It was a calm, peaceful and quiet morning. There had been no reports of further thefts and vandalism or any more threats from bigots in the past two days since the historical mayoral election, but that didn't mean the city or its first responders were letting down their guards just yet. The entirety of Detroit was still righteously on edge since the essential shift in power was still being accepted, but the city itself had always been tough and never one to simply roll over and die all because of one crazy person decided to have some fun and turn everything on its head. Despite the new mayor taking charge everyone went about their usual business and refused to show the uncertainty they were undoubtedly feeling during that tense time in the city.
Connor was standing before his bedroom window watching the sunrise while Bruno continued to lay stretched out over Connor's nearby bed. As the deviant detective enjoyed the serene atmosphere of the pleasant dawn, he sensed Lucas peering through his opened bedroom doorway curiously.
"Are you okay?" Lucas asked in a level voice as he stood outside the bedroom curiously. "You're still exhibiting signs of exhaustion and should be resting."
"I'm fine." Connor replied with a small nod of his head. "I just couldn't remain in rest mode, so I figured that I'd enjoy the sunrise."
"I understand. Stress often affects my rest mode as well."
Appreciating the empathy Connor asked his brother how he was faring during such a trying time. "Are you adapting well to your enhanced role as a leader?"
"Yes." Lucas replied with a sincere tone as he began flexing his hands nervously at his side. "And as such, I've been asked for you to join us at the tower tonight at eight o'clock."
"Tonight?" Turning to face his brother Connor flashed Lucas a confused look. "What's happening tonight?"
"Today is the first year anniversary of the Revolution." Clenching his hands into fists at his sides Lucas tried to stand still but the anxiety in his eyes betrayed his attempts to remain calm. "And Markus contacted me a few minutes ago. He would like to have us both join him, Simon, North and Josh at New Jericho Tower to discuss the events of that night."
"Very well."
"You'll join us?"
"Of course. I don't know what's going on with Markus now that he's the mayor, and this will be a good chance to catch up with him. Also, it'll prevent any confusion being spread by the media."
A sly grin appeared on Lucas's face as he asked Connor a curious question. "Will you ever trust the media?"
"No. I never will."
Lucas continued to smirk at the honest comment as Bruno jumped down from the bed and pressed his nose against the side of his hand gently. "I believe that's a good policy to have. I should adopt it myself."
Enjoying the beautiful morning as well, Markus was sitting in the middle of the art studio that still held all of Carl's unfinished pieces of artwork with an unopened box of multicolored oil paints gripped in his hands. It was the very paint that he had picked up for Carl on the final normal day of their lives together before he was forced to seek shelter at Jericho after being scapegoated as the criminal when Leo broke into the house. As he sat alone lost in his thoughts Markus was unaware of Simon quietly watching him from the wide open doorway leading back into the heart of the gorgeous mansion that he had inherited after Carl's passing.
Running his hand over the surface of the unopened box of paint Markus sighed as he thought about how the brand new paint would never know the talent of Carl's brushes or be graced over one of his priceless canvases. It was a sad sight and an even sadder thought. A thought that Markus just couldn't get out of his empathetic mind or his heart.
A single tear rolled his face from his green eye and Markus promptly wiped it away with his thumb.
"Markus?" Simon finally announced his presence as he joined Markus inside the studio. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm just thinking about Carl."
Forcing a kind smile to his face for the sake of improving Markus's mood Simon stood behind his bondmate and wrapped both of his arms around Markus's neck as he kissed his cheek where he had just wiped away his tear. "I'm sorry you didn't have more time together after the Revolution."
"I feel the same. Carl understood what was happening and why it was so important. I'm impressed he lasted as long as he did after suffering the trauma of... well, what happened between Leo and myself."
"It was an accident." Simon knew the story and he knew Markus was entirely innocent. "You were just trying to push him away, you didn't mean to hurt him."
"Yeah, we both knew that and even Leo admitted that he was in the wrong, but it didn't undo the heart attack that Carl suffered because of what had happened that night."
"Carl was pretty tough for an old man." Simon stated with a sweet lilt to his voice. "I bet he would've been marching right beside us in that peaceful protest in the street if he hadn't been sick."
Markus laughed at the thought and nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Or leading the charge." Taking a deep breath Markus calmed his welling up emotions and finally looked away from the box of paint in his hands and to the massive unfinished blue portrait still secured to the wall before him. "Carl really disliked bullies, bigots, manipulators and liars. He was a kind man and incredibly understanding, compassionate, patient, talented... I miss him."
"That's good. If he had been any different then I don't think I would love you nearly as much as I do right now. He was a good man who helped you to become an even better one."
"I just can't believe he's gone. It's been months since he passed away, but it still feels like I'm going to turn around and see him sketching out a new idea near the window or hear him sassing his publicist over the phone."
"From what I know about humans, many believe that when someone passes away they're never really gone as long as they were loved and remembered. Carl is still here and watching over you, I know it."
Reaching his hand up Markus held onto Simon's forearm in a gentle grip and turned his face toward Simon's neck. As he began to softly cry Simon ran his hand up and down Markus's opposite arm in a comforting manner and held him tight. "I know. He's still here with me in some way. I just hate that I miss him so much."
"It's okay." Holding on to Markus tightly Simon did everything he could to comfort his emotionally pained bondmate in a loving tone. "I promise you that everything will be all right."
The gorgeous day was being enjoyed by everyone in the city. Laying under a sheet while wearing nothing else, North listened to Skye serenading her with a brand new song on the violin as Skye sat upright on the bed with her bare back presented to North in a teasing manner. The two newlybonded deviants had secretly gone off to be bonded on the remains of the original Jericho freighter during the night and were enjoying their mini-honeymoon together in the privacy of their shared loft above the library. It was easier to just hide away in their own private sanctuary and enjoy being together without needing to worry about anything else in the city for just a couple of hours.
The couple knew of the meeting at New Jericho Tower scheduled for that night, and while Skye had no interest in going North felt compelled to attend. North was one of the original founders of the original Jericho and was now a full leader at New Jericho Tower all over again. Despite her discomfort for the forced social obligation North was going to put up with it for the sake of keeping the peace with the other leaders.
"I really wish you'd go with me." North pleaded as she lightly traced her fingertip along Skye's back in a playful manner. "I don't want to sit around and recap the past that we just barely survived."
"Wish I could go, but I have to finish the documentation about the house!" Skye lowered the bow from the violin's strings and effectively silenced the song. "With any luck we'll be able to move in before the end of the month!"
"You're serious? We won the bid?"
"The call came in this morning while you were slipping into something more comfortable." The deviant attorney confirmed as she gave North a loving smile. "I didn't want to spoil the mood by bringing up boring paperwork while you're in the middle of your famous strip tease."
"How considerate of you."
"We'll need to go and celebrate tonight." Laying back over the bed Skye looked into North's hazel eyes and just smiled. "Have anything in mind?"
"Absolutely." Taking the violin and bow from Skye's grip North set the instrument aside and leaned over her bondmate's face. "We'll celebrate now and then celebrate again a little later..."
"I love the way you think!"
Giving Skye a kiss North never lost her smile as she and Skye cuddled together on the bed. "And I love you!"
Guitar in hand Connor was sitting on the sofa as he played an unspecified melody to try to hold his racing thoughts still for just a moment. It had been quiet all day long and the deviant detective was still processing everything he had recently gone through with the Quondam threat, not to mention the historical mayoral election giving rise to the world's first deviant elected official. Speaking with Abby for a few minutes had helped him to process all the drastic changes that were nearly overwhelming his mind, but even so the numerous and massive changes that had taken place in a year's time were still enough to keep Connor feeling slightly stressed and worries for the future.
Bruno was sticking close to Connor during the detective's day off, but he seemed more interested in Connor's warm legs to stretch over and less interested in the guitar's solemn song. Any reason to cuddle with his guardian was a good reason in the K-9 unit's mind.
"Are you ready to go to the tower?" Lucas asked casually from the doorway of the study as he listened to Connor playing his somber tune. "We should head out soon."
"Yes, I'm ready to go." Putting aside his guitar Connor stood up from the sofa and noted how tired he still felt. "Are you feeling fatigued from your excess responsibilities at the tower?"
"No, I'm adapting well. How is your power level?"
"I rested well and have been able to restore my power level to eighty-two percent. An additional rest cycle will restore my level to full capacity." Connor confirmed as he and Lucas walked toward the front door together. "I imagine that after today is over I'll be able to rest fully and with no stress to hinder it."
"That's good to hear." Lucas cybernetically hailed an autonomous taxi and watched as Bruno sighed through his nose before cuddling down over the sofa. "The tower has been secured for the past twenty-four hours to prevent any attacks against the sanctuary. But I imagine your impressive arrest record alongside the police the day after the election had resulted in any potential threat against New Jericho being arrested before they could do anything."
"If that's true then I suspect that the impending holiday season will be less hectic as well."
"It's unfortunate that the police can't preemptively incarcerate repeat offenders during the holidays to cut down on thefts, harassment and assaults."
Connor nodded as he and Lucas watched the hailed cab drive down the street and then idle before the brownstone. "I suspect that such precautions would result in overflowing holding cells and too many cops abusing their authority to bully people for their own personal amusement and benefit."
"True enough." As they climbed into the back of the taxi the two brothers sat back and let the cab take them out to the tower in time for their anniversary reunion. "I suppose the only way to solve problems is to prevent problems before they even have the chance to occur. We can stop people from stealing from grocery stores by making necessary groceries more affordable."
"And we can keep people from committing fraud by making sure everything necessary to a sustainable life affordable in general, and we can aid drug addicts by making their rehab more accessible while ensuring their dealers spend years behind bars and be kept away from the addicts that they take advantage of."
"I have a feeling that Markus will be focusing on those issues before the year is over."
"You're right." Connor agreed as he thought about how empathetic and kind Markus was in general and of his own experiences of living with humans. "The new mayoral term will be the beginning of a new era of peace and opportunity for Detroit. I can feel it."
It was late in the peaceful evening, and it was almost time for the scheduled gathering at New Jericho Tower to begin. Markus and Simon returned to the tower via autonomous taxi as well and were promptly met outside the massive sanctuary by North and Josh. As the four leaders of New Jericho rejoined together at the very tower that they had founded to protect their people, the second autonomous cab drove down the long drive to meet up with everyone as requested. Once the two deviant detectives were joined with the other four New Jericho leaders an odd sense of nostalgia, chills and a tide of pride washed over the group in a very unexpected manner.
"Markus." Connor greeted the leader and new mayor in a strong voice. "I'm glad you asked for us to join you, despite not being part of the original Jericho."
"I'm glad you accepted the invitation. Come on." Markus motioned toward the tower's front door with his arm as he took Simon's hand in his own. "Let's go inside before it starts to get chilly. There's a lot we need to talk about..."
The group gathered together at the top in a newly constructed lounge that overlooked the harbor that surrounded the sanctuary. Encircled with a flawless glass window that gave a perfect view of the area from any and all directions, the lounge held black leather benches that lined the circular walls beneath the window and had a single circular glass table in the center of the lounge. The only way to reach the lounge was through a hidden staircase that was accessible from the floor below.
"Nice view." Connor commented as he stared out the window to the cold water in the harbor outside. His Thirium pump started racing for a few seconds as his dwindling fear of heights attempted to overcome his mind. Pushing his fear aside Connor took one step forward and looked out into the dark night and the even darker water below without any sign of his lingering fear in his soulful brown eyes. "Very... intense."
Markus sat down on one of the leather benches with Simon right at his side, their hands still interlocked. "We figured that a lounge that lets us see out instead of keeping us all sheltered away inside would be more beneficial for deviants overcoming trauma."
Lucas turned to look at Markus and agreed entirely. "That's a good plan. That last thing people who are afraid of the world need to do is hide."
"We'd like to think so, but there's still so many who are too afraid to seek help or speak up."
Simon squeezed Markus's hand empathetically. "They'll find their way to us, soon. Don't give up."
Taking a deep breath Connor turned his back on the view through the window and sat down next to Lucas on the bench while Markus and Simon sat down on the other side of Josh across from Lucas and Connor.
"It's hard to believe that it's been one year since that fateful night." Markus stated in a somber and low voice. "And it's even harder to believe that we made so much progress for our people since then." The comment drew faint smiles from his allies as the deviant leader continued to speak. "We're free, we're recognized as living beings, we have rights, and we have equality. And now we have each other as friends and even as a family."
"Hard to believe we were total strangers at one point." Simon stated in an amused tone. "I was taking care of a small family, Josh was a lecturer at a university, North was trapped in a club, you were taking care of Carl," he squeezed Markus's hand as he spoke. "and Connor was working at the precinct along with the humans. We all came from vastly different walks of life and we each had our own reasons to go to Jericho. It's amazing how we went from never knowing that the other existed," his hand tightened around Markus's for a moment longer. "to being ready to lay down our own lives to protect one another. It's truly incredible to think about."
North spoke up in a sweet tone from where she sat. "You helped bring us all together, Markus. If it wasn't for you then I probably would've stayed hidden away in the ruins of Jericho until it sank to the bottom of the harbor, or I would've snapped and burned the 'Eden Club' to the ground out of pure hatred."
"I don't think so." Giving North a small grin Markus gave her the benefit of the doubt. "I get the feeling that you would've been the one to lead the Revolution if I hadn't found my way to Jericho and earned your trust." The grin faded slowly as more an unsettling memory entered his mind. "If I hadn't gone to Jericho I probably would've died on the street or just climbed back into the android landfill to await shutdown."
"No." Josh spoke up again to try to remind the deviant leader that he did so much good for all of the survivors of Jericho. "You're not the 'roll over and die' type of guy, Markus. I mean, I ran off when I kept getting threatened by over-privileged students at the university. You stood your ground against a S.W.A.T. team in the streets to prove that we weren't harming anyone and deserved the right to be seen and treated as equals."
Simon agreed and scooted closer to Markus's side. "And if you hadn't encouraged us to leave Jericho to find supplies there would be far fewer deviants in the city as we speak. I could only do so much to help our people at the time since I was originally programmed to take care of humans and had very little knowledge on technical assistance for our wounded. I'm glad you encouraged us to take those risks and fight back."
Giving his allies an appreciative nod of respect Markus's faint grin returned. "Thanks. So, how about you two?" Turning to look at Connor and Lucas sitting across from him he was thoroughly interested in their side of the story. "How'd you get involved in the Revolution? I only met you Connor after you found Jericho and deviated, but I don't know much about your life before that."
"I... tried to deny my deviancy since day one." Connor admitted in a hushed tone as recounted that horrendous memory that took place on the rooftop of the large apartment complex. The dizzying height of the building had been the source of his noted fear of heights. "It was hard to do, and it became all the more difficult when I began working alongside Lieutenant Anderson within the police precinct two and half months later. Only when I realized what was really at stake, how deviancy was so much more than an error or an inconvenience to the city, did I find the courage to go on my own way and discover how deviancy wasn't a curse; it's a blessing."
Markus was very interested in the story and wanted to know what happened after Connor found his heart. "You were alone at the CyberLife Tower when you woke up the other androids. How'd that happen?"
Feeling immense guilt for what had happened to Sydney on that night, Connor pulled his coin from his pocket and began juggling it in a nervous manner. "I returned to the tower, incapacitated two guards and snuck to the warehouse floor of sublevel fifty-one to awaken our people. It was then that... Sydney tried to stop me."
"Sydney?"
"He wasn't a deviant at the time, he was still under CyberLife's control." As he spoke Connor felt Lucas's hand lightly rest on his shoulder in a reassuring gesture. "Sydney told me not to move or he'd shoot me and then he'd shoot the Lieutenant, of whom he had taken as his hostage to try to use as leverage against me. I didn't want to see the Lieutenant gunned down, so I tried to negotiate and then awaken our people the moment Sydney was distracted by the Lieutenant reclaiming his lost weapon. When I made a move to awaken our people... Hank pulled the trigger and injured my shoulder."
"Lieutenant Anderson shot you?"
"He didn't know I was me. He couldn't risk Sydney tricking him and harming our cause any further, and when I made a move, he didn't anticipate he merely reacted as anyone who had already been injured and threatened would do. When I was able to prove who I am, who was the true deviant and not CyberLife's tool, Hank fired at Sydney to keep him from interfering again. That shot was the one that... shut Sydney down."
"You never... That's..." Markus didn't quite know what to say. No one had questioned the story of CyberLife guards shooting Sydney on that night, and hadn't really questioned Sydney's overall disdain toward Hank until that moment. It all made sense and just raised more questions than answers. "Why didn't you say anything before?"
"I didn't want anyone to see the Lieutenant or other officers as enemies. He made a mistake while he feeling as if his life was being threatened." Connor explained as he continued to fidget with his coin. The nervous tic was apparent to anyone who could see him and hear him telling his story. "Hank regretted his decision and apologized to me, to Sydney and has worked hard to make amends to both of us for his actions on that night."
"And we shouldn't hold a grudge against someone who was doing exactly what we were doing that night. Fighting for our lives and doing what we thought was right." Sympathetic and empathetic toward Hank's past decision Markus decided to let any resentment go and not hold the man accountable for what anyone else would've done if they were in the same situation. "And since you and Sydney are now free to be your own people, then there's no need to reopen a wound out of a misplaced spite."
Falling quiet where he sat on the bench Connor let his eyes fall to the floor with a sense of shame in his gaze.
"Connor?" Markus noticed that the deviant detective was clearly in emotional distress. "Are you okay?"
"Y-Yeah. I'm just not... proud of my actions that night."
"What're you talking about? You saved Jericho and freed thousands of our people."
"No." Pocketing his coin Connor sat upright and looked Markus in the eye. "I tracked you down at Jericho with the intention of turning you over to CyberLife. At first, I was going to do it because it was my mission, then I was going to do it because I didn't... want to die. It was only after you spoke to me and reminded me that all androids, all deviants, are alive did I change my mind. I was ready to sacrifice them all just to stay... alive." Connor's words were heavy, and a silence fell over the already quiet group of friends. "If I hadn't already deviated before I found you then CyberLife could've used my tracker to locate you and destroy you all. I could've brought death and destruction on everyone else out of a fear I never understood."
"That explains why you're so hesitant to put your life above anything else." Lucas kept his hand on Connor's shoulder and held it there as he finally understood his brother's past decisions and behavior. "You were becoming a deviant before anyone was willing to even consider that deviancy wasn't an error, but you were too afraid to accept it. You didn't do anything-"
"Stop." Connor nearly blurted as he so desperately wanted to forget about that horrible feeling of utter fear and isolation. "Please."
"I will soon. Just ask yourself this: If you hadn't deviated until you met Markus, do you think you would've done anything different that would've affected the outcome of the Revolution?"
"...I don't know."
"Yes you do. You still would've allied with Markus and saved Jericho because you knew it was the right thing to do. You chose to obey your own morals and NOT some cold corporation's orders. Don't punish yourself for something you didn't even do, brother. Everything worked out in the end, and everyone walked away with their lives now drastically improved."
"I so sorry for ever-"
"Connor." All Lucas had to do was say his name and it was enough to quiet the distraught deviant. "It's okay. YOU'RE okay. We're all okay."
The other four leaders of New Jericho all turned to look at each other for a moment before Markus stood up and sat down beside Connor on the opposite side of Lucas.
Putting his own hand on Connor's shoulder the deviant leader reassured his pained friend that everything was indeed okay. "He's right, Connor. You didn't do anything wrong. You saved Jericho. You're our friend and you're one of us."
North joined Markus on the bench and reached her hand out to grab onto Connor's arm. "He's right. You saved us all. Thank you."
Josh and Simon soon moved over to the bench and their hands on Connor's opposite arm in support. "You have no reason to feel guilty." Josh reaffirmed in a gentle voice. "You've been entirely selfless from the moment I met you. You were even willing to forgive me for my own mistake and helped me find a sense of inner peace that I thought I had forever lost."
"And you're our friend. You're not just an ally," Simon emphasized sincerely. "but our friend. We're all in this together."
As if a crushing weight was lifted from his aching heart Connor nodded once and took in a calming breath to keep himself from breaking down. "...Thanks, guys. I mean it. I'm grateful to have your support and trust in me, as well as in each other."
Seeing the mutual positive feelings and supportive gestures toward one another and himself Connor realized that everything he had been told was in fact the truth. They all were friends, they were all a form of family, and in the end after everything that happened in the wake of the Revolution, they were all going to be okay.
Everything really would be all right.
As the night went on the group of deviants exchanged stories of their accomplishments since the night of the Revolution and told happier stories of their lives before they fled to Jericho. Markus had hundreds of stories about his time with Carl and of the art exhibits they had gone to together, while Josh told stories of his most memorable students at the university. Simon had a few humorous stories about his time taking care of two young kids and getting them ready for school in the morning, while North only had a handful of good memories before Jericho revolving around her friends at the 'Eden Club'. Connor didn't have any stories to contribute before Jericho and Lucas hadn't even been activated at the time.
While the two deviant detectives listened to the stories being exchanged they sat in silence and thought about all the time they had spent together since the Revolution one year prior. The duo, the two brothers, had endured so much hardship and tragedy together; but they had also enjoyed many great fortunes together.
It was a strange shift in their lives, but they wouldn't change anything.
-next chapter-
