It didn't take long for Connor to find more work as another deviant client came his way seeking help. The deviant in question had been searching for a friend who disappeared weeks before the Revolution, and had last been seen in the area of a pawnshop known as the 'Uncut Diamond'. The missing friend was just one of many deviants who had vanished in that vicinity of the city and was just another missing deviant that the police and the city had turned their back on. With no one else to turn to and nowhere else to go, the concerned deviant had gone to Connor seeking his help in an effort to find their missing friend and discover what had happened to them all those months prior.

The horrors Connor uncovered in the depths of the pawnshop were as sickening as they were disheartening. Dozens, maybe a hundred, different deviants had been lured to the pawnshop's basement to be tortured, stripped of their biocomponents and drained of their Thirium just to have bits and pieces of their own bodies illegally sold on the black market. Nine deviants were still bound in the basement and were in various states of shutdown, but thanks to Connor locating them they were all taken to New Jericho Tower for treatment to their damage.

Unable to do anything beyond inform the police of the shop of horrors Connor watched the investigation from the street across from the pawnshop as the police raided the building and collected evidence. The sight of the bloodied, mutilated bodies being carted out of the pawnshop on stretchers and placed in the backs of modified ambulances to be transported out to New Jericho Tower was nauseating to his artificial stomach.

"How many more bodies will be discovered before the police finally take crimes against deviants seriously?" Slipping his hands into the pockets of his trench coat Connor sighed and looked down at Bruno sitting beside his leg. The former K-9 unit was still interested in aiding the police but only obeyed Connor's commands. "We should return to the brownstone and give our client their update. I'm certain that Amber has waited long enough to know what happened to her friend."

Letting out a small huff Bruno rose to his three paws and walked alongside Connor as the rogue deviant detective turned to walk back to the brownstone. The freshly fallen snow crunched under shoes and the decorative lights glowed with an alluring warmth that reminded everyone that Christmas was just three days away.

"After we speak to Amber we should then head out to New Jericho Tower to check on Lucas and Sydney. I want to see their progress for myself."

Grumbling again Bruno reminded Connor of how the other three deviant leaders and the deviant residents at the tower didn't want him stopping by. The loyal dog was looking out for his master and didn't want Connor to endure any further problems.

"I'm aware of their lingering resentment, but I also gave Markus my word that I wouldn't let that keep me from going to the tower and helping those in need. I won't let Lucas or Sydney down by failing to give them the support I never had, and I won't break my promise."

As the two deviants walked together Connor saw a very familiar Oldsmobile driving down the street toward the pawnshop and recognized Hank behind the wheel. It was odd seeing the gruff Lieutenant leading the investigation since Hank had loathed androids for so long. Pausing for a moment Connor looked over his shoulder to watch the Oldsmobile drive down the street until it was out of sight.

With no comment on the situation Connor continued on his way and rubbed his hand along Bruno's ears again. Being able to treat the dog as an unique being as opposed to a tool was therapeutic. Just as Connor had been used by CyberLife to clean up their messes, Bruno had been used as a tool to locate bombs, toxic materials, drugs and even other dangerous humans. He was used to keep the human cops safe despite their jobs being the very tasks they were ordering Bruno to complete on their behalf.

"With this next payment I'll be able to send my next check to Mr. Louis and give him an update on my progress here in Detroit. I imagine he'll also be happy to know that I plan on offering a place to stay for Lucas and Sydney in the near future."

Wagging his tail a little Bruno let out a small huff as he cybernetically reminded Connor of his other personal update.

"I've only recently begun listening to music. It's too early to say which genres I enjoy and if I will take up playing any instruments yet."

Living his life as a free man while also listening to his friend's advice had made adjusting to his new career less overwhelming to handle. By focusing on work only when it came his way and by exploring potential interests during his free time, Connor was finding it easier to let his guard down as he safely explored the city on his own time at his own pace.

"Actually, now that you've mentioned it..."

Pausing outside of a large music store that had a special sale going on for the holidays, Connor decided to step inside and explore the place for himself. It wasn't the first time he had been intrigued by such a store, but it was the first time Connor decided to make an impromptu visit as opposed to making it a part of his schedule.

"It wouldn't cause any significant delays to look for a new record or two. Stay out here, boy." Petting the dog's ears again Connor gave Bruno a simple command to obey. "I won't be long."

Sitting down beside the door to the store Bruno watched through the large front window as Connor approached the shopkeeper and began speaking to him about music. The loyal dog had all the patience in the world and was more interested in people-watching since his software as a K-9 unit was still active. If he saw anyone of interest he'd still be able to let the police know and send them coordinates of the sighting.

It seemed detectives never truly took a day off whether that detective was working for the city or just them self.

Tensions in New Jericho Tower were finally beginning to break as weeks of peaceful interactions continued on with only mild interruptions from bigoted humans seeking to cause problems. With everyone in the tower getting along and room being made to accommodate the latest refugees - many of whom came from the very pawnshop that Connor had recently busted, and their damage being tended to, everything was progressing rather smoothly. The wounded were able to tell their stories to the police one at a time then return to the tower to seek shelter and comfort as they continued their recovery within the secured walls of the isolated tower.

Many friends were reunited, including a friend of North, and with that reunion came a strengthened sense of community and bonding. Those who were ready to tell their tale of horror were interviewed in the emergency repair bay by Josh as he could offer them the emotional support they desperately needed during their physical treatments.

"I can't believe you're really here." North gushed as she held the hand of her old friend from the 'Eden Club'. It had been so long since they saw one another that North was certain she had been destroyed during an escape attempt from the same club. "What happened to you after I ran away, Skye?"

"I was making my way out of the club when I was jumped by someone from behind." Skye was huddled under a thermal blanket while Simon tended to the numerous cuts and scrapes along her exposed shoulders and back. Her short black hair was hanging over her face and her unnaturally bright blue eyes were narrow with pain. "The next thing I knew, I was bound in some dark room with other deviant androids. We tried to escape but the guy who was holding us captive made sure we were too weak to break free."

"Martin Jonas." Markus called out as he entered the room to check on refugees. "The name of the man who had abducted and imprisoned you is named Martin Jonas."

"How do you know that?" Skye hissed a little as the incrassation compound stung at her wounds while Simon sterilized the damage. "He never gave us a name and we never heard any of his customers call him by name when they came for their stuff, either."

"From Detective Connor Wolf." Watching the way his allies reacted to hearing the name Markus continued to address Skye in a gentle manner. "He's the one who busted the pawnshop and led the police right to Jonas himself. He contacted me about ten minutes ago when he told the client who hired him what he had found. A deviant named Amber said she came from the same club and had lost track of her friends after they escaped just before the Revolution."

"Amber is alive, too?" North let out a sigh of relief knowing yet another person she cared about was alive and well. "It's nice to hear some good news like that."

"Yeah. Connor said that Amber will be coming our way, too." Eyeing Skye's wounds Markus winced sympathetically as he saw the deep cuts being cleaned by the blond technician. "Skye, how long were you held captive in the pawnshop?"

"I escaped the night Amy- Echo killed a human." Skye knew of the blue-haired 'Traci's' bold move and she saw her opportunity to escape when the club's owner was preoccupied with talking with the police. "I was in the club's storage area and I saw her and Suki- Ripple, fight back against two cops. One of the cops was the same deviant who found me at the pawnshop; Connor."

"That's right." Confirming Skye's observations Markus told her of Connor' past relationship with the Detroit police. "Connor had been assigned as consultant with the police on CyberLife's behalf, but he deviated and joined us instead. He helped us turn the tables in our favor and succeed in the peaceful Revolution."

"That explains why he was working alone." The rescued deviant had noticed that Connor was working solo, save for Bruno beside him. "Well, he had that deviant dog with him, but other than that he was working alone. He saved us all."

North pulled the thermal blanket up and around Skye's shoulders after Simon finished bandaging her wounds. "That doesn't mean he's to be trusted."

"But I saw him let Echo and Ripple go, and I heard him encourage them both to run and hide." Doubting North's claims Skye dared to question the deviant leader's motives behind her mistrust. "He even rescued me and eight other deviants just this morning. And if he really did make the Revolution possible then it seems like he can in fact be trusted."

"It's complicated." North replied sharply as she darted her eyes away from Skye for a moment. "All that really matters right now is that you're safe and you can stay here for as long as you like."

"I assure you that I'll be staying here and away from pawnshops for a long time." Lifting her head a little Skye let her short black hair fall back and reveal her face at last. With a very faint smile Skye pinched a lock of her dark hair between her fingers and gave North a pleading glance. "I could also go for a fresh look with some clean clothes after I take a hot shower. I want to rinse the filth of that death house off my skin."

"Sure. I'll show you to your quarters so you can clean yourself up." Escorting Skye from the emergency repair bay and to her newly assigned quarters, North seemed to be looking for a bit of a distraction. "I'll bring you some clothes to wear and then we can alter your aesthetic software to however you like it."

With a feeling of progress filling his mind Markus glanced about the emergency repair bay and counted the eight refugees resting comfortably on their own beds in the adjacent room. By all account everyone was stable and going to make a full recovery in time.

"Simon, how're the others holding up?" Needing an update on the day's events Markus looked to the blond technician as Simon washed his hands and put away the unused supplies in their appropriate places. "No fatalities, right?"

"Yeah, we were lucky." Simon confirmed as he and Josh and compared notes. "Some of the deviants will need to have full biocomponent replacements, but beyond that they'll all heal without needing additional technical attention."

"That's great news." Nodding toward the doorway of the repair bay Markus requested that his allies accompany him outside for a moment. "There's a few other things I'd like to discuss with you before heading out to visit with Carl. It'd be best to discuss them in relative privacy for the sake of our guests."

"Sure, give me one minute." Simon agreed to the little meeting as he made a quick round to ensure all of the wounded deviants were still stable before he left the recovery bay. "I'll be out soon."

Exiting the room with Josh beside him Markus walked a few feet away from the door and stood beside the railing that overlooked the floors below. It was amazing to see so much progress being made for deviants from all walks of life, and yet there was still so much more that needed to be done.

"I've set up a time in the community room for group therapy sessions. With Lucy's help we'll get our people happy and healthy in no time." Josh stated as he stood beside Markus and looked down at the designated area from afar. "It won't be easy, but once our people start to open up to one another about their past experiences the better things will be for everyone. No secrets and unfiltered empathy."

"Empathy is important. It's a trait that proves deviants are alive and confirms which humans are compassionate enough to be trusted." Standing with his back to the railing Markus locked eyes with Josh just as Simon joined them in the corridor. "It's shame that we can't spare some empathy toward one of our own when he needs it the most."

"Who are you talking about?" Such a comment caught Josh off guard and prompted him to look to Simon for answers. "No one's been denied help."

"Not true." Markus gave his allies a stern look as he finally confronted them about their behavior and secretive discussions behind his back. "Connor."

"Connor? We haven't seen him since he last came to check on Lucas and Sydney a couple weeks back."

"And there's a reason for that. He knows you three don't want him here and he isn't one to be fooled so easily by false fronts."

"Whoa, wait..." Such an accusation made Josh's eyes widen as he and Simon exchanged confused looks. "What're you talking about, Markus? We haven't said anything like that and even though I personally don't trust Connor I don't want him to feel like he's been banned from the tower."

The reply was entirely sincere and it was Markus's turn to be caught off guard. As he peered over at Simon he saw the same confused expression and knew that the surprised reaction was mutual. "So neither of you feel as if Connor shouldn't come here?"

"No." Simon confirmed as he sided with Josh and shared in his allies' confusion. "Where'd you get that from? We have no reason to want to keep Connor away from a sanctuary."

"Interesting." Sensing something was amiss in New Jericho the deviant leader realized that he needed to do a little investigating of his own. "Well, I guess it's good to know we're all on the same page. At any rate, how are Lucas and Sydney doing at this moment? I think it's time we gave Connor another update."

"We'll... go and check on them right now." Completely confused by Markus's wild comment Simon had no idea where the accusation came from and he certainly didn't want to ask a bunch of uncomfortable questions. "Lucas is showing strong vital signs and is rebooting steadily, but I'm still lacking the necessary replacement parts to properly reboot Sydney."

"But it is possible to reboot him." Walking with his two allies toward the elevator Markus continued to gauge their reactions carefully as he didn't want there to be any deception or secrets being kept from him. "You've been working on restoring his intracranial processor and cranium for the past three weeks, there must be some progress on his condition."

"Yes and no." Standing alongside Markus and Josh inside the otherwise vacant elevator Simon had to admit that his progress had been fairly limited when it came to aiding Sydney. The elevator began its steady decent toward sublevel fifty-one and Simon showed his allies a holographic schematic regarding the work he had been doing on the palm of his hand. "Not only is Sydney of a prototype design with no official documents to work from, he's suffered damage that no android has ever been able to recover from and be reactivated."

"I know it's a tall order, but it's important that you keep trying." Markus put his hand over top of Simon's hand to block out the image and felt his the blond technician's hand flex a little in response to the gentle touch. "We owe it Sydney to give him the chance to deviate as we would for any other android. And if you can revive one shutdown android then many be we can revive them all."

"That'd be incredible."

"Or foolish." Josh cautioned as he contemplated the idea of bringing the dead back to life. "Isn't that the same as 'playing God' like the humans did with us?"

"There's a fine line, I'll give you that." Markus knew Josh was right to be wary of the idea and he knew that by meddling with androids that had been so severely damaged to the point of irreversible shutdown they'd be dabbling in a very questionable area of life and death itself. "Let's just focus on getting Lucas and Sydney back online and we'll deal with other questionable situations later."

Content with his day's work Connor set about placing his newest records with his modest collection and proceeded to write Adrian Louis a physical letter to accompany the check to ensure his payments stayed on track. It felt more personal to write a letter than to send Adrian a cybernetic phone call or even a text. There was something about having a tangible line of communication in the form of a letter that gave Connor a strange sense of grounding and a confirmation that he still had a connection with someone who had helped him so much in the past. To add more to the letter Connor included physical photographs of his latest additions to the brownstone and ensure Adrian that the building was still in great shape.

Placing the letter in the mailbox to be sent out the next day Connor decided that one more addition to the face of the brownstone was sorely needed. A way to help identify his brownstone as a business as well as a home would officially make the brownstone his own place.

"We should add a name placard to the front of the brownstone, Bruno. Something simple yet informative."

Locking the front door behind himself Connor addressed Bruno in a calm voice and proceeded to walk over to the cleared space on the far bookshelf to lower the needle of his vintage record player on to his newest record. Adjusting the volume Connor laid over the sofa nearest the two large floor speakers and settled in to listen the music echoing throughout the brownstone.

"I think a wooden plaque with a faux gilded surface would be noticeable. I'll have 'Detective Connor Wolf - Private Investigator' engraved over the surface. What do you think, Bruno?"

The deviant German Shepherd licked his nose and wagged his tail as he laid on the floor next to Connor and waited for his deviant master to begin petting his fur. It was his own routine and one that Bruno was growing rather fond of since he was no longer being used as a tool and left alone in a precinct's storage area when not in use.

The music began to play and a classic rock song filled the brownstone with an energy that Connor swore he could feel deep down in his core. It was almost electrifying and it filled Connor with a developing interest in the rhythm, chords and tones of the electric guitar being played with an incredible speed and accuracy to create a unique and iconic melody.

"I'm glad I went with the 'Black Album' today. It seems my taste in music revolves around hard rock and metal, I wonder what that says about me as a person?"

The notion of discovering more about himself through music was intriguing. It was as if there was so much more to him beyond his software and personal experiences as a deviant. It was as if the deviant had a heart full of personality and had a growing soul long before he found the strength to break free of his restrictive programming to become his own person.

"I guess that's something only I can discover for myself one day. I'm still learning new things about myself and the world I'm now apart of."

Running his fingers through Bruno's thick fur Connor flinched for a moment as the simple motion caused a dull ache in his left bicep. As much as tried to deny the bullet still embedded in his arm causing him any problems Connor knew he wouldn't be able to function without feeling the ache in his limb every now and then. The bullet needed to be removed, but he didn't want anyone tracing the bullet back to Hank and he didn't want to talk about that night.

"Life is seemingly a fickle thing. In the short time I've been alive, really alive, I've been nearly killed four times for reasons that are different with each near death."

Bruno let out a small whine as he raised his head and pressed his chin down on the soft at Connor's side. Drooping his ears a little Bruno picked up on Connor's somber mood and gave his master his full attention.

"Hank threatened me with his gun and actually shot me while at the tower. Amanda tried to freeze me to death inside my own mind when I broke free of her control and deviated. Gavin Reed was going to shoot me at the department store just for taking Thirium. And then, I was nearly poisoned by a saboteur still hiding in the tower itself after receiving help from Markus."

The stunted progress of the investigation into his own failed assassination was rather disconcerting.

"I suppose in time I will uncover that truth as well. I've managed to narrow down the suspect list considerably, but I still can't make my claim for certain until I have more evidence to directly link the failed assassin to the tainted Thirium in the tower's emergency repair bay."

Tucking his right arm beneath his head as he used his left hand to pet Bruno's back, Connor stared at the white ceiling overhead and wondered how much more of his life would change after finding his would-be killer, and after Lucas and eventually Sydney were rebooted. Two more people were going to be a part of his life, and he had no idea of what to expect from them or from himself.

The hidden sublevel was quiet and calm as per usual. With the three leaders now hovering over the two unconscious androids resting on the exam tables, Markus began to wonder why he was getting conflicting information regarding how his allies felt about Connor's presence. The way both Josh and Simon were shocked by his earlier accusation, maybe even offended, was a reaction that simply couldn't be faked. It also seemed unlikely that if Simon was against Connor being in the tower that he'd continue to work to help both Lucas and Sydney as Connor had asked. Knowing that Josh was against lying in general also spoke volumes of his own innocence when confronted about their rumored disdain toward the rogue deviant.

Wanting his answers but not wanting to cause any strife, Markus decided to personally handle the situation in a more subtle manner at a later time. For now he wanted to focus on helping the refugees in the tower and do what he could to help Connor from the distance.

"They seem to be okay." Markus noted as he eyed the monitors recording Lucas and Sydney's vital signs. The two androids were still entirely unresponsive and oblivious to the world around them. "When will we know when they'll wake up?"

"Soon enough for Lucas." Simon noted as he checked the modem diagnostic giving him the latest update on Lucas's processor. "As for Sydney... That's still an active work in process."

Peering down at Sydney's face Markus lightly dragged his fingertip over the android's forehead and noted the perfect repair to the bullet wound that once pierced through Sydney's head. It was as if there had never been any damage and that Sydney was now just sleeping. "I wish I knew who the person was who pulled the trigger resulting in Sydney's death. Connor said it was one of the CyberLife guards who was responsible, but with how many guards CyberLife hired to act as personal security it'll be virtually impossible to figure that out."

"And with CyberLife wiping their security footage clean during their hasty departure," Josh tagged on as he looked down at Sydney as well. "we'll never know what really happened until Sydney awakens and tells us."

"That is IF his memory wasn't destroyed, too. Simon?" Wanting more information on Sydney's condition Markus tried to connect his mind to the shutdown android's mind, but was met with black silence. "How much more work needs to be done before you can try to reboot him?"

"A few more components need to be replaced to restore the damaged links between his intracranial processor, his eyes and his memorybank." The blond technician noted as he too walked over to where Sydney was laying to check in on his second patient. "I've already replaced the plastimetal frames along his forehead, replaced both of the fully blown-out audio processors and recalibrated the voice modulator. Only time will tell how effective the repairs were."

"And Lucas?" The damage Lucas sustained was just as devastating yet vastly different. "What of his physical condition?"

"The electrical pulse was very effective at knocking him offline, but fortunately it didn't destroy his structural integrity around his chest or his cranium; it seems he had a special shielding implemented in his design to protect his intracranial process. If he had been physically damaged with other weapons; a knife, a blunt force object... bullets," the grim details were enough to make Simon outwardly wince. "then he'd be much weaker and potentially unable to reboot to his fullest capabilities. As of the moment it looks as though Lucas is going to make a full recovery."

Josh sighed as he made his way over to the two tables and gave Lucas a somewhat skeptical look. "Let's just hope when he wakes up he doesn't have a chip on his shoulder or bears a grudge over what happened to him."

"Good point." Markus didn't want Lucas to wake up and feel anger, fear or want revenge for what happened to him when he initially booted up in the tower's hidden Zen Garden. The violent altercation ended only when North used an electrical pulse on him and was one of the few moments Markus openly regretted. "I think... it might be best to invite Connor over when it's time for Lucas and Sydney to reboot, and to ask for North to stay away. She... might upset Lucas if he recognizes her as the one who shut him down."

"I agree." Simon nodded as he finished checking Lucas's vitals on the monitors and modem, then pulled an audioscope from the nearby supply cabinet. Putting the earbuds in place Simon pressed the bell to Lucas's bare chest after pulling down the white sheet covering most of the android's body. "Any undue stress might cause Lucas's system to overheat or cause him to experience errors we can't anticipate."

Josh picked up on something unspoken about Markus's suggestion just by the look in the deviant leader's mismatched eyes. The odd question from earlier about the way he and Simon perceived Connor's presence was bizarre enough, and now the way Markus was insistent in keeping North away was too strange and out of character to be ignored. "Is there something going on with North we should be aware of?"

"What do you mean?" Trying his best to feign ignorance Markus didn't want to start any unfounded rumors among the leaders or anyone else. "North's perfectly fine. In fact, she's in a really good mood since she found out two of her friends she thought were long gone are in fact alive."

"But she isn't here right now, you didn't ask her to join us, and when you asked about how we felt about Connor being here you didn't even ask for North's opinion." Josh countered with logic and reason. "It's almost as if there's something happening with North that's being kept under wraps."

"It's... complicated." Wanting to be honest with his people, especially his allies, Markus sighed and let out a slow breath as he tried to find a way to explain his reasons behind keeping North at a safe distance. "What I mean is-"

"Hold it!" Simon's blue eyes went wide with shock as he looked to Markus and slowly lowered the earbuds of the audioscope from his ears. "You might want to ask Connor to come out here right now."

"Why?" The alertness in Simon's reaction completely pulled Markus and Josh's attention away from North and back to the two androids laying before them on the exam tables. "What's going on?"

"Progress." Patting Lucas's chest twice Simon managed to give Markus a weak grin as he told them the good news. "Lucas officially has a pump beat!"

-next chapter-