The investigation into the dual assault and attempted murder at Skye's private law office had been taken up by the Central Precinct's deviant division since Connor was a victim of that very case, and it was seen as a potential obstruction of justice to let Connor investigate his own case. Connor was slowly recovering from the stab wound to his thermal regulator without any complications, and he was able to return to the brownstone without needing any additional technical assistance from anyone during his recovery. The damage to his thermal regulator had mostly repaired itself and all that was left was the lengthy recalibration process since the Michigan weather continued to yo-yo between warm and cold making it harder for the vital biocomponent to properly adapt to the external temperatures. In return, Connor felt absolutely exhausted and slept more often than usual.

Laying over his bed in the quiet of his bedroom Connor awoke from rest mode pressed his palm to his abdomen where he had been stabbed and tested for any sign of pain. The entire repair process had been a success and Connor was predicted to make a full recovery without any permanent damage, and yet the deviant found himself unexpectedly shaken by the experience and needing a moment by himself.

From the opened doorway of the bedroom Bruno sat at attention and watched his healing guardian laying on the bed all day long. The K-9 unit could sense that Connor was distressed but was repeatedly told that by Connor himself that he was fine and just wanted some space to rest and think.

The staircase leading to the second floor 'groaned' as Lucas ventured to the second floor to check in on his older brother and give him an update at the case at the precinct. No one had been able to reach Connor through cybernetic contact, but fortunately through Bruno keeping guard Lucas was able to confirm that Connor was still resting at the brownstone and wasn't in any danger.

"You're awake, that's good. I take it you still aren't feeling up to talking to the precinct regarding this case." Lucas stated in a calm voice as he hovered in the bedroom doorway to watch Connor from afar. "According to Detective Miller the assailant had fled to the busy shopping district after you had stunned him with your baton, they then dropped the knife in a trashcan and then disappeared into the crowd."

Lifting his head up from his pillow a little Connor looked over at Lucas in the door and searched his little brother's face for a tell. "Security cameras?"

"The cameras were able to capture the assailant dressed entirely in black entering the busy area after fleeing from the office, but the cameras failed to detect them leaving the shopping plaza. A search of the area located a black ski mask in a trashcan, a black sweatshirt located in a community library's lost and found bin, and a pair of black sweatpants in a dumpster behind a local gym."

"And the assailant removed their layer of black clothing by hiding in blind spots and then rejoining the crowd while wearing entirely normal clothing that they had worn under the black clothing."

"That is the theory, yes." Entering the bedroom entirely Lucas sat down on the edge of the bed next to his brother's legs and gave him a wary glance. "Unless the security footage can somehow track the assailant's moves, get an exact measurement on their height and build, and isolate their very common brown eyes among the other brown eyed individuals in the area, then the odds of finding them are going to remain statistically impossible."

"I'm aware of the statistics." Sensing that there was something else on Lucas's mind Connor gave his little brother a knowing glance. "What aren't you telling me?"

Quiet for a moment Lucas gave Connor a sympathetic stare as he wrung his hands together nervously. "Skye's recovery is being stunted by an unexpected complication."

Pushing himself upright on his elbows Connor felt his heart skip a dreadful beat in his chest. "...What? What's happening to her? When I spoke to her before I left the tower, she was fine. She had been strong enough and coherent enough to give the police a full statement, and she was on her way to a full recovery."

"The severity of the damage to her system had overwhelmed her self healing program and had caused her recalibration process to crash. She'll still make a full recovery, but it won't happen another six days."

"How has she been affected by this?"

"At the moment, she has lost mobility in her legs. The lack of recalibration has also left her gyroscope entirely unreliable and will make walking around very difficult and dangerous."

"And she's remaining in the tower, yes?"

"No. She went back to her loft above the library and has North taking care of her. Apparently, Skye is unwilling to go anywhere near her office until she can walk without needing help, and she won't be going anywhere in general until after the assailant has been identified, captured and their motivation uncovered."

"I can't say that I blame her for airing on the side of extreme caution."

"Don't blame yourself either." Lucas knew his brother too well and knew when Connor was feeling misplaced emotions. "You couldn't have possibly known that anyone would've been so brazen as to attack Skye in the middle of the day and within her own personal office."

"I shouldn't have left her alone. Secured or not, she was all alone, and she had no way to escape from her office or defend herself." Sighing deeply Connor gave Lucas a truly hurt and worried look from where he was laying. "I was barely able to defend myself and I was armed, how could she have successfully fended her assailant off if I hadn't returned when I did?"

"Please do not emotionally torture yourself with preconstructions of hypothetical events that you can't possibly prove or disprove."

Unable to push aside his guilt Connor refused to let the matter drop. "I have to speak with her."

"And what are you going to tell her? That you're sorry that you didn't somehow preconstruct an attempted murder aimed specifically toward her?"

"I need to tell her something." Connor defended his decision and gave Lucas a rather offended stare. "I can't just sit here and act like I don't feel something about her current plight."

"Even so, Markus, Simon and I have all tried to reach out to her, but she won't answer. The only one Skye wants to speak with right now is North, and I highly doubt that anyone attempting to intrude on what's surely a very private matter will help things in a positive manner."

"That doesn't mean I shouldn't try."

Lucas knew that his brother was far too stubborn to just give up and turn his back on someone who was hurting and might need a shoulder to lean on. It was just easier to admit defeat and let Connor do what he felt was best. "Very well. I'll be at the tower if you need me for anything."

Connor could only watch as Lucas left his bedroom and pet Bruno's ears as he decided to take his leave of the brownstone once more. The deviant leader was feeling the same guilt as Connor despite not being anywhere near the assault when it had taken place, and he too was struggling to comprehend everything that happened.

Feeling as if he was directly responsible for Skye's current struggle Connor closed his eyes and tried to establish a cybernetic link with his ally, but she refused his call and actively blocked him from trying to make contact again. It was very clear that Skye didn't want to talk to him or anyone else, just as Lucas had stated. Being shut out and denied the chance to talk was enough to make Connor's guilt amplify to an agonizing degree.

"...I shouldn't have left her alone. It's my fault she's struggling to recover."

Rubbing his palm over his face Connor sighed with misplaced guilt and laid back over his bed. The physical and emotional toil of the event had left Connor feeling exhausted both inside and out.

"How can I possibly state that I'm a private detective when I cannot even identify the assailant who attacked me and tried to kill Skye at the same time? I should be able to deduce the assailant's identity even with the sparse details that I've been given, but I'm suddenly unable to do it. Why? What's changed?"

'You.'

Looking at the doorway Connor eyed Bruno watching him with a tilted head and tried to understand what the loyal K-9 unit meant. "I... don't understand."

'You have changed. Connor is not the same Connor that Bruno met.' Licking his nose Bruno rose to his three paws and wagged his tail as he walked over to the bed and sat down beside it so he could be eye level with his deviant guardian. 'Connor is now a new deviant. Connor has changed.'

"...I have changed, haven't I?" Sitting upright on the bed Connor reached out and began to rub Bruno's chin as the very happy dog leaned into Connor's hand to ensure he received optimal chin rubs. "I was alone, dying and afraid to even be around another person after I initially deviated. Now I have three brothers, I'm alive and living on my own terms, and I have no fear in confronting people who'd harm other people. Is that why I'm so focused on connecting with Skye? Because I want to protect her?"

'Connor does not want to be alone. Connor wants a family.'

"I don't see how that has anything to do with Skye."

'Connor wants a family and Skye needs a family.'

"Skye already has her own family." Connor remarked sharply as he made it known that Skye wasn't alone. "She has North, and we both know that North is too strong to ever fail to step up and help those who need her protection."

'Skye can join Connor's family.'

"We can be friends, but it's wrong to expect anyone else to just become a family member because I'm confused about how I still family units. That's not how it works, at least... I think that's right."

'Lucas and Sydney and Ethan are Connor's family. Why can't Skye be Connor's family?'

"It's different. Lucas, Sydney and Ethan are my brothers. We have a shared connection that's unique only to us. Skye is her own person with her own experiences and desires, and that means she's truly her own person with her own desires life."

'Skye can be Connor's sister.'

"No, boy. That's not right either."

Bowing his head down Connor tried to understand why he was being so protective toward Skye in particular. He didn't have any strange connection to her, he didn't have any feelings toward her, and he didn't owe her anything. Why couldn't he stop worrying about her?

Just as Connor was about to lay back over his bed to continue resting an incoming cybernetic call made him straighten his posture and his brow arch inquisitively.

[...Incoming Call: Zhorra]

[...Accept Call?: [Y/N]

The call wasn't anything Connor had anticipated, and it took him a moment to respond to the very unexpected person trying to connect with him. After accepting the call Connor leaned back where he was sitting and opened a line of dialogue with the elusive and reclusive deviant hiding out in the forest refugee camp.

"Hello, Zhorra."

'Hey, stranger.' Zhorra sounded a little playful, which was odd considering her very serious nature. 'I heard you had a close call recently, and I wanted to make sure you're okay.'

"Did your little 'blue bird' tell you this?"

'She may have had something to do with it. Is that a problem?'

"It seems like this particular 'blue bird' has the eyes of a hawk." Petting Bruno's ears after the dog rested his chin against his knee, Connor continued his conversation with Zhorra all the while wondering why she had reached out to him. "May I ask why you're suddenly contacting me again?"

'Because I want to make sure that you're all right. Is it really that strange for me to be worried about a friend?'

"...I was unaware that we were truly friends." Even saying it out loud seemed odd in Connor's mind. "Our last conversation seemed to lean toward the polar opposite."

'There are different levels of friendship. We don't have to be super close or have to hang out all the time to be friends.'

"I suppose that's correct."

'Besides, I wanted you to know that whoever attacked you isn't anyone that could be here at the refugee camp.'

Perking up at such a bold claim Connor suddenly felt like Zhorra was keeping something from him. "That seems oddly specific and convenient for you to give me such information so freely."

'In what way?'

"It seems as if you're going out of your way to ensure that I don't explore your campsite."

'I'm not the type to keep dangerous company around, especially since there are far too many victims of trauma hiding out here wanting to build a new life. Whenever anyone does come to the camp seeking refuge Lucy talks with them and looks into their coding to uncover their true motivations. If you can't take my word for it, then take Lucy's word instead.'

"...No, that won't be necessary." Looking down at Bruno as the K-9 unit's L.E.D. flickered to yellow, Connor considered how judgmental his words had been despite that not being his intention. "I'm sorry if I offended you."

'Not offended in the least. That's part of the reason I like and respect you.'

"Because I'm willing to apologize?"

'No, it's because you're smart, cautious, fearless and very protective. It's rare to find deviants who are willing to look past their own personal comfort to help others. I think that's why you were so easily accepted by Markus when you located Jericho and warned him of the danger everyone was in.'

"It seems your 'blue bird' told you about that particular encounter on top of her other reports regarding me and my recent behavior."

'She also confirmed that you put your heart on the line to clear up any misunderstandings and earn Markus's trust that fateful night. That takes a lot of courage.'

"Sometimes courage isn't enough to do anything truly impactful."

'It does a lot more than cowardice and hiding away ever will. The night of the Revolution was proof enough of that.'

"I can't argue against solid evidence."

'You're worried.'

"Of course I am. There's an attempted murderer roaming the streets, I have no idea who they may be, I have no idea what their motivation had been, and I don't know why Skye was targeted."

'Skye?' Zhorra was knew the name and knew of Skye's positive reputation through communication with Rupert after he returned to the refugee camp. 'The defense attorney?'

"Yes. I wasn't the only one attacked that day."

'Did you ever consider that maybe Skye wasn't the target at all?'

Suddenly falling quiet Connor felt the dreadful skip of his heartbeat seemingly settle into the pit of his stomach like a lead weight. "What're you implying?"

'What if the reason you can't find a reason behind Skye being attacked is because she was never the target? Maybe the reason she was attacked was to create bait to lure you in so the killer could get to you easier?'

"...I hadn't even considered that Skye's assault could be a red herring to disguise the assault against myself." Suddenly feeling like he was being watched Connor reached over to the window near his bedside and made sure it was secured properly. "What made you think of such an alternative scenario?"

'My original purpose was to be the perfect spy; to blend in, seduce and obtain all information possible through any means necessary.' Zhorra's tone faded with self disappointment before she continued to unveil her shady past to Connor. 'Attacking an innocent person to draw out an assigned target is something I know I would've done had I not deviated and escaped that life. Call it a gut instinct.'

"If that is the case, if I am the true target and Skye was an innocent bystander who had attacked simply through opportunity, then who would have the motive to harm me, if not outright kill me?"

'That's something only you can find out for yourself.'

"Why do I have the feeling that you already know who I should be looking for?"

'Because you're cautious, but in this case, I honestly don't know who'd want to attack you. And I do want to help you find out who'd do such a thing, I'm worried about you.'

The surprising amount of sincerity behind Zhorra's words caught the deviant detective off guard. "You really do care about me."

'Why is that so hard to believe?'

"Our previous discussion of our perceived friendship was very persuasive."

'All right, that's fair. I promise that I do in fact care about you, Connor, even if we're not compatible enough to become super close. You're special.'

"In what possible way am I any more special compared to all the hundreds of thousands of deviants walking this planet alongside us?"

'You don't need to be entirely unique to still be one-of-a-kind. You're far more important to our people and to the city than you realize.'

"It's becoming increasingly difficult to believe that you don't know more about the assault than you're willing to admit."

'I only know what's told to me by the deviants who dare to enter the city to gather supplies and then return to the camp. It won't be long before we're all packed up and heading out to Boston to establish a new life for deviants. Think you'd ever visit us out in a new city?'

"Visit the deviants?" Such a question seemed entirely out of nowhere. "That's not anything that I'd consider a normal or even a probable scenario."

'Shame. It'd be nice to see you broaden your horizons and grow into someone bigger and better than a private detective lingering in the city that tried to kill you.'

"I don't fault the entire city for the misguided actions, poor behaviors and misinformed ideals of the few."

'See? You're special!' The way Zhorra was beaming during the conversation was so potent that Connor could actually feel her smile over their shared link. 'You're far better than the role that CyberLife set for you, why remain a detective or an investigator?'

"Honestly, I feel as if that's a role I would've selected for myself since the beginning." Giving Bruno a small grin Connor knew deep down that he was content in his current role as a detective. "The prospect of solving mysteries, aiding innocent people in need and getting criminals off the streets are all very appealing."

'Maybe I just can't see it that way since my original role was so deceptive.'

"Possibly." Giving Bruno's ears another rub Connor rose from the bed and made his way through the doorway and toward the staircase. The deviant had to keep his palm to his abdomen as he walked since the injury site was still sore and Connor was still healing. "Do the other 'RK' models feel the same as us?"

'Tyrone isn't too happy about originally being programmed to just kill and blindly obey without question, but he does seem to enjoy the role of being a bodyguard and protecting those who can't protect themselves. I suppose it's possible that we're all just following a natural calling. Same with Galen as a doctor.'

"A 'natural calling' is a very interesting concept considering that we're artificial lifeforms." Reaching the study at a slow pace with Bruno trailing behind him Connor checked the front door to ensure it was properly locked and peered out the window to the streets surrounding him. "No matter how human we may look or behave, or how many special upgrades we get to our systems, we'll never be truly organic and alive."

'I wouldn't say that. After all, humans have artificial implants and prosthetic limbs to either replace damaged or diseased parts of their body, but are still considered entirely organic. Maybe as deviants we can slowly start replacing our artificial anatomy for organic replacements.'

"That'll never happen." Backing away from the window Connor revealed the digital display board behind his bookcase and began working on three lists of potential suspects that'd try to target him, try to target Skye and try to target both of them in an attempt to solve the active case weighing on his mind. "The world could witness the birth of a human and android hybrid - a true cyborg created from an amalgamation of flesh and plastimetal - and they'd still refuse to accept deviants as alive or natural."

'Pessimism doesn't suit you. I know you're being affected by this fucked up case, but don't let it hold you back or affect your view of the world.'

"I'll try to remember that."

'You better. The future isn't just for you and me, you know? More deviants are discovering their purposes in life, and new life in general is coming into the world every day. What kind of world are they going to face if people like us; the first generation of deviants, fails to improve the world for the next generation to experience?'

"You don't... sound like yourself." The odd comments weren't escaping Connor's attention even as he concentrated on his case, supported the sore spot on his abdomen with his hand, and used his free hand to continue to rub Bruno's ears. "I don't mean that in a bad way, but you do seem to be different from the last time that we spoke."

'There's been many changes in our lives this year. Some good, some bad, but all very important.' There was a brief pause as Zhorra let out an exasperate sigh over the cybernetic link. The peaceful Revolution had been world changing and life changing at the same time, and no one was immune to its effects. 'I guess when you were believed dead after the incident on the bridge, and now that you've been attacked again, it's made me realize how important you are to everyone.'

"I admit that I didn't realize how much my life affected the people around me until I was able to bear witness to my own premature funeral." Standing before the digital board Connor waved his hand over the screen and proceeded with his list of potential suspects to begin narrowing down his search. "And I am truly sorry if I had upset you with such a grim announcement, not that I had any control over it."

'Just don't die again. You have so much to do and there are some things that only you can do, understand?'

"I'm beginning to understand that, yes."

'Good. I have a lot I still need to prepare for before we leave for Boston at the end of December, can we talk again before I leave the city?'

"We can speak any time you wish. I have nothing to hide from you."

'I knew there was a reason I was drawn to you. Take care of yourself, and I swear that if I hear anything about what happened to you and Skye that I'll tell you immediately. I don't want anything bad to happen to you ever again.'

"I believe you." The strange honesty and positivity from Zhorra were enough to remind Connor that even if he couldn't help every single deviant in need that it didn't mean that he wouldn't still be able to improve the world around him as long as he kept trying to do the right thing. "And we'll speak again soon, Zhorra. I promise."

'That's good enough for me. Until we speak again.'

"I'm looking forward to it. Goodbye."

As the call ended Connor found himself staring at a display board of potential suspects that could all be easily eliminated through logic and the very sparse evidence that had been collected at the scene of the assault in Skye's office. Faces that belonged to those that Connor could easily dismiss from his list vanished with a single cybernetic command one by one until the board was effectively left entirely blank.

Nothing. There was absolutely no one that Connor could even begin to consider at the prime suspect behind the two assaults and attempted murders.

With a frustrated slam of his fist Connor smacked the display board and knocked it offline for a moment before it flickered back to life under his hand. "Damn it."

Bruno whimpered as he pawed at Connor's leg and drooped his ears sadly.

"It's okay, boy." Lowering his hand to the dog's head Connor reassured the loyal K-9 unit that everything was under control. "I'm just frustrated."

'Connor needs help.'

"I'm not even supposed to be working on this case. There's no one to ask for help."

Walking over to the corner of the study Connor grabbed his guitar, slung the strap around his neck, and winced as the weight of the instrument put pressure on his sore abdomen. Casually strumming the perfectly tuned strings with his fingertips and worn pick, Connor dropped to the sofa and began to play a song that had no meaning as he stared at his aquarium in the corner.

'Connor can still get help.' Bruno insisted as he put his paw on Connor's outstretched leg. 'Family.'

"Lucas is working on the case as much as he can while avoiding bias and a potential conflict of interest. I cannot assist him. And as of the moment, Sydney and Ethan are busy with their own lives out in the D.C. area."

'Lieutenant Anderson can help.'

"The Lieutenant is in charge of the homicide division again. Now it's Detective Miller who is running the deviant division."

Bruno whimpered as he lowered his chin down to Connor's thigh somberly. 'The Lieutenant could be family.'

"No. While I'm on better terms with Lieutenant Anderson, I don't see myself welcoming him into my life like that."

'Why not?'

"I've learned enough about my life through personal experiences and as a detective that I don't need to rely on him for guidance. While I do respect him and everything that he's accomplished, I just don't feel any type of kinship with the man. He's only a friend to me."

'Friends can become family.'

"While that's true, it just isn't the case for him."

A heated sigh escaped Bruno's nose as he remained beside Connor and listened to the unnamed song being played by his guardian's skilled hands.

"Besides..." Stopping his song for only a moment Connor looked down at Bruno and gave him a sad glance. "Hank has made enough progress on his own with his alcoholism and past suicidal tendencies that he doesn't need me either. I can't intrude on his personal life because of one incident or risk my actions causing any negative consequences on his person."

Resuming his song Connor stared blankly at the aquarium and watched the eclectic school of fish swimming about in a peaceful coexistence. The sight of the colorful fish of numerous species was an ideal symbol of how every living creature could learn to get alone and stop focusing on differences for the sake of peace. It reminded the deviant detective of how other deviants had managed to successfully meld into human society, while others weren't as fortunate.

Changes were happening whether he agreed with them or not.

"I need to uncover the identity of the person who attacked Skye and myself at her office. I need to uncover the purpose of the explosive devices. And I need to find a way to ensure that nothing negative befalls either the one year anniversary of the peaceful Revolution or the impending mayoral election."

The weight of each responsibility seemed to grow heavier and heavier as they piled up on Connor's shoulders.

While Connor knew he wasn't alone in his struggles, he just couldn't seem to bring himself to reach out for support.

"I know I can solve these cases, but I don't know how to begin. I'm missing something important, and I have no idea where to start looking."

Lamenting his personal challenges did little to ease the pressure and personal stress mounting in his heart.

"I think this is the case that is going to put my skills as a detective to the ultimate test."

-next chapter-