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.

13. A Blue Christmas

It was Christmas Day and the city was unusually calm in comparison to the typically hectic energy that seemed to follow after the peaceful deviant Revolution. While the city was still glowing with bright colors shining against white snow, everything else seemed docile and subdued. The streets were almost entirely void of cars, the sidewalks had no people trekking through the snow and all of the stores were closed for the day to give the employees a well earned day off. It seemed everyone in all of Detroit was staying in their nice warm homes and apartments to spend time with their families and their friends allowing the streets to be quiet, empty and peaceful.

The only motion in the city came from the police drones patrolling the area and three deviants running down an alleyway in a desperate pursuit. Connor had accepted a case regarding a deviant pick-pocket staking out deviant shelters and stealing from those seeking shelter, and he had found his suspect in record time after catching them in the act. With Bruno at his side Connor chased after the thief and did everything he could to get them to stop and cooperate with him to avoid bringing in additional cops.

"Stop!" Connor shouted as he slid through the end of the alleyway as the suspect turned on to the sidewalk and continued to run away. Bruno was sticking at his side and barking in an attempt to use intimidation to get the suspect to stop. "Do not resist!"

The suspect was running away with an cardboard box full of stolen Thirium and was wearing heavy clothing to mask their appearance and body shape. Based on their height Connor determined the suspect to be of a feminine android design, and his hunch seemed to pay off as he saw a lock of long blue hair slip free from the hood covering the suspect's head.

"Echo! Stop!" As soon as he called the blue-haired 'Traci's' name Connor saw Echo momentarily flinch while continuing to run away from him. Speeding up his own pace Connor managed to quickly close the gap between Echo and himself while seamlessly avoiding ice slicks hidden under the fresh snow. "I want to help you!"

"Liar!" Echo shouted in response as she briefly turned her head to look over her shoulder at Connor still behind her. "You're a hunter! You're going to-"

Slipping and losing her balance Echo fell forward and landed hard on her knees to keep herself from crushing her box of stolen Thirium as it hit the ground and spilled over the ground. The moment her knees hit the frozen ground Echo let out a pain cry and then rolled on to her left side while hugging her right knee to her chest. Bruno circled around her for a moment before planting himself in front of Echo as if to cut off her escape route.

"Don't move." Connor stated in a low voice as he approached Echo and scanned over her body. He quickly picked up on the deep and painful fracture to Echo's right knee cap and knew she wouldn't be able to try to run again. "You're damaged."

"Because of you!" Echo accused as she tried to hold back her pained tears. "Why couldn't you just let me go?"

"You stole that Thirium from deviants who need it."

"I know other deviants who need it more!"

"Then why not ask for assistance?" The hypocritical comment wasn't lost on Connor as he knelt down beside Echo slowly. He was a voluntary recluse and disdained the idea of needing to ask other people for help. Focusing on Echo instead Connor reached for the black tie around his neck and loosened the knot while he spoke. "You could've requested Thirium from New Jericho or asked the facilities opening throughout the city for donations."

"Because I couldn't wait to be told 'no' or told to wait." Wincing as Connor gently straightened her right leg Echo watched the deviant detective's every move as he secured his tie around her damaged knee to stabilize it. "Deviants are dying and can't wait for help."

"Where are they?"

"Safe from the city."

Deductively Connor narrowed down where the other deviants were surely hiding. "So they're hiding in the forest outside the city."

Echo remained quiet while Bruno sat at attention beside her. She couldn't run and she didn't dare to make a move to grab any of the Thirium she had stolen from the other shelters.

"I'll take you to either a facility or to New Jericho to have your knee repaired." Connor volunteered as he tightened the tie around Echo's knee. "After that, I'll return the Thirium to the shelter and will then purchase fresh Thirium to have taken out to the deviants in the forest."

"No!" Refusing Connor's help Echo tried and failed to get up from the cold, snowy sidewalk. Her right knee was too heavily damaged to support her weight, let alone let her walk. "Just... Just leave me alone!"

"I can't do that." Connor noticed that Echo was starting to shiver and then shrugged off his trench coat to drape it around her shoulders. The way she didn't shy away from the warm coat gave Connor hope that Echo would listen to reason. "You're damaged and if the police find you then they'll arrest you for the thefts regardless of your reasons for said thefts."

"Like being arrested by you is any better..."

"I'm not arresting you."

"...What?"

"I was hired to find the thief behind the numerous Thirium thefts at the deviant shelters in the city." Connor explained as he reached over to pick up the dropped Thirium from the sidewalk and place it back inside the somewhat crumpled box on the ground beside Echo. "I was no asked to arrest the thief, and my client didn't mention pressing charges."

Echo couldn't believe what she was hearing. "...You'll let me go?"

"Yes. I won't arrest or turn someone over to the police for trying to help other people."

"Prove it."

"All right, I will." Placing the box of Thirium down on Echo's lap, Connor moved one arm around her back and then slipped his other arm under her legs. Mindful of Echo's damaged knee Connor scooped the blue-haired deviant up from the sidewalk to carry in his arms. "Facility or New Jericho?"

"...Take me to the tower." Echo requested as Connor proceeded to carry her to the tower out on Belle Isle. "There won't be any humans or cops there."

"That is correct." Connor motioned for Bruno to follow as he made his way out to New Jericho Tower on foot until the autonomous cab he cybernetically hailed came his way. It wasn't easy to carry Echo on the slick sidewalk, but Connor was determined to keep his word. "And Markus won't turn over a deviant in need to the authorities. You'll have your knee repaired and then can go on your way."

"You're... not like the person I was expecting."

"Is that a good thing?"

"I'm not sure." Admitting she was at fault for being so judgmental Echo sighed and pulled the warm coat tighter around herself. The snow had soaked into her clothing and chilled her to her frames. "I had believed you were a ruthless hunter, but you let me and Ripple go free, helped free more androids during the Revolution and now you're helping other deviants in the city. I don't know if it's good that I'm apparently wrong about you, or if it's bad that I'm apparently wrong about you."

"Don't blame yourself for mistrusting me. I understand."

The admission just confused Echo even more. The humility and self deprecating remark didn't seem to match the rumors of the supposedly malicious deviant hunter she and many other deviants had grown to fear.

The autonomous cab pulled up along the street and Connor gently placed Echo down in the backseat of the vehicle. Propping up Echo's right leg to remain stretched out, Connor sat down beside her and called for Bruno enter the cab to sit on the floor beside his legs.

"Once you're settled in at New Jericho's repair bay I'll take care of the Thirium supply as I stated." Determined to keep his word Connor reassured Echo that he'd help the deviants in need before the day was over. "Where can I find the other deviants hiding in the forest?"

"I can't do that." Echo refused to tell Connor where the other deviants were hiding and suddenly put up her emotional walls again. "The deviants will not trust you and I don't want to be banned by telling you where to go."

"I see..." Seeking an alternative solution Connor sighed and began preconstructing his other options with a keen interest. "Then I suppose I'll need to find someone you trust to take the Thirium on my behalf once I claim it. After that, I will return to my client and inform them that the Thirium thief had been found and will no longer steal from facilities. Is that acceptable?"

Echo gave Connor a skeptical look until she noticed the calm blue glow of his L.E.D. under his fedora. He was being honest and open. "...All right. I can agree to that."

---

Working on Christmas Day was nothing new to Hank, but that didn't make it any more bearable. Something about being expected to work on the holidays was always a spirit-killer for a detective, but knowing that working on that day was just like working any other day since he no longer had a family made things twice as uncomfortable. He wasn't the only detective being forced to work overtime on Christmas Day, yet having the equally miserable company of his coworkers wasn't exactly going to soften the emotional blow of having no one to go home to and no one to celebrate any holidays with once he clocked-out for the evening.

Brushing aside the colorful crumbs from his desk after Tina dropped off a small platter of freshly baked cookies as a treat, Hank found himself yearning for a new case to come his way to help make the rest of the day pass by quicker. Being unable to do much for the deviant community was beginning to break down his resolve as a detective.

"Bored?"

"Huh?" Glancing up at the laidback voice speaking to him Hank found himself unexpectedly looking up at Joel. He hadn't seen the precinct technician since the night he arrived at Hank's house to tend to an injured and very sick Connor. "Oh, yeah. I'm pretty damn bored right about now."

"Same." Placing his laptop and a mug of hot cocoa down on the vacant desk across from Hank's desk, Joel flipped the mini computer open and booted it up. "The only deviants in the precinct are the security guards in the parking garage and no one really bothers them anymore. Captain Fowler asked me to help get the computers in the precinct up to date during my spare time, so I figured Christmas Day where there's fewer people to work around would be the best."

"Don't you have a family to go home to?"

"Kinda'. Me and Sonya are pretty damn close, but her kids are still a little wary of me. I guess they don't want to get their hopes up with me and their mom getting married since their bio-father is... well..."

"A piece of shit?"

"That's putting it mildly." Joel admitted as he set about updating the precinct's personal computers and modems. "He never even showed up at the hospital when his youngest child was born."

"Yeah, that's putting it mildly when you call him a piece of shit. I take it the kids don't understand their bio-father is an unreliable jerk and get excited whenever he does bother to show up. Right?"

"Yup. And the only times he shows up is when he asks Sonya for money since she gets alimony and child support from him. Late every month, I might add."

"Want me to threaten him or something? It'd give me something to do and it just might put a smile on my face."

"Maybe some other time. For now, I'd rather finish the precinct updates and then make sure Sonya knows I'll be home tonight with the gifts for the kids all wrapped up and ready to go. 'Santa' had a little trouble securing a the 'PlayStation 7' this year, so the kids will have one more big gift to open tonight."

"Man, if there's one thing I don't miss about the holidays, it's pushing through crowded stores looking for the hottest new toys."

"As long as it makes James and Bridgette happy then I'll put up with some crowds for a few days a year. So," typing away on his keyboard Joel set to work and began bringing the precinct up to speed one modem and one computer at a time. "has there been any update on Connor since our last encounter?"

"He's alive." Hank replied succinctly as he tried to not think about how many different ways he may have forever destroyed his relationship with the deviant. As much as Hank would love to mend their rift and at least be on speaking terms from time to time, he knew that was a big order to fill. "And he's doing his own thing as a private detective. It also seems like he's doing better on his own than was when working at the precinct."

"Huh. Well, maybe you can see him again if you both end up working on deviant cases."

"Yeah, I doubt the ki- Connor, would want to do that." Remembering how Connor was insulted by the term prompted Hank to change his wording even though Connor wasn't around. "Anyway, I need to try to finish off these cases and then I can go start my inspections at the new facilities before they officially open in March."

"Inspections?"

"Yeah, the O.S.H.A. stuff and making sure the place is properly stocked and upholding legal regulations. It's nothing new, I've done it before."

"Want a little help when you go to do the inspections?"

Giving the technician a knowing glance over his terminal screen Hank slowly sipped at his lukewarm coffee. "Are you O.S.H.A. certified, or just curious about the new facilities?"

"Uh..." Answering honestly Joel didn't even try to deny that he was very interested in the layout of the new facilities. "Option 'B'."

"Right. Well, if I don't have a partner assigned to work with me that day then I'll take ya' up on that offer."

"That'll work for me." Sipping at his mug of cocoa Joel continued his work and left Hank alone to resume his. "At least I have a chance of doing something beyond sitting in my office all day checking android status reports. It gets boring up there."

"Trust me, you don't want the excitement that happens down here or out in the field as an alternative. I'm speaking from experience, too."

---

It didn't take long for Echo to have her knee stabilized and repaired in the emergency repair bay of New Jericho Tower, and it took even less time for North to reunite with another friend from her past at the Eden Club. While Echo worked with North and Josh to secure fresh and rightfully obtained supplies for the deviants out in the forest, Connor spoke with Markus and Simon down in the hidden sublevel beneath the tower. The good news regarding the steadily increasing vital signs of the 'RK-900' gave Connor a good reason to actually stick around the tower for a while and ask about the affairs within the sanctuary out of a genuine desire to help New Jericho succeed.

Checking over Lucas's vital signs himself Connor saw the improved read-out on the android's intracranial processor. The reboot was right on schedule and in less than a week's time Lucas would be able to awaken and fully reboot.

"The past three days since his pump restarted he's been fully stable, correct?" Connor asked as he read over the details regarding Lucas's system. There were no signs of errors, glitches or improperly programmed software whatsoever. "If he's suffered any form of setback I'd like to know."

"He's doing just fine." Markus beamed as he went to put his hand on Connor's shoulder then decided against it. He didn't want to accidentally cause Connor any sense of discomfort. "I contacted you the moment his pump started on its own and he's been entirely stable ever since."

"That's good. What of Sydney?" The lack of progress on the second android was a little disconcerting. Connor knew he had a majority of the damage repaired by Simon, and yet Sydney wasn't showing any sign of regaining even minimal function. "He's still entirely unresponsive."

Simon approached the table where Sydney was laying and gave the motionless android a somber stare. "As I said before, it'll be difficult to find compatible components to repair what was destroyed by the bullet, and since we've never tried to reverse permanent shutdown like this before it's still impossible to give an estimate on when he'll potentially awaken."

Connor understood what Simon was referring to and he didn't argue against it. The odds of Sydney reactivating and being a fully functional deviant were low enough as they were, but coming back from the android equivalent of death was even lower.

"They'll both be safe here until they awaken. After that..."

"I'll see to their adjustment to the world as free deviants." Having reclaimed his coat from Echo after dropping her off in the emergency repair bay, Connor slipped the garment up and over his arms to brace against the cold weather outside. Reclaiming the box of stolen Thirium for himself Connor prepared to go on his way and then give his client an update. "Thank you for your help. I'll return this Thirium to the shelters before I retire for the night."

Markus nodded in agreement as he saw his friend to the elevator and joined him inside. "We'll take care of Echo and make sure she stops stealing Thirium." Pressing his hand to the elevator control panel Markus set the lift in motion. "Since she and North are friends I suspect we'll be able to form some type of arrangement with the refugees outside the city."

"That'd be beneficial for everyone." Agreeing with the plan Connor looked down at the Thirium in his possession and pulled his fedora down lower to ensure his L.E.D. was hidden from sight. "And hopefully we can ensure this tower is fully secured and all potential saboteurs are weeded out."

"We're still looking for your failed assassin. We will find them soon enough."

"I'm sure we will." As the elevator reached the ground floor Connor stepped through the glass doors and prepared to pass through the front doors of the tower to go about his business elsewhere in the city. Bruno was sitting beside the front door waiting for Connor's return and wagged his tail upon seeing the deviant make his return. "Take care of yourself, Markus. I'll be back when Lucas and Sydney awaken."

"Right. And Connor?" Calling out to his friend before he got too far away, Markus tried to give his reclusive ally some positive words. "Merry Christmas."

Pausing for a moment Connor sighed at the comment and decided to reciprocate it for Markus's sake. He knew the deviant leader had actually spent the holiday with Carl many times in the past and knew that Markus actually enjoyed the holiday as a result. "...Merry Christmas, Markus. I'll be back in a few days."

Lowering his hand to Bruno's ears Connor gave the dog some affection before passing through the doors and out in the snowy world.

"Come on, Bruno. We have a delivery to make and a client to update."

---

The snowy day remained relatively calm and uneventful as Hank began checking the facilities that were being built throughout the city. Unsure of what to expect or what he should be looking for, Hank just roamed the buildings and pretended to understand what the construction crews and assigned technicians were telling him about the facilities' layouts and overall function. It was a slow and uninteresting investigation since there were no crimes committed and by all account everything that was happening with the construction of the facilities was happening legally, professionally and being handled in a timely manner to line up with the new laws to be enacted on March 1st, 2039.

Only able to really understand what was happening thanks to Joel breaking things down in a simpler manner for him, Hank sighed as he signed off the paperwork confirming that there was no sign of illegal activity happening inside the facilities he had investigated. With his assignment finished Hank then proceeded to drop Joel off at the precinct to go about his business before setting out on a quiet patrol by himself.

"It's too bad Gary has a heart and doesn't want to work on Christmas so he can spend time with his family."

Lamenting the sight of the closed down food stand Hank found himself craving a burger as if he hadn't eaten anything all winter long. The sight of the little stand covered in fresh snow with a 'closed' sign was surprisingly upsetting to the bored Lieutenant.

"The only places open today are the really greasy spots that have cockroaches crawling on the menu. Even I have standards when it comes to what I will and will not eat."

Circling the area at a slow pace Hank decided to take his sweet time with his patrol and only make it back to the precinct in time to clock-out and go home for the evening. Sitting at his desk and handling paperwork all day long had become so tedious that the senior detective was on the verge on putting his fist through his terminal screen.

"Maybe I should retire early and move on to a warmer place far away from Detroit. It'd be nice to get away from all the bullshit and not freeze my balls off at the same time."

The notion of packing up and leaving the area was enticing. However, there were two important things keeping Hank in Detroit despite his urge to leave the area and begin his life anew elsewhere.

"Then again, it'd be a real bitch to travel all the way back here to see Cole and Barb on their birthdays, anniversaries and... whenever I damn feel like it."

It had only been a few weeks since Hank went to the cemetery to visit his late son and wife. Even so it felt as if he hadn't visited them in years.

"Fuck it. I'm not dragging my sorry old ass anywhere."

It didn't take long for the novelty of packing up his life, moving down the coast and starting all over again to wear off. He was too old to go through that and he hated the idea of leaving his family behind. He wanted to be laid to rest with them and he wasn't going to risk that final request falling through by moving a couple thousand miles away.

"Guess I'm stuck here until I either die or go crazy. I have no idea which one I'm looking forward to the most..."

---

Finished with his delivery of the confiscated Thirium that Echo had stolen, Connor confirmed with his client at the shelter - the same deviant who hired his services once before, that he found the thief and successfully reclaimed the stolen Thirium. Meeting with the very recognizable blonde haired deviant gave Connor a sense of grounding since he was seemingly developing a positive reputation within the deviant community, but something about Anne and her piercing green eyes gave Connor a strange sense of caution whenever he was around her or within the shelters throughout the city. It was as if he was being studied or tested for a reason unknown.

Connor could feel more than just Anne's eyes watching his every move. He knew his presence in the shelter was unsettling those who heard the rumors about his life prior to deviating. To avoid any unwanted conflict Connor decided to leave the shelter shortly after arriving and assured Anne that he wasn't owed anything for his services since he was more interested in stopping criminals and not punishing people who were just desperate.

Holding his head high Connor exited the shelter and promptly had Bruno at his side as they headed back to the brownstone on foot. The day was creeping toward the evening and with that came an increasing chill in the air. It was one Connor wanted to escape to ensure he didn't suffer from another error due to his prototyping being vulnerable to cold weather.

"We'll be sure to make room for Lucas to stay with us and ensure he's comfortable." Connor thought out loud as he and Bruno went on their way. "The guest room is ready for him to move in, but we need to make sure we have extra clothing that Lucas can call his own."

Bruno suddenly stopped walking and grumbled as he picked up on something suspicious. Honing in on a deviant signature in a nearby dark alleyway made the dog's L.E.D. flash from blue to red as Bruno went on full alert.

"What is it?"

Joining Bruno at the mouth of the alleyway Connor sent out a cybernetic 'ping' and detected the same signature Bruno had detected.

"Strange. The signature isn't weak and it doesn't seem to be distressed."

Entering the alleyway slowly Connor checked the area for the deviant Bruno had picked up on and soon found a figure laying on their side while curled up in an old cardboard box. The figure was the deviant of interest and was seemingly in rest mode they remained sheltered inside the flimsy box.

"Sir?" Addressing the deviant in a respectful manner Connor stood over him and tried to get his attention through verbal communication. "You shouldn't be exposed to this degree of cold weather. There is a shelter one block away that you can go to and remain warm for the night. I'll show you the way."

The figure peeked over his shoulder at Connor and slowly pushed himself up to rest on his knees. As Connor offered him his hand the figure suddenly jump to his feet and lunged at Connor with a hunting knife concealed in his right hand. "Traitor!"

Unable to react quickly enough Connor could only grab onto the wrist of his attacker and attempt to keep the weapon back as the blade of the knife easily pierced his abdomen and quickly drew blood. Pushing the red warnings from his eyes and ignoring the Klaxons sounding off inside his own mind, Connor tried and failed to prevent the knife from stabbing into his torso again and again and again...

Bruno responded to the attack and Connor's gasps of pain by biting onto the calf of the attacker and cybernetically summoning the police to the area. Biting hard and growling loudly, Bruno began pulling and tearing at the attacker's leg in an attempt to protect his deviant master.

"Get off me, you traitorous mutt!" The attacker pulled his knife from Connor's abdomen to slash the blade over Bruno's face. The top of the knife managed to cut into Bruno's face over his left eye and drew blood from the K-9 unit as well. "You're as bad as your hypocritical master!"

Bruno yelped in pain after he was then kicked in the side by the attacker's free leg, and finally opened his jaws to let the attacker go. Growling loudly Bruno made a move to chase after the attacker as the armed deviant ran down the alley out of sight, but stopped when Connor coughed loudly and spit out a mouthful of blood. Torn between chasing down the armed assailant and staying beside his partner and new owner, Bruno keened and pawed nervously at the snowy ground as his L.E.D. flickered between red and yellow in color.

Slowly Connor slumped to the ground with his hands pressed over his bleeding abdomen. In too much pain and too stunned to really react to what had happened to him seemingly out of nowhere, Connor barely moved as he examined his wounds. A self diagnostic confirmed that the knife had sliced into his Thirium pump regulator and nicked several Thirium lines running throughout his lower and middle torso area causing excessive bleeding.

"N-Need... to get... out of... here."

Staggering to his feet as his own blue blood ran down his chin, Connor used one hand to support his mangled abdomen and the other hand to support his weight as he got to his feet and walked down the alleyway back toward the sidewalk. With Bruno circling around nervously at his feet Connor blinked a few times to clear the numerous red tinted numbers from his vision as he tried to find his way back to his brownstone.

"A-Attacker is... gone. Have to... move!"

It was a challenge just to speak clearly as the pain burned through his core. The rogue deviant was bleeding internally and needed immediate technical assistance if he were to survive the damage he sustained.

"B-Bruno got... a s-sample... from the... attacker. W-Will find... him... l-later."

As the still bleeding deviant wandered down the empty sidewalk with Bruno right at his side Connor unintentionally left a trail of blue blood drops on the sidewalk underfoot and smears of blood on the exterior walls of the buildings his Thirium saturated palm passed over. Fighting to maintain his balance and returning to the safety of his brownstone was taking Connor's full concentration. Despite being on high alert Connor didn't notice the police drones circling overhead as Bruno's warning to the police had been acknowledged in swift time.

"Just... n-need to get... back t-to the... brownstone."

Forcing himself to move forward Connor was determined to make his way to safety before collapsing or succumbing to his damage.

"Have... supplies. C-Can... fix this."

Despite his own doubts to the claim Bruno whimpered sympathetically as he limped beside Connor and licked his own Thirium staining his face after being attacked with the knife as well. The two deviants were hurt and needed help, but it seemed there was no one around to aid them.

---

Resting his elbow against his door with his knuckles pressed against his temple, Hank circled the same block for the umpteenth time and made a small game of trying to match his tire tracks to the previous ones left behind a few minutes prior. There was no activity in the area that required his attention and soon he'd be in the clear to return to the precinct to clock-out right on time. As he pulled up to the intersection to idle at the red light for what he figured would be the last time on his shift, Hank heard dispatch suddenly kick in and confirm an assault in an alleyway. The attacker and the victim were confirmed as deviants by the K-9 unit who reported the attack and as such that fell in to Hank's territory.

Muttering under his breath at the last minute inconvenience Hank turned at the light and began a visual sweep of the reported area of the attack. It didn't take Hank long to find a smear of blue blood all over the bricks of the alleyway and it took him even less time to follow the fresh Thirium trail down the sidewalk and toward a neighborhood he hadn't visited in a very long time.

"This is Anderson," Hank picked up his radio and reported to dispatch as he drove. "I'm at the scene of the reported assault and beginning a search for the victim and the assailant. Will update soon."

'10-4, Lieutenant.'

Peering through his side window Hank followed the sapphire trail down four blocks and came to a stop along the street when he noticed the trail ended at the door to a recently remodeled building right on the corner. Confirming his location to dispatch Hank exited the Oldsmobile and cautiously approached the blood stained door with every intention of examining the area for himself.

Hovering his hand over the gun holstered on his right hip Hank examined the door more closely and saw a concentrated smear of blue blood on the door's handle and the lock. Testing the handle for himself the senior detective confirmed that the door was still unlocked and concluded that the wounded deviant was inside the building based on the additional Thirium drops staining the interior floor just beyond the door.

"This is the place. What the fuck happened tonight?"

Stepping inside the foyer Hank quietly closed the door behind himself and looked about the area. The trail of Thirium led through the study area and toward a staircase leading to the second floor above.

"Hello?" Calling out in a loud voice Hank made his presence known. "Detroit Police!"

A loud growl and frantic steps racing down the staircase made Hank freeze. The sight of bloody dog with a red L.E.D. was unnerving to say the very least.

"E-Easy!" Hank raised his hands to show the dog he was unarmed as he suddenly recognized the growling German Shepherd. The realization that he knew the dog and that he was looking for a wounded deviant made Hank pale considerably. "Bruno?"

Bruno skidded to a stop on his three paws just in front of Hank as the K-9 unit recognized the police Lieutenant and stopped his charge. Whimpering again as he realized Hank wasn't a threat Bruno turned his face toward the staircase as if trying to lead Hank to somewhere, or someone, important.

"Shit... Connor's hurt, isn't he?"

The dog could only grumble as he limped up the Thirium stained staircase with Hank following right behind him. Leading Hank into the second floor bathroom Bruno showed the detective to where Connor had gone shortly after stumbling his way back to the brownstone, then backed away from the open door to give Hank room to move.

"Connor? Connor!" Calling the deviant's name Hank peered inside the bathroom that was covered in and smelled of blue blood. The sight waiting for him inside the space caused the senior detective to drop to his knees as he began a rudimentary vital check on the downed deviant. "Connor? Talk to me!"

The rogue deviant had made it back to his brownstone and stumbled into the bathroom to clean his wounds. After removing his stained blazer, then the ruined vest and dress shirt beneath, Connor had managed to disinfect his wounds with orange tinted, liquid incrassation compound before losing consciousness. Connor had passed out and landed on his back over the bathroom floor while he continued to bleed out with no way to stem the blood loss.

"Holy shit..." Bending down Hank pressed his ear to Connor's chest and heard the soft thrumming of the deviant's heart beating slowly. The red tinted L.E.D. was pulsing in a sluggish manner tandem with his heartbeat. "What happened to you?"

Hank looked about and grabbed on to a clean towel and pressed it against Connor's bleeding abdomen. The moment he applied pressure to Connor's torso the damaged deviant regained consciousness and let out a sharp gasp of pain as his hands tried to push Hank's hands back and away from his body.

"Easy! Take it easy..." Refusing to let up on the pressure Hank used one hand to stem the bleeding and the other hand to hold Connor down on the floor. "If you move too much you'll keep bleeding."

"G-Get away." Connor stammered as he tried and failed to get Hank to leave him alone. Too weak to fight back or move about, all Connor could do was ask for Hank to leave him alone. "Don't touch me."

"You're hurt!" Arguing without any hesitation Hank tried to get Connor to cooperate with him for just a few minutes. "I'm NOT going to go anywhere until I know you're safe."

"I'm... I'm fine." Lying through his blood stained teeth Connor had to blink his eyes to get his vision to focus long enough to see Hank's face clearly. "I'll be okay. Leave me... alone."

"Sure, AFTER you get treated by a technician."

"No! I don't..." Losing strength fast Connor's eyelids drooped heavily and his head swam with dizziness. Despite his urge to fight back and get away from the senior detective Connor couldn't remain conscious as he continued to bleed out despite Hank applied pressure to his wounds. "I don't... need-"

Reacting quickly Hank managed to get his palm under the back of Connor's head to keep the deviant from cracking his head open on the floor after he passed out. Lowering Connor down very gently Hank did his best to maintain some control over the very bizarre situation.

"Try to take it easy. I'll think of something."

Looking about the bathroom again Hank noticed the emergency first aid kit already opened and saw the few supplies that Connor had managed to use before losing consciousness the first time. Moving the Thirium stained towel back from Connor's abdomen Hank saw the bleeding lines, sparking wires and some biocomponent he didn't recognize turning red in color.

"Shit. I don't know anything about androids, and I already dropped Joel off at the precinct."

Replacing the towel with a wad of gauze from the kit Hank did his best to bandage the wounds himself. Unsure of how much time Connor had before his condition became even worse, Hank sighed and thought about the facilities he had just examined a few hours before. They were far more equipped at handling damaged deviants than Hank or any other cop in the city was.

"All right, this is what I'm gonna' do..."

Slipping off his own dark coat Hank draped the garment over Connor's body then slipped his arms beneath the deviant's shoulders and knees. Scooping Connor up from the floor with an audible grunt, Hank managed to carry Connor out of the bathroom and back down the staircase with Bruno right behind him.

"There's a facility that opened just down the block. It's not open to the public yet, but I think they'll make an exception for a cop."

It was a bit of a struggle to get the door back open with his hands full but Hank managed to make his way back outside and into the cold air winter air. Since the facility was just down the street Hank didn't bother with his car and made his way to the facility on foot with Bruno limping behind him.

"What the fuck happened to you? So much for 'peace on Earth' on Christmas Night..."

As Hank wondered the big question out loud he heard Bruno letting out small grumbles just beside him as if trying to answer the question.

"Sorry, Bruno. I'm not an android and I don't speak 'dog'."

Snorting in response Bruno trailed after Hank and continued to lick at the Thirium staining his face from where he had been cut by the knife.

"Glad they built these facilities in convenient locations." Hank muttered as he passed through the front doors of the Zeta Facility and called out to the deviant acting as a receptionist behind the front desk. "Yo! I have a wounded deviant here."

"O-Oh." The deviant was one of the 'Jerry' models from the abandoned 'Pirate's Cove' amusement park and went by the name 'Barry'. Unsure of how to respond Barry did his best to remain professional as he watched Hank enter the facility with Connor in his arms and Bruno at his heels. "The facility isn't technically open to the public, but I'm sure-"

"It's fine, Barry." A familiar feminine voice called out as she appeared in the front room of the building. "Bring him back here, Lieutenant." Abby insisted as she waved Hank over to where she was standing. "I'm always prepared for an emergency."

"Good answer."

"And you can bring your furry friend back here, too."

"Yeah, sure."

Following Abby into the emergency repair wing of the newly built facility, Hank gently placed Connor down over the exam table and peeled back his coat to reveal the already blue blood stained bandages underneath. "By the looks of it, some psycho slashed him open with a knife."

"I'll say." Abby peeled back the bandages and winced at the gruesome damage. The wounds matched Hank's theory perfectly. "Damn. The knife hit his Thirium pump regulator."

"Isn't that the thing that controls the heartbeat?"

"Yes it is." Confirming Hank's question Abby shook her head and proceeded to hook a Thirial activity monitor to Connor's chest to check his vitals. As expected his heartbeat was slow, weak and irregular. "And it's a vital biocomponent. I'll have to repair it fast."

"How can I help?"

"Unless you can get your Associate's degree in basic android anatomy in the next four seconds, all you can do is be a detective and figure out what happened to Connor and who attacked him. I'll handle the repairs and document my findings for you."

"Right. I'll look for the asshole responsible for the attack."

Again Bruno grumbled as he then pawed at Hank's hand. He was trying to get the Lieutenant's attention in a very desperate manner.

"I told you once before, Bruno, I don't speak 'dog'."

"Hold up your phone." Abby insisted as she set about preparing for the emergency repair procedure. "If Bruno is an android police dog then he undoubtedly recorded the entire incident and is trying to clue you in."

"No shit?" Pulling his phone from his back pocket Hank did as he was instructed and watched as Bruno's L.E.D. cycled between red and yellow as he cybernetically uploaded an audio and video account of what happened in the alleyway to the phone. Playing the video back Hank saw the face of the attacker and saw that Connor hadn't done anything to provoke the attack whatsoever after he was lured into the alleyway. "Wow. Good work, Bruno. All we need to do now is get a name of his deviant and find out where he went."

"Do it outside." Abby insisted as she draped a sterile sheet over Connor's upper chest and then a second sheet over his legs. With a black diagnostic cable now clipped to Connor's red tinted L.E.D. Abby was able to force Connor into stasis mode to ensure he didn't feel any pain during the procedure. "I need the space to work and I don't need you contaminating my repair wing."

"Yeah, sure." Looking down at the German Shepherd sitting before him Hank sighed as he gave Bruno's ears a rub. The dog was sitting at attention and awaiting a new order. "Good dog. You stay here with Connor and I'll go back to the precinct to try to track this asshole down."

"I'll find a way to contact you if there's any changes or if Connor wakes up."

"Right." Tucking his phone into his back pocket again Hank walked toward the doors of the repair bay to take his leave of the facility. Pausing for just a moment Hank looked back at Connor over his shoulder and gave the deviant a truly worried glance. "Hang in there, Connor."

The sight of the deviant undergoing a procedure that mirrored a human undergoing emergency surgery was a stark reminder that deviants truly are alive and needed to be protected like anyone else. It didn't help that Connor looked so young and was entirely innocent as he began his journey as a free deviant all alone int he world.

"I'll make sure this psycho gets punished for his actions and that you can get some justice. I'll check on ya' later after I have some answers."

---

Once word of the assault against Connor got around the precinct, the remaining officers on the clock went on edge. Very few of them even knew that Connor was still alive and many had presumed him dead after the Revolution came to pass. It seemed only Hank and Ben knew that Connor was still around, but more officers than they had expected were showing genuine interest in his condition after being stabbed in the alleyway on Christmas Day. Those who were on patrol began looking for any deviants behaving suspiciously while those still inside the precinct did what they could to try to aid Hank's search into finding the attacker before they disappeared for good.

Clocking-in for the evening Chris walked over to Hank's desk and asked the Lieutenant for a quick update on the search. It didn't take long for the young officer to get some details on the big investigation and why everyone was so invested in finding the deviant responsible for the attempted murder.

"Good thing you were in the area, Hank." Ben crossed his arms over his chest as he stood behind Hank's desk to watch the video of the assault on the Lieutenant's terminal screen. It was gruesome to say the least. "Wonder why that deviant was playing possum in the alley. Think he was waiting to mug some good Samaritan and Connor was just in the wrong place at the wrong time?"

"Doubt it. That poor guy just seems to be a magnet for trouble." Pausing the footage when he had a clear shot of the attacker's face, Hank pressed his palm to his chin thoughtfully as he took in the suspect's appearance. "I get the feeling that this was a set-up, but I don't know why."

Chris got a good look at the attacker's face on the screen and knew that Hank was right. "Whoa, I know that guy, Lieutenant!"

"What? How?" Turning to look at the younger officer hovering over his shoulder Hank leaned back and tried to figure out how Chris could possibly know the deviant who tried to murder Connor. "Who is he?"

"He's one of the androids from the Stratford Broadcast Tower. One of the three station androids we put in the kitchen during the investigation." Chris knew the deviant's face fairly well and recognized him easily. "I saw him when he left the tower without permission. He gave me a weird look when he passed me by and I knew he was a deviant and not a machine by the look in his eyes."

"And you didn't stop him back then?"

"With those F.B.I. pricks roaming the tower I figured one of the Feds' would've stopped him before he got to the exit. Guess I was wrong."

"All right, well, now we know the connection." Turning off his terminal screen Hank sighed before he rose to his feet to leave. "Someone attacked Connor at the tower when we were investigating, but Connor never told me who did it. It can't be a coincidence that the same model of android would attack Connor twice unless they were the same deviant and had a good reason."

"Think you can find him?" Ben didn't know much about androids either, let alone tracking down a specific deviant out of literal thousands. "He took off pretty damn fast after that dog bit his leg."

"That's how I'm gonna' find him, Ben. Someone like that would want to hide out where he thinks he's untouchable and would want his damage taken care of. That leaves only one place to look..."

Chris watched Hank grab his coat and head toward the door before calling out to him. "Want some help, Lieutenant?"

"You already were a big help, Chris. You stay here and work your shift, I'll go handle the dirty work."

Patting his hand on Chris's shoulder Ben approved of the younger officer's help. "Nice work, Chris. It pays to be vigilant even if no one else is looking."

"I just hope Connor's going to be okay." Accompanying Ben to the community breakroom Chris helped himself to a pastry and a mug of coffee to keep awake during the late shift. "Where is he right now anyway?"

"At one of the new facilities. Gavin and Tina went out there to stand guard and eventually get Connor's statement once he regains consciousness."

"Gavin?" That information was potentially the most shocking detail of the entire night. "Really? Man, if he knew that he'd have to look after a wounded deviant I don't think he would've agreed to work the first half of my shift so I could celebrate Christmas morning with my family."

"Probably not, but Tina thought it'd be good for him since it was an android who saved Gavin's life last month."

"Man, I hope she knows what she's doing." Handling bigots was unfortunately something Chris had to deal with himself a few times. "I really don't think it'll do Connor any good to wake up and find a pissed off bigot staring down at him."

---

The drive out to New Jericho Tower didn't take too long thanks to the streets being mostly void of people, but actually reaching the tower still took some time. Not only did Hank have to surrender his service weapon at the security booth connected to the drive's locked barricade, but he had to wait for permission to pass through the barricade to reach the tower itself. A quick explanation to Markus via intercom secured him a meeting with the deviant leader despite the short notice, and the mutual desire to help Connor find justice and to identify a potential killer hiding in their midst was important enough to give Hank the clearance he needed to enter the deviant sanctuary.

Before Hank even had the chance to step outside of the Oldsmobile parked in front of the tower, he saw Markus coming his way. The determined look in Markus's eyes spoke volumes of the deviant leader's sincere concerns for his ally.

"How's Connor?" Wanting an update before anything else Markus approached Hank without any fear toward the human. "Where is he?"

"He's safe and as far as I know he's still under a technician's care at the Zeta Facility."

"The Zeta Facility..." Noting the location of interest Markus decided he'd have to visit all of the facilities in the city for himself. "Okay. How did this happen?"

"It's easier to just show you." Using his phone Hank replayed the footage of the attack for Markus to see for himself. The gruesome details were a little too much to bear even on the small display screen. "One of the officers at the precinct recognized this guy as a former station hand from the Stratford Broadcast Tower. Specifically the one-"

"The one who let us in." Markus confirmed that Chris was right and the deviant was one in the same. "Damn it. I should've known he wouldn't have dropped it so easily."

"Dropped what so easily?" That sounded like a confession of some kind. "A grudge?"

"More like an idea."

"An idea about Connor."

"Yeah. The night Connor came to me to help with the Revolution he had been ganged up on by mistrustful deviants. He was one of them and he was insistent on having Connor destroyed. I guess even after everything Connor's done for us he can't let go out of mistrust toward him."

"Where is the suspect now?"

"Unfortunately, he's inside." Markus confirmed as he motioned to the tower behind him. Inviting Hank to accompany him inside the tower Markus showed the Lieutenant to the correct area to make an arrest. "He showed up about twenty minutes ago stating that he was attacked by some human's trained attack dog and had the bite marks to prove it. We didn't really have a reason to not believe him about what happened, but now..."

"Yeah, I get it." Hank glanced about the tower with an odd sense of deja vu and wonder. The remodeling of the tower was impressive to say the least and it looked much better than the last time he saw it. "Innocent until proven guilty..."

---

Pacing outside the doorway of the facility's recovery room Gavin scoffed at his assignment and crossed his arms over his chest like a temperamental child being put in time-out. The last thing Gavin wanted to do was babysit a wounded android, but having to babysit the android he seemed to hate the most made his assignment all the more aggravating. Despite only having one encounter with Connor in the past, Gavin had taken the way Connor refused to obey him or step in line like the other androids like a personal insult. Being disrespected and even having Hank defend Connor by pointing his gun at Gavin's face Gavin drew his weapon first left a bad taste in his mouth.

Tina watched her partner pacing and tried to get him to sit down for a moment. She knew why her best friend held such disdain toward androids but even so she still didn't fully understand it or condone his hatred. It wasn't right to hate an entire race of people just for existing.

"Gavin, relax." Tina tried her best to get Gavin to sit down for a minute and be a little less serious. "This is easily the best assignment we could've hoped for on Christmas night."

Without breaking his stride Gavin gave his partner a skeptical glance. "How do you figure that, Ti'?"

"Instead of patrolling the icy streets or interrogating some drunk idiot, we get to stay in this nice warm place and just wait for the good doctor to give us an update on our assault victim."

"It's a total waste of time for us to just stand around and do nothing."

"We're helping a victim. That isn't doing 'nothing'."

"It's a waste of time all the same!" Stopping at last Gavin put his hands to his hips and shouted at Tina in an aggravated response just as the door to the recovery room slid open beside him. "We have better things to do than babysit a plastic-freak pretending to be alive!"

"Well," Abby heard the outburst and was far from impressed with the cold behavior from the detective waiting for her. "that was as charming as it was dramatic. Anyway, I have an update and can confirm that the 'plastic-freak' is still alive and always has been."

Gavin turned to snap at Abby but found himself frozen in place instead. He hadn't expected to see someone who looked like her working as a technician. She was his type of woman and he was now mortified by the fact that she heard his comment about her patient. "I... Uh..."

"He's still unconscious." Turning her attention away from Gavin as he broke out into a cold sweat and toward Tina instead, Abby continued with her brief update regarding Connor's current condition. "But he'll survive. I counted at least six stab wounds, but it's hard to tell since there was so much damage in one area."

"When do you expect him to wake up, Dr. Grayson?"

"Not for a few more hours, and just call me 'Abby'. He's a prototype so it's hard to give an accurate estimate on the way he'll react to emergency repairs and being forced into stasis mode against his will." Giving a few more details about Connor's condition helped to give the two officers some idea of what to expect over time. "He'll then be able to give you the whole story about what happened to him tonight."

"It's fine." Hank's baritone voice called out as he arrived at the facility to check on Connor for himself. "I found the guy hiding at New Jericho Tower and he was happy to tell me the whole story. He thought Markus and the other leaders would back him up, but it didn't work. He's at the precinct getting interrogated by Chris as we speak."

"Well, then I guess Connor can just wake up and go about his business without needing to worry about the police talking to him." Abby nodded a little as she rubbed her hand along the back of his tense neck. "Since his attacker's behind bars then I guess I can confirm he'll be safe here. After I patch up his dog's wounds I'll file my own report to hand over to the police."

Tina's eyes lit up at hearing the word 'dog'. "Wait, Connor has a dog and it was hurt?"

"Android dog." Abby confirmed as she gave Tina a small smirk. "He'll be fine, too. just need a few minutes to patch up the laceration on his face and make sure his eye is still fully functional."

"Man, even the animals in this city aren't safe."

"I'll let you know the moment Connor wakes up." Abby promised as she opened the door behind her. "Hopefully, that'll be within a few hours."

Hank didn't mind waiting since it meant he'd have the chance to speak to Connor on neutral ground. Gavin on the other hand wanted to leave as soon as possible and get away from any and all androids for the rest of his night, if not the rest of his life.

"Why don't you two head back to the precinct?" Hank suggested as he took control over the situation. "It's late and I know you two will want to salvage what's left of the holiday for yourselves."

"Damn right." Gavin snapped as he prepared to head out of the facility as quickly as possible. "I guess the one good thing about you going soft on androids is that I don't have to be around those freaks as much. Waste of plastic and metal..."

Tina was getting annoyed with her partner's attitude and let him know it. "Cool it, Gav'. You're looking for a fight for no good reason."

"I have a great reason!" Refusing to back down Gavin raised his voice and let his temper burn hot. "Those androids aren't worth the scrap they're made out of and just get in the way! Fuckin' freaks just make this world a worse place and we're all supposed to be pretend like they're alive all because they look-"

"Enough!" Barking back Hank put a stop to Gavin's tirade mid rant. "That 'worthless freak' that got stabbed tonight is the one who saved your worthless life!" Aware of what he had said Hank realized that he may have accidentally made things worse by keeping it a secret for so long. "Like it even matters to you. You never changed after getting your sorry ass toasted, but at least I've made steps to improve myself and admit my mistakes by 'going soft'. Empathy is NOT a weakness."

Tina was stunned by the revelation and had to cover her shocked grin as she heard the big secret. "Connor is the android we saw at the department store? Holy shit..."

Grasping at straws Gavin sneered and got right up in Hank's face. "Then you know he was stealing! I going to-"

"No, you're NOT." Hank got right back in Gavin's face and put bass in his voice. "You can't prove he stole anything. The cameras saw nothing and even Tina's report confirms it. You can't go back on your own report unless you want I.A. breathin' down your neck, and I know you're not exactly the best cop in the city thanks to all the times you looked away at androids being torn apart in the streets. How do you think you'd fair after a closer look at all your case files?"

Tina immediately sided with Hank about not arresting Connor, especially over a petty grievance. "He saved your life, Gav'. You don't have to kiss his ass or anything, but the least you can do is not go out of your way to arrest him just because you're mad."

With no one on his side Gavin stepped back from Hank and turned to leave the facility at last. "Watch yourself, Lieutenant. I can't imagine you making any new friends after pissing off the feds' and saving plastic. You might end up regretting which side you chose."

"Go cool off, Reed." Hank refused to take the bait and didn't even try to argue. "You're done for the night."

Tina shook her head and gave Hank an apologetic glance. "Sorry, Lieutenant."

"Don't apologize for him. He isn't worth your breath."

"Uh, if you need anything-"

"I know. Now go, have a good night and enjoy what's left of your Christmas."

"Right." Tina zipped up her jacket and jogged after Gavin before he got too far ahead of her. "Goodnight, Lieutenant!"

"Yeah, goodnight."

Feeling like he just made a huge mess Hank stood outside the door and put his hands to his hips as he stared at the floor. He knew better than to let mouthy, belligerent people get to him, yet he still let Gavin get under his skin.

"I hope I didn't just makes things worse for Connor."

The door to the recovery room slid open again as Abby reappeared. Waving Hank into the room Abby showed the senior detective to where Connor was resting peacefully on one of the beds in the isolated room.

"He'll be awake soon." The kind technician confirmed as she motioned to the chair set up beside the bed where Connor was sleeping. The deviant still had wireless leads attached to his chest to record his vital signs, but his abdomen was wrapped up under clean gauze and his L.E.D. was now yellow instead of red. "As long as he doesn't bleed again when he wakes up he can leave and rest where he'll be the most comfortable."

"Sure, yeah." The sight of Connor looking so weak on the bed with Bruno laying protectively over his legs was pitiful. Hank had seen Connor weak and helpless before, and yet he still couldn't get used to the idea that someone as stubborn as Connor could ever be taken down so easily. "Thanks for your help... Uh, 'Abby', right?"

"That's right." Abby confirmed as she checked Connor's bandages for a moment before looking at Bruno's face for any sign of further problems. It seemed oth deviants would make a full recovery. "I can see why you made detective."

"Yeah, yeah..."

"Sorry. It's late, we're all tired and none of us want to be here right now."

"You got that right."

"And, just so you know, I didn't remove the foreign object in his left bicep." Abby motioned to Connor's arm while she spoke and didn't notice Hank look suddenly sick. "I want to have it extracted before it does any harm, but I don't want him to have yet another reason to be mistrustful of technicians. I'll respect the fact that it's his choice to have it removed when he's ready."

"Good call." Sitting down in the chair beside the bed Hank prepared to sit vigil at the wounded deviant's side until he woke up. "I got it from here. I'll call for ya' when he wakes up."

"Okay. I'll be down in the breakroom contemplating the pros and cons and hooking up a coffee filled I.V. to my arm if you need me."

With the room empty save for Connor and himself, Hank took the opportunity to speak to Connor in relative privacy while he had the chance. "I, uh, I know you don't give a shit about what I have to say or why I'm saying it, but... I'm sorry you got hurt for trying doing the right tonight. You thought you found a deviant in need of help but it was all just an ambush."

Bruno lifted his head as he looked toward and let out a small whimper. Again he understood what was being said and could hear the sincerity in Hank's voice as he spoke.

"That guy was arrested at the tower. Markus gave the go-ahead and didn't even try to act like what he did was okay. He's going to stand trial for attempted murder of a police officer and he'll be incarcerated at a secured location that Markus himself will pick. We don't want him to escape or get discriminated against by going to a human prison."

The news of the arrest was bittersweet. Connor would get justice but a deviant would have to spend the rest of his life in prison.

"When you wake up you'll be able to go back to your store, or house, or whatever you call it, and you won't have to worry about that guy trying to attack you again. You can rest easy, and to make sure no one bothers you I'll keep watch until you wake up."

---

During the hasty drive back to the precinct Gavin continued scoff and pout as he thought back to everything he just heard while he was at the facility. Knowing it was Connor of all people, of all androids, who had saved his life made the bitter Sergeant want to quit the force and change his name. Moving to another city sounded good too since he wouldn't have to see any androids anywhere beyond Detroit's city limits. The one moment that was truly eating away at him was the disgusted look that Abby had given him when she overheard his hate-filled comment before she had the chance to get to know him or even introduce herself to him.

Tina was always keen on her best friends emotions and proceeded to patiently wait for Gavin to speak first. Whether or not his words would be full of venom or not was something entirely up to Gavin himself.

"Can you believe the Lieutenant is acting like dealing with deviants is okay?" Trying his hardest to get Tina on his side Gavin continued to fume over learning the truth about what happened to him one month prior. "He works with one android and now he's all spineless and weak for machines. Pathetic."

"Well, he's right you know? Empathy doesn't make someone weak."

"Ah, jeez... You seriously-"

"Yes, I do." Using a more stern tone Tina refused to let Gavin try to convince her otherwise. "Without empathy you and me wouldn't even be friends today."

"What're you talking about, Ti'?" Still trying to argue for the sake of arguing Gavin gave Tina an annoyed glare. "We're friends because we make a good team."

"Yeah, and I wouldn't even be a cop if you hadn't kept me from making the worst mistake of my life when I was sixteen. You seeing me going down that alley ready to throw my life away ended with a cop giving a desperate teen a second chance to make something of her life instead of throwing her in jail for attempted prostitution.

"...So what?" Refusing to acknowledge that he did anything special Gavin tried to pretend what he did was something happened every day. "I wouldn't have been the only cop to make that kind of call."

"No, but you only made the call because you empathized with someone so desperate for cash that they'd risk their own life and dignity. You didn't drop me off at my house and tell my mom what I was about to do, or ditch me at a teen-crisis center, you took me to a diner to talk about things and reminded me that there's so much more to living than having money or an exciting life. You saved me because you showed empathy."

Not wanting to talk about his time as rookie Gavin replied in a deflective manner. "Whatever."

"Not 'whatever'. It's true. Why is it so hard for you to show empathy now when it was so easy back then?"

"...You know why." Softening his tone out of guilt Gavin finally began to cool off and stop complaining about the night at the facility. "Look, let's just drop it and have our Christmas dinner like planned, all right?"

"Yeah, sure." Tina managed a smile as she checked the time and began craving their special dinner waiting to be reheated. "One fried turkey with all the trimming and a apple pie for dessert are all ready to go. Are we missing anything?"

"Maybe some wine or something."

"You know I keep vodka in the freezer at all times. It's not the classiest, but..."

"It gets the job done. I won't complain about that."

Muttering a little under breath Tina decided get in one last dig at her best friend in a playful manner. "It's about time."

---

The searing pain in his core had ceased almost entirely and Connor was able to reboot his system without needing to put any strain on his system. There was a slight sense of pressure around his stabilized abdomen and a warm weight was pressing down on his lower legs. Opening his heavy eyes slowly Connor found himself staring up at a blank ceiling he didn't recognize and laying on a soft bed he had never seen before. A quick glance about the room confirmed that the wounded deviant had been taken to a newly constructed Emergency Android Facility for treatment despite his earlier protests, and was now resting post emergency repair session.

Lifting his head up from his pillow Connor acknowledged Bruno laying over his legs by petting the dog's ears and then saw Hank sitting in a chair beside the bed. The senior detective looked exhausted but Connor didn't care as to why. He didn't want to associate the unpredictable Lieutenant whatsoever.

"Connor?" Hank noticed Connor was moving around a little and had lifted up his head to look around. Keeping his voice low and his own movements to a minimum, the senior detective tried to engage the deviant in conversation. "You're in the Zeta Facility on Tenth Street, and you had your abdomen fixed up. I was able to find the deviant who attacked you and with Markus's help he was arrested."

"...Arrested." Sitting upright slowly Connor leaned against his elbows to keep his head from spinning as his system confirmed he needed additional Thirium to aid his self healing program's overall function. "That's not good."

"Uh, how's that? He stabbed you after luring you down an alley."

Shifting his focus over to Hank for a moment Connor gave the Lieutenant a suspicious glance. "How do you know that?"

"Bruno." Patting the dog's side for a moment Hank confirmed that the K-9 unit hadn't lost his instincts as a furry cop. "He showed me the footage he recorded of the assault when I followed your blood trail to your building."

"I see."

"And it made it easier for Markus to hand him over to the police. He won't go to a human prison, so he'll remain in lock-up until Markus decides where to put deviant prisoners."

Falling quiet Connor pressed his hand to his abdomen and tensed a little as his core was still healing from being stabbed. A self diagnostic also confirmed that his Thirium pump regulator was still functional albeit at a slightly less effective manner since its exterior casing had been physically compromised.

"Chris recognized him as the deviant from the broadcast tower." Hank continued as he pulled his hand back from Bruno's side and crossed his arms over his chest to kick back a little in his chair. "And if I'm not mistaken, he's the same deviant who attacked you in the kitchen when I foolishly left you alone. Right?"

Closing his eyes for a moment Connor shook his head and then turned to look at Bruno as the dog remained curled up on his legs. "...Your deduction is accurate." The fact that the same deviant also targeted the same biocomponent twice confirmed that the attack was premeditated and personal. "I was attacked by the same deviant. He doesn't trust me."

"Shit. I'm sorry."

"...For what?"

"That I wasn't there to look out for you the first time you were attacked, and that you were attacked at all a second time."

"I'm not your responsibility." As he made a move to climb off the bed Connor was stopped almost instantly when another wave of dizziness struck him unexpectedly. Unwilling to risk a fall or losing consciousness Connor chose to remain in the bed and wait a while longer before moving. "I can take care of myself."

The way Connor was putting up walls and not letting other people in reminded Hank of his own personal faults and battle with his own emotions. "That's what I thought about myself for the longest time, but I was wrong. We all need someone to help us sometimes."

"I'll be fine on my own, Lieutenant. Please go home now."

"I won't leave until I know you're safe at your building and out of the cold."

"I can find my way back to my brownstone without any assistance. I also have Bruno who will remain on guard for as long as I may need it."

Whimpering a little Bruno pressed his chin down on Connor's knee before letting out a small huff as is asking to not be put in the middle.

"I'm glad you're okay, too." Gently Connor traced the faint line on Bruno's face where he had been slashed by the knife. Liquid synthetic skin had been used to close the cut on Bruno's face and the damage to his eye had been minimal. "Thank you for defending me and for staying by me when I collapsed."

Wagging his tail Bruno grumbled again before turning his head to look at Hank. The dog was talking to Connor in an unheard manner.

"...I'm aware of that."

Hank was a little confused by the way Connor and Bruno could easily communicate with one another, then remembered that they were deviants and could share a cybernetic link for communication. "That's still weird. You talkin' to a damn dog, I mean."

"It's perfectly normal for androids to communicate in such a way. It's only weird to you."

"I didn't mean to insult-"

"It doesn't matter. Please go home, Lieutenant. I'll be able to return to my brownstone in due time."

"Like I said, I won't go anywhere until I know you're safe. And please," the way Connor kept calling him 'Lieutenant' was oddly uncomfortable. "just call me 'Hank'. We're not partners anymore."

"We never were." Giving Hank a fiery glare Connor pressed his right palm over his left bicep as he spoke. "I was your tool, nothing more."

That remark stun more than Hank could've anticipated. Was that really how Connor felt about his time in the precinct? Did Connor really get used as a tool and never treated as the skilled detective he truly is?

Hank had to reflect on his own treatment toward Connor and admit that he treated the deviant so poorly that it was no wonder Connor wouldn't even give him a chance to make amends. "...All right, I'll give you that one. I'm sorry for treating you like a tool and not the detective you clearly are."

The apology caused Connor's brow to arch a little as he hadn't been seeking any form of remorse from Hank. He wanted Hank to feel as he had felt; ignored, small and insignificant. "It... doesn't matter anymore."

"It does to me. I am sorry for how things were between us and I want to do what I can to help the deviant community as a means of atoning for my past discrimination against androids. If I can make a positive different with the deviants then I know I'll be able to retire in the next few years with a clear conscience."

Before Connor had the chance to say anything else the door to the recovery room 'hissed' open as Abby returned to check on her star patient. She had two bottles of Thirium in her hands and a clean scrub top to give Connor something wear when he left the facility. "Glad to see you're awake."

"Dr. Abby Grayson." Connor remembered Abby from the night he was struck by the speeding car. Seeing her working from within a facility as opposed to working alongside city paramedics was a sure sign of positive changes toward the deviant community. "I appreciate your help, although I didn't request it."

"Most emergency cases don't have the time to pick and choose the people who treat them." Handing Connor the scrub top Abby held the Thirium bottles in each hand as she gave him a quick rundown on his recovery. "Drink one of these before you go to get your Thirium volume back up to at least ninety percent, then drink this one after you've had an hour to let your self healing program run. It'll keep you stable throughout the night. Your Thirium pump regulator is looking pretty rough, so you may want to look into finding a replacement for it."

Nodding in acknowledgment Connor carefully slipped the pale blue top over his head and covered his bandaged abdomen. After accepting the two Thirium bottles Connor looked down at Bruno and nodded in the dog's direction. "What about Bruno?"

"He had some Thirium while you were asleep." Smiling while she spoke Abby couldn't hide the fact that she thought Connor's question was very sweet. "Now it's your turn to replenish your Thirium reserves."

"Of course." Opening the first bottle Connor drank the sapphire tinted elixir slowly and made sure he didn't accidentally hurt his still sore abdomen. While his stomach avoided damage the area was close enough to his Thirium pump regulator to cause mild discomfort. "I would like to leave the facility as soon as I am able, please."

"All right. Finish your Thirium and I'll give you a quick exam. If everything checks out then you can go home."

"Very well."

Despite wanting to stick around and see Connor back to his brownstone, Hank decided to not push the issue and gave the deviant some space. "Since you're doing fine now I'll step outside and check in with the precinct. Hopefully there won't be any more problems before I can clock-out."

Without responding Connor watched as Hank took his leave of the recovery room with his shoulders slumped and his feet dragging along the floor. It didn't take a detective to see that Hank was upset by their unfriendly conversation.

"Man, who 'bah-humbugged' all over his Christmas?" Abby saw Hank's reaction, too and felt bad for him. "I mean, carrying a stabbing victim through the snow and into a facility on Christmas Night isn't going to put a smile on anyone's face, but the way he's acting you'd think he doesn't have anyone to spend the holidays with."

A sudden pang of guilt swept over Connor as he finished off the bottle of Thirium. It wasn't exactly a secret that Hank was in fact all alone, but to those who just met him they wouldn't know that without directly asking.

"Okay, let's see about getting you on your way so your own Christmas isn't entirely ruined." Pulling her audioscope from around her neck Abby put the earbuds in place and then pressed the metal bell of the instrument to Connor's chest. Listening for any sign of pump abnormalities Abby made sure that her repairs were holding and that Connor would remain stable. "Everything sounds good. Strong beat, normal rhythm and I don't hear any sign of crackling in your vents."

"Then I am permitted to leave?"

"Yup, you're good to go." Draping her audioscope back around her neck Abby gave Connor her technical clearance to leave the facility. "Stay warm, stay away from pointy objects and try to have a nice night. If you feel weak or experience any pump arrhythmia come right back here, fair?"

"Yes." Agreeing to the orders Connor slipped off the recovery bed at last and found his balance. Once Bruno jumped down as well Connor began walking toward the door with the second bottle of Thirium clutched in his hand. "That is a fair request."

"Goodnight, Connor. Hopefully we can chat someday without you being one of my patients!"

"...Maybe."

Passing through the doorway Connor and Bruno walked down the corridor and found themselves in the waiting area at the front of the facility. Peering through the front glass doors and to the snowy city outside, Connor internally lamented the idea of stepping out into the cold air without his trench coat. Even though his brownstone was just down the block the rogue deviant seriously considered hailing an autonomous cab to take him home.

Bruno grumbled once as he nosed Connor's empty hand and then pointed at someone standing in the corner of the waiting room. With his ears perked up and his L.E.D. cycling in yellow, Bruno made it clear he was trying to get Connor's focus on the figure as well.

Connor looked over and immediately recognized Hank standing in the corner of the room with his phone in his hand. The look of disappointment in Hank's eyes somehow seemed more intense than it had been just a few minutes earlier.

Despite his better judgment something compelled Connor to approach the man and ask what was happening. "Is... something wrong, Lieutenant?"

"Hm?" Turning to look at Connor now standing beside him Hank slipped his phone into his coat pocket and then crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh, uh, nothing. I just called Fowler to let him know you'd be okay and he confirmed that I can just go home. No need for me at the precinct. Seems like that's becoming a running theme with me. No need for me anywhere."

"I see." The feeling of uselessness and self disappointment was something that Connor could surprisingly enough relate to. Remembering what Abby stated about Hank being alone on the holidays struck a chord with Connor and prompted him to extend a metaphorical olive branch just for one night. "Since you did save my life tonight, I suppose I should thank you."

"Don't worry about it. I'm a detective." Taking a step toward the front doors Hank was ready to go about his business elsewhere. "My job is helping people who need it, no matter who they are or what they are. I'm just pissed that I forgot about that for so long and have only recently remembered it."

"I suppose when emotions get in the way it's easy to lose sight of moral or even ethical obligations."

"And that's when mistakes start to happen."

"Not necessarily."

"In this case, yeah, they do. I let it slip tonight to Gavin that you're the one who saved him when he got electrocuted."

The admission made Connor's L.E.D. flicker from blue to yellow for a moment. ...How did you know that it was me who aided Detective Reed?"

"The description of the android that Tina gave matched your clothing and your eye color perfectly." Hank explained as he gave Connor a somber look. "When you were sick at my house I noticed your clothes and put two-and-two together. I didn't mean to let it slip, it's just the little bastard was going on a rant about deviants and I wanted to shut him up. Next time I'll use my fist instead."

"...It's all right. He deserved to know what happened to him that night."

"Yeah, I guess so. And Tina and me will make sure he doesn't try to pull any sneaky shit to get ya' in trouble for being inside that store."

"Thanks... I think."

The fact that Connor was willing to engage in conversation at all with him was a rare opportunity that Hank didn't want to pass up. Not wanting the rare moment to pass him by without anything gained Hank tried to find a way to slowly start mending the rift he unintentionally created between them. "Uh, it's pretty cold out there right now. Why don't you let me give ya' a lift to your place? It's on the way back to my house anyway, so I don't mind."

Not wanting to let hatred and anger become normal for his mindset or personality, Connor decided to accept the offer and go with Hank. After all, standing on neutral ground was better than having no common ground to stand on whatsoever. "Very well. As long as it isn't an inconvenience."

"If it was an inconvenience then I wouldn't have offered to begin with."

"All right." The reply was both logical and honest. "Let's go."

Bruno trailed after the two detectives as Hank led the way outside the facility and to the Oldsmobile parked just down the street. The K-9 unit could easily read the body language of the former partners and could see that they were still tense, but it was nothing worth fretting over.

After unlocking the car doors Hank sat down behind the wheel and waited for Connor and Bruno to join him inside the sheltered cab. Turning on the radio to cut through the thick silence between them Hank turned over the engine and began a slow drive down the street to Connor's brownstone at the far corner.

"I'm glad you're okay. Seeing all that blue blood..." Hank mumbled for a moment before finishing his sentence. "Well, my point is you're okay."

"Yes, I'm fine." Pressing his palm over his bandaged abdomen Connor tested his pain threshold for a moment before putting his hand on Bruno's ears. The loyal dog was sitting on the floor at Connor's feet and eyeing the bottle of Thirium sitting on Connor's lap. "It looked worse than it was."

"Considering the fact that you were stabbed multiple times, I find that hard to believe."

"...Understandable."

The Oldsmobile came to a stop before the brownstone and Hank idled before the remodeled building for a moment before saying anything else. "Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself tonight?"

"I'm certain." Stepping out of the car Connor waited for Bruno to jump out before closing the door behind him. "Also, I have Bruno. I won't be alone."

"Right. Just like I have Sumo at home."

Putting his hand on the car door Connor waited for a moment before slamming it shut as he spoke to Hank before calling it a night. "...If it's not out of line, I'd like to say; Merry Christmas."

"Yeah." A small smirk graced Hank's face as he reciprocated the pleasant comment. It was nice to hear from anybody. "Merry Christmas, Connor. Hopefully by this time next year you'll be able to celebrate the big day far away from a facility and without any damage."

"That would be a pleasant change."

Slamming the door shut at last Connor stepped back and watched as Hank drove off to return home for the night. A fresh snow was just beginning to fall as Christmas carols began to sound off through the streets via the city's installed sound speakers. It was almost peaceful in that moment, save for the dull ache that was persistent in Connor's core.

"Come on, Bruno. It's time to go inside."

Opening the unlocked door to his brownstone Connor let Bruno inside the building first before following after the loyal German Shepherd. There was no time for Hank to look for the key and lock the door himself after carrying Connor to the facility.

"It's been a long night. We need to rest and prepare for any new changes the city brings our way."

Peering out at the snowy city as he passed through the door Connor sighed and closed the door before lock it tight for the rest of the night. With the bottle of Thirium firmly in his grip Connor prepared to enter rest mode and let his body heal overnight.

"I suspect that tonight was just the beginning of some very big changes. I can feel it..."

-next chapter-