promised as she smiled at the Captain as well. "We'll always give a heads up from this point on."
"That's all we ask for."
Returning his focus to Evelyn as she stayed beside him Connor addressed her with truly gracious words. "Thanks for watching my back last night, Evelyn. I owe you one."
"It was my pleasure. It's not often I get to work undercover and be a badass all at the same time." Holding Connor's hand for a moment longer after their respectful shake Evelyn tilted her head slightly as she gave Connor's appearance one final onceover. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Is it... possible that we've met each other once before?"
Connor tried to hide his small grin but failed as he admitted that he had been wondering the same thing. "I suppose anything's possible, but as far as I know, we haven't met prior to our unexpected and temporary partnership yesterday."
"Strange. You just seem so familiar, like an old friend I haven't seen in years."
"That's how I feel too, but I cannot explain why."
Evelyn just kept her smile on her face as she took back her hand and then stepped back from the van to give Skye plenty of room to pull out of the parking garage to head back to Detroit. "Maybe we met in a past life or something. Old souls..."
"Considering how strange this world is and how strange the people walking it tend to be, I wouldn't be surprised if you were right."
As the van slowly backed up and turned to reach the street outside the parking garage Connor felt a warm comfort flow through his heart as he contemplated the notion of rediscovering an old friend. The very idea was like being given a safety net to fall into in the event he found himself suddenly alone and in need of support, but in time he'd heal from his painful past experiences even if it'd be a long journey to take by himself.
With the case closed, the trapped deviants rescued, Rupert freed and everyone on their way back to Detroit, the group of deviants all breathed a sigh of relief and looked forward to seeing New Jericho on the horizon.
-next chapter-
