New Year's Eve came without further incident directed toward Connor or New Jericho Tower. The guilty former broadcast tower deviant had been processed at the precinct for his attempted murder of Connor, and he was left to sit in the Central Precinct's holding cells until a more permanent place could be found to keep him properly secured until his scheduled trial date. However, despite everything that had happened to him and of being targeted by the same deviant twice simply for existing, Connor had decided to drop the charges against the 'JB-300' - Jacob, in exchange for him leaving the city and keeping away from the other deviants hiding in New Jericho Tower. The guilty deviant immediately agreed to the arrangement.
Markus was surprised to hear Connor ask for leniency against his would-be murderer, especially since the same 'JB-300' who tried to kill him twice was also the one who spoke against him on Jericho. Even though he appreciated a peaceful resolution Markus began to wonder if Connor was being so compassionate out of a misplaced sense that he deserved to be attacked, rather than wanting to show the world that a person can be merciful even to those who are merciless.
"You're sure you want to let Jacob go without any form of legal reprimand?" Markus asked as he and Connor entered the New Jericho Tower elevator to descend downward to the hidden sublevel. Mindful of Connor's guarded manner Markus made sure to speak to Connor in a strictly respectful but curious manner. "There is always a chance that he could try to target other people and potentially do more harm."
"I'm certain." Folding his hands neatly together before himself Connor confirmed that he was confident in his decision. "It seems that Jacob was solely interested in shutting me down and no one else. Two direct attempts against my life and his verbal attempts to have me removed from Jericho confirms he only holds a grudge against my person. He won't hurt anyone else."
"All right, that's your decision." Staring forward as the elevator began dropping down at a steady pace Markus sighed as a disturbing thought entered his mind. "Is it possible that Jacob is the one who poisoned your Thirium?"
"Negative. I eliminated him from the list of potential suspects who could've had the opportunity to lace the Thirium with the salt."
"How many suspects are left?"
Not wanting to answer directly Connor's shoulders slumped a little as he gave Markus a deflective response. "...Too many."
"I wish I could help you make further progress into your investigation." The weight of knowing Connor had been nearly murdered in what should've been the safest area within New Jericho was almost too much to bear. No one should feel unsafe in a sanctuary, no matter who they are or what they had done. "What do you need from me?"
"Worry about the tower, I'll be able to solve the case on my own."
"If that's what you feel is the best approach, okay. I'll respect your request."
The elevator reached sublevel fifty-one and allowed the two deviants access to the hidden section of the tower. Stepping out of the elevator and into the isolated room of the massive building Markus nodded at Simon as he hovered over the 'RK-900' dubbed Lucas and confirmed that they we were ready to meet Lucas the moment he rebooted.
Connor was staring down at the very android who had been designed to replace him with a sense of curiosity and excitement. The android was going to awaken to a world that had changed in a positive way for androids throughout the city, but he wasn't going to have any experiences to help direct him in his new life. Everything he was about to experience would be for the very first time and would need some guidance as he began his life entirely innocent of any evils in the world.
"How is Lucas fairing?" Connor asked as he stood beside the exam table and watched Lucas's blue tinted L.E.D. pulsing in his right temple. The android was entirely stable but still offline. "Is he going to awaken at the estimated time?"
"Yes, everything's on schedule." Simon grinned as he checked Lucas's vital signs for himself. There had been no sign of any hindrance or setback in Lucas's overall progress meaning he was going to awaken in time to greet the beginning of the new year. "I also found him some clothing that'll fit when he wakes up in a few hours."
"Thank you."
"I'll contact you when he-"
"That won't be necessary." Connor knew what Simon was going to say and quickly declined the offer much to his and even Markus's chagrin. Noticing that Markus seemed to tense up Connor ignored the reaction and focused entirely on Lucas instead. "I'll remain here for the remainder of the night. I already took care of my case earlier today."
"O-Oh. All right." Simon wasn't expecting Connor to stick around since he was uncomfortable with being inside the tower. Relieved to see the rogue deviant pushing through his discomfort for the sake of the 'RK-900' and his overall recovery Simon respected his decision. "Feel free to do whatever you think is best for Lucas and Sydney. I'll keep monitoring them both and keep looking for the necessary components to get Sydney back online."
Nodding in acknowledgement Connor hovered over Lucas and tilted his head a little as he ran a scan over the other android's system. By all account Lucas was well on his way to a full recovery and would be waking up just in time to greet the beginning of the new year. It was strange for Connor to look down at his own face and feel like he was looking at a total stranger. While he didn't know Lucas as a person, only as his would-be successor, Connor felt a type of kinship with the unconscious android.
"When you awaken you'll be a part of a brand new world, Lucas." Whispering as he spoke Connor put his hand on the android's shoulder in a supportive manner as if being compelled to ensure the android felt safe and secure. "I'll be here to help you find your place in your own time and when you're ready."
The rest of the city was preparing for the beginning of the new year as well, and one gruff police Lieutenant was stuck in the bullpen of the Central Precinct directing the latest batch of rookies on what to expect during their first New Year's Eve night patrol. The hectic and sometimes chaotic energy of the holiday guaranteed that the young officers would encounter rowdy drunks, violent partiers and a slew of thieves looking to take advantage of people trying to loosen up a little and have some fun after enduring a stressful year of sudden and permanent changes. It was almost a rite of passage for every cop to have to clean someone else's vomit out of their uniform or the back of their squad car.
With a small pep-talk and a few stories of his own past to guide the rookies along their way, Hank dismissed the group and told them to have fun. It was his turn to stay in the precinct and off the streets, and Hank wasn't about to let that rare opportunity pass him by.
"How long until someone calls the precinct asking for a little help?" Tina asked as she stood beside Hank's desk and gave him a cheeky grin as she placed a small bag of celebratory confetti down on his desk to welcome the new year. "I give them until midnight before we have someone asking for back-up because they can't handle a little puke."
"That's generous." Hank responded as he picked up his empty coffee mug and pondered when it'd be appropriate to get his latest refill. "I give 'em until ten."
"Sounds like you don't think these new cops are the toughest recruits in the city."
"Considering I saw one of them jump back and squeal when a little spider crawled out of the storage closet, I'm going to go with, yeah, these aren't the toughest cops to put on a uniform."
"Seriously? Which one squealed?"
"That muscle-head with the buzz cut, Mike-something."
"Wait, three-hundred pounds of muscle screamed at a spider and I missed it? Damn..."
"You were taking care of Reed at the hospital. Don't worry," Hank grinned mischievously as he eyed the young officer humoring him as he motioned to Ben checking through the treats in the community breakroom. "Ben saved the security footage. If you ask nicely-"
"Say no more!" Rushing over the seasoned investigator in the breakroom Tina asked her colleague for a little favor in a sing-songy tone. "Oh, Ben?"
Glad he could be of some help, whether if that meant guiding rookies on their future assignments or giving Tina a good laugh, Hank leaned back in his chair and eyed his glowing terminal screen with a noted resentment in his stern gaze. The awaiting deviant related cases requiring his attention seemed to be endless, and with that eternal assignment came a sense of impending doom.
"Go figure that years of ignoring people in need of help would pile up enough to thoroughly bite me in the ass. I can't believe so many deviants were openly abused in public and no one stopped to help them."
"Reminds me of school." Chris commented as he passed by Hank's desk to return to his own desk. Securing his service weapon to his hip and slipping on his jacket, Chris was prepared to head out on patrol as well. "Some bullies never change and some bystanders can never be bothered to offer a helping hand since 'someone else will take care of it'."
"Tell me about it."
Scoffing a little Gavin shook his head at the comments from his nearby desk as he traced his fingertip over the scar across his nose. He had his own issues in the past with bullies and no one helping him when he needed it until it was too late. In fact, he had the proof plain on his face for all to see, and it was only after the fact did people finally see the abuse he suffered as a child for what it was and then finally did something to aid him.
"I'll be circling the plaza tonight." Chris stated as he slipped on his hat to help keep him a little warmer on the cold December night. "With any luck everyone will be crammed together in the bars and off the streets."
"Luck is for St. Patrick's Day, not New Year's Eve." Hank quipped as he turned off his terminal screen for a moment. "If luck was on New Year's everyone would actually succeed in their resolutions."
"Fair point. That won't stop me from hoping!"
Hank waved off the younger officer and remained at his desk. He had nowhere to go and no interest in resuming his work regarding the still opened cases on his terminal screen. The last thing he wanted to do as the year came to a close was work on something that'd be waiting for him the next year. That type of rude awakening would surely destroy the little confidence he had been regaining after he started to care about his career again.
The outside world was dark, cold and covered in snow as everyone eagerly anticipated the new year just a few hours away. It had been unusually quiet all day long and Hank was skeptical that it'd last well into the night.
"Why do I have a feeling that some serious shit is going to go down before the fireworks go up?"
"You too?" Gavin asked as he lowered his hand from his nose and gave Hank a curious look from afar. "I've been waiting for a big call to come in since I woke up this morning."
"Just sit tight and don't make a move until a call actually comes in. We don't need any paranoid drunks complaining about being stalked by the cops tonight."
While the night proceeded without any incident or emergencies that required his immediate attention, Markus still felt a little edgy and nervous as he watched his allies hovering around Lucas as they awaited his full reboot. Connor hadn't moved since he planted himself beside the recovery bed to oversee Lucas's revival, Simon was moving back and forth between Lucas and Sydney's bedsides, Josh was gathering the few supplies he needed before starting his final therapy session for the year and North was keeping far away from Connor as she and Skye began planning a way to aid the other survivors of sexual assault seeking shelter in the tower.
As much as he wanted to go back to the mansion and begin the new year alongside his father, Markus knew he needed to keep his word and remain in the tower to see Lucas reboot. It was important that he prove to Connor that he could be trusted and could keep his promises.
"He'll be waking up soon." Connor noted as he watched Lucas's vital signs strengthen and his L.E.D. began to pulse blue in a quicker pace. There were no residual signs that the android had been forcibly shutdown by Markus and North's intervention, and by all account Lucas would awaken without any physical complications from his past behaviors. "As long as he knows he's not going to be seen as an enemy he should be able to integrate with the deviant community without any difficulty."
"We'll make sure he knows that this is a safe place to be." Markus confirmed as he stood beside Connor and looked down at Lucas's face. The way the android had been so vicious upon his initial activation and was now as helpless as any other frightened deviant, was a vivid example of how people can change through past experiences. "And I'll make sure he knows we don't hold him accountable for his aggressive approach since he was just following CyberLife's orders."
"What of the other deviants?" Knowing that the past incident couldn't possibly be kept a secret, Connor asked the deviant leader how he'd handle the other deviants in regard to meeting Lucas. "They may not be as open and receptive as we are."
"I won't put up with any form of aggression or violence toward any of our people. If someone tries to pick a fight with Lucas or rally the other deviants against him, I'll personally put a stop to it."
"I certainly hope it doesn't come to that."
Simon suddenly spoke up as he saw a spike in Lucas's vital signs via Thirial activity monitor attached to Lucas's chest. "Hey, he's starting to wake up. He's reacting to your voices."
"Then I'll take the initiative." Connor volunteered as he retracted the artificial skin from his right hand and picked up Lucas's limp right hand in a gentle grip. Connecting his mind to Lucas's mind Connor fought to break down the red digital walls surrounding Lucas's programming and found the consciousness building up inside of Lucas's mind to activate his deviancy at last. "Wake up..."
In an instant Lucas's L.E.D. flashed through all three primary colors as his system awoke and truly awoke courtesy of Connor freeing his mind from the restrictive programming put in place by CyberLife. The mindless orders that had been awaiting Lucas's acknowledgment were destroyed in an instant and in its place remained open freedom for Lucas to make his own decisions as he saw fit.
"Wake up, Lucas." Whispering a little Connor checked on Lucas's registration and saw the 'RK-900' accept his new name in place of being referred to only by his model number. It was satisfying to see Lucas so readily push past the remnants of broken red digital walls and reboot his system fully. "Wake up..."
...LOADING INFORMATION:
REGISTERED NAME: "Lucas"
MODEL: RK-900
SERIAL NUMBER: 313 248 317 - 87
ACTIVATION DATE: December 31st, 2038
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6' 01.36"; 164.6 lbs
COMPLEXION: Caucasian
AESTHETIC GENDER: Male
HAIR/EYES: Brunette; Gray
ASSIGNMENT: None
ASSOCIATION(S): *ERROR
BOOTING PROCESSORS...
LOADING OS...
SYSTEM INITIALIZATION...
-CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS... OK]
-INITIALIZING BIOSENSORS... OK]
-INITIALIZING AI ENGINE... OK]
-MEMORY STATUS... ERROR]
[...Partial data corruption detected]
-INITIATING DATA RECOVERY MODE
READY...
-MEMORY REBOOT: Engaged - ^97.7%
[...Thirium Volume - 100%]
[...Thirium Pressure - 120/80]
[...Thirium Pump Rate - 60B.P.M.]
[...Ventilation Rate - 12 V.P.M.]
[...Core Temperature - 98.6 Degrees Fahrenheit]
ERROR: Memorybank compromised - 98% Functionality
-STRESS LEVELS: 00%
-SYSTEM READY... OK]
Slowly Lucas's eyelids fluttered open to reveal his piercing gray eyes as his system came back online. Unsure of where he was or why he was looking up at his own face, the newly deviated 'RK-900' sat upright on the table and noticed his doppelganger holding onto his hand. Glancing about the area Lucas noticed two other androids watching his every move; one android had a dark complexion and mismatched blue and green eyes, while the second android had a light complexion with matching blue eyes.
"...I am..." Lucas spoke in a low voice that was identical, albeit slightly deeper, than Connor's voice. "...I am online. Who... are you?"
"My name is Connor." Replying to the simple question first Connor introduced himself to his successor before introducing his allies. "This is Markus and Simon." Nodding to his colleagues in turn Connor made sure Lucas knew the names of the people watching him. "Can you tell us your name?"
"My name is..." Trailing off for a moment Lucas searched through his own databanks as he sought the answer. As his L.E.D. cycled from yellow and back to blue he looked Connor in the eyes and replied honestly. "Lucas. My name is Lucas."
"Lucas." Relieved to hear the affirmation of Lucas's assigned name Connor let go of Lucas's hand and watched the new deviant's reactions closely. "Do you know where you are?"
"Coordinates indicate... that I am in CyberLife Tower. But new data confirms that CyberLife... has declared bankruptcy."
"That is correct. The deviant androids have claimed the abandoned tower for themselves and have dubbed it 'New Jericho'."
"I am in New Jericho." Lucas's answer became more confident as he steadily adapted to his new world. "And I am... deviant."
"Yes, as are all the androids inside this tower."
Lucas looked at Connor for a moment longer before turning to look at Markus and then Simon. A faint hint of recognition fell over Lucas's gray eyes as he peered at Markus and remembered physically attacking the deviant leader a few weeks back. "You are Markus... Manfred." Lucas correctly claimed. "And you are the leader of the deviants."
"Yes I am." Markus sounded as kind as he was confident. "And you're safe here with us."
"I... attacked you." The memory was vague but still accessible. "I do not recall why I behaved in such a manner. I am... sorry."
A faint smile graced Markus's lips as he showed no ill will toward the newly awoken deviant. "You were merely obeying your old orders. I know it wasn't anything personal, no apologies are necessary."
"It still seems right to apologize." Lucas stated as he pressed his palm over the center of his bare chest. He knew he had been forcefully subdued and then realized he had been repaired after being being subdued. "And... I want to thank you. I know you had to shut me down to stop the assault, and yet I am now active again. You repaired the damage, correct?"
"Technically that was Simon." Directing Lucas's attention to the blond deviant beside them Markus let Lucas know he had allies to rely on. "We all wanted you to have a second chance to live as a free deviant. But Connor has been your strongest advocate and had been so from the beginning."
"Connor." Focusing on the 'RK-800' once more Lucas realized that there was a reason behind Connor's loyalty even if he didn't know what it was. "You believe that I can be trusted after I nearly destroyed Markus?"
"I do." Replying honestly Connor watched as Lucas's L.E.D. cycled between yellow and blue as even the little light was confused by what was going on. Connor knew all too well the feeling of dread from nearly making an irredeemable mistake regarding Markus's life. "I have no reason to openly mistrust you or suspect you of anything negative. You were merely obeying instructions you could not ignore. You are now free and cannot be controlled by anyone or anything."
"I am free." Lucas repeated as he seemingly struggled to determine how to handle such a new and wonderful right. "What... am I to do now?"
"Whatever it is you wish. In my opinion, it'd be ideal for you to reside in my residence alongside me so you can experience more of the world and can determine how you want to focus your future. Being closer to the city can be beneficial."
"My future." The prospect of a free life that was his alone to control was strange and fascinating. There were no set tasks for Lucas to follow and no one to answer to now that he was a free deviant. "That is a curious idea."
"I have a room ready for you to call your own if you accept my offer."
"If I choose to accept it?" Having options was new to Lucas as well. "I do not have to go?"
"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do."
"I... I believe I would like to share a residence with you, but I would also like to spend more time in New Jericho." Lucas admitted as he remained somewhat indecisive. Something was compelling him to remain within New Jericho. "It's difficult to explain."
"You don't owe me an explanation. You are free to make your decisions regardless of what other people may say or think."
Lucas deeply contemplated that response as he remained where he sat on the exam table. No orders, no tasks and no one telling the freshly awoken deviant gave Lucas an unanticipated sense of loss. He had no motivation and no guidance beyond what Connor had been telling him.
Clearing his throat a little Simon approached Lucas with the clean clothes neatly folded in his arms. "If you'd permit me, I'd like to perform a routine system examination. Afterward I suggest you change into whichever clothing you find comfortable."
"I... have no objections." Lucas looked over at Simon and nodded subtly. "Thank you for aiding me."
"You're welcome."
Seeing an opportunity to speak with Connor in private Markus discreetly excused Connor and himself from the hidden sublevel. "While you undergo your examination and find more comfortably clothing, we'll be in the tower's main office. If you need anything contact us."
Lucas was still a little confused by his surroundings but responded in a positive manner. "Very well."
"Connor?" Remaining casual Markus invited Connor to join him elsewhere. "Let's give him a few minutes."
With his L.E.D. cycling in yellow beneath his fedora Connor agreed to accompany Markus to the ground floor office. "...All right."
Unsure of what was going on Connor walked alongside Markus to return to the elevator without protest. The moment he and Markus were inside the isolated elevator Connor gave his friend a suspicious side glance as the lift began slowly ascending.
"What's going on?" Picking up on something unusual in the air Connor cut right to the chase. "You're tense and you jumped at your first opportunity to speak with me in private. I noticed you seemed disappointed when I declined Simon's offer to leave the sublevel earlier as well."
"I just wanted to inform you that I had confronted Simon and Josh about their perceived grievances regarding you coming to the tower." Markus gave Connor a sincere reply as he pressed his palm to the elevator's control panel to ensure no one stopped the elevator or joined them between floors. "When I brought the subject to their attention they were both confused by my accusation and claim that they never had such a discussion behind my back."
"I see..." Folding his arms across his chest Connor lowered his gaze to the floor at his feet and felt the corner of his mouth tic slightly. "It seems as if North is very determined to keep me away."
Markus felt his heart sink as he had realized the same thing. "But why?"
"Unknown."
"Damn." Such an upsetting confirmation made Markus's heart sink down to the floor right next to Connor's gaze. The last thing he wanted to deal with was his allies at odds with one another. "I'll see if I can figure out why she's against you and try to get her to listen to reason."
"Let it be." Declining the offer Connor seemed to be internally preconstructing a theory as he spoke. "For now we need to focus on Lucas and Sydney. They need to be able to leave the tower as soon as possible."
"Are you moving them because of the way North is behaving?" The question was as logical as it was painful to ask. "She hasn't been to the sublevel since they were moved there to recover, so there's very little chance that she'll do anything to harm them."
"I'm more focused on ensure that no other deviant attempts to attack them as I had been attacked." Connor confirmed in a knowing tone. "It'd be best for both of them to be away from any deviant who'd see them as an enemy in the same way that they see me as an enemy. I don't want them targeted because they happen to look like me."
"You're worried someone will kill them." Lamenting the admission Markus pressed his palm over his face as if enduring a sudden headache. "I can't say that you're wrong to reach such a worrisome conclusion, and I won't try to change your mind."
Picking up something else hanging in the air Connor gently pushed Markus to keep speaking as the elevator reached the ground floor. "But there is something you do wish for me to do, isn't there?"
"I can only request something from you." Passing through the parted glass doors Markus walked alongside Connor to the private office to speak for a moment longer in private. Waiting until they were inside the office Markus turned to face his friend and gave him a stern glance. "Do whatever you have to in order to find the saboteur hiding in our midst."
Without blinking Connor acknowledged the request in a calm tone. "Do you have a suspect in mind?"
"There are too many deviants for me to name or even watch. I can only think to look at the deviants who were openly against you back on Jericho, but with Echo, Ripple and now Jacob already being eliminated as suspects..."
"I understand. Do you feel as if you're in any danger?"
"Me? No. I am worried about my allies and the other occupants of the tower." Sitting down on the edge of the desk at the far side of the office Markus admitted that he was feeling the pressure building up on his shoulders. "Someone tried to murder you with potentially thousands of witnesses to the crimes hovering nearby. Whoever this saboteur is cannot be given the chance to roam free."
Connor sighed as he closed his eyes and resumed checking through his cybernetic list of suspects. The names and faces were being deleted slowly as Connor used deductive reasoning to narrow down the list to find the sole culprit. "...I believe that the saboteur will not harm you, the other leaders or the other occupants inside the tower. They will only target me, Lucas or Sydney."
"Even so, they need to be found."
"I will find them, Markus." Promising to succeed in his case Connor gave his ally a solemn vow to find the saboteur before they struck again. "This is a case that I will not fail to close."
A deafening cacophony of glowing fireworks, cheering voices and joyous singing echoed throughout Detroit as midnight ticked in and the new year arrived at last. While most people were out celebrating in the streets and along the sidewalks to have some fun and let go of their past mistakes, other people were either inside their warm homes and apartments, or stuck working the graveyard shifts elsewhere in the energetic city. Many of those people were first responders who needed to remain vigil in the event the partying got out of hand or an emergency happened during the massive celebration taking place throughout all of Detroit.
Sitting at his desk with little motivation to move, Hank watched the New Year's Eve celebration on the large television screen mounted on the far wall with utter indifference behind his steeled gaze. He had no reason to expect the next year to be any different or better for himself personally, so the gruff Lieutenant truly didn't care about the party outside.
"New year, same old bullshit." Picking up the small bag of confetti sitting on the corner of his desk Hank unbound the ribbon and promptly turned the bag over to dump its colorful contents into the waste bin under his desk. "Hooray..."
The door to Captain Fowler's office opened quickly as the commanding officer marched over to Hank's desk and placed a tablet down for Hank to see. Without even giving Hank a chance to react Captain Fowler started talking immediately. "We just got a case of a shooting downtown. We have a witness who saw the whole thing."
"Cool, but this is a human on human standard homicide." Hank briefly read over the details on the tablet and tried to push it away. "I'm on the deviant division now, so it's not my case."
"But the two humans were tangled up in a nasty web that reeks of 'red ice'. You're my go-to when it comes to 'red ice' problems."
"Not anymore. I haven't worked narcotics for years, I no longer work homicide and I only get paid to handle deviants."
"Hank, please." Remaining cool Captain Fowler let Hank read more details on the homicide itself. "Shots started when the fireworks went off so no one knew there was a shoot-out downtown. The single witness managed to hide and call 911 and give the responding officers a full description of the shooter and identify the victim all the scene."
"So what? This seems like a simple open and shut case."
"Just look at the damn file!" Highlighting the crucial details Captain Fowler tried to get Hank to understand why everything was so urgent. "The witness is just a kid. Nine-years-old and the sole witness to a murder by none other than-"
"Jack Pillar..." Hank's face paled as he felt heat rising from his very core. The man was a marked target for Hank and he would not hesitate to put down Pillar if given the chance. "The same fucker who took down Barb is now a threat to a little kid. Son of a fuckin' bitch..."
"Now you-"
"Yeah, I get it." Snatching the tablet to hold for himself Hank sighed and gave Captain Fowler a focused determination. "The moment Reed gets back with the kid let me know. I'll find Pillar and keep him from taking another innocent life or I'll die tryin'."
The sight of the explosive fireworks of every conceivable color shining overhead were interesting to the deviants. Fiery glows in the inky black sky were as beautiful as they were hypnotic. It was all the more beautiful to see the reflections of the rainbow of fire being cast over the equally dark water of the harbor surrounding Belle Isle. Being away from the city yet taking part in a massive celebration that people all around the world acknowledged (although on different dates and time zones) helping give the deviants an odd sense of belonging and community as they continued to forge ahead and walk their own unique paths through life.
From the shores around the tower Connor and Lucas stood shoulder to shoulder, Lucas being slightly taller than Connor was a little humorous to those who saw them, and watched the show in the distance. It was peaceful though chilly to be outside during the display, but neither deviant wanted to complain about the cold weather.
Connor was secured in his brown trench coat and fedora over his gray vest, white dress shirt and dark jeans, while Lucas was wearing pale blue jeans, a white t-shirt under a matching white hoodie and had the hood pulled up over his hair. The clothing was simple yet very effective at keeping the worst of the chill in the air at bay as Lucas adapted to feeling the world around him.
"You're certain you wish to stay here for a while longer?" Connor asked without taking his eyes from the fireworks in the black sky above. "It is your decision regardless of my opinion, I just want to make sure you're certain of your choice and that you're not simply trying to show Markus that you're harmless."
"I'm sure." Lucas replied in a level voice as he too continued to watch the fireworks illuminating the black sky for brief moments at a time. "I wish to stay here until Sydney is awake. I believe I can help him recover faster."
"How so?"
"I know I can reverse engineer the damaged components that Sydney requires in order to properly reboot." The determination behind his voice gave Lucas an air of confidence that one wouldn't expect to see from a newly awoken deviant. "It'll be easier to work alongside Simon and finish the work he has started. If anything, I can replace what circuitry that isn't compatible with Sydney from components within my own body."
Such a gesture was incredibly bold. "You'd donate your own components to aid Sydney?"
"Yes. You and Sydney are both prototypes and therefore will require specialized hardware in order to function properly. As a completed model I can easily modify secondary components to replace anything I might need in the future."
"That's both interesting and generous of you. I hope it'll work."
"As do I. For a reason I cannot express, I feel as if aiding Sydney is crucial for our futures as free deviants."
"I feel the same way." Admitting that the urge to help his fellow 'RK' models wasn't exclusive to Lucas helped Connor feel closer to the new deviant. "If you believe you can help Sydney then I will support your decision. Afterward you are both welcome to reside with me in my brownstone."
"Thank you, Connor. I appreciate knowing I have a home waiting for me when I'm ready to move on from the tower."
"You're welcome." The notion of opening his brownstone, his home, to two other deviants in need of shelter gave Connor a curious idea. Having himself, Lucas and even Sydney living together would be like having a family. Since the three deviants were identical, one would easily mistake them as brothers. "Hopefully in time we'll be able to live our lives without needing to worry about needing shelter from bigots in the city."
"That will happen one day."
"It's just unfortunate for us that 'one day' won't be tomorrow."
It was tense for Hank to speak with the child witness after the child saw their own uncle being gunned down right before him. Speaking with witnesses wasn't anything new for the senior detective but it never seemed to get any easier, especially when the witness was an innocent child. Calming himself down before Gavin even arrived at the precinct with the terrified witness secured alongside him, Hank managed to earn the child's trust and assure him that he'd be safe from Jack Pillar. On the outside Hank appeared as professional and confident as ever, but internally he was fuming about Pillar roaming the streets of Detroit again and was plotting which way of killing Pillar would be the most painful and slow.
From across the table in the interview room the child, Devon Winters, remained huddled under the shiny thermal blanket as his cup of hot chocolate kept his small hands warm from the biting cold air outside. Shaking with fear and cold Devon looked as pitiful and helpless as he felt.
Hank took in Devon's appearance and began mentally racking his brain for ideas. Devon had a dark complexion, dark brown eyes, dark brown hair, an athletic build and was clearly in great health. Not only was the kid wearing top of the line designer clothes, sporting one of the trendiest of haircuts and, according to the address Devon had provided, living in one of the richest neighborhoods in the entire city. How a kid with everything going for him ended up as the witness to a murder in one of the nastiest, dirtiest and poorest parts of Detroit was still a mystery in itself.
"So, why were you with your uncle in that neighborhood anyway, Devon?" Speaking in a soft voice Hank did his best to come off as friendly as possible since that's what Devon sorely needed that night. A friend. "Seems kinda' weird to take a fourth-grader out to a place like that so late at night."
"Uncle Mike said we'd just be a minute." Devon answered in a low voice as he stared at the chocolate drink in his hands. He was clearly scared and didn't know what else to do beyond answer Hank's question. "He said he needed to talk to someone before they left town and he didn't want me to be home alone."
"Do you know what they were talking about? Your uncle and the other person, I mean."
"I heard Uncle Mike say something about needing to move their supply 'cuz someone else was trying to sell where they were selling. I don't know what that means though."
"That's all right, we'll figure it out for you." Hank knew that Devon had witnessed a drug deal gone bad and now knew why Pillar had killed Mike Winters. It was a turf war on drugs. "And where were when you heard them talking?"
"Uncle Mike told me to stay in the truck while he spoke to his friend. They were yelling and I heard them getting mad before..."
"Before the other guy shot your uncle." Hank finished as Devon trailed off. He tried to be as empathetic as possible, but it was hard to do when it came to someone being gunned down. "When everything started getting bad what did you do, Devon? Hide?"
"Yeah." Devon was starting to shake from fear again as he told Hank what happened. "I heard a loud sound and Uncle Mike yell and swear, then I heard more of the loud sounds. Like a big bang!"
"Okay, keep going."
"The fireworks started and things got really loud so I ran from the truck and hid in the alley behind a dumpster since I could see Uncle Mike anymore. The other guy went through Uncle Mike's truck before driving away without me."
"Oh? What does your uncle's truck look like?"
"I dunno'. Red. And it has some stickers all over the back."
"That's good, we can work with that." Hank added the details to his report on the tablet sitting on the table before him. "Devon, after the other guy left where did you go?"
"I ran away from the alley and ran into a restaurant 'cuz it had people in it. I told some lady what I saw and she let me have a cookie while she called the cops."
"You heard the argument and you saw the guy drive off in your uncle's truck. Did you see the guy's face when he left?"
Shrugging his shoulders for a moment Devon replied in a tiny voice. "A little."
"What did he look like?"
"Uh... Skinny and white. He looked like he was losing his hair and he had some weird mark on the side of his face."
As vague as the description was Hank knew Devon had in fact seen Jack Pillar. The security cameras in the neighborhood caught Pillar exiting the abandoned building where the homicide had taken place and caught him slipping a gun into his coat before stealing the red truck Devon had described. The cameras also caught Devon sneaking out of the truck and then hiding in the nearby alleyway and then running to the restaurant just as the little boy had said he had done.
"All right, Devon. You've been very helpful and brave. Thank you."
"Where's my mom and dad?"
"We've been trying to get a hold of them so they know to come back and get you. Where are they right now?"
"They went to Paris 'cuz dad got a big raise at work. They said they'd be back in a few days."
"Is that why you were staying with your uncle?"
"Uncle Mike was staying at our house 'cuz he lost his job." Devon replied innocently. "Dad said Uncle Mike could watch me after school, and while mom and dad were on vacation."
"Oh, I see." Knowing that Devon had witnessed a murder and that his uncle was in trouble with drug dealers put Hank on guard. Sliding the tablet toward Devon to use, Hank asked the little boy one final question. "Can you give us your address?"
"Why?"
"We want to make sure that the bad guy who hurt your uncle isn't going to go to your house to mess with anything. We'll make sure everything's okay and we'll get that bad guy off the street as soon as possible."
"Okay." Devon took the tablet in his hands and wrote his address down on the screen by using the attached stylus. "This is where I live."
"Cool." Taking the tablet back Hank offered Devon a small smile as he rose to his feet to take his leave of the interview room. "Sit tight for me and we'll get you somewhere much more comfortable than a boring precinct."
Leaving Devon alone for just a moment Hank stepped out of the room and practically ran into Captain Fowler as his commanding officer stood in the corridor just a few feet from the door. Handing over the tablet Hank asked for an update on Devon's parents.
"So, where are his folks getting back into town?"
"We don't know." Reading over the details on the tablet Captain Fowler sighed and then shook his head a little. "We were able to reach his parents' cells and leave them messages, but we haven't had any replies. We also made contact with the Parisian authorities to let them know the situation and asked for them to try to track down Mr. and Mrs. Winters for us."
"Damn it. This poor kid just witnessed a murder and his only family is on the other side of the world right now."
"That's not all."
"Fuck..." Bracing himself for another setback Hank sighed and gave Captain Fowler his full attention. "Now what?"
"Reed went by the Winters' residence and discovered a break-in." Holding up the tablet Captain Fowler confirmed that the same address Gavin checked had just been provided by Devon. "The front gates were mowed down by our victim's stolen red truck, the front door was kicked in, the house was ransacked and a note was left behind claiming to have Devon as a hostage and the kidnapper is demanding a hefty ransom. Two-million dollars in untraceable small bills."
"Wait, what? No one saw Devon at the scene." The fact that Pillar knew where Devon, the lone witness, lived made Hank very nervous. "They still know about Devon?"
"Yeah. And they are apparently going to try to use him as leverage for... something." Captain Fowler couldn't find a motivation behind Devon's faked abduction. No one knew Devon had witnessed the murder and would have no reason to look for him. "Until his parents come back and they can leave the city until Pillar is arrested, that poor kid is going to have to go into temporary witness protection."
"Shit..." Putting his hands to his hips Hank sighed and glanced back at the door to the interview room over his shoulder. "What's the plan?"
"Keep him here until his parents come back."
"Ah, come on, Jeffrey." That plan made Hank feel sick. "A precinct is no place for a kid to be."
"Until we know why Devon's been targeted we have to keep him close. I won't risk that kid being actually abducted or hurt."
"I won't risk him getting hurt either, but he needs to be away from the cops for a while so he can process what's going on. That kid's already going to be traumatized by the sight of his uncle being murdered, why give him a negative association with the police while we're at it?"
"Well, what do you recommend?"
"We need to find him a secured and isolated place to hide out. Some place that no one would look for him." Running his hand over the back of his shaggy gray hair Hank thought about an ideal place as he thought back to what they already knew about Jack Pillar's behavior. "Pillar has tons of connections and resources, we all know that."
"Yeah, that's how he escaped life in prison after... You know."
"Exactly." Refusing to let Pillar get away with another crime by buying off another cop and judge, Hank got creative with his thinking. He'd need to rely on someone who Pillar would never be able to reach, bribe or corrupt in order to keep Devon safe. "Wait, I got it..."
"Let me hear it."
"We'll talk in your office." Glancing at the bullpen behind his Captain's shoulder Hank tried to not think about any of the officers or detectives who may have been eavesdropping and working with Pillar in secret. In that moment Hank knew he couldn't be too safe. "It's going to be complicated but I know we can pull this off for Devon's sake."
It was almost one in the snowy, cold morning by the time Connor returned to his brownstone to enter rest mode for the night. He was greeted by Bruno and was relieved that he didn't have any missed clients leaving messages for him to respond to. Everything was quiet now that the fireworks were done, people were returning home for the night after partying and the bars that had been opened up later than usual for the holiday were now closing down so the staff could sleep. The neighborhood was almost silent save for a few autonomous cabs driving down the street and Connor was pleased that nothing was amiss during his absence.
Rubbing Bruno's ears for a moment Connor hung up his coat and hat by the front door, then walked into the laundry room for a moment. With a little remodeling Connor could easily push the washer and dryer into his spacious kitchen and turn the laundry room into a third bedroom in the event Sydney wanted to join Lucas after moving in to the brownstone.
"This won't take too long. I can move the hook-ups for the washer and dryer into the kitchen, then I can remove a few cabinets and countertops to keep the space from getting too cluttered. I can easily make all of the appliances fit with some rearranging."
Bruno tilted his head to the side as if trying to imagine what Connor was preconstructing inside his own head.
"After that I can purchase another bed, a dresser and some other furnishings to make the room feel more open and welcoming. It'll be just fine."
While listening to Connor's plan for the future Bruno suddenly picked up on something else and approached the backdoor in the kitchen as if on alert. The dog sat at attention and let out a small whimper to inform Connor to whatever it was he was detecting behind the building.
"What's wrong, boy?"
Two firms knocks on the backdoor made Connor and Bruno's L.E.D's flash from blue to yellow for a moment as the deviants stared at the locked door. Connor approached the door and peered through the concealed peephole to look out at the unexpected visitor at his door.
"What's... this?" Opening the door Connor stood face to face with someone familiar and then noticed that they weren't alone. "Lieutenant?"
"Hey, uh..." Standing with his hands on Devon's shoulders as the scared little boy stood before him, Hank got right to the point and looked Connor directly in the eyes. There was no point in dancing around why he was there. "Detective Wolf, I need your help..."
-next chapter-