As the winter holidays approached the city colorful lights began to glow brightly and warmly against the icy layers of snow covering every inch of Detroit. A sharp contrast of red, green and gold stood out brilliantly against the whiteness of the freshly fallen snow as the people prepared for the holidays to celebrate with friends and family in the new world post peaceful Revolution. Buildings throughout the city were adorned in various decorations full of color, warmth and were radiating a welcoming feeling to help stave off the freezing and nearly unbearable cold that accompanied every winter that always graced the East Coast in the wintertime.

Music representing the holidays also began to softly play throughout the city from various stores and throughout the public parks to help give the city a cheerful setting and invite people out to shop despite the cold weather. The people were still adjusting to the changes in the city while trying to resume their lives as if nothing had happened, hence the extra effort going into celebrating the holidays that year.

While the atmosphere of the city was warm the weather remained icy cold. With that coldness Connor awoke with a tight pain in his chest and began to softly cough as he exited rest mode. Opening his eyes slowly Connor pressed his right palm to his left shoulder and then left side of his chest to test his pain threshold as he continued to recover from being struck by the speeding vehicle.

A quick self diagnostic confirmed that Connor was in the beginning stages of ventilation effusion and was going to be recovering from his injuries longer because he refused to see a technician. The dislocated shoulder, fractured arm, fractured frames and 'android pneumonia' were going to keep the rogue deviant down for a while whether he liked it or not.

"Damn."

Coughing again Connor pressed his palm over his chest and grimaced at the feeling of the thick white gauze wrapped around his chest, shoulder and arm beneath his black t-shirt. The pain in his arm was still persistent but it wasn't nearly as severe as it had been the night before. Connor knew he was healing but he'd need some time before he'd reach one-hundred percent in his recovery.

"I need to get supplies."

Moving carefully with his L.E.D. cycling in a sluggish yellow hue, Connor pushed his quilt aside and slipped his legs over to the edge of his bed to plant his bare feet firmly on the hardwood floor. A chill ran through his entire body as soon as the cold floor made contact with his exposed artificial skin. Resisting the urge to cough again Connor stood upright and grabbed the quilt from off his bed to wrap around himself before making his way downstairs to check on his clothes in the washing machine.

Ever loyal to Connor as his new partner, Bruno followed after Connor and made small grumbling noises as he sensed Connor's lingering damage and developing illness. Since Bruno had emergency protocol software still active, the deviant German Shepherd was ready to contact emergency services to tend to Connor and potentially save the deviant from his own stubbornness.

"Clean." Connor checked on his clothing in the washing machine and moved it over to the dryer to ensure the clothing didn't wrinkle. "And soon they'll be warm enough to wear out in the cold weather."

As he turned on the dryer Connor coughed lightly and made his way back into his study to sit down on one of the sofas to rest for a moment. He didn't have any clients trying to hire him for his services and he had nowhere to be on that day. In a way Connor was grateful for the inactivity as it gave him plenty of time to rest without physical exertion to hinder his recovery rate, but the lack of activity would surely lead to excruciating boredom.

Closing his eyes and leaning back against the sofa's supportive cushion Connor tried to rest for a moment longer before reclaiming his freshly laundered clothes so he could go about his errands downtown. He needed to restock his emergency first aid kit and he needed to buy more Thirium for himself, for Bruno and for his potential future guests.

"I wonder how-"

Coughing suddenly Connor curled around himself and pulled his quilt tighter around his body as he endured the harsh fit that ached at his already sore chest and squeezed his left vent like a vice. Unaware of Bruno pressing his paw down on his knee Connor continued to cough and barely registered the two firm knocks on his locked front door. After catching his breath Connor struggled to stand up on his shaking legs and stumbled toward the door to see who was at his brownstone so early in the morning.

Unlocking the door Connor peered through the small peephole in the door first and was surprised by his unexpected guest. "Markus." Pressing his right hand over his mouth Connor coughed again and did his best to ensure he was speaking in a clear voice. "...Hello."

"Hi. Can I come in?" Markus asked as he noted Connor's red colored L.E.D., hunched posture and violent coughing fits that were audible even through the closed door. "I was hoping we could talk about something."

"Y-Yes." Pushing the door wide open Connor stepped back, coughed again and gave Markus enough room to pass through the foyer and into the study so they could sit and talk together. As Connor moved about Bruno kept close tabs on his every move. "...I didn't know that y-you knew where I reside."

"Well, you mentioned purchasing an old book and music store, and when I asked Carl if he had an idea of where that building could be, he told me about this place." Markus glanced about the study and admired the recent remodeling of the walls, floors and windows. "Carl said he used to come here to buy music and find new books for his inspiration when he was just getting started as an artist. Turns out he was spot-on after all and I detected your signature in the area when I came to look. Since I was on my way to see Carl this afternoon anyway I figured I'd stop by here for a moment and then be on my way."

"That's... interesting."

"You're being afflicted by something." Markus didn't need to be standing right next to Connor to feel a heat radiating from his being as Connor's body began to overheat from having a compromised vent. Raising his right hand Markus made a move to press the back of his same hand to Connor's forehead. "Are you-"

Ducking away from the unwanted touch Connor gave Markus an uncertain look as he let his shoulders slump slightly. It was clear Connor was disappointed in his own fearful reaction and didn't want to live his life afraid of basic and harmless physical contact.

"I'm sorry, I know you don't like to be touched." Lowering his hand a little Markus tried a new approach. "I can detect that you're overheating but I can't get an exact degree without manually checking. May I please check your temperature?"

Pausing for a moment Connor studied Markus's body language and found the deviant's words and demeanor to be entirely sincere. Nodding slightly Connor humored the simple request and allowed Markus to do a simple 'fever check' on his person.

"Thank you." Raising his hand again Markus pressed the appendage against Connor's forehead and confirmed that his ally was indeed overheating. The deviant's core temperature was much higher than usual thanks to his compromised left vent. "One-hundred and two point seven degrees. You should rest and do whatever you can to cool down until your vent has managed to repair itself."

"I agree." Practically collapsing back onto the sofa to lay on his right side, Connor stifled another coughing fit and did his best to speak clearly while focusing on his ally through blurry, tired eyes while Bruno laid down on the floor beside the sofa. "Why... are you here? I doubt you... just wanted a tour of the place."

"I wanted to speak to you in person while I gave you an update on Lucas and Sydney." Sitting down on the second sofa across from Connor, the deviant leader leaned forward against his knees as he observed Connor curiously. His instincts as both a caretaker and as a leader told him that Connor needed technical assistance sooner rather than later. "But now I think it'd be best to escort you to New Jericho so you can be examined by Simon, then we can talk later."

"No." Refusing the offer Connor clutched at his left bicep as he let out a weary sigh from where he was laying. "I'll be fine here."

"What even happened to you?" Looking closer Markus ran a quick scan over his friend's form and noted the numerous fractures and fluid building up in Connor's left vent. The signs of blunt force trauma were evident even without an internal examination by a trained technician. "It looks like you took a nasty blow to the left side of your body."

"C-Correct." Pulling his quilt tighter around himself Connor coughed into the soft fabric and closed his heavy eyes. "I was... struck by a speeding vehicle... last night."

"What? How are you-" Such a horrible injury made Markus wince sympathetically for his friend. "Why aren't you in a facility?"

"I don't... need to be in a facility."

"I beg to differ." Markus heard Bruno grumble as the deviant dog lifted up his head and watched Connor closely. "I can understand why you don't want to stay in a facility or in the emergency repair bay, but you still-"

"No." Connor refused again as he stayed in his quilt cocoon and refused to budge. "L-Last time I was... helped at the t-tower... I was t-treated for an injury I did not... consent to."

"The bullet wound." Markus knew what Connor was talking about and still felt guilty knowing that when Simon removed the bullet from Connor's chest while Connor was unable to approve of the procedure. "I'll personally see to it that Simon only treats your broken arm, fractured chest frames and ventilation effusion, nothing more."

Connor contemplated the offer for a moment but still refused to accept it. "No." Burying himself deeper into his quilt Connor sighed as he fought the urge to cough yet again. "You said you... had something to tell me... about Lucas and Sydney. What is it?"

Markus knew there was no way he'd be able to change Connor's mind so he instead chose to answer the question and keep Connor in the loop about what was happening out at New Jericho Tower. "Sydney's still in the same condition as when you last visited him. However, according to the latest readings on Lucas's system, he'll fully reboot by the end of the month. We- I would like you to be there when he wakes up."

"You... hesitated." Connor quickly noticed the way Markus changed his wording from 'we' to 'I' and knew that there was something going at New Jericho beyond Lucas and Sydney's secretive presence beneath the tower itself. "I presume my... presence still isn't... welcome."

"Apparently the other leaders had a quiet agreement against you, but I won't allow that." The way his own allies seemingly were gaining up Connor wasn't sitting well with Markus in the slightest. "We won't discriminate against our own, especially for unfounded and paranoid reasons."

Letting out a small sigh Connor accidentally released a weak cough that made his system feel all the more tired. As the ill deviant prepared to to ask another question regarding the situation at hand, Connor heard the small 'ding' of the dryer in the laundry room and pined for some warm clothes to help stave off the cold in the air. Lifting his head up from the sofa Connor felt his head suddenly swim as little red and gray dots danced about his vision.

"...Strange."

"What's strange?" Markus was watching Connor's every movement carefully. The way the deviant was moving slowly and seemed to be running numerous self diagnostics that made his L.E.D. flicker between yellow and red was rather alarming. "Are you sure you're okay? You look like you're having trouble maintaining your balance even though you're laying on your side."

"I am... experiencing something new." Connor admitted as tried to sit upright on the sofa and then get back to his feet. he yellow L.E.D. flickered to red for a few seconds before cycling back to yellow. "I... I am seeing small... dots."

"Dots?" Immediately recognizing the symptoms of extreme dizziness Markus stood up just after Connor had done the same and reacted quickly when he saw Connor wavering slightly on his feet. "You should lay- Connor!"

Within seconds of standing up the dots in Connor's vision increased as a red warning appeared in his vision confirming the extreme destabilization of his gyroscope. Before he had the chance to react or even comprehend what was happening darkness swarmed over the entirety of Connor's vision and everything went black while his legs suddenly gave out beneath him and his L.E.D. remained red in color.

"I got you!"

Wrapping his arms around Connor's chest from behind Markus was able to grab on to the now unconscious deviant and catch him before he fell. Guiding Connor down to the floor Markus knelt down behind the ill deviant and let Connor laying on his back and rest against his legs for a moment.

"Damn it. I wish you'd let us help you, Connor."

Bruno grumbled again as he rose to his paws and then sat down at Connor's feet right where the edge of the quilt ended. Using a cybernetic link Bruno informed Markus of Connor's previous experiences and why he was so hesitant to seek help, let alone ask for it. The decommissioned K-9 unit's eyes and ears were as receptive as ever and allowed the dog to record everything he saw and heard as if recording details for evidence in cases. That included being able to see whatever it was his partner saw through their police issued vest camera or, in this case, what his deviant partner saw with his own eyes out in the field.

"Connor..." Markus was stunned by the information Bruno was giving him on Connor's behalf. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Seeing what Connor saw through his own eyes - seeing the way Connor was being side-eyed by deviants at New Jericho Tower; especially by North, made Markus feel like he was failing to protect his ally as he had promised. Everywhere Connor went he was being viewed as a wolf in sheep's clothing by their fellow deviants and the humans cringed at the sight of any deviant in their midst.

"All right, my friend."

With a careful motion Markus scooped Connor up into his arms and then placed his unconscious friend back down on the sofa to get some rest. Mindful of Connor's damaged arm and chest Markus was able to lay his friend over the length of the furniture without accidentally jostling his injuries or waking him up.

"I'm going to take care of you until you're strong enough to take care of yourself. Afterward..."

Moving back the quilt Markus carefully lifted up Connor's t-shirt to view the bandaged wounds for himself. The sight of the thick gauze, healed scrapes and fractured frames were bad enough on their own, but the ill deviant's nearly wheezing breaths sounded pathetic and the heat radiating from his artificial skin was enough to prompt Markus to tend to see to it that Connor recovered from his damage.

"I'm going to have a long talk with the other leaders about this callousness being directed toward you without just reason. There's a lot that needs to be addressed and then answered for."

The sudden surge in deviant cases being reported to the precinct had left Hank feeling exhausted and nearly useless. His painful lack of knowledge and experience with deviants beyond what very little interactions he had encountered while working with Connor was beginning to show itself as the pressure mounted and more reports came in to the precinct faster than he could have predicted. Even with Ben's help regarding the cases and the sparse evidence, it was a slow and laborious process that yielded very few results that could've been used in any way to identify suspects or even point Hank in the right direction to follow a trail to the guilty party.

Pushing through his latest headache as he greedily downed his coffee Hank could only audibly sigh as another case popped up on his terminal screen demanding his immediate attention. The sight was enough to prompt Hank to turn his terminal off and bow his head in misery.

"Fuck me and everyone else in this city..."

"That's a pretty big order to fill." Ben commented as he joined Hank at his desk and offered him a refill on his coffee. "I take it there's been no change in our pursuit of this 'Ralph' guy or any of the cases revolving around deviants."

"Yup." Popping the 'p' as he spoke Hank confirmed Ben's hunch while he picked up his mug to accept the fresh coffee right from the carafe. "I can't find one very recognizable deviant to ask him about a possible murder, but I'm still supposed to handle this entire deviant division and keep everything running smoothly even with everything else being fucked up around us."

"Detroit's a big city and there's a lot of places for people who don't want to be found to hide."

"Yeah, I've noticed."

"Want me to help ya' out again? My team's doing pretty damn well without needing my supervision and I don't have any cases that need my immediate attention."

"No, it's fine." Sipping the hot coffee Hank lamented his task and wondered if he wasn't being buried in paperwork as a distant form of retaliation from Captain Fowler after the commanding officer was ordered to back off for a while. "You have your own piles of shit to clean up. I'll be fine on my own."

"Suit yourself, but, I just want to remind you that in our field of work the more we hear 'I'm fine' the more we know that person is not actually fine."

"Ben?" Raising his voice a little Hank made it clear that he wanted to be left alone. "Go."

"I'm gone." Not lingering around the desk any further Ben made his way back to the breakroom. "Just call if you need some help."

"Whatever."

Pressing his chin into his palm Hank leaned his elbow atop his desk and let out a notable coffee scented sigh through his teeth. Everything was hectic in an annoyingly calm manner. Numerous cases needed to be solved, dozens of deviants needed help and hundreds more needed justice. That was a disheartening fact that made the seasoned Lieutenant yearn for early retirement and a private condo hidden away in the Bahamas.

"Never thought I'd miss wading through blood to figure out what happened in the aftermath of a shoot-out between 'red ice' gangs. This stuff is just too damn much to handle on my own these days..."

Remaining protective over his ally Markus keenly watched as Connor slept on the sofa and slowly rebooted after being forced into emergency stasis mode due to his overheating core and his destabilized gyroscope. It didn't take the resourceful deviant leader long to have supplies shipped to the brownstone via delivery drone from Digital Sentience, and it took even less time for him to check on the bandages covering Connor's wounds before replacing them with fresh gauze. The scrapes and cuts around Connor's elbows, knees and sides had already healed, but the damage to his chest, arm and shoulder still needed time to heal properly.

As he waited for Connor to reboot on his own time Markus checked out the ground floor of the brownstone to admire the way Connor had remodeled the building and made it more to his liking. The simplistic design and practical layout was ideal for someone to work while also feeling comfortable in their own setting. It was almost enviable to see Connor in his modest dwelling living as he saw fit in comparison to residing at the isolated tower and overseeing the lives of the other deviants.

Markus pulled an old forensics textbook from one of the shelves built into the wall and heard Connor let out a small groan of pain. Turning to look at the sick deviant over his shoulder Markus saw Connor blinking a few times as he lifted his head up to look around the study while his L.E.D. went from red and back to a slightly more stable yellow coloration.

"Hey." Returning the book to the shelf Markus knelt beside the sofa and lowered his voice to a near whisper. "You're going to be okay now. Just rest and let your self healing program keep running."

"...I lost consciousness." Noting what had recently transpired Connor glanced about his study and felt Bruno tucking his head up and under his arm as the deviant dog greeted Connor somewhat playfully. It seemed Bruno was as worried as Markus had been. "...You helped me."

"You're my friend." Watching Connor's guarded manner very closely Markus knew he still had a long way to go before he'd be able to really earn Connor's trust. He was used to having to work on building relationships with other deviants and he knew that each deviant's personality was unique to their past experiences, which meant trust showed itself in many different ways over many points in time. "I wanted to help you recover. How do you feel?"

"I am... warm." Connor admitted as he pulled his quilt even tighter around himself. The warmth was nice and having Bruno burrowed under his arm was helping him feel even warmer. "My... gyroscope seemed to have... malfunctioned."

"Yeah, it turns out that when deviant gyroscopes malfunction we experience the same sense of dizziness as humans. When the dizziness gets too severe we lose our balance, collapse and even enter emergency stasis mode until we can recalibrate."

"The dots." Finally understanding what had happened to him Connor slowly pushed himself to sit more upright on the sofa. Using his right arm Connor noticed that his left arm, chest and shoulder had been re-bandaged and felt much better despite still feeling fairly ill. "Did you... tend to my damage?"

"When you collapsed I was worried you may have accidentally aggravated your injuries. I checked on them while you were unconscious and ordered you some fresh Thirium and gauze bandages while you were in stasis mode." Remaining honest Markus let Connor know what happened while he was resting. "I also walked around your first floor to check the place out to placate my own curiosity. It seems very comfortable here."

"...It works for me." Closing his eyes for a moment Connor ran another self diagnostic and found his core temperature to be slightly lower than it had been when he initially lost consciousness. He still needed hours to recover before he'd be able to function as necessary to do his job. "I appreciate your help. You should go see Carl now."

"Not until your temperature is back down to its nominal degree." Folding his hands together before himself Markus insisted on staying a while longer. "Carl will understand why I'll show up a little later than usual for our chess game."

"I'll be fine on my own. Go be with Carl."

"If you had collapsed while alone you may have suffered additional damage to your injuries." Warning Connor of the danger of being alone while sick and injured, Markus tried to convince Connor to put up with his presence for a little while longer. "I don't want you to end up in worse shape because no one was around to help you."

"...Help me." Connor thought back to the previous day and of him discovering three deviant bodies of victims who never had the chance to really live because they didn't get the help they needed. It was a curious notion to contemplate the safety of isolation and the danger of being totally alone. "...Why would you want to help me? I am the malicious 'Deviant Hunter' who is a threat to our own people after all."

"You're not a misinformed rumor, Connor." Defending his ally against his own self depreciating remark, Markus was determined to prove to Connor that he was trusted. "You're a detective, you're courageous, you're honest, you're strong willed, you're resourceful and you're empathetic. You're far from a ruthless hunter like our people seem to imagine, and you're not a threat to anyone. Please don't see yourself as the monster everyone wants you to be."

"Why would they want me to be a monster? There must be a reason."

"My guess is, fear brought many deviants together and now it's fear holding us together. I think too many deviants seem to believe that having a singular common ground of fear and mistrust is the foundation that our future will be built upon."

"What do you personally think?"

"They're wrong." Answering quickly Markus told Connor what he truly thought about the unusual situation. "We're going to build up our community on trust, understanding and patience. Not fear, ignorance and hasty accusations."

The idea of being able to live in a community of positivity instead of negativity seemed too incredible to simply believe or accept as a possibility. "That'd be an impressive feat to say the least."

"And one you'll see to fruition, I guarantee it."

"You mentioned Lucas's system was rebooting." Rubbing Bruno's ears softly as he spoke Connor was subconsciously using the loyal dog as a means of channeling his nervous tic as he spoke with his ally. "Has there been any progress whatsoever... with Sydney?"

"Not yet. Simon is still looking through the spare biocomponents, components, hardware and plastimetal panels that CyberLife had left behind. It seems as if the 'RK-800' line was meant to be kept entirely secret except to those who already knew you even exist."

"That is... accurate." Not wanting to mention Amanda, the Zen Garden or of his original assignments, Connor sighed and ended up coughing in response. Once his vents calmed down Connor reclaimed his voice. "Did you find... anything about your model design? Y-You're a prototype, too."

"No, there wasn't anything regarding my model or design anywhere in CyberLife's remaining files." The idea of finding anything hidden in the tower about himself that he didn't already know was oddly unnerving in Markus's mind. His very existence was one of pure mystery created by the hands of one very eccentric and enigmatic Elijah Kamski. "I don't think there will be anything to find since I was designed to be Carl's personal caretaker. At least nothing that could be of anyone's interest."

"Any details about us... or any other uniquely designed model... might be able to give us... some useful information in... aiding Sydney's recovery."

"That's an interesting idea. If we can find the original schematics for your design or any files pertaining to your intracranial processor we might be able to reverse engineer the damaged frames, hardware and components in Sydney's cranium to rebuild what he had lost." A small grin appeared on Markus's face as he realized they may have a real chance at reactivating Sydney after all. "I'll inform Simon of your theory when I return to the tower."

"I'll go there now. I can-" Coughing into his arm Connor was suddenly stricken with another fit and left unable to leave his sofa as he had planned. "...I may be able to assist."

"After you've had enough time to recover. Until then, rest." Rising to his feet Markus walked into the kitchen of the brownstone and then returned with a bottle of fresh Thirium for Connor to ingest. The bottle had a thermal wrapped around its base and seemed to be emitting a gentle heat. "I took the liberty of warming up some Thirium for you to drink. From personal experience warm Thirium is far better at circulating through one's lines, and even seems to ease internal discomfort."

"I am already overheating." Eyeing the Thirium warily Connor was hesitant to try the simple remedy to his pain. "Adding heat to my core would only exasperate my condition." A small grumble from Bruno as the dog pawed his arm prompted Connor to at least try the suggestion considering his chest still felt tight and his left side was throbbing with every beat of his heart. "...But I will try it."

Markus smiled a little more as he passed over the warm bottle of Thirium and waited for Connor to take hold. "It makes a cold night hiding on a freighter ship feel more bearable, so I imagine warm Thirium will make a few cracked frames and a bruised vent feel less strained, too."

"It'd be nice... to experience something... so simple." Slowly drinking the offered Thirium to prevent another coughing fit Connor had to admit that the feeling of the warm elixir entering his core was soothing to his strained chest as it settled in his system. The warmth was oddly comforting and it did offer some form of respite from his chronic pain. "...Thank you."

"Mind if I stick around for a while longer?" Markus asked as he glanced about the brownstone with genuine intrigue. He seemed to be fascinated by the old building getting restored to its former glory. "It's not often I can find something to do outside the tower beyond keeping Carl company or trying to arrange meetings with figureheads in the city."

Holding the bottle of Thirium in his right hand Connor peered down at the remaining sapphire liquid sitting in the warm container. It was strange to be offered help and to have someone asking to spend time with him as opposed to seeking something from him. "I suppose you can stay here if it won't be any... inconvenience to you."

"There's no inconvenience whatsoever." The positive response was so seldomly given while Markus was at the tower, and being given one by his most reclusive ally was all the more rare. "I wouldn't have stopped by to speak with you if making any time to talk was any kind of inconvenience, let alone look after you when you collapsed. You're my friend."

"...Friend." The concept of a friend was even more peculiar than finding relief from pain. Recognizing such a morbid fact for what it was, Connor made a mental note to put more effort into escaping the negative atmosphere that CyberLife had created around him and for him as he adapted to his changing world. "I... I suppose we are friends. Aren't we?"

"Yeah, there's nothing to think twice about. We are friends, Connor." The reassurance was matched only by the kind smile on Markus's face. "Don't doubt that for a second."

In spite of his headache and his fatigue Hank managed to head out on patrol as scheduled and soon found himself parked along the street in front of an old building that caught his eye. The building itself was an abandoned toy store that should've been black as the winter night, yet he could see a faint flickering light through the small slats between the wooden boards over the front windows that reminded him of a small bonfire. Studying the odd glowing motion for a moment longer Hank determined that the fire wasn't from arson or the building combusting due to neglected electrical wires, but was a controlled burn being contained somewhere inside the old building.

The senior detective's initial instinct told him that he had stumbled across a few squatters seeking warmth from the bitter cold weather, but with the Revolution making things uncertain in the city he decided to check and make sure he didn't overlook a drug den in the making. The last thing Detroit needed to endure was a fresh wave of 'red ice' sweeping through the streets.

"All right, I better get this taken care of before shit hits the fan. I'm too damn old to be out here cleaning up everyone else's messes, but here I am. Again..."

Checking the door of the abandoned building with a small pull on the handle, Hank found the door itself to be unlocked although somewhat jammed. The door opened outward with a small shudder and an audible 'groan' that echoed through the empty building to announce Hank's presence. The moment Hank entered the space that was meant to be deserted he heard a rush of motion and racing footsteps heading in the opposite direction from where he entered.

"Shit, there is someone hiding here..."

Resting his palm over the gun holstered on his right hip Hank unsnapped the support on the holster in case he needed to defend himself. Moving slowly and carefully Hank checked for any sign of crudely constructed security measures in the form of booby-traps or rigged explosives, Hank eventually made his way to the rear of the opened floor area and spotted the lone burn barrel glowing with a roaring fire.

Investigating the area immediately surrounding the burn barrel Hank spotted four empty bottles of Thirium and easily a dozen empty pouches of Thirium all around the barrel on the floor. A few stray pieces of clothing, old sheets and filthy blankets were bundled together to create a crude type of bed to keep whoever had started the bonfire even warmer during the brisk winter nights.

"Definitely a deviant seeking shelter." The skilled detective deduced as he eyed the evidence of an android's presence and no traces of drug manufacturing or malicious intent. "I must've scared the Hell of out 'em when I forced my way in."

Re-securing the holster on his right hip Hank decided that there was no reason to take such an aggressive approach with investigating the old store.

"All right, I'm going to leave."

Raising his voice a little Hank hoped that whoever was hiding in the building could hear him from wherever it was they were lurking.

"I work with the Detroit Police and I was checking the building to make sure there weren't any drugs in the area. You're free to stay here until winter's over, then I strongly suggest you go to a shelter. This place is going to be torn down in the spring and I don't want you to be caught in the middle of the demolition by mistake."

As he turned his back on the fire to exit the building the same way he entered, Hank felt a strange presence slowly creep up on him before shaking voice spoke up in a confused manner behind him.

"You... will not force Ralph to live on the streets?"

"Ralph?" Repeating the name Hank turned around slowly and saw the scarred face of the very deviant he was looking for looking back at him. Picking up on the deviant's unstable state and heavy damage, Hank knew he'd have to speak with the deviant in a very calm and carefully worded manner, especially when he caught sight of the sharp knife blade in Ralph's hand glinting in the fire's light. "That's your name, right? Ralph?"

"Yes." Ralph confirmed as he kept a safe distance between himself and Hank with only the glowing burn barrel to provide any form of light in the darkness of the store. "Ralph is Ralph."

"All right, Ralph. My name is Hank." Moving his hands very slowly Hank showed Ralph his police shield to confirm he was speaking the truth. "I'm a police Lieutenant and I'm working on helping deviants after the Revolution. First thing's first, are you hurt or do you need any supplies?"

"Ralph is... damaged." The deviant confirmed as he turned his face away in a jerking manner as if unable to fully control his own motor functions. "But Ralph cannot be helped. Ralph is different."

"I know a thing or two about feeling damaged beyond repair." Slipping his badge back into his pocket Hank remained friendly and did his best to make sure Ralph didn't see him as a threat. "Let me ask you something, Ralph. Why are you hiding in an old building instead of rooming with the other deviants at New Jericho Tower?"

"Ralph... is... Ralph is not like the other deviants." The damaged deviant admitted in a shaking voice as he tried and failed to maintain eye contact with Hank from the distance. "Ralph is... not normal."

"You're in Detroit, Ralph. Being abnormal is part of the territory."

Too damaged to understand humor or jokes Ralph just stared blankly into the fire before him.

"Can I ask you another question?" Maintaining a peaceful demeanor Hank tried his best to get some answers from Ralph without upsetting him by accident in the process. "Is this the only place you've used as a shelter? There's a lot of old buildings that someone could hide in, and I'd hate to think you accidentally saw something or bumped into someone who could cause you problems."

"...Ralph used other places." Another violent tic made Ralph's head turn as he gave Hank his full attention. "They kept Ralph... secure. Until they didn't."

"Did you lose a good hide-out because the city condemned it?"

"Yes. The city took away Ralph's shelter." As he spoke Ralph's hand tightened around the hilt on his knife as if preparing to use it. "Ralph... could not defend himself again."

"Defend yourself?" That was an oddly specific comment. "Did someone threaten you?"

"Yes. Humans taunt Ralph and abuse Ralph. Ralph had to defend himself against the humans." The knife remained secured in Ralph's hand as the damaged deviant told Hank the truth of his past encounters with other people. "Ralph did not want do it, but Ralph had to."

"You mean defend yourself with violence, right?"

"That is right." The knife was tarnished with old blood that hadn't been fully cleaned away. "Violence is something humans understand."

"You're not the first and you won't be the last deviant to defend yourself from idiotic humans. I'm willing to bet that the dead guy at the condemned house near the supermarket was a human who tried to mess with ya', too. The police found his body in the bathtub on the second floor."

"That human demanded Ralph give him Ralph's money. Ralph refused. Ralph... doesn't have many things, including money."

"And when the guy kept insisting you give him your money you defended yourself with the knife. Right?"

"Yes. Ralph used the knife on the human."

The way Ralph admitted to killing the human that was found in the old house was disconcerting. But Hank knew from personal experience that humans could be unnecessarily cruel and violent toward androids, which of course supported Ralph's claims of self defense. The only way to truly prove Ralph's claim was through additional evidence.

"Let me ask you one more question, Ralph. Then I'll let you alone so you can keep warm by your fire." The tension in Ralph's body language told Hank that the deviant's patience was wearing thin. "When you've used your knife has it always been in self defense, or because you wanted to hurt someone?"

"Ralph... doesn't want to hurt people. Ralph wants to be left alone."

"I know how you feel." The way Ralph was open about everything he experienced convinced Hank that he was being entirely honest. "Okay, I'm going to keep my word and let ya' alone now."

"Is Ralph going to be... punished?"

"Not likely. You just keep safe from the cold and stay away from humans for as long as you can. Things will get better for everyone and then you won't need to carry around your knife anymore."

"Lieutenant Hank is not like the other humans." Ralph's tense expression managed to soften a little as he realized that Hank was telling him the truth and wasn't going to torment or harm him. "Lieutenant Hank is... honest."

"Yeah, honest." The compliment didn't sit too well with Hank considering he had been lying to his own commanding officer about what went down at CyberLife Tower the night of the Revolution, and had been trying to hide his own struggles with alcoholism an his misplaced anger toward androids. "That's me all right."

Passing through the front doors and back on to the sidewalk outside, Hank prepared to take his leave of the abandoned store and meet up with Ben to check over their previous case revolving around Ralph. The idea of putting an abused android on trial just for defending himself didn't sit right with Hank in any capacity. It was like he was blaming the victim of a crime for being victimized.

Returning to the Oldsmobile Hank sat down behind the wheel and confirmed with dispatch that he was returning to the precinct from his patrol. As of that moment he had something more important to do than drive aimlessly through the streets looking for trouble.

By the time the afternoon had given way to evening Connor had made a significant recovery from his injuries and 'android pneumonia' thanks to the care and attention given to him by Markus. Even though he insisted that Markus leave him be and go spend time with Carl while there was still light in the day, Connor had to admit that he was glad that he an ally - a friend, like Markus who was willing to aid him when necessary. It was a far different experience for Connor to have support when damaged or enduring a malfunction. In the past such a hindrance resulted in Connor being painfully tested on and his programming sifted through by cold CyberLife technicians.

Flexing his left hand slowly Connor tested the pain in his left arm and felt no discomfort. Loosening the gauze bandages around his chest and left shoulder Connor tested his range of motion and his strength without straining his body in the process. As he checked his arm and his shoulder Connor watched as Markus examined the books on his full bookshelves with keen interest.

"You may borrow my books if you so desire." Speaking without coughing or aggravating himself in any way, Connor readjusted the quilt wrapped around himself and moved his legs over to the side of the sofa to plant his feet down to the floor. With his system stabilized Connor's L.E.D. returned to blue at long last. "You keep viewing them as if looking for something in particular."

"That's generous, but I'm just curious to see what you have in your collection." Markus admitted as he stepped away from the books and sat down on the second sofa across from Connor as the recovering deviant released his left arm from its gauze wrapping and then clutched at his left bicep. "Carl encouraged me to read about art, poetry, philosophy, classic literature, music and history. I found that I enjoy painting and playing the piano, and I know it's from Carl's influence."

"You wished to see if my interests were on display as well." The deduction was as keen as it was quick. Holding his palm over his left bicep Connor did his best to ignore the strange sensation of the bullet embedded in his frame as he stood up slowly. "As of this moment I merely have books that pertain to forensics, famous and infamous criminal cases within Detroit over the past two hundred years, Detroit's local history, and cybernetic research and development from the past fifty years."

"Not my taste, but I won't judge you for your own." Watching Bruno as the decommissioned K-9 unit sat down beside Connor's leg Markus couldn't help but notice that the deviant dog was behaving more canine than android, and that Connor was treating him as such. The way Connor pet Bruno's ears and treated him like an ally and not a tool was very warming. "You seem to be comfortable in your place and you seem to have a loyal pet. Do you do anything beyond investigate cases or remodel buildings?"

"As of the moment, no." Admitting he was lacking in hobbies or interests beyond work Connor tightened his grip around his bicep as if stricken by a small ache while he spoke. "I'm attempting to earn funds so I can continue to pay off my purchase of this brownstone. And with deviants requiring help regarding crimes and justice, I simply do not have the time to ponder a new hobby or activity."

"I bet you'd enjoy music, too. You should try listening to music of all genres and find what resonates within you." Reaching over the coffee table Markus lightly pressed the back of his hand over the rogue deviant's forehead and confirmed that Connor was no longer overheating. The fact that Connor didn't flinch away from his touch was promising. "You seem to be well on your way to a full recovery."

"Yes, my self diagnostic confirms that I am stable and my self healing program is functioning properly."

"How do you feel?"

Contemplating the question for a moment Connor replied honestly. "...Cooler. While I didn't initially want your assistance or believe I needed it, I appreciate your help all the same."

"I'm just glad I could help a friend without needing to get another law passed." Retracting his hand Markus tilted his head a little as if in deep thought. "Do you think you'll be able to help Lucas and Sydney when they wake up? They'll be confused and won't have any programming to guide them."

"I'm going to try everything I can to ensure they both have a fair chance at deviating and living their own lives." Rubbing his left palm over Bruno's ears Connor looked down at the loyal dog and felt determined to help other deviants in need regardless of who they were or where they came from. "If Simon's estimations are correct, then Lucas will awaken first and will need guidance from someone who can relate to him. I will do everything I can to give him a comfortable place to discover himself and figure out what kind of deviant he wants to become."

"I have no doubt that you'll be able to help everyone who needs you." Standing up from the sofa again Markus made a move to pet Bruno as well and made sure the dog was okay with being touched. All deviants deserved to have their rights and decisions recognized, no matter how many legs they walked on. "In the meantime, I suggest you find out more about yourself. What you like, what you dislike and what you find interesting."

"I'll consider that. If I have to handle multiple clients I may not be able to partake in a new hobby." Admitting he wouldn't be able to necessarily keep such a promise made Connor's L.E.D. flicker from a calm blue to a cautious yellow for a beat. "But I assure you that I will make an effort."

"That works for me. Before I head out to visit Carl, do you need anything else?"

"Considering you essentially nursed me back to health and ordered my replacement supplies, I can safely say that no, I don't need anything else." Standing up as well Connor tested his balance and found his gyroscope had fully recalibrated. "Do you need anything from me?"

"Just your word that when it's time for Lucas to wake up that you'll be there regardless of how you may feel about New Jericho."

"And..." Offering Markus his hand to shake Connor made his new friend a promise. "I'll be there regardless of how New Jericho or its leaders feel about me."

"I swear that I'll prevent the inhabitants of the tower from ostracizing our people." Solidifying his promise with the handshake Markus did his best to reassure Connor that he could rely on him for help in the future. "Take care of yourself, my friend."

"I will do my best." As Markus stepped into the foyer and reached for the door's handle Connor called out to him in a low voice. "And... thank you for taking care of Lucas and Sydney a the tower. You're even speaking as if you know for a fact that they'll both be okay, I appreciate that."

Markus couldn't stop himself from smirking at the positive reception that he had received for his optimistic outlook. "As long as we don't give up on one another and give each other a chance to do the right thing, then there's no doubt that they'll be okay. I'll see you around, Connor."

"Right."

The sound of the brownstone door opening and then closing with a soft 'click' was oddly depressing. For Connor the safety and solitude of his own home had become steadily depressing and lonely. Despite his urge to remain alone and far away from other deviants and humans out of fear of accidentally bringing danger to his own people or being put in danger by humans in return, Connor had to admit that he was beginning to yearn for the company of another person who could potentially be a trusted friend.

Keeping the quilt wrapped around himself Connor patted Bruno's ears and walked into the laundry room to take care of his laundry at last. The clothes were clean and ready to be worn again after the deviant ironed out the wrinkles in his shirt and vest. Being able to maintain a professional aesthetic was important to Connor as it made him feel better about his unusual situation.

"Tomorrow, if we don't have a client come our way, I'll take of preparations to make room for Lucas to reside here in the event he accepts my offer. If Sydney wants to live here as well I'll find a way to make room for a third person later on."

Bruno tilted his head and grumbled a little as he watched Connor fussing with his clothing fresh out of the dryer.

"I'm certain that we'd find a way to make room for a third person. I could easily move the washer and dryer into the kitchen and convert this laundry room into a third bedroom if necessary. Or I could increase the size of the second guestroom on the second floor so it could comfortably accommodate two people instead of just one."

The loyal dog sighed through his nose as he made his way into the kitchen and checked his bowl for Thirium. There was none to be had since Thirium evaporates and couldn't be left out all night.

"Here you go."

Connor entered the kitchen and pulled down a bottle of Thirium from the cabinet to refill Bruno's bowl on the dog's behalf. He understood what Bruno wanted and had no issue with taking care of the dog as his own pet.

"Today was a mild setback. We'll recuperate here for the rest of the day and prepare for the new changes tomorrow."

Carrying his clothes back upstairs Connor paused in the hallway between the two bedrooms and knew he was going to make the right decision by asking Lucas to reside with him once the 'RK-900' fully rebooted. Something was compelling Connor to reach out to the android as if he felt responsible for the android's very existence. It was difficult to explain.

"All I can do is hope that Lucas is capable of deviating and understands that what happened to him was because of CyberLife's lingering control over him, not because of a malicious intent from New Jericho. As for Sydney..."

The memory of facing off against Sydney and watching him get gunned down by Hank in the middle of CyberLife's warehouse was heart wrenching in the most unexpected way. The possibility of Sydney suffering from permanent damage was all the more upsetting, but he'd deal with that potential obstacle when the time came.

"I suspect only time will tell how he'll fair in this world. I suppose that's something that can be said about all the deviants at this point."

It didn't take Hank long to close the case revolving around Ralph and determine that the human found in the abandoned house had tried to mug Ralph and ultimately paid the price. His instincts as a seasoned detective told Hank that the deviant was in the right and that things would only get worse for Ralph if he were to be arrested and condemned to imprisonment just for defending himself. Ben agreed with Hank and gave the Lieutenant details on the dead man's arrest record and sordid history revolving around robbery, extortion and assault. The autopsy report also noted that the man had been high on 'red ice' at the time of his death and would've undoubtedly been all the more aggressive while under the influence of the potent narcotic.

With a clear conscience Hank was able to close the case, file his report and then clock-out for the day. It was one of dozens of deviant cases that were piling up on his desk, but despite his best efforts Hank just couldn't get ahead of his workload. Working alone was far more difficult than he realized now that Hank was willing to care about his career again.

Entering his house through the front door Hank greeted Sumo and stepped aside to let the large dog outside for a few minutes. It was their own routine since Hank had to go to work and he didn't want Sumo being kept outside all day long. The only real difference was Hank returning home earlier than usual since he stopped drinking and now Hank cooked his own dinner instead of grabbing fast food every night.

"One case down..."

Kicking off his shoes Hank hung his coat up on the hook by the front door and watched Sumo trot back inside the livingroom after getting some relief outdoors.

"And a trillion more to go."

Trudging down the hallway Hank slipped off his holster and secured his service weapon in the drawer of nightstand beside his bed. Sitting down on the edge of his bed for a moment Hank listened to the emptiness of the house and found it to be as deafening as it was smothering. For the first time in the three years since he lost Cole in that tragic car accident Hank was sober enough to really take in his environment and accept everything that changed.

He lost his family, he almost lost his career and he was ready to give up his own life just to make the pain stop. Having no one in his life, struggling to get by on a day-to-day basis and being torn about his own existence made Hank realize he had far more in common with deviants than he could've ever expected.

"As shitty as I feel I can't imagine what Connor and the other deviants are dealing with right now."

Standing up slowly Hank felt his tired back protest as he wandered into his bathroom to shower off the day and try to relax for a moment. It was the only thing he could do to unwind a little now that he had stopped drinking and didn't want to pick up any more bad habits.

"I sure as Hell hope he's okay wherever he is. I fuckin' shot him, threatened him and treated him like shit. Why do I suddenly give a damn if lives or dies?"

Turning on the water in the shower Hank adjusted the temperature until it was ideally warm and then proceeded to remove his clothes.

"Whatever. I guess as long he's living his own life it's none of his business what he does or where he goes."

Stepping into the shower Hank did his best to unwind for a moment before making his dinner and sitting down to watch some television before going to bed. His routine was simple, uneventful and yet very effective for his aged mind and body. Having been a pretty nasty drunk for the past three years had also undoubtedly aged his body far more than he'd really know and would only discover the aftermath of his self destructive tendencies at the worst possible moment.

"It's not like he'd forgive me for shooting him and then shooting his 'evil-twin' dead where he stood."

The way Connor looked so stunned, so afraid of him after he pulled the trigger began to haunt Hank's dreams. He could even hear Connor's voice echoing in his mind with genuine pain in his words from that fateful night: 'That's why you hate androids. That's why you hate me.'

"I know I wouldn't forgive me if I were in his shoes. Hell, I wouldn't even look at me if I were in his shoes."

The more Hank thought about it the more he realized he had no reason to even try to approach Connor in an attempt to mend their rift. The rogue deviant didn't owe him anything and Hank didn't want to do anything to interfere with Connor's effort to become his own free person. He knew the deviant was strong and was able to overcome gunshots, hypothermia, car accidents and nasty internal issues, but in Hank's mind Connor looked like a fresh from the academy cadet who still needed a family to look after him until he got on his feet.

Even so Hank knew he had no right to try to offer advice to someone who already appreciated his life more than Hank ever would. It was like having a mirror held up before him and Hank didn't like seeing the person he had become looking back with an unblinking gaze of utter disappointment.

"He's better off without me in his life and I'm not about to make things worse for him. We're both better off without bothering each other."

-next chapter-