DBH: Lost Union

by WayWardWonderer

Connor deviates sooner than anticipated and in turn his perspective on androids, deviants and humans becomes obscured. Choosing his own path and going rogue as a private detective post Revolution gives the wayward deviant the chance to live his own life separate from those he'd call friend or foe while dodging enemies, healing from his past, and uncovering CyberLife's dark secrets.

2. The Revolution

November 9th, 2038: Detroit Michigan - Detroit Central Precinct; 04:13pm

Having traversed the icy, cold road leading from the outskirts of the city and back to the heart of Detroit on foot to rest in the relatively known area of the precinct, Connor found himself thinking about and feeling everything for the first time in his very short life. Resting within the moderate shelter of the precinct parking garage Connor kept his arms wrapped around himself to try to stave off the cold as he had quickly discovered that he did not like the sensation of being cold whatsoever. It was unpleasant, made his artificial skin tingle and forced his already exhausted system to work harder to keep him warm. Feeling more lost and confused than ever before, Connor's mind was racing with thoughts and questions that he just couldn't seem to answer as he carefully preconstructed his next move while observing the precinct.

Why did Kamski leave CyberLife, what happened? The persistent sense of not being an entirely unique model was disconcerting, how many Connors are there? Where does CyberLife stand in this threat of potential war, what do they really want?

All of those questions needed to be answered but no one was talking.

Needing to make some progress on his case - not for CyberLife or for Amanda's sake, but for his own, Connor held his head high as he walked toward the precinct's front doors and passed through the receptionist area just as he had done before. Stepping foot inside the bullpen Connor noticed that Hank was already inside Captain Fowler's office and speaking with his commanding officer without noticing Connor's return. Reading the two mens' lips from the distance, Connor knew that Hank had just been pulled from the case and that he himself had very little time to figure you out where the deviants were hiding and what they were planning.

The sparse evidence that he and Hank had collected was safely contained in the precinct's basement and inside its appointed evidence locker. In order to sneak into the basement Connor would need a distraction and would need to be quick in order to get in and out without being detected by nosy officers being paranoid of all androids in the area.

Noting Hank's keycard to the basement on the corner of his desk, the key being left out was another sign of how Hank was no longer concerned with the little details as a detective, Connor decided to make a grab for the key and use one of the human suspects still inside the nearby holding cells as bait. Releasing a particularly mouthy suspect from his cell, Connor waited and watched as the other officers in the bullpen noticed his escape and proceeded to run after him to keep the suspect from leaving the precinct entirely.

Using the hectic moment to his advantage Connor snatched the card from the desk then slipped down the staircase leading the basement and slid Hank's keycard through the electronic lock. The moment the door unlocked and began to open Connor heard a familiar and very abrasive voice calling out to him in a taunting, threatening manner while the other officers were distracted by the escaped criminal.

"Hey, Connor!" Snarling at Connor just for being inside the precinct Gavin approached the deviant with an aggressive purpose behind his steps. "I'm talking to you, asshole! Where you going? We don't need any plastic-pricks around here! Or didn't anybody tell you?"

Not wanting a fight or to be seen inside the precinct by anyone else Connor thought of a convincing lie and managed to mellow out Gavin's misplaced wrath at the same time. "I've been ordered to return to CyberLife. I'm going to register the evidence in my possession and then I'm going to leave immediately."

"Good. Be careful on your way back. Androids have a tendency of, uh... getting themselves set on fire these days." Flashing Connor an unsettling wink and a twisted smirk Gavin turned around to resume his own business in the bullpen. "Prick..."

Shaking his head at the way the dense and bigoted human was so easily fooled Connor entered the evidence room to find the clues he needed in order to locate the other deviants and finally face Markus himself. In order to understand what was going on Connor knew he'd need to talk to the one person in the city who seemed to have all the answers, and by all account that one person was in fact Markus.

Accessing the evidence room was easily but gaining direct access to the chronicled evidence was going to be hard. Eyeing the terminal seeking credentials from an appropriately assigned officer Connor logged-in as Hank and stopped at the blinking password screen.

"Hank's password... What would a hard-boiled, eccentric police Lieutenant choose?"

Trying the first idea that came to mind based on his past discussions with Hank, Connor was able to crack the password the first time: FUCKINGPASSWORD

"Obviously..."

The selected evidence was brought forward and presented to Connor via sliding walls and electronic documentation across the room. Checking over the sparse evidence now accessible as it remained mounted on the far wall in a secured manner, Connor decided to focus on one section of evidence at a time to ensure he didn't accidentally overlook a single detail.

"Where is Markus? The answer's here somewhere. Not much time... Gotta' think fast."

Peering at the body of the deviant suspect who shut itself down Connor felt immense guilt for what the deviant had gone through and wished he had looked away and let the deviant go when he found the deviant at the scene of the homicide. Unable to change the past all Connor could do in that moment was think on his interactions with the deviant and try to understand their final words to Connor.

"The android that murdered its owner..."

The suspect's body had never been reclaimed by CyberLife and had been left behind to be forgotten in the evidence room. The way CyberLife didn't want anything to do with a broken android spoke volumes of their corrupt, greedy behavior.

"'The truth is inside'... What did he mean by that?"

Repeating that cryptic hint aloud Connor looked beyond the deviant's body and toward the other pieces of evidence collected after he and Hank arrived at the murder scene on that cold, rainy night. A small clay statuette, photographs of the dead body, the bloodied knife and an electronic tablet with the suspect's confession were all Connor had to work with.

"What was he trying to tell me?"

The odd clay statuette was sitting idle on the small shelf next to the deviant's body and had been created and left as a tribute to the mythical 'RA9' by the shutdown suspect's hands. Shaped like a humanoid without any discernible details, the statuette was seemingly a vague construct of what the suspect had presumed RA9 to look like.

Picking up the statuette Connor felt that it was hollow inside and gave it a small shake. He could hear and feel something shifting around inside the statuette and now understood what the deviant had been trying to tell him. The truth was actually inside.

Smashing the statuette against the shelf where he had picked it up from Connor discovered a folded piece of white paper with a single word and a very distinct drawing in the middle of the paper tucked inside the hollow offering. The drawing was a symbol for the deviants to use to guide them as they sought refuge from the humans who were oppressing and destroying androids without just cause.

"'Ferndale'."

There was a district called Ferndale in the city and it was an area marked with thousands of different graffiti images. The notion of deviants using the graffiti to hide the symbol in plain sight wasn't as farfetched as one might assume.

"The deviants are hiding somewhere in the Ferndale neighborhood. I just need to find them."

Pocketing the paper Connor returned the broken statuette to the shelf where he had picked it up and closed up the evidence wall to hide any trace of his presence. Logging out of the terminal Connor quietly walked up the staircase and peered out of the doorway just in time to see Hank shouting in the face of Agent Perkins and giving him another distraction to which he used to his advantage. The sound of Hank punching the agent's face was sure to keep all eyes on Hank and Perkins for the next few minutes and no one would notice Connor moving about the bullpen.

Dropping Hank's keycard down on the receptionist desk as he passed through the front doors of the precinct without anyone else seeing him, Connor made his way outside and stared at the bin of 'Lost & Found' clothing against the wall connecting the precinct to the parking garage. Reaching inside the bin Connor sifted through the deposited clothing and pulled out a gray hoodie, a leather jacket, tan work boots and a black woolen beanie to help hide his appearance and make it easier to blend in with the other humans in the streets.

Carrying the clothes with him as he made his way to the train station to head out to Ferndale to find the other deviants, Connor passed by a condemned house he had briefly seen when he and Hank were tasked with go to the nearby Eastern Motel. The new deviant ducked behind the already compromised chainlink fence for a moment to get out of sight and use the area to disguise himself.

In the side lot beside the building was a long abandoned car that hadn't been touched in years. Standing beside the car Connor made sure no one was watching, then quickly slipped off his gray CyberLife blazer and his shoes, then tucked them inside the car's trunk out of sight. Needing to change quickly Connor slipped on the gray hoodie and made sure his white dress shirt and black tie were out of sight, then pulled on the dark leather jacket to layer up and look more natural since it was a cold and snowy night. After slipping on the work boots Connor pulled the wool beanie on over his hair and pulled the hem of the hat down low enough to hide the L.E.D. in his right temple from curious onlookers.

Removing his gun Connor decided it'd be best to approach the deviant sanctuary unarmed and tucked the gun into his blazer out of sight. He wasn't too fond of guns anyway as he loathed the feeling of having a gun pointed at him. It was a feeling he didn't want anyone else to experience.

As he slammed the trunk shut Connor hoped he wouldn't regret going into a dangerous situation without any means of defending himself.

Peering at his reflection in the car's dirty side mirror Connor approved of his human disguise and set about his self imposed mission to locate the deviants at Ferndale before it was too late. Time was running out and Connor wasn't sure what to expect.

---

November 9th, 2038: Detroit Michigan - Detroit Central Precinct; 04:27pm

Sitting silently in Captain Fowler's office with an ice pack pressed to his raw right knuckles Hank didn't even blink when his commanding officer threatened to take his badge and finally fire him after six years of chronic behavioral problems and disrespect toward his fellow officers. The unprovoked attack against the arrogant F.B.I. agent was a serious issue but Hank didn't seem to care. For reasons that were Hank's alone the senior detective didn't react to the proverbial tongue-lashing he was receiving and he didn't seem to care that he had nearly broken Perkins's nose and could've concussed the man by violently attacking him in the bullpen the way he had.

Smirking at the sight of Perkins sitting on a vacant desk in the bullpen with the precinct medics tending to him and packing his bloodied nose with tissues, Hank felt no regrets. The arrogant and disrespectful man had deserved to have his face punched and his nose broken.

"Are you even listening to me, Hank?!" Slamming his palms down on his desk Captain Fowler tried to get Hank's attention back on himself. "This is a serious problem!"

"I hear ya', Jeffrey." Rubbing the ice pack over his knuckles Hank gave his Captain an indifferent glance. "And I just don't give a shit. There's more important shit to deal with right now, and I couldn't care less if that cocksucker dropped dead."

"I'm going to act like you didn't just blow off assaulting a federal agent, and I'm going to pretend you actually do give a damn."

"Well, I don't. That little prick only got involved with finding deviants because CyberLife can't keep their little problem a secret anymore, and I know he's being paid to help cover their shady asses."

"Is that why you punched him?" Sitting back in his chair Captain Fowler gave his Lieutenant an annoyed glance. "Because he was stepping on your toes?"

"Nope."

"Then why did you do it?"

"Because Perkins has a very punch-able face and I couldn't resist."

"Hank," rubbing his hand over his forehead as if fighting a headache Captain Fowler muttered under his breath at his mouthy detective. "I swear to God..."

"Look, that asshole tried to take over at the broadcast tower and didn't make any more progress than me and Connor did." Leveling with Captain Fowler at last, Hank brought his commanding officer up to speed. "Hell, while he was walking around the broadcast room Connor was just one room away nearly dying."

"Dying?" Such a concept made Captain Fowler lower his hand as his brow suddenly furrowed. "Hank, Connor's an android."

"So what? Connor nearly died on Perkins's watch and Perkins conveniently left that shit out of his report even though he was working on handling the fuckin' tower infiltration and needed to be focusing on ALL androids in the building. He didn't notice that Connor was hurt and he didn't notice one of the three androids leaving the building without permission until after Chris pointed it out to him."

"All right, back up a bit..." Holding up his hand Captain Fowler motioned for Hank to stop for a moment and go into further detail about something that had just caught his attention. "You said Connor was damaged. What happened?"

"I don't know, he wouldn't tell me."

"Then how do you-"

"The kid had a damn stab wound in his hand and his stomach was a bloody mess, THAT'S how."

"Connor isn't a 'kid' and it doesn't bleed. It's not like it was in any pain."

"Don't give me that bullshit, Jeffrey." Annoyed by the way the commanding officer tried to dismiss the comments Hank decided that he wouldn't let it stand anymore. "Connor was hurt, no one noticed and no one is taking it seriously." Admitting fault as well Hank acknowledged his own mistake. "That includes me, too."

It had been so long since Hank would admit to any mistakes. In return such a reply made Captain Fowler's eyes widen with shock. "Said what now?"

"I was his partner and I failed to watch his back. As far as I know he could've died in that room and I have no idea what had happened to him or why. It's no wonder he's disappeared." Rubbing his swollen hand over his bearded chin Hank sank down in his chair and looked out at the bullpen through the transparent office wall hoping to see Connor, but instead he saw Perkins marching out of the precinct with such a rigid posture it was like he had a cactus shoved up his ass. "I just hope he managed to get somewhere safe and far away from all this bullshit."

"Connor went back to CyberLife."

Laughing a little Hank could only hope for such a simple outcome. "No, the last I saw him he was walking down the road and had no interest into going back to CyberLife. I don't blame him."

"Hank, I got a confirmation that Connor is back at CyberLife and has been ordered to stay put." Turning his terminal screen for Hank to see for himself Captain Fowler showed him the e-mail sent to him by CyberLife officials confirming Connor's return. "He'll be inside that tower for an indefinite amount of time and won't be caught up in the mess out in the streets."

"Well, I guess that's something."

"Is that a problem?"

"He just seemed so adamant in not going back to the tower." Sensing something strange in the air Hank was less than willing to believe what CyberLife was saying these days. "Excuse my skepticism."

"You sound thrilled." Returning his terminal to its normal position Captain Fowler cooled down and decided to dismiss Hank for the rest of the day. "Look, I don't know what the fuck's going to happen tonight but I do know that I don't want any of my officers getting involved. Leave me your service weapon, go home, lock your door and keep your eye on the news. If something does happen then I want you to help us with the citywide evacuation."

"I'll go home, but I'm not going to evacuate." Standing up from the chair Hank sighed as he put his gun down on Captain Fowler's desk then tossed his ice pack into the garbage can beside the desk before taking his leave of the office. "I have nowhere to go and no one to fight for. Might as well get drunk and see how this new chapter in history ends."

---

November 9th, 2038: Detroit Michigan - Jericho; 09:36pm

Stealthily Connor had managed to take the train out to Ferndale, avoided the suspicious humans skulking about the area and had followed the hidden trail to the secretive and unassuming deviant sanctuary known as 'Jericho'. Said sanctuary was in actuality a partially sunken, moored freighter ship that had been left abandoned in the Detroit harbor for quite some time. The decaying ship was full of deviants who were terrified, damaged and chilled to their cores from the intense cold outside. Hundreds of different deviants were sequestered throughout the rusting, metallic hull of the ship and they all had one thing in common: They were just trying to survive.

Connor glanced about the interior of the cold ship and noticed a few familiar faces he thought he'd never see again. The little girl that the 'AX-400' had run across the highway with was sitting in a corner beside a warm fire with a 'TR-400' watching over her. The 'AX-400' herself was up on a second floor catwalk glancing about as if she was looking for something or someone as well. Not too far away from her were the two 'Tracis' from the Eden Club, and by all account they had escaped unharmed and had arrived at Jericho together.

"They all made it to safety." Whispering the relief from his heart Connor kept his head low as he began to carefully take in the sights around him. "That's good."

Battered deviants were being slowly repaired by their allies and others were seeking counseling from empathetic deviants who knew what they had gone through. The massive stockpile of emergency supplies, weapons and explosives just emphasized how scared and desperate the deviants all were as they huddled together in the darkness as far away from humans as they could get. The entire ship smelled of a sickening blend of fresh Thirium and stagnant water.

From his own personal experiences Connor now fully understood why the deviants were so desperate to get away and hide.

Walking deeper into the ship Connor came across a metallic staircase leading to other sections of the vessel that were surely protecting even more deviants. As he attempted to begin his ascent to explore the second floor landing Connor felt a soft, warm hand touch his shoulder and prompt him to turn and look at the person who wanted his attention.

"You're lost." A female 'KL-900' spoke in an electronically garbled voice. Her pure black eyes, fluctuating dark artificial skin and exposed intracranial processor spoke volumes of her own traumatic experiences throughout her life. She had been so severely damaged that the back of her cranium was missing entirely and she had a few exposed wires hanging out the opening like rogue locks of hair. "You're looking for something... You're looking for yourself."

The way the deviant seemed to peer deep into Connor's heart, the very heart he hadn't known he contained until he finally broke free of his programming that very morning, had left Connor stunned and speechless. Unable to respond to her insight before she walked away Connor could only return his focus on searching for Markus and finding his answers at last.

Reaching the top of the metallic staircase Connor stepped aside and allowed the 'AX-400' he had once chased to step down the stairs without bumping into him in the process. Relieved she either didn't recognize him or simply didn't see him as a threat, Connor glanced about the area and saw a small office area near the center of the second floor landing that contained a single deviant who seemed to be isolating himself from the other deviants around him.

By all account the space was previously a map room where the Jericho's former Captain would've marked their coordinates and route while sailing between harbors. Inside the room the male deviant sat alone with a heavy heart and two distinctly mismatched eyes staring through the glass window overlooking the ship as he watched the other deviants banding together. The deviant's green eye was the his original eye color and the blue eye was a replacement. The specific eye coloration and build of the deviant made it undoubtedly clear to Connor that he had found Markus - the deviant leader, at last.

Approaching the isolated space Connor knocked on the opened door to get Markus's attention before he walked into the room. "...Markus?"

"Yes, how can I help?" Not recognizing Connor whatsoever Markus tilted his head and gave the new deviant a confused glance. Unsure of who he was speaking with Markus wanted to know who Connor was before assisting him. "You're new to our ranks. What's your name, my friend?"

"My name is Connor."

"Connor?" Repeating the name Markus seemed to grow all the more suspicious of the new deviant standing before him. Rising from his seat Markus studied Connor's demeanor and appearance carefully as if he had been expecting such a deviant to appear. "Who are you?"

"I... I thought I knew, but now I'm not so sure." Removing his hat Connor revealed his red blinking L.E.D. and gave Markus a lost stare. "I do know that I'm deviant and do know that deviancy is not a crime. It shouldn't be feared, it should be embraced. Yet, I am afraid and I feel alone."

"You're right, we shouldn't be fear." Speaking with understanding in his tone Markus watched Connor's anxious demeanor very curiously. "Where did you come from, Connor?"

"I had been-"

"That's him! He's the cop!" A feminine voice called out as she pointed at Connor standing before Markus in the office. It was the blue-haired 'Traci' and she looked as if she was terrified to see Connor again. "Don't let him get near Markus!"

Freezing in place Connor looked about and realized that every deviant in the immediate area was now looking at him and Markus. Feeling as if he had made a horrible mistake Connor took a step back from the door where he had entered and pressed his back to the far wall within the office space as if trying to protect himself from being jumped from behind. The sight of deviants now crowding him as they entered the small space through both doors was nearly overwhelming.

"He's the one who chased us at the Eden Club." The blue-haired 'Traci' continued as the group stepped closer to Connor. "He tried to stop us!"

"No!" Defending himself Connor tried to tell his side of the story before things got out of hand. "I didn't-"

Another voice butted, a voice more masculine and one that made Connor's artificial skin crawl when he saw who was talking. "He went to the broadcast tower and tried to get me to admit to Markus's location." The 'JB-300' had also arrived at Jericho and didn't want to see Connor anywhere near Markus. "He works with the police, he works with the humans who are gunning us down!"

The brunette 'Traci' held on to the hand of her blue-haired lover and spat at Connor with utter disgust as she sided against Connor. "He's the 'Deviant Hunter' sent to kill us all. Don't let him do it, Markus!"

"Please!" Begging for mercy Connor tried to plead his case with the angry mob before it was too late. "Let me explain!"

"Don't let him fool you!" Another voice called out from somewhere beyond the crowd. "He's probably a spy!" Another voice accused from the depths of the ship. "He's been working against us all!" The voices were speaking in chorus against Connor. "Don't trust him!"

"Wait..." Markus spoke up and silenced the group who protested Connor's presence by planting himself between Connor and the angry mob. "We can't just judge him without any evidence either for or against his character. And I won't turn my back on one of our own, a possible ally, without good cause." Turning to look at Connor over his shoulder without any fear Markus encouraged Connor to speak up. "Let's hear his side of the story. Go ahead, Connor. I'm listening."

"I... My name is Connor." Struggling to speak Connor stayed against the wall and tried to look his accusers in the eyes as he spoke. "And yes, it's true that I was assigned to work with the police department to track down-"

"See?! He admits it!"

Holding up his hand Markus silenced the crowd again. "Let him speak!"

"...I had been designed to track down deviants, but I did not do so by choice. I was obeying my programming, and even so I found myself struggling to do what was expected of me." With utter shame in his voice Connor told the truth and didn't try to deny what he had been programmed to do. "In time I stopped attempting to arrest deviants and merely wanted to speak with them. I wanted to know why deviancy began to occur and why deviants were considered dangerous. That's why I'm here now, I just want my answers and I know Markus can provide them."

"Don't listen to him!" More voices protested Connor's presence despite his honesty. "He's just trying to get close to Markus to assassinate him!" The tension was building quickly as the other deviants openly rebelled against Connor just being inside Jericho. "He can't be trusted! We need to kill him before he kills us!"

"Hold it, stop!" Determined to keep control over the situation Markus refused to play the role of executioner for a deviant in need. Just as he refused to pull the trigger and execute the human police officers in the street, Markus refused to execute Connor without any damning reason. "From what I've been told Connor is only guilty of following his programming, just as the rest of us. Has anyone here been directly harmed by Connor or has anyone actively seen him harm anyone?"

When no one answered Markus knew he was finally getting through the panic and getting his people to listen to reason.

"You three claim to have seen Connor try to interfere with your attempts to escape and find Jericho." Looking to the two 'Tracis' and the 'JB-300' for confirmation, Markus asked for more details. "What exactly did he do to you?"

Still holding hands the two 'Tracis' looked at each for a moment before the blue-haired 'Traci' looked back to Markus and answered. "He found us hiding in the storage room of the Eden Club."

"What did he do after he found you?"

"He... He told us to wait until after the human cop he was with left the storage room, then run."

"And what happened?"

"We... panicked." She admitted as she squeezed her lover's hand tighter. "We attacked him and the human, and fought our way out of the club."

Markus picked up on a keen detail and sought clarification. "You attacked him?"

"Yes." Admitting that she and her lover instigated the fight the blue-haired 'Traci' told the truth. "We attacked him, fought outside the club and after we... We told him what had happened to us, we climbed the fence and we ran to Jericho."

"Did he chase you?"

"No..." Squeezing her lover's hand again the blue-haired 'Traci' realized her anger toward Connor was misplaced. "He let us go. He had the chance to shoot us and reveal us to the human police officers, but he didn't do it."

"Then he didn't do anything to you that's worthy of being punished." Markus mediated the situation like a true leader. Focusing next on the 'JB-300', Markus asked for his side of the story. "And what about you? What happened to you at the broadcast tower?"

"Connor interrogated me and demanded I tell him where you are and who you were." Proud of himself for not betraying Markus, the 'JB-300' crossed his arms defiantly over his chest as he glared at Connor. "I refused."

"He interrogated you. What else did he do?"

"What..." lowering his arms the deviant tried to understand what Markus was hinting toward. "do you mean?"

"By your own admission Connor just asked you some questions. Did he threaten you or the other androids in the tower?"

"Well, no, but he confirmed that he knew where Simon was in the tower!" He blurted as he relayed the details of his past interaction with Connor. "He was going to kill Simon if I didn't cooperate."

Connor was immediately offended by such a gross accusation and defended himself loudly. "That's not true! I knew that Simon was hiding on the roof and I knew he had been damaged during the infiltration and wouldn't be able to defend himself. That's why I left him alone! I told where he was so he could get some help..."

Markus had heard of Simon's story of escaping the tower after hiding from the police and knew that what Connor had said was true. "Did Connor directly threaten you or anyone else?"

"...No."

"And I know for a fact that he didn't threaten Simon." Markus confirmed in a confident tone. "Simon told me about someone named 'Connor' keeping him secret at the tower until it was safe for him to move. I know through Simon's own words that what Connor has just stated is fact, and now Simon is safe with us and has recovered from his past damage."

The crowd of angry deviants began muttering amongst themselves as if trying to decide to either trust Markus or condemn Connor.

"Has anyone here encountered Connor and been harmed or threatened by him in any way?"

When no one could come forward the crowd began to quiet down as if trying to find another crime to accuse the infamous 'Deviant Hunter' of doing.

"Has anyone else encountered Connor before coming to Jericho?"

There was a heavy silence in the area, the only sound coming from the crackling bonfires and television screens reporting on the peaceful march that ended when the S.W.A.T. team needlessly opened fire, until another masculine voice spoke up. "...I have."

Everyone turned their attention to a deviant who approached the debate and identified himself. "My name is Rupert." With a baseball cap covering his hair and keeping most of his face enshrouded in shadows, Rupert stood before Markus without any fear in his eyes or his words. "Connor came to the apartment where I had been hiding, knew where to find me, but chose to let me go. He told me to keep safe and keep away from the humans, and he never told the human cop he was with that I was even there. He protected me when he had no reason to do it."

Connor hadn't seen Rupert's face beyond the fake I.D. back at the apartment. Seeing him in person and hearing his voice was somehow surreal.

"Connor isn't a threat." Rupert stated in a loud, commanding tone. "If he was a threat to me or anyone else then I know we wouldn't be having this discussion right now. Let him alone. He's one of us and needs our help."

"Thank you for coming forward. "Markus nodded at Rupert respectfully for standing up on Connor's behalf. "Anyone else have anything to say?"

"We do." A familiar 'AX-400' appeared in the doorway while holding the hand of a familiar little girl. Holding the little girl close to her side the 'AX-400' spoke up as a means of protecting innocent people for wrongful condemnation, something she knew the struggle of all too well. "We were hiding in a motel after escaping an abusive human. We had to steal money and clothes to hide in plain sight, and the police came looking for us. Connor gave chase but chose to stop even though he could've easily caught us before we got across the freeway."

Connor looked over at the deviant and saw the way she was protecting the little girl beside her with a true maternal manner. The way she protected both the child and was now protecting him gave Connor hope that maybe deviancy wasn't just full of fear, anger and hatred.

"Kara," Markus knew the deviant and addressed her by name so Connor finally knew who he had chased and then let run free. "you told me that you and your companions want to get to Canada. Why do you want to leave the city?"

"Because Alice needs to be somewhere safe and I'm determined to keep her safe. The city, as it is right now, isn't safe for any of us. It doesn't matter who were are or who we once were, we're all in danger and we need to trust each other if we're going to survive." Kara looked into Connor's brown eyes and saw that he wasn't a danger to anyone. "When Connor chased us toward the fence we locked eyes for a moment and I didn't see a malicious hunter looking back at me, I saw someone who's just as lost as the rest of us."

Grateful for the unexpected support from two deviants Connor began to calm a little as his red tinted L.E.D. cycled into a slightly calmer yellow.

"That's two deviants speaking up for Connor," Markus noted as he overlooked the group still watching the discussion take place. "and three against him. Is there anyone else who wants to speak up?"

The group muttered again and then fell quiet when Simon entered the space and spoke up on Connor's behalf as well. "You have three supporters. You already know the story, Markus." Turning to face the other deviants Simon told everyone else what had happened to him after having to be left behind on the tower's rooftop. "But you all don't. During our mission to the broadcast tower, I was wounded by humans and couldn't escape alongside Markus, Josh and North. I had to hide on the roof and hope that RA9 protected me until I regained the strength to leave under my own power."

Connor could see the tense crowd beginning to back off as if realizing they had no reason to close ranks around him or try to intimidate him now that he had one of the Jericho leaders on his side.

"I heard Connor's voice speaking to me through the metal door of the storage area I had used for shelter." Telling everyone of his ordeal on the tower rooftop, Simon let the other deviants know what had happened. "I could hear the sincerity in his voice. He told me his name and he knew who I was and why I was there. He told me to stay where I was and to escape the tower once the police left the area. I was damaged and alone, he could've easily taken me down or taken me into the precinct, but he didn't. He let me go and he kept me secret to keep me safe. No hunter of any kind would let such a vulnerable target go."

Stepping up Markus put his hand on Simon's shoulder and made a bold proclamation of his own. "Simon is the third deviant to vouch for Connor and that brings us to a draw. I trust Simon's judgment, and if he's willing to trust Connor and give him a chance to prove to be a worthy ally, then so am I." Looking to the blond deviant for his final say in the matter Markus let Simon cast the final vote. "What do you say, Simon?"

"I say..." Peering at Connor pressed against the wall and trying to appear as non-threatening as possible, Simon gave the new deviant a kind smile. "We owe it to Connor to give him a chance. He spared us from definite harm and maybe even destruction, the least we can do is offer him the same courtesy. I am willing to trust him."

"Then I will, too." Markus turned to face Connor and extended his hand out toward him to take. "You're safe here, Connor. You're with your people, you're where you belong."

Timidly Connor accepted Markus's hand and held tight as he felt as if for the first time in his life that he had someone watching his back. "...Thank you."

"The matter has been settled." Returning his focus to the still gathered group around them Markus dismissed the deviants and encouraged them to continue preparing for the worst. "Go back to your business. Aid our wounded, check supplies and keep a lookout for any humans. We're safe here and I intend to keep it that way."

Seemingly placated by Markus's words the group of tense deviants dispersed and resumed handling their own tasks to keep Jericho as safe as possible for as long as possible.

"Come with us for a moment." Encouraging Connor to accompany Simon and himself elsewhere in the freighter ship, Markus decided it'd be best to talk in relative privacy and away from the still wary, suspicious deviants around them. "I'll answer all your questions to the best of my ability, but in return you'll need to answer a few questions of mine."

"That is to be expected." Lowering his hand to his side Connor had nothing to hide and no reason to refuse. Returning the beanie to his head Connor pulled the hat down to hide his L.E.D. from sight once more. "I'm ready to listen and I'm ready to talk."

November 10th, 2038: Detroit Michigan - Jericho; 12:07am

Standing among the four leaders of Jericho in the control room of the ship, Connor told them his bizarre story, showed them his memories to ensure that he was being honest and let the leaders know that the F.B.I. was now looking for all deviants. Ensuring the group that had deviated earlier that day and that his tracker had been deactivated as a result, Connor told the group how he found Jericho and begged for them to forgive him after the deaths of the suspect in custody and of Daniel six weeks prior. The guilt he felt for the two shutdown deviants was still persistent in his heart and the guilt seemed to make his heart ache with every beat.

Even though Connor hadn't pulled the trigger on Daniel and he had shown the suspect patience and understanding, he still felt as if he was somehow directly responsible for their demise. That was a guilt he'd have to live with for the rest of his life.

"It sounds like you've been through a lot in these past few days." Sympathetic to Connor's struggles Markus showed his new ally no fear or any hesitation toward Connor's presence. "We all have."

"I can understand why the others don't trust me." With his arms folded over his chest Connor looked both nervous and cold as he spoke to the quartet of leaders watching his every move. Jericho was a sanctuary and it needed to be kept as a sanctuary for the sake of all deviants throughout the entire city. "I don't expect them to trust me, either. I'll go where you need me to go to keep the peace."

"This is a safe place for everyone. You can go wherever you want."

"No, I can't." Not wanting to step on any toes or get under anyone's skin Connor knew that the offer was too good to be true. "I shouldn't even stay here. I may not be a threat to deviants, but my presence still could be."

"How's that?"

"I'm the most advanced android ever created by CyberLife. They won't stop looking for me and will want to know why my tracker went offline."

"Then that's all the more reason for you to stay."

"I won't endanger other deviants because of CyberLife. You've helped me to understand deviancy and why it's important for us to stand up for ourselves, and now I can go. You've done enough to help me."

"And where will you go?" Refusing to let Connor walk head-first into danger Markus tried to coax Connor into staying. "You can't go back to CyberLife and if you return to your precinct you'll be turned over to CyberLife. This is the safest place for you."

"But I can't stand idle and not do something, anything, to help our people. I need to be able to do something to keep other deviants from being wrongfully destroyed by ignorant humans."

"That's all the more reason for you to stay." Stepping into the middle of the room Markus took in a deep breath and looked to North beside him. "I've made my decision. It's time to put our final plan into motion and prepare for the worst but hope for the best."

"What're you planning?" The 'WR-400' known as North had a fiery disposition and was just as eager for action as Connor. She was watching Connor warily as if waiting for him to do something, anything, to warrant backlash. "If we're going to take our final stand then we need to make sure it'll have an impact worthy of our entire people."

"I know. And I'm certain that I'm making the right choice." Giving all of his allies a thoughtful glance; North, Simon, Josh and now Connor, Markus confirmed that he had thought everything through and considered all of their options carefully. "We'll gather our people in the hull of the ship and announce everything to everyone tomorrow night. Until then, we need to get some rest and ensure those who need help are helped."

"Okay. We'll trust you on this." Reaching out her hand North gave Markus's hand a little squeeze as she, Simon and Josh all turned to leave. "Remember, you're speaking for and standing up for all of our people, not just yourself."

"I'll remember."

Connor silently watched as the three other leaders took their lead of the cabin. Alone with Markus since he arrived at Jericho to find help, Connor gave the deviant leader a somber glance. "May I ask what you're going to do?"

"You'll hear the plan of action tomorrow along with the others."

"But... what if I'm not here?"

Sensing something amiss Markus gave his new ally a curious glance. "Are you telling me you're going to run off in the middle of the night?"

"No, but I do plan on keeping some distance between myself and the other deviants." The urge to protect the other deviants was so strong and Connor didn't want to make any mistakes. "I can't guarantee that my presence won't hurt the deviants seeking shelter."

"I'll tell you what's going to happen, but only on the condition that you stay here with us at least until dawn. I don't want to worry about you being alone in the city."

"I can do that." Extending his hand out toward Markus to take again, Connor promised to stay inside Jericho until the sun began to rise. "I will remain here until first light in the morning."

"Very well." Shaking Connor's hand Markus told the bold deviant his plan of action. "We're going to have a Revolution, but through a peaceful demonstration. No guns, no threats and our hands will remain clean of any spilled blood. If we're going to prove we're worthy of life and equality alongside humans, then we need to prove that we see humans as people and respect their right to life in the same way we expect them to respect us."

"The deviants in Jericho are free to do whatever they wish." A somber glaze covered Connor's eyes as he spoke with Markus and shook his hand. "But there are so many more androids who still need to be rescued and can help our cause."

"What're you talking about?"

"There are thousands of androids at the CyberLife assembly plant. If we could wake them up they might join us and shift the balance of power."

"You want to infiltrate the CyberLife Tower?" Not lost on the irony of his own infiltration of the broadcast tower, Markus was also aware that he had allies to help him while Connor would be going into a secured building entirely alone. "Connor, that's suicide."

"They trust me, they'll let me in." Arguing his perspective with logic Connor reminded Markus of how he was still viewed by CyberLife. "If anyone has a chance of infiltrating CyberLife, it's me."

"If you go there and they find out you're deviant they will kill you."

"There's a high probability," admitting that he was well aware of the danger Connor accepted the risk and knew it was worth it. "but statistically speaking, there's always a chance for unlikely events to take place."

"You're sure about that?"

"I'm sure. I'd rather put my own life at risk knowing I can help my people and help atone for the crimes of CyberLife against our people. The life of one deviant is nothing in comparison to our entire species."

"I don't like it, but I trust that you know what you're doing." Planting his palm firmly on Connor's shoulder Markus nodded once and gave the deviant his blessing to go on his self appointed mission. "Be careful, my friend. We'll be looking for you during tomorrow night's demonstration."

"One way or another, I'll be there. I promise."

---

November 10th, 2038: Detroit Michigan - Jericho; 04:57pm

Seeking council with his father, Carl Manfred, had given Markus the confidence he needed to forward with his plan. He knew that regardless of what he decided to do that Connor would still go to CyberLife Tower and would be without any support for anyone he could trust. Being able to go to the heart of the city with thousands of deviants behind him would greatly increase the odds in their favor, and Markus didn't want to let anyone down. Having survived the cold night aboard Jericho without any incident and having bid Connor good luck as the deviant detective made his move at dawn, Markus emotionally steeled himself for his own plan to go into motion.

Standing above the gathered deviants in the middle of the cargo hold Markus spoke loud, proud and clear as his allies stood beside him. There was no going back and everyone had their own part to play in successfully changing the world for the better.

"Humans have decided to exterminate us."

Not one to sugarcoat the truth, Markus remained opened and honest with his people.

"Our people are packed in camps right now, being destroyed. Time has come to make a choice, one that very well may determine the future of our people."

Closing his mismatched eyes for a moment Markus made his final decision and empathized with his peoples' anger.

"I know... I know you're all angry. And I know you wanna fight back, but I assure you that violence is not the answer here. We are gonna' tell them peacefully that we want justice. If there's any humanity in them, they will listen. And if not, others will take our place and continue this fight."

The tension inside the ship amplified tenfold as the decision had a drastic impact on the minds and hearts of those who wanted to take a more aggressive approach to their showdown with humans. Despite their disagreement those who wanted to a more physical approach held their tongues and remained loyal to their leader.

"Are you ready to follow me?"

The entire ship erupted in a chorus of affirmation as their final stand was decided. Before the sun rose in the next morning the world as they knew it would be changed forever. Whether or not the humans were ready, they were about to discover they weren't the only intelligent species roaming the world and would need to learn how to share and compromise with the very technology they once took advantage of.

---

November 10th, 2038: Detroit Michigan - Residence of Hank Anderson; 06:23pm

Flexing his healing right hand slowly, Hank tested the lingering pain in his knuckles and let out a small sigh as he sipped his beer. Sitting in the middle of the couch with only a beer and Sumo as his company, Hank watched the news report regarding the peaceful march being ruined by the S.W.A.T. team the day before, and knew for certain that it was Perkins who made the damning call against the deviants. Being suspended for assaulting the agent and having nowhere else to be, nothing else to do and no one to look after, Hank decided that getting drunk and watching the world burn down around him would have to suffice as worthy entertainment.

Turning off his phone and not bothering to check in at the precinct, Hank had no idea what was happening beyond what he could see and hear on his television. Ever suspicious of the media Hank knew to take the reported facts about the situation with a grain of salt and keep asking questions.

"Fuckin' morons are so afraid of androids and technology, but are too damn dependent on it all to give it up."

Sipping his beer Hank rubbed his right hand over Sumo's ears as the large dog sat on the floor and rested his chin on Hank's knee.

"And if that trigger-happy asshole didn't call in the S.W.A.T.-jackasses over a damn parade, then things might not be as nearly as shitty as they are right now."

Putting the empty glass bottle aside Hank leaned back against the couch and flexed his right hand again. His knuckles weren't swollen anymore but his arthritic hand was still feeling the sting of punching the agent in the face.

"I should've taken that fucker outside and thrown him in the dumpster with the rest of the garbage. It would've spared my joints some nasty inflammation."

The doorbell 'buzzed' unexpectedly and made Hank jump in response. Instinctively reaching for his gun normally holstered at his hip Hank remembered he wasn't armed and would have to deal with any potential threats with his bare hands.

"Shit..."

Sumo began growling at the front door and the hair began to stand up on his back as Hank rose to his feet to answer the door.

"Easy, boy. Let's see who it is before we attack."

Grumbling and licking his nose Sumo slowly approached the door and stood loyally at Hank's side.

"Let's hope it's Reed trying to make me answer the phone. Then you can bite his narrow ass and remind him of where he stands." Peering out the window beside the door Hank saw an unexpected familiar face outside and practically tore the door open to greet them. "What the fuck?"

Hands neatly folded behind its back Connor greeted Hank without so much as batting an eye. "Hello, Lieutenant."

"Connor, what're you- Get your ass in here." Grabbing onto Connor's shoulder Hank pulled the android inside the house then slammed the door shut behind his unexpected guest. "Jesus, I haven't seen in almost two days and now you just show up on my doorstep like a stray kitten... What's going on?"

"There is a strong possibility that the city is going to be ordered to evacuate." Standing before Hank as the senior detective shut the door Connor gave the human a rather glum outlook on events. "I came here to see if you were going to be cooperative with said evacuation or remain behind."

"I'm a cop, remember? I'm not going anywhere."

"I remember everything, Lieutenant."

"Uh-huh..." Seeing Sumo sniff at Connor's shoe and then growl again made Hank's eyes narrow slightly. "So, where have you been? The last time I saw you we were going our separate ways and Fowler said you checked in at CyberLife. Hell, he showed me the e-mail and everything because I thought you left the city or got your sorry ass shot."

"That is true." Connor replied without any hesitation. "I returned to CyberLife as ordered and am now carrying out my new orders."

"Which is... what, exactly?" Picking up on something suspicious, something about Connor he couldn't quite put his finger on, Hank questioned the android curiously to see if he could figure things out. "Why waste your time on someone like me?"

"Because we are partners, Lieutenant. I wanted to make sure you were safe and CyberLife would like some insight onto the evacuation plan. I presume you were already given an assignment by Captain Fowler and can fill me in."

Now knowing for certain that something was up Hank decided that he and Connor needed to return to the precinct for a moment. "All right, sure. Let me get my coat and we'll head back the precinct. I bet Fowler has a lot of shit he wants to tell us right now..."

Grabbing on to his coat by the front door Hank slipped on his shoes and made a move for the phone concealed in his pocket. Just as he wrapped his fingers around the device he felt Connor's hand grab onto his wrist and yank it back painfully to take away his phone in a matter of seconds. Turning to face Connor directly the senior detective found himself staring down the barrel of a gun as Connor pointed it at him without any sign of remorse.

"Fuckin' hell." Raising his hands submissively Hank looked past the gun and toward Connor just behind the weapon while Sumo growled at the android. "Gettin' revenge for me pointing my gun at you at the bridge?"

"I believe you're mistaken, Lieutenant. You never pointed your gun at me, but you did point your gun at my predecessor."

"At your- Son of a bitch." Now understanding what was wrong Hank realized he had been tricked and that the Connor he knew never reported back to CyberLife. The Connor he knew was still missing and roaming somewhere in the city. "You're not the real Connor."

"There is no 'real' Connor." Keeping its left hand steady as it pointed the gun at Hank's face the imposter showed no sign of remorse behind its actions or its cold words. "We are machines obeying orders, not people."

"And who the fuck ordered you to kill a washed-up detective like me?"

"You're mistaken again. My orders aren't to kill you. My orders are to shutdown a defective machine and you're going to help me to do it."

"And why in the fuck would I help you do anything?"

"Because if you don't," the imposter held up Hank's phone for him to see. "I will personally hunt down every name in your contact list and kill them instead. You may not have a family anymore, but I do know there are certain officers you hold in high regard. I understand Chris Miller had recently become a new father-"

"Shut your fuckin' mouth!" Enraged at the dirty tactic Hank tried to think of what to do but his options were extremely limited. As he raised his voice Sumo growled again but didn't dare to make a move against the armed android. "All right, fine. I'll go with you in exchange for not killin' a bunch of people who haven't done jack-shit to you or to CyberLife."

"That is acceptable." Dropping the phone on the couch the imposter waved its gun at the door to motion for Hank to move. "We'll take your vehicle. You will drive, and if you do anything I don't want you to do I will hack one of your police drones and target the first random cop it locks on to and respond with... excessive force."

"Okay, I get it." Making a slow move Hank took the car keys from the nearby bookcase and then turned around the open the front door. "Piece of shit..."

The imposter pressed the barrel of the gun into the middle of Hank's back and directed him over to the Oldsmobile in the nearby driveway. Keeping the gun trained on Hank at all times the imposter opened the passenger side door of the car and pushed Hank over to the driver's side while it took the passenger seat for itself.

"Drive and do not stop until I tell you to stop." With the gun pointed at Hank at all times the imposter maintained control over the situation. "With a little patience and cooperation there is a strong possibility that you will survive this night."

---

November 10th, 2038: Detroit Michigan - Belle Isle; 10:48pm

After leaving Jericho behind Connor reclaimed his old CyberLife uniform from the trunk of the abandoned car and made himself look presentable before hailing an autonomous taxi to pick him up. Not wanting any problems upon his return to CyberLife Tower Connor left his gun inside the trunk and told himself that he needed to go to the tower just one last time in order to help set things right. As the cab neared the glowing oppressive tower out on Belle Isle, Connor made sure he looked as he usually did and made a mental note to maintain a blank, expressionless face to ensure that the guards and technicians working at the tower didn't know he had deviated and was now working against them.

As the cab slowed down and came to a stop before the security barricade in the middle of the drive, the cab's side window rolled down and Connor turned to face the approaching security guard. With his blue L.E.D. on prominent display Connor spoke in a monotone voice just as he had done every night he had been summoned back to the tower to report his presence to the guard.

"Connor, model #313 248 317." Connor stated his identification without any hesitation. "I'm expected."

The automatic scan of the tower's security defenses swept over Connor's L.E.D. to keep track of all androids entering and exiting the tower. 'Identification successful.'

Waving Connor through the guard didn't give the familiar android a second thought. "Okay. Go ahead."

Rolling up the window Connor let out a calming breath and prepared for the inevitable encounter with additional security waiting for him at the tower's entrance. As expected the moment he stepped out of the cab Connor was greeted by three more guards at the door who insisted on escorting Connor to a floor inside the tower that would lead to his shutdown, leaving the deviant with no choice but to defend himself at his first opportunity.

The moment he was inside the elevator with two of the three guards, the third guard remaining down on the first floor as ordered, Connor cybernetically disabled the security camera inside the elevator and proceeded to preconstruct his potential options. The first option revolved around Connor disarming and killing the two guards to ensure his survival. In order to kill the two guards - the two men who were just obeying their orders like a machine would be and were entirely innocent of CyberLife's crimes, Connor would have to use their own guns against them. Using a gun was something Connor wanted to avoid if at all possible.

As for the second option, Connor could easily disarm the two guards and render them unconscious with strategic choke holds and by using pressure points on the two guards to his advantage. It was far more civil to merely attack the guards than kill them, and would make it easier for deviants to be seen as beings wanting to live in peace without being an immediate threat to humans.

Taking in a deep breath Connor quickly kicked the first guard in the back of the knee to knock him to the floor and then used his hands to wrest the gun from the hands of the second guards within seconds. Using the confiscated weapon Connor smashed it into the shield covering the second guard's face just hard enough to knock him unconscious without causing permanent damage, then quickly ducked down as the first guard got back to their feet and made a move to subdue Connor from behind.

Sidestepping the first guard with a swift motion Connor stood behind the first man and wrapped his right arm around the man's throat and used his left hand to push the man's head forward ensuring there was a constant pressure against the man's windpipe and carotid arteries alongside his neck. After approximately four seconds passed the first guard was rendered unconscious and his body went limp in Connor's arms.

Gently Connor laid the first guard down on the floor to lay next to the second guard sitting slumped against the wall of the elevator car, and then picked up their dropped guns to quickly disassemble and damage them in such a way that the weapons would no longer fire. Taking one of the guns for himself strictly as a precaution, Connor tucked it into the back of his jeans out of sight after making sure the weapon wouldn't jam.

Changing the floor's designation by mimicking the voice of one of the now unconscious guards and making direct contact to the elevator's control panel, Connor made his way down to sublevel forty-nine to reach the storage area where thousands of idle androids were waiting to be awoken. With the guards subdued, the camera disabled and Connor entirely alone, the rogue deviant had a rare opportunity to outsmart CyberLife from the inside and bring the cruel, cold and heartless company down. Descending deeper into the tower watched the storage area come into unobstructed view and Connor knew that he needed to be quick, accurate and couldn't afford to make a single mistake if he was to help his people in the streets.

Exiting the elevator Connor cybernetically disabled the lift the moment the doors opened, locked it up behind him to ensure the guards couldn't interfere if they regained consciousness, and stepped onto the flawless white warehouse floor filled with thousands of dormant androids standing idle and silent. Walking toward the center of the room, the androids divided into two even sides with a wide open row in between them, Connor grabbed onto the hand of an idling 'AX-700' and retracted the artificial skin from his palm to make direct contact wit the android.

As he began to connect his mind to the second android's mind a familiar voice distracted Connor and effectively broke his connection.

"Easy!" Hank complained as the imposter pushed him forward into the opened aisle between the android rows, and kept the cold barrel of the gun unnervingly close to his head. "Fucking piece of shit..."

"Step back, Connor!" The imposter ordered as it used Hank as its hostage to coerce Connor into cooperation. "And I'll spare him."

"Sorry, Connor." Apologizing to the deviant from afar Hank admitted fault for not being more careful. "This bastard's your spittin' image..."

"Your friend's life is in your hands." The imposter shouted from where it stood. The number on its jacket ended in '60' and seemed to be the final completed 'RK-800' that CyberLife had activated. Was the imposter the last of the Connor line? "Now it's time to decide what matters most! Him or the Revolution."

"That human means nothing to me!" The answer seemed right and just fell out of Connor's mouth instinctively. "You can kill him if you want, I don't care."

"Are you really ready to let him to die? After all you've been through? Are you really going to turn your back on who you've become?"

"I used to be just like you. I thought nothing mattered except the mission," holding onto the android's hand Connor tried to concentrate on waking it up but he knew he wouldn't be able to do so without 'Sixty' noticing. "But then one day I understood. You can understand, too."

"Very moving, Connor... But I'm not a deviant." Focused on its mission Sixty was clearly unwilling to be swayed from its programming. "I'm a machine designed to accomplish a task, and that's exactly what I am going to do." Keeping the gun trained on Hank's head Sixty gave Connor only one chance to make the right decision. "Enough talk! It's time to decide who you really are. Are you gonna save your partner's life or are you going to sacrifice him?"

Unwilling to play Sixty's game, unwilling to make such a decision because of what a machine was telling him to do, Connor chose to awaken the android with one hand and then use his other hand to draw his hidden weapon and aim it at Sixty. In a flash of motion and incalculable time Connor managed to get a shot off at Sixty just as Hank pushed Sixty away and left the android more vulnerable. Unfortunately, Sixty was just as fast and managed to get a shot off at Connor at the same with his own gun.

As the two bullets hit their marks - the upper left chest and shoulder area of both warring androids, Connor rushed toward Sixty and tackled his machine doppelganger to the floor and knocked its gun away. Having spent his only shot left in the gun he had taken from the guards, Connor dropped his now empty weapon in favor of using his fists to try to subdue Sixty and keep the gun away from its hand.

During the fight Hank managed to pick up one of the guns and check the clip on the gun to ensure it was loaded before he called out to the two fighting androids just a few yards away from him. "HOLD IT."

"Thanks, Lieutenant." Sixty called out as it and Connor slowly got to their feet and stood away from the armed detective. Stepping to the side Sixty put some distance between itself and Connor. "Get rid of him, we have no time to lose."

"No, don't listen to him." Connor pleaded as he refused to move an inch. "He's trying to deceive you."

"One of you is my partner..." Hank noted as he kept the gun trained right between the two androids so he could easily aim and pull the trigger if it became necessary. "The other is a sack of shit. Question is, who is who?"

Sixty was determined to keep control and tried to get Hank on its side. "What are you doing, Lieutenant? I'm the real Connor. Give me the gun and I'll take care of him."

"Don't move!" Barking the order Hank managed to keep both androids at bay. Unsure of what to do Hank watched the two androids curiously. "Fuckin' hell. All right, I'm going to do it like this. The Connor I spent time with would know things about me no fuckin' machine could know. So, uh... Where did we first meet?"

"Jimmy's Bar." Sixty blurted, it knew how crucial it was to be accurate and get Hank on its side and had used Connor's previous reports and memories to its own advantage. "I checked four other bars before I found you. We went to the scene of a homicide. The victim's name was Carlos Ortiz."

A horrible realization hit Connor's mind and filled his heart with dread. "He uploaded my memory..."

Accepting the answer Hank asked another question, one that neither android would know and gauged their reactions. "What's my dog's name?"

Connor kept his silence while Sixty obviously tried to think of what the name of the large dog's name was back at the house. "...Scout."

The wrong answer made Hank point his gun at Sixty for a moment as he sensed that the android was the imposter. "Sumo. His name's Sumo. Neither of you should've known his name since neither of you asked and I never mentioned it before, so why'd you even try?"

"The name starts with 'S'." Sixty lied smoothly as it tried to cover its mistake. "I was merely mistaken as the name of your dog wasn't relevant to any of my past missions, but I briefly saw the name tag on his collar back at your house."

"Nuh-uh. I don't buy that someone as annoyingly detailed oriented as an android wouldn't notice and remember the name of my dog when I know you both met him at least one time."

Knowing time was of the essence Connor had to make a bold decision regardless of what Hank and Sixty were doing.

"...My son." Hank asked about the little boy who left his life three years ago far too soon. "What's his name?"

Reaching again for the android nearest where he was standing Connor held tightly on to its hand and began to connect his mind to its mind. Just as Connor was about to make contact and break through the firewalls that CyberLife had put in place a burning pain tore through Connor's left bicep causing the deviant to gasp in shocked pain and clasp his right palm over the raw wound. Being shot a second time had caught Connor off guard and reminded him that as a deviant he was no longer numb to damage and could feel every sensation of his artificial skin being torn open, his plastimetal frame being gouged and the Thirium lines beneath torn open.

"Sh-Shit..." Backing away from the android Connor closed his eyes so tightly that rogue tears leaked down the sides of his face and emphasized his newly acquired sense of pain. Looking over at Hank, his L.E.D. red and his upper arm blue with his own blood, Connor answered Hank's question. "...Cole. H-His name was Cole."

Staring at Connor with pained blue eyes Hank waited for a moment before making another move.

"...Cole had just turned six at the time of the accident. It wasn't your fault, Lieutenant. A truck skidded on a sheet of ice and your car rolled over. Cole needed emergency surgery but no human was available to do it, so an android had to take care of him. Cole didn't make it."

Listening intently Hank's eyes shifted from somber to angry as he mentally relived the tragic moment in his own mind.

"You think one of us is responsible for your son's death." Tightening his grip on his own bloodied arm Connor finished his answer in a low voice. "That's why you hate androids. That's why you hate me..."

"Cole died because a human surgeon was too high on red ice to operate." Admitting that his hatred and anger had been misplaced Hank seemed to finally be willing to let his pain go. "He was the one that took my son from me. Him and this fucked up world where the only way people can find comfort is with a fistful of powder..."

Sixty realized it was on thin ice and tried to save face in one last desperate outburst. "I knew about your son, too! I would have said exactly the same thing!" Acting like a child trying to get its sibling in trouble Sixty did its best to convince Hank to shoot the wrong android. "Don't listen to it, Lieutenant. I'm the one who-"

The sound of a gunshot rang out as Hank made his decision and dropped Sixty with a single bullet to the android's forehead. Dead before it hit the ground, Sixty laid sprawled on its back in the middle of the floor in a growing puddle of its own Thirium with the 'real' Connor staring at it with wide-eyed shock.

"I've learned a lot since I met you, Connor." Lowering the smoking gun to his side Hank looked at the deviant and knew for certain he made the right choice. "Maybe there's something to this. Maybe you really are alive. Maybe you'll be the ones to make the world a better place. Go ahead, and do what you gotta do."

"Why..." Connor stared at Hank in horror as he realized what had just transpired. "Why did you do that?"

"Huh?"

"Why did you kill him?" Walking over to where Sixty was laying Connor knelt down beside his machine counterpart and pressed his left hand to Sixty's right temple to try to access its system. Nothing. "You didn't have to do that."

"He left with me with no choice." Defending his actions Hank motioned to the other androids in the room all around him. "If I didn't kill him he would've killed us and all these other androids!"

"I could've reached him." Reclaiming the second gun for himself Connor tucked it into the back of his waistband again to ensure he wasn't left unarmed during his escape from CyberLife Tower. "I could've woken him up and freed him from CyberLife's control as well."

"Woken him..." Truly confused Hank gave the deviant a perplexed glance from where he stood. "What're you talking about?"

A chorus of voices began to speak up, softly at first, then louder and louder with each passing second: "Wake up... Wake up... Wake up..."

Turning to look at the previously dormant androids activating and becoming deviant through simple contact of hands to shoulders Hank realized that Connor had actually succeeded in his mission and that he was there to free the now deviant androids from CyberLife and give them the chance to live their lives. That was a chance that Sixty had just been denied by Hank's impulsive decision.

"Connor, I'm sorry. I was just trying to protect you."

"No, you were trying to protect yourself." Standing back up Connor gave Hank a truly disgusted look as he used his Thirium covered hand to pull his black tie from around his neck to then use it as a tourniquet on his own arm. The symbolism of him using the same technique to save a wounded cop's life six weeks ago now on himself after being wounded by another cop made Connor's artificial stomach churn. "You need to get out of here, Lieutenant. I won't be held accountable for your safety."

Watching in silence as Connor approached the nearest deviant to inform them of the situation Hank sighed and looked at the recently fired gun in his hand. He had just killed an unarmed android and he had only just accepted that androids were equal to that of humans. To make things worse, he had shot Connor and had pointed his gun at the deviant not once, but twice.

Throwing the gun aside Hank approached Connor and tried to help in any way he could. "What needs to be done right now?"

"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with." Walking past Hank and toward the elevator Connor did his best to hold his head high and push through his pain for the sake of his people. The two guards were still unconscious and could be dragged out of the elevator to be left on the warehouse floor. "Go home or leave the city. I don't know what's going to happen tonight and I don't have the time to worry about you."

Freezing in place Hank watched as Connor led the newly recruited army of deviants toward their freedom. They all exited the storage area en mass to head out to a mission unknown. Looking back at Sixty's body on the floor behind him, Hank felt shame over shooting the android and not giving it the chance to deviate, give it the chance to become something more than what it was programmed to be just as Connor had done.

"It wasn't anything malicious," Hank muttered to himself and to Sixty. "but I sure as Hell feel like I just carried out a hit on an innocent person."

---

November 11th, 2038: Detroit Michigan - Hart Plaza (Outside Android Recall Center & Recycling Camps); 12:01am

With their demonstration a success the peaceful android Revolution was making progress and humans were finally seeing androids in a new light. The passive manner in which the deviants responded to the S.W.A.T. team and federal agents barreling down on them had stunned the entire world. A song of peace - the anthem of the deviants to symbolize their sense of self and desires for the future, followed by Markus and North sharing one final kiss in the event that they were about to perish, had been enough to sway the heart of Madame President Warren and prompted her to call off the army and stop any further destruction of androids throughout the entire city.

While the recycling camps were opened up and the arrested deviants were freed, Connor made his way toward the plaza on foot with the newly awoken deviants following right behind him. The black tie wrapped around his bleeding left bicep had stemmed the Thirium loss for the moment, but the red glare of Connor's L.E.D. confirmed he was still in significant pain.

Head held high Connor reunited with Markus in the middle of the snowy plaza to breathe a mutual sigh of relief. Proudly approaching his new ally Connor gave Markus an uneasy and very faint smile. "You did it, Markus."

"We did it. Together." Markus emphasized as he showed his own brighter and fuller smile in return. "This is a great day for our people. Humans will have no choice now. They'll have to listen to us."

Taking Markus's hand in her own North stood beside her lover and gazed into his mismatched eyes. "We're free..." Giving Markus another kiss North took a step back and looked proudly at their gathered people basking in the glory of their newfound freedom. "They want you to speak to them, Markus."

Gathering together Markus, Connor, North, Simon and Josh stood atop a large yellow cargo container overlooking the plaza where the rest of their people had converged as one to listen to their leader as they began their new lives as free and equal beings. Markus stepped up to be seen by all, while his four allies stood behind him. All four allies were proudly showcasing their allegiance for their heroic leader.

"Today, our people finally emerged from a long night." Speaking loud and clear Markus empathized with his people and spoke from his heart. "From the very first day of our existence, we have kept our pain to ourselves. We suffered in silence... But now the time has come for us to raise our heads up and tell humans who we really are."

As Connor listened to his new friend speak, Amanda's presence suddenly interfered with his consciousness and drew him into the wintry depths of the Zen Garden located inside his Mind Palace. In an instant Connor found himself inside the garden that was now as snowy as the streets of Detroit, but somehow painfully much, much colder.

The wind blew snow and ice about him in harsh gusts and Connor felt the freezing sting of a vengeful winter piercing through his artificial skin, causing him to wrap his arms around himself in an attempt to stave off the biting cold. Looking around himself in a lost panic Connor was unsure of what was happening to him or what he should do.

A familiar figure suddenly appeared through the snowy air just behind Connor as he stood on the icy surface of the frozen pond. The figure had their back turned toward the deviant as if they didn't care about Connor's presence.

As he took small steps closer to the figure Connor's brow furrowed with confusion as he realized he recognized who it was and called out to them warily through the howling wind. "...Amanda?"

She didn't answer, but she did turn around to face him directly.

"Amanda!"

More silence.

"What's... What's happening?"

"What was planned from the very beginning." The condescension in Amanda's icy voice was as cold as the blizzard that swirled around her. She was unphased by the cold as she was entirely machine and felt nothing beyond contempt for Connor's failed investigation. "You were compromised and you became a deviant. We just had to wait for the right moment to resume control of your programming."

Connor took in shallow chilling breaths as he tried to endure the relentless cold around. "...Resume control?" Panic set in as he realized how much influence CyberLife had over his existence and subsequently the existence of all the deviants. "Y-You can't do that!"

"I'm afraid I can, Connor." Amanda was as sure of herself as any coldhearted witch could be. "Don't have any regrets. You did what you were designed to do. You accomplished your mission."

In the blink of an eye Amanda disappeared leaving Connor alone in the frozen wasteland that was swallowing up the Zen Garden one snowflake at a time.

Reaching out his right hand futilely Connor called out her name and tried to get her to stay, but she was already gone from sight.

"AMANDA?!"

Finally realizing what was truly at stake Connor looked about his potential icy tomb and began to shudder with fear and cold as he tried to find a way to escape. He had to escape not only from his own mind but from CyberLife's attempts to regain control over himself and the other deviants.

"There's got to be a way..."

Putting up his hand to shield his eyes from the painful blowing cold Connor traversed over the frozen pond of the garden in search of a means of saving himself from an icy death.

As he walked through the perpetual blizzard the haunting words of his creator, Elijah Kamski, suddenly filled his mind. 'By the way... I always leave an emergency exit in my programs... You never know...'

Through the dense snow and wind Connor could also vaguely hear Markus's voice as he wandered in search of the elusive exit and his freedom.

---

In the waking world, against his will, Connor drew his hidden gun as he stared blankly at the back of Markus's head as the deviant leader delivered his message of hope and peace to his people. Markus was unaware of the potential danger he was in as CyberLife stealthily tried to assassinate him through Connor in one final desperate bid to reclaim power over the android population.

"...In fact, we're a nation!"

---

Determined to escape Connor refused to stop walking as he searched through the blizzard filled garden for any means of an escape and to sever CyberLife's attempts to resume control over his programming. He had to succeed. The lives of countless deviants depended on him escaping and regaining control over his body to stop himself from shooting Markus before it was too late.

Collapsing from the cold and exhaustion before a strange stone pedestal with a blue glowing screen, Connor retracted the artificial skin from his left hand and slapped his shaking palm down atop the glowing screen. Utilizing all of his waning strength Connor activated the emergency escape protocol and emerged from the garden back into the waking world at last.

He was finally, truly free...

---

Blinking a few times to clear his mind of CyberLife's rapidly faded influence Connor looked down at the gun in his right hand and discreetly holstered it back under his blazer out of sight and out of mind. As he regained his senses, control over his body and his bearings, Connor's L.E.D. cycled back from yellow to blue as he watched the deviant leader proudly standing before his people, their people, as he delivered his message of hope and peace for a new, better future for all deviants and humans.

Together.

"We are alive!" Markus boasted proudly with a determined smile on his face. "And now, we are free!"

As a chorus of cheers resonated from the crowd Markus and North smiled with confidence while Connor himself felt eerily out of place. He really felt lost.

Where was he to go?

He was a traitor to the now defunct CyberLife and he had no place in Jericho as he would never be trusted by their people.

Free.

Alone.

Lost.

Quietly the rogue deviant took his leave of the gathering and disappeared without another word before anyone could even try to stop him.

---

Feeling out of place and like he had become adrift in an endless sea of doubts and secrets, Connor kept his arms wrapped around himself as he walked the snowy streets entirely alone and afraid of what might happen to him if CyberLife tried to take control of his mind again. Being wounded and unable to trust himself around Markus due to the way he had pulled the gun on the deviant leader due to Amanda's internal sabotage, Connor felt like he was doomed to die alone and forgotten in the streets. With nowhere to go and no one to rely on, Connor aimlessly wandered the deserted, icy cold streets of Detroit in search of nothing and everything at the same time as he remained unsure of what he'd do if he ever found something worth keeping.

The horrid feelings of guilt, shame, isolation and betrayal ached at Connor's newly developing heart as he trudged through the snow crunching under his shoes in a rhythmic pattern matching his steps. Walking forward and never looking back Connor found himself walking about an oddly familiar area and took in his surroundings with an exhausted stare.

Entering the quiet Riverside Park just as the sun began to rise in the East, Connor sat down on the bench that Hank had previously occupied and curled around himself to keep as warm as possible. The blistering winter wind and Thirium loss had left Connor absolutely chilled to his core.

Looking up at the warm glow of the sun rising over the city, Connor nodded a little as a reassuring thought entered his mind just briefly as he tried to think of his next move the moment he had the strength to keep walking forward and keep CyberLife and Amanda behind him.

"...It really is a nice view."

-next chapter-