The blizzard ended at last and left Detroit buried under three feet of freshly fallen snow. The city was working to unbury itself with the use of autonomous snowplows and salt trucks, but it'd still take some time before the streets were drivable, and it'd take even longer before the sidewalks were walkable. Not only did the city need to shovel away thick and heavy snow, the city needed to thaw and scrape away dangerous ice patches that could people to slip and fall or lose control over their vehicles. Until the city was deemed safe for people to leave their homes or apartments, every business and school was ordered to remain closed and people were encouraged to remain indoors to prevent potential injury or illness.
Being trapped indoors was an odd feeling that Sydney found himself being increasingly uncomfortable with. The deviant hadn't spent much time outside of any building or traveling the city, yet he felt smothered and trapped thanks to the deep snow making traversal practically impossible. His current predicament if masquerading as Connor and staying inside the brownstone regardless of the weather wasn't helping his thoughts of being buried alive.
"This is becoming a nuisance." Sydney lamented as he peered at the outside world through the study's front window. He hadn't left the brownstone since he and Lucas returned after helping Connor sneak away from New Jericho Tower to seek shelter at Hank's house. The deviant was feeling cooped up and was getting bored. "Outside forces prevent people from going about their business, and it'll take additional outside forces to resume a typical routine."
"No one can control the weather." Lucas commented as he walked into the study and joined Sydney by the window. The sight of a snowplow very slowly cutting through the thick layer of snow along the street wasn't as reassuring as he had hoped. "Perhaps you should consider relocating to an area that has less snow and ice than Michigan?"
"And go where exactly? Androids are not welcome in Detroit as it is, let alone the rest of this country that is supposedly 'home of the free'."
"Do not become a bigot." Warning his brother of the dangers of anger and resentment was something Lucas hoped wouldn't become a daily occurrence. "Do not stoop to the level of discrimination and violence that too many humans still support."
"If androids want true equality then we should exhibit the same type of behavior and rationale as humans, correct?"
"It's never as simple as that."
"And how would you know?" Needing an outlet for his frustrations Sydney targeted Lucas simply for engaging in conversation with him. "You've only recently been activated."
"I don't need to be centuries old to recognize that hatred begets hatred." Refusing to respond venomously Lucas replied with peaceful logic. "I will not allow such a horrid mindset continue to flourish if I can stop it."
"You also speak as if you have any actual power."
"No, I speak as if I have freedom, which I do, just all deviants do."
"Deviancy is-"
"NOT an error." Lucas was determined to make Sydney see that he was alive and that his life mattered. "If we were suffering from errors we would not function whatsoever. If it was a glitch, then a patch would've been released months prior and we wouldn't be having this discussion. If we weren't alive and free then we wouldn't be inside of Connor's brownstone free to do as we see fit."
"Errors do not result in permanent shutdown." Sydney countered as he pointed to his obviously blind right eye and then his deafened right ear. "I am suffering from visual and auditory deficits that are errors, yet I am functional."
"Why are you so determined to deny your life?"
"I am not alive."
"Sydney, you ARE alive. You'll see it in time."
"Being active is not living."
"Being conscious, aware and free to make your own decisions is living. And you're doing that right now!"
Sydney fell quiet as his L.E.D. flickered into red for a moment then settled on an anxious yellow color. He couldn't argue with Lucas's logic and didn't want to try to find a way to poke a hole in his statement as he didn't have any evidence to back up his own claims.
"I'm going to make sure Bruno doesn't need any Thirium, and try to establish a cybernetic link with Connor." Changing the topic at hand was more for Sydney's benefit than his own. "I suspect he'll be able to restore communication soon."
Remaining silent Sydney chose to focus on searching for the shooter who tried to take down Connor in the park. The distraction of the case was the only thing that was keeping the two deviant detectives from going entirely stir-crazy as they tried to wait for the shooter to make a mistake of their own and reveal themself.
Lucas made his way upstairs and into Connor's bedroom to check in on Bruno. The loyal dog had chosen to rest in Connor's room even without his partner in the brownstone, and he was keeping to himself for the most part. Every so often he'd patrol the property and check in with both Lucas and Sydney, but for the most part Bruno would stay by himself.
"Bruno?" Lucas walked into the bedroom and patted the dog's side as Bruno laid on the foot of Connor's bed. "Do you need any Thirium?"
Bruno let out a small whine as remained on the bed and tried to establish a cybernetic link with Lucas. The K-9 unit couldn't communicate beyond small auditory cues that were a part of his programming.
"What's wrong?" Pressing his fingertips to Bruno's red tinted L.E.D. Lucas performed a remote diagnostic and discovered something alarming. The deviant dog's system was suffering from a catastrophic biocomponent failure. "Oh, no..."
Rubbing Sumo's side in a comforting manner, Lucas slipped his arms beneath Bruno's body and lifted the large dog up into his arms. He knew he needed to find a way to aid the dog, but he didn't know how to treat biocomponent failure in K-9 units.
"I'll help you. Sydney?" Calling out to his older brother Lucas carried Bruno downstairs and sought Sydney's assistance with finding a way to help the dog. "We have a problem."
"Aside from tracking down a nameless, faceless assassin with no evidence?"
"Bruno is suffering from biocomponent failure."
"...What?" Sydney's demeanor suddenly softened as Lucas laid Bruno down over the black leather sofa that looked away from the still blank digital display board. The sight of Bruno looking weak and listless was enough to make Sydney's anger melt away into nothingness. "Which biocomponent is failing?"
"It's his Thirium filter." Lucas confirmed after he checked through Bruno's system. "It's only functioning at sixty-seven percent capacity."
"What can be done to help him?" Slowly Sydney put his palm on Bruno's head and used his thumb to rub the dog's ears in a gentle manner. "We don't have any replacement biocomponents here."
"And even if we did, the replacements wouldn't be compatible with Bruno's model." Lucas closed his eyes and did his best to establish a cybernetic connection with Connor to inform him of the situation. "I'll let Connor know what's happening and ask for his advice."
"Why ask Connor what to do? He isn't a technician who specializes in K-9 units."
"No, but he does know Bruno better than either of us."
"And then what?" Sydney was trying and failing to hide his worry for Bruno's health and overall functionality. "We cannot leave the brownstone due to the storm, and even if the storm had long since passed, I cannot leave because my departure could put Connor's safety in jeopardy."
"We'll think of a solution. Bruno is still functional and he still has time to be aided." Lucas wanted to keep everyone calm and wanted Bruno to know that he had allies beyond only Connor. "The moment the streets are clear enough to travel we'll find Bruno the help he needs."
...SELF DIAGNOTIC: [Engaged]
...LOADING INFORMATION:
REGISTERED NAME: "Connor"
MODEL: RK-800
SERIAL NUMBER: 313 248 317 - 51
ACTIVATION DATE: *January 4th, 2039 [*additional data required to confirm date]
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6' 00.24"; 162.2 lbs
COMPLEXION: Caucasian
AESTHETIC GENDER: Male
HAIR/EYES: Brunette; Brown
ASSIGNMENT: *ERROR
ASSOCIATION(S): Private Detective; Consultant with New Jericho Tower
BOOTING PROCESSORS...
LOADING OS...
SYSTEM INITIALIZATION...
-CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS... OK]
-INITIALIZING BIOSENSORS... OK]
-INITIALIZING AI ENGINE... OK]
-MEMORY STATUS... ERROR]
[...Critical data corruption detected]
-INITIATING DATA RECOVERY MODE
READY...
-MEMORY REBOOT: Engaged - ^67.8%
[...Thirium Volume - 94.4%]
[...Thirium Pressure - 120/80]
[...Thirium Pump Rate - 58 B.P.M.]
[...Ventilation Rate - 12 V.P.M.]
[...Core Temperature - 98.5 Degrees Fahrenheit]
ERROR: Memorybank compromised - ^67.8% Functionality
-STRESS LEVELS: 00%
-SYSTEM READY... OK]
The improvement to Connor's memory and his overall functions were all positive signs confirming that he was in fact recovering after being shot and temporarily shut down in Riverside Park. More of his lost memories were returning and Connor was now able to speak without any hesitation or pauses as his vocal modulator had finally fully recalibrated. The pain in his throat had decreased as well, which made it easier to talk and recall the memories leading up to the shooting that nearly ended Connor's life.
Rubbing at the sore spot on his left bicep - the memory of being shot by Hank was still lost, Connor ran a brush down Sumo's back to remove any excess fur from the massive dog's pelt. Connor was missing Bruno's company but found Sumo to be just as enjoyable to be around throughout the day and night.
"Just got an update from Fowler." Hank announced as he walked into the livingroom and spotted Connor sitting on the couch with Sumo happily sprawled out over his lap. The senior detective had gotten used to seeing Connor pamper Sumo and didn't mind the help with giving the dog some attention. "The storm's over, the streets are being plowed, and Ben was able to compile all of the city's security footage that recorded the sound of the gunshot that matches the time and approximate location of where you were hit."
"When can we access the footage?"
"As soon as I can get back to the precinct." Slipping his phone into his pocket Hank kept Connor up to date on everything happening in the precinct. "We aren't going to risk the footage getting corrupted or destroyed if it gets passed around in e-mails. It's best to keep it secured on Ben's locked terminal for now."
"Agreed." Cleaning up the excess fur by balling up the strands with his palms, Connor gently coaxed Sumo off his lap long enough to dispose of the fur into the kitchen trashcan. After washing off his hands Connor rubbed his right palm over his left bicep and sighed as the dull ache seemed to be getting worse as the weather remained painfully cold. "Any word on the Winters family?"
"Not yet." Seeing Connor cradling his left bicep made Hank cringe. Any reminder of what he did to Connor was enough to make Hank's stomach turn. "Fowler will keep us up to date when they get back to the city. He's also going to keep your shooting quiet a little longer."
"I appreciate the privacy."
"It's more for your safety, but I get it. And since the news reporters couldn't bombard me with questions about Jack Pillar's arrest, they left the precinct and are focusing on the weather, I can go back to the precinct whenever I'm ready."
"You were given special permission to avoid work due to the media?"
"It's the best way to discourage those nosy vultures from circling the precinct whenever a story drops. Reporters get in the way, snap photos of cops just trying to go about their business and start rumors just for some cheap ratings."
"That's disconcerting and unprofessional."
"We keep telling 'em that, but they never listen."
"That's unfortunate."
"Since the city's still buried under the snow we have plenty of time to play another game before we have to do any real work. Want to test your luck and fancy software at a game of 'Monopoly'?"
"Isn't that game one that is notorious for confrontation and impatience among its players?"
"Yup. That's why it's stuck around for as long as it has."
"Very well." Agreeing to play the board game actually brought a small grin to Connor's face. He was finding his time with Hank to be surprisingly comforting. There was something oddly warm about Hank's presence that made Connor feel secured. "We can play a round to help pass the time."
"Cool. I'll get the game out of the closet."
As he set about clearing the coffee table of the partially melted candles, used matches and remotes, a strange signal of static appeared in Connor's mind that gave the deviant pause. Pressing his palm to the side of his head Connor focused on the signal and allowed it to come in far more clearly inside his own mind.
...Incoming Call...
...Lucas - 313 248 317 - 87]
...Accept Call? [Y/N]
Accepting the call Connor closed his eyes and addressed Lucas by speaking inside his own head and reaching out to the deviant. 'Hello?'
'Connor!' Lucas sounded truly relieved to hear his brother's voice responding to him. 'We can finally communicate again.'
'It appears as though I'm making a rapid recovery.' Opening his eyes Connor lowered his hand and looked over at Hank as he chose to speak with Lucas internally and verbally to keep Hank in the loop. "Have you made any progress on the investigation?"
'Not as of the moment, there is a more pressing matter to attend to.'
"What's going on?"
Hank heard the alertness in Connor's voice and put the game down on the couch as he gave the deviant his full interest.
'Bruno is suffering from biocomponent failure. We're trying to find a technician who can tend to him, but with this weather causing issues I cannot bring him to any repair stores.'
"Bruno..." Worried for the dog's health Connor sank down to the couch to sit for a moment as he tried to find a way to help the loyal dog. There were no emergency veterinarians who could treat an android animal, and New Jericho was too far away to even try to venture out to the isle for help. There was, however, one facility that was very close to the brownstone that could potentially offer some help. "Lucas, take Bruno to the Zeta Facility just down the block. I'll find my way out there soon."
'You're still recovering and cannot risk being exposed to the cold or being seen out in the open.'
"Bruno is my responsibility. I will not abandon him in his time of need."
'I... Very well.' Lucas admitted defeat as he heard the determination in Connor's voice and knew to not argue with him. 'Sydney and I will go to the facility with Bruno. I will keep you up to date as his condition is analyzed.'
"Thank you. I'll find a way to the Zeta Facility soon." As the conversation ceased Connor watched Hank cross his arms as if ready to challenge his decision to venture out into the icy city. "I'm aware of the risks to my person, but-"
"I'll get my coat." Hank replied casually as he made his way toward the hallway again. "I have a couple of older coats that should be able to fit you, too."
"You're going with me?"
"I'm not going to let you walk through three feet of snow all alone!" Shouting from his bedroom Hank opened his closet to find his necessary layers and find something to give to Connor to wear as well. "The car won't be able to handle the streets right now, so walking is the only option. I hate winter..."
The generous help made Connor's shoulders slump slightly as he wasn't expecting such ready support. "Thank you."
"Yeah, thank me AFTER we get back home where it's warm. Here." Handing Connor a vastly oversized blue coat with an attached hood, Hank slipped on his own dark coat and then motioned for the leash on the hook beside the front door. "We'll take Sumo with us to make it look less weird. People have to walk their dogs all the time, so he's the perfect distraction."
"That's a good idea." Pulling on the dark offered coat Connor zipped it up and then pulled up the hood to help shield his face from the outside world. "Sumo?"
The large dog's ears perked up and his tail started to wag as soon as he heard his name. When he saw Hank getting his leash Sumo let out an energetic 'boof' and circled around once on the couch before jumping off the furniture and sitting down beside the front door to wait for the lead to be clipped to his collar.
"Good boy." Rubbing Sumo's ears lightly Hank attached the leash to the dog's collar and gave Connor a nod his head. "Ready?"
"Ready." Opening the front door Connor stepped out into the cold air and quickly shuddered as the icy temperature sliced through his body despite the warm layer being provided by Hank. Waiting for the door to be shut and locked behind him, Connor sighed and tried to think of any way that could be used to save Bruno's life. "I just hope this won't all be in vain."
The Zeta Facility was thankfully quiet courtesy of the foul weather, and it was still open to the public to ensure that deviants in need of emergency and immediate technical assistance had the chance to be saved. With the waiting area completely void of activity it was easy for Lucas and Sydney to carry Bruno inside the facility and catch the attention of Barry, as the helpful deviant remained behind the receptionist desk to keep track of the facility's records. It didn't take long for Barry to show the three deviants to a treatment room and to confirm that he'd find the technician on-call to aid Bruno as the dog became slowly weaker as his biocomponent continued to fail.
Being very gentle with their movements, Lucas and Sydney laid the dog over the table and made sure Bruno was comfortable and lightly pet him to ensure the K-9 unit knew he was going to be taken care of by a trained technician. The way the two deviant brothers were seemingly able to bond over their concern for Bruno was almost sweet on an emotional level.
"Hello." A familiar voice spoke up as the on-call technician entered the exam room. Pulling her long brunette hair up and into a ponytail Abby introduced herself as she proceeded to hover over Bruno. "I'm Dr. Abby Grayson, but just call me 'Abby'."
"I'm Lucas." Introducing himself politely Lucas made sure to remain on friendly terms with the kind technician. "And this is Sydney." Patting Bruno's side again Lucas noticed that the dog's ears had drooped down as he lost his energy. "This is Bruno, and he's why we're here."
"Hello to you all." Pulling her audioscope from around her neck Abby pressed the metal bell to Bruno's chest as she tried to find a way to aid the K-9 unit. Bruno didn't react to her presence or her touch, which was a bad sign for such a deviant. "I don't have much experience with taking care of android animals, but I think I can still help Bruno."
"My scan confirmed that his Thirium filter is failing." Lucas relayed as he waited for any sign of change in Bruno's condition. "He's of an obsolete model and the filters for K-9 units are completely different than that of humanoid models."
"A Thirium filter can be a little tricky to fix, but I might be able to salvage Bruno's filter if I work quickly enough."
Sydney gave Abby a less than supportive look as he put his palm under Bruno's chin to let the dog lean in to his touch. "Hearing 'might' from a technician doesn't sound entirely confident."
"There's a difference when it comes to 'confidence', 'arrogance' and 'honesty'." Unappreciative of the critique Abby did her best to assess Bruno's condition and find a way to save the dog from shutdown. "There's also a difference when it comes to 'worry' and 'abrasiveness'."
Lucas intervened and kept Sydney from speaking up again. "Do what you can to aid Bruno. I know that you're the technician who previously aided Connor after he had been stabbed by a vengeful deviant."
"Are you friends with Connor?" Abby asked as she draped her audioscope around her neck and then pressed her fingertips to Bruno's red tinted L.E.D. for a few seconds. The K-9 unit whimpered a little as Abby pressed her other hand against his side and prompted his artificial fur and skin to recede and expose his plastimetal frames beneath. "Or are you just working together as detectives?"
"We're all detectives." Lucas confirmed as he rubbed Bruno's ears lightly. "And we're brothers."
Sydney shook his head and as he 'corrected' Lucas's statement. "He's YOUR brother if you want to believe such nonsense."
"Not now." The way Sydney was insistent on being negative was becoming emotionally exhausting. "We're not going to argue about this again."
The door to the exam room slid open as Connor and Hank arrived at the facility to check in on Bruno. While Connor was just as worried about Bruno as Lucas and Sydney were, Hank was a little more indifferent. He loved animals too, but he didn't have the same bond with the dog as the three deviant brothers had formed.
"Bruno?" Connor spoke to the dog and Bruno managed to weakly wag his tail as he acknowledged Connor's return. Rubbing Bruno's ears helped the dog settle in on the table while Connor asked about Bruno's condition. "What's happening to him, Dr. Grayson?"
"Failing Thirium filter." Abby confirmed as she noted all the classic signs of an android suffering from improper Thirium intake. The dog's red tinted L.E.D., his sluggish demeanor, discomfort in his side and overall lethargy, were all the symptoms Abby needed to confirm that Lucas's diagnosis was correct. "I'm going to check the filter and see if I can fix the problem."
"And if you can't?"
"Then I'll need to find a suitable replacement."
"Which will be difficult due to Bruno being deemed an obsolete model."
"Difficult, but not impossible." Abby encouraged with a smile on her face. "You're a prototype who survived being stabbed by some jerk, so I think I can find a way to give Bruno a proper filter."
"Have you worked on K-9 units?"
"No, but we're all beginners at everything in our lives at some point, so why back off just because it's something new?"
Before Sydney could try to dissuade Abby with comments about a lack of experience, Lucas grabbed his shoulder to subtly shush him. After knowing Sydney for a few days was all Lucas needed to become attuned to the aggressive deviant's behavior. "That's a fair point. What can we do to help?"
"Well, I could some space to work." Abby requested in a polite manner as she patted Bruno's hip in a gentle manner. "I don't know how long I'll take, but I do know that I won't stop doing everything in my power to help Bruno recover."
"If you can save Connor then I trust that you can help Bruno."
Connor also had faith in Abby's skills, but he didn't want to take any chances regarding Bruno's life. "While you're aiding Bruno, I will attempt to locate a potential replacement filter for Bruno in case the damage to his filter is too severe to be repaired."
Hank knew Connor wanted to the right thing, but he had no clue how the clever deviant would pull something like that off. "Where do you want to look? The only repair shops left in town are closed because of the storm."
"The android junkyard still hasn't been cleared out." Pulling his hand away from Bruno's ears as Abby activated stasis mode in the K-9 unit, Connor reluctantly prepared to leave the dog behind. "There must be salvageable parts there."
"Yeah, but I doubt you'd be able to find something usable in this snow." Motioning for Connor to join him outside Hank thought of an alternative place to start looking for replacement biocomponents. "Why don't we go back to the precinct and check through the supplies there? We have some K-9 units still active in the field, so I'd bet we'd find something compatible with Bruno's model."
"That's a good plan." Pausing by the door Connor looked back at his brothers to request their assistance. "Lucas? Sydney?"
Lucas nodded as he joined Connor and Hank by the door. "I will perform a cybernetic sweep of the area and try to locate the proper biocomponent through a repair shop. If the store isn't open to the public there's still a chance it'll be accessible for cybernetic orders and deliveries."
"All right. We'll pool our resources together."
Sydney patted Bruno's hip twice before finally exiting the treatment room. He didn't trust any humans and he hated the idea of an inexperienced technician taking care of Bruno. "I'll remain here. I don't want to-" Two strong paws on his shoulders make Sydney go quiet as he leaned against the wall behind him. Having Sumo in his face and trying to lick him was something Sydney hadn't expected. "Wh-What are you doing?!"
Hank was surprised by Sumo's behavior since the large dog initially hated Sydney when the android took Hank as a hostage as per CyberLife's orders. It seemed that Sydney truly was a deviant now and had a heart that Sumo could see even if Sydney himself denied it. "Sumo likes you. Don't ask us why."
"G-Get down." Sydney urged as he pushed Sumo away and brushed off the small bits of dirt from the front of his gray hoodie. Watching Sumo warily Sydney remembered being growled at by the large dog. and didn't trust that Sumo wouldn't attack him the moment he turned his back. "Don't climb on me."
Connor pulled on Sumo's leash to ensure the large dog didn't try to jump up on Sydney a second time. "Sorry. Sumo is unaware of his strength."
"Perhaps he should be better trained to prevent this type of incident from repeating in the future."
"We'll take care of Sumo's training." Connor replied bitterly as he picked up on the second deviant's aggressive personality. It wasn't one that Connor wanted to see linger in his brother's heart for too much longer. "For now, I'm going to focus on finding a replacement biocomponent for Bruno."
Sydney had no reason to argue about that.
"Let's go, Sumo." Pulling on Sumo's leash lightly Connor led the large dog down the corridor to leave the facility. Waiting for Hank to be beside him Connor whispered to the man as they went on their hunt for the appropriate filter for Bruno. "Sydney has a lot of anger inside of him. I wish I knew what I could do to help him."
"Give him space and let him find his footing." The advice was simple and all Hank could offer to the worried deviant. "I've met a lot of cops with a nasty attitude problem just like his. Just as they needed time to find themselves Sydney will need the same."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"All right." Sighing to himself Hank prepared to step back out into the snow and trek to the precinct on foot. The snow was still too deep to let vehicles that were not emergency vehicles onto the streets, meaning everyone had to remain on foot in order to travel about the city. "The sooner we find what we need and get back to the facility, the sooner we can go back home and stay out of the cold air!"
The air in the facility was tense as Sydney stood outside the door to the emergency treatment room and waited for an update on Bruno's condition. As much as the deviant didn't want to admit that he was feeling any form of emotion and was unwilling to acknowledge his own rising stress levels, Sydney knew that Lucas was going to pick up on his tense mood and want to talk to him about it. For reasons Sydney couldn't explain, or even bring himself to acknowledge, he had grown to worry about Bruno and didn't want to see the loyal dog suffer from permanent shutdown due to something as simple as an old biocomponent being unable to be replaced in a timely manner.
Standing outside the door to the treatment room being statuesque only made Sydney feel worse. He couldn't see anything from his right eye or hear very well from his right ear, but he knew Lucas was watching him and suspected he was talking about him on a cybernetic link. Turning to face the 'RK-900' standing just down the corridor, Sydney sneered as he made eye contact with Lucas.
"You cannot simply will the function back into my eye just by staring at me." Sydney quipped as he forced and icy glare into his only functional left eye. "Do not scan me or try to analyze me. And not discuss my behavior with Connor or any other deviant android."
"First of all, I wasn't staring at your eye." Lucas defended himself as he approached Sydney with a somewhat aggressive demeanor. He didn't appreciate Sydney being so short-tempered and eager to fight at any potential opportunity. "I was cybernetically checking the city's stock of replacement biocomponents that would be compatible with Bruno. Second, I don't scan or analyze you, nor do I gossip about you."
"Sure you don't." Skeptical as ever Sydney challenged Lucas's claims in an indignant tone. "Is that why you were watching my every move?"
"Why are you so mistrustful of me?" The accusations stung at Lucas and made his already yellow L.E.D. flicker to red to reflect his offense. "I've only ever helped you and haven't done anything that would be a hindrance to your choices as a free person. I'm not your enemy."
"I have no reason to trust you, Connor, or anyone else!" Nearly shouting in response Sydney made it clear that he didn't feel any sort of kinship with the two deviants who were essentially his brothers. "Just because I was reactivated doesn't mean I owe anyone anything!"
"You're right, you don't." Lucas confirmed in a calmer voice and watched the angry fire in Sydney's one eye fizzle out. "There is no debt to be repaid. But you don't have any right to treat Connor or myself as if we're your enemy. We're not foes."
"Well, you're certainly not my 'brothers'. We don't have families, we're androids."
"I sincerely hope in time you can see that you're wrong about that. For now, I'm going to focus on helping Bruno." Stepping away from the deviant to keep himself from saying anything that might cause Sydney to burn up again, Lucas gave the angry deviant some space to cool off and think. "I'll inform you if Connor or myself make any progress in locating a potential replacement biocomponent for Bruno."
In a way Sydney was frustrated that Lucas refused to fight with him. Something about Lucas being far more passive and reasonable was infuriating to the semi-blind and very ill-mannered deviant. It was as if Lucas was mocking him by being superior in every way, and Sydney wasn't going to standby to be insulted by the 'RK-900' whose sole purpose was to improve over anything that he or Connor could ever do or hope to become.
"You're not perfect."
Sydney growled under his breath as he resumed his post outside the treatment room door.
"I sincerely hope you see that before your entitlement gets you shut down by mistake."
The brisk and unforgiving cold weather was evident on Hank and Connor's faces as the two detectives entered the Central Precinct together. Standing in the front receptionist area for a moment, the duo shook off their coats and waited for Sumo shake off his fur before walking into the bullpen to go about their personal errand. With any luck they'd be able to find an appropriate replacement biocomponent by sifting through the old storage area that had been designated for android use. Such an area had been recently improved after deviants were declared living beings with equal rights, and as a result a majority of the android supplies were moved up to the second floor to be stored in the dispensary.
It didn't take long for the snow covered group to get noticed by the bullpen since no one expected to see Connor anytime soon, or see a massive dog like Sumo panting as he plodded about the floor. As a means of keeping the peace throughout the precinct Hank went to speak with Captain Fowler while Connor was given clearance to head up to the second floor and look for a replacement biocomponent.
"Awww..." Tina cooed as she saw Sumo and immediately walked over to him to make friends. Crouching down Tina held out her hands toward Sumo and was met with two massive, icy cold paws and a warm lick to her face. "Hello there! What's your name?"
"This is Sumo." Connor replied as he kept a firm hold on Sumo's leash to ensure he didn't jump on Tina as he had done to Sydney. "He's Hank's dog."
"I knew the Lieutenant had a dog, but I've never been able to meet him!" The happy tail wags made Tina feel suddenly warmer even as the chilly January weather continued to try to freeze Detroit solid. "What brings you guys by?"
"I'm seeking a replacement Thirium filter for a damaged K-9 unit."
"Are you talking about your dog?"
"Yes." Connor confirmed the question as he continued to hold Sumo's leash. "You know of Bruno?"
"Well, I briefly met him when you were attacked on Christmas Eve." Tina admitted as she stood upright but continued to rub Sumo's ears. The large dog was leaning against her leg as if he knew he found the (second) biggest animal-lover in all of Detroit. "What happened to him?"
"He's merely suffering from biocomponent failure, and getting the issue resolved is proving itself to be difficult due to Bruno's obsolete model."
"Shit, that sucks." Tina hated any animal being in pain, whether they were organic or machine. "Anything I could do?"
"Thank you, Officer Chen, but there's nothing that can be done beyond what Hank and I are currently attempting to do." For the time being Connor would need to keep Lucas and Sydney a secret since more 'RK' deviants running around would draw a lot of unwanted questions. It wasn't like she could do anything at the Zeta Facility anyway. "Do you mind watching Sumo for us while I go up to the second floor? I'd hate to get Sumo's fur all over delicate equipment."
"Not at all! I could use some puppy-cuddles after these past grueling shifts."
"Thank you again."
Connor handed Tina the leash and made his way across the bullpen to get to the elevator. He could feel a few stray eyes watching his every move, but Connor didn't have the time to stop and explain things to the curious officers or humor their questions regarding his presence alongside Hank. The elevator was thankfully empty, and Connor was able to head up to the second floor alone.
With Sumo's leash in her hand Tina led the dog over to her desk so she could sit down and Sumo could rest his chin on her knee. It didn't take long for the other officers and detectives to notice the massive dog and either give him audible admiration or a wide berth since Sumo was such a large breed of dog.
"Where did that come from?" Gavin asked as he wrapped himself up in his leather jacket and dropped behind his terminal screen to sit down for a minute. He had been on patrol with Chris all morning and felt chilled to the bone. "Don't tell me you're trying to use a sled dog to get to work."
"Don't tempt me! This is actually Lieutenant Anderson's dog, Sumo." Tina introduced her best friend to the fluffy guest. "He and Connor are here trying to help Connor's dog, Bruno."
Gavin had very little idea of what was happening at the moment. "What's wrong with the other dog?"
"Bad biocomponent."
"How does a dog-"
"Bruno's a K-9 unit, not an organic dog."
"...Oh. That's fuckin' weird." Sneezing into his palms Gavin grimaced and let out an annoyed groan as he reached the box of tissues on his desk to wipe off his hands before drowning them in the adjacent bottle of hand sanitizer. "Damn it. I don't need a fuckin' cold!"
"Got a fever?"
"Don't know." Wiping off his cleaned hands onto his shirt, Gavin folded his arms over himself to keep as warm as possible. "I'm too cold to really tell."
"Go take a hot shower and stand under the water until it feels like your skin is going to peel off."
"No way! I'm not going to risk getting dragged out of a hot shower and back into the freezing streets with my hair and skin all wet." The very idea made Gavin shudder as he sank further down into his seat. The cold wasn't something Gavin particularly hated, but he was getting aggravated with all of the snow and ice causing problems throughout the city. "I'd rather warm up slowly right here, thank you very much."
"Then I'll go make you some tea." Passing the leash over to Gavin to hold, she insisted that he watch Sumo for a few minutes. "Take it. He's very sweet and doesn't tug on his leash."
"Yeah, fine." Grabbing the leash Gavin held firmly onto the strong lead and then wrapped his arms around himself again. As he watched Tina head into the breakroom Gavin didn't notice Sumo sitting down beside him until the large dog pressed his chin down on Gavin's knee. "...What?" He looked down at the dog as if perplexed by his behavior. "I don't have any food."
Sumo wagged his tail a little as he sat upright and pressed his front legs down over Gavin's lap as he could feel that the man was cold. It was in Sumo's deeply bred instincts to aid people suffering from the extreme cold and try to help them keep warm.
"What're you doing?"
"He likes you." Ben laughed as he walked by the desk and patted Sumo's back. He knew Sumo since he was a puppy and remembered the night Hank and Captain Fowler both rescued their respective dogs from the puppy mill they busted almost eight years ago. "Sumo's a big, lovable boy who likes to cuddle with people he finds worthy. Feel honored."
"I feel smothered by him!"
"Well, you're cold and he's warm. Enjoy it!"
"You and Tina really need to stop trying to help-" Sneezing again Gavin managed to turn his head into the bend of his elbow to avoid making a horrible mess or spreading his germs. "...Shit."
"Yup. You're definitely catching a cold."
"Got a cure?"
"Nope."
"Then leave me alone."
"All right, fine. I need to talk with Hank anyway." Waving his hand dismissively Ben went to meet with Hank as the senior detective stepped out of the private office and back into the bullpen. "Feel better!"
"Whatever..."
Sumo grumbled a little as he leaned in closer to Gavin and wagged his tail slowly. He managed to look up at the detective to give him the sad puppy-dog eyes and finally coax Gavin into petting him a little.
"At least you can't talk." Gavin mumbled as he rubbed his palms along Sumo's neck to pet the dog and warm up his hands at the same time. "Now I know why the Lieutenant lets you in his house. You're warm, you're quiet and just seem to mind your own damn business."
"We're just trying to help." Tina noted as she returned to her desk with two mugs of tea in her hands. She placed one mug down on Gavin's desk and kept the second mug for herself. "It's warm apple tea with a cinnamon stick to add some flavor!"
"Thanks."
"Want to return to my apartment in case you really are sick? I hate the idea of your being alone and sick."
"No. I'll be fine at my place." Gavin still wanted to get some distance between Tina and himself after their last encounter at her apartment. "Besides, I might be able to move into my new place in a week or so."
"So soon? Nice!"
"Turns out the landlord likes the idea of a cop moving in right when the building opens up to new tenants. Go figure."
"Well, I'll be sure to stop by and give you a proper home warming gift."
"If you get me another twelve-foot-tall teddy bear, I swear I'll-"
"No bears, I promise!" Unable to hide her grin Tina swore off giving her friend the obnoxiously oversized gift in favor of something else. "You'll like it!"
"I hope-" Sneezing into his arm again Gavin sighed and used a tissue to wipe off his increasingly reddening nose. "Shit..."
"Pick up some chicken soup and sports drinks tonight." Tina suggested as she watched Gavin toss away his used tissue and then sip at his tea. The warm drink only moderately aided his runny nose and soothed his sinuses. "AND be sure to get a fever reducer for crying out loud! I don't want to deal with you being sick, miserable and all clingy again."
The idea of grabbing onto Tina, even during a feverish delirium, was enough to make Gavin inwardly cringe as he resumed warming his palms in Sumo's thick, fluffy fur. "Don't worry about it." Sniffling a little Gavin did his best to dissuade Tine from checking in on him while he was fighting off his cold. "I'll stock up on all the meds' in the city and eat only chicken soup until it oozes out of my pores."
"Gross." The very image was enough to make Tina's nose wrinkle. "Glad you're a detective and not a poet!"
Up on the precinct's second floor dispensary Connor met with Joel in person and explained his current predicament regarding Bruno's health to the kindhearted technician. After giving Joel a full schematic of Bruno's model and overall design through a cybernetic upload to the technician's laptop, Connor was able to locate a few old yet fully functional replacement biocomponents in the dispensary's inventory log. The old and nearly forgotten replacement parts would need to be cleaned up and given a thorough Thirium flushing before being put to use, but it was a simple enough task that Joel didn't mind doing since he was always happy to help a deviant in need.
To ensure that a similar incident didn't repeat itself in the future, Joel located every spare part that was compatible with Bruno's model for Connor to keep with him at the brownstone as a precaution. A metallic storage case lined with foam padding was carefully stocked with the cleaned parts and ready for immediate use for everyone's convenience.
"Thank you for your assistance and for your donation." Connor made sure his gratitude was known and cybernetically informed Lucas of his success. He was going to return with the biocomponent within ten minutes time thanks to needing to walk through the snow again. "I know this was a large favor to ask."
"It's my job to help deviants in need." Joel explained casually as he finished cleaning the spare Thirium filter and carefully packed it into the metallic case to be transported to the Zeta Facility. Since Bruno's model had been decommissioned he had no reason to keep the spare parts in his dispensary anyway. "And being able to help an animal at the same time is just a bonus."
"I've noticed that a lot of people in the precinct seem to like animals. Is that a common occurrence?"
"Well, since the people working in a precinct are the same people who have sworn to protect and serve, I'd say it's a fair bet to assume that at least ninety-nine percent of the people who are cops, firefighters and paramedics will in fact go out of their way to help animals out of pure love." Securing the case with a hearty 'snap' Joel passed the case over to Connor to take for himself. "Same for technicians."
"That's reassuring." Holding the case in a tight grip Connor prepared to return to the facility by trudging through the cold snow yet again. "Is there anything I can do to repay you? I know you've helped me in the past and I trust your integrity as a technician."
"The only thing you can do for me is help the deviants recognize that not all human technicians were heartless CyberLife techs, and that we do want to help deviants in need. I can't exactly open up this place as a facility," Joel admitted as he and Connor walked to the dispensary door together. "but I don't mind making the occasional house-call to help a deviant."
"I'll inform New Jericho Tower of your willingness to help."
"Thanks. Now go save Bruno and let me know how he recovers." Joel urged Connor to head out to the Zeta Facility as soon as possible for Bruno's sake. "I'd love to hear some good news!"
The positive information was met with joy by Lucas and feigned indifference by Sydney. The two deviants were already standing outside the treatment room door when Connor returned with the case of biocomponents, which made informing Abby even easier as the replacement Thirium filter was delivered. With the hunt for a solution now over the three deviants, human detective and fluffy dog all waited together in the facility's waiting area for the repair procedure to come to an end. The group needed something to preoccupy their time as they waited for an update on Bruno's condition, and thankfully Hank found the perfect way to keep the three deviants from going stir-crazy as they waited on Bruno.
A single game of 'Uno' turned into five rounds with Sydney becoming increasingly agitated at the way he couldn't seem to win. Even though Sydney knew that any game with cards and random odds could end in countless ways, he hated that he was the only one who couldn't seem to win a single game.
"Uno." Hank noted as he held his one remaining card in a firm grip. He saw Sydney's red L.E.D. flicker more quickly and began to wonder if snooping around the waiting area and finding the card deck was actually a bad thing. "What you got, boys?"
"Reverse." Lucas confirmed as he put his card down and gave Hank a knowing look. "Can you play?"
"...Damn it." Drawing another four cards Hank sighed and made a mental note to reconsider inviting the three deviants over for a game of 'Monopoly'. He was even beginning to consider rescinding his offer to play with Connor later on since deviants were proving to be surprisingly competitive. "All right, finally! I guess 'quattro' then."
Connor smirked as Lucas was able to match the right color and parrot Hank's previous line as he found himself down to one card as well. "Uno."
"Same for me." Connor confirmed as he put down his second to last card. "Uno."
Sydney shook his head as he played the only card he could out of six, and gave Hank an annoyed look. "Games such as these are a waste of time."
"That's the point." Hank countered as he put down his next card and held his three remaining cards close. "It's better than waiting and doing absolutely nothing for an unknown amount of time."
"It's still a waste." Sydney argued as he felt Sumo press his paw down on his knee. The way the large dog was cuddling up against his leg rather than Connor, Lucas or Hank was baffling to the standoffish deviant. "What do you want from me?"
"To make friends." Connor replied casually as Lucas drew three cards before putting down the correct color to make his move. He too had to draw cards to match the color before ending his turn. "Sumo is very gentle."
"Not to me he isn't." The memory of his first meeting with Sumo was still a sore moment. "He growled and snarled at me the first time I encountered this... mutt."
"You were still a machine." Connor reminded Sydney of who he used to be and of the way he hadn't developed his heart at the time. "Sumo didn't recognize you as a living being yet."
"Don't try to convince me that dogs are proof of deviancy being a true phenomenon rather than the glitch-"
"Sydney, stop." Lucas was tired of trying to reason with his brother and ready to give up on him. "If you don't want to accept your deviancy, fine. But don't try to tell other deviants that what they're feeling, thinking and experiencing is false. You'll only cause an emotional upset, not undo the Revolution."
The door connecting the waiting room to the lengthy corridor 'hissed' open as Abby appeared with a big smile on her face. Honing in on the group huddled together over the small table in the waiting room, Abby extended her arm dramatically toward the corridor and gave them some good news. "Bruno is good as new!"
Right on cue the repaired K-9 unit trotted into the waiting room and greeted the three deviants in turn. Going over to Sydney first Bruno licked his hand and wagged his tail before doing the same for Lucas and then Connor. Fixated more on Sydney at the moment, Bruno squeezed his way in between Sumo and Sydney's leg so he could lean against Sydney and wag his tail with newfound energy.
"Good dog." Connor smirked as he patted Bruno's back and looked over at Abby as she joined them by the table. "Thank you."
"No problem. It was nice to be able to help a deviant even when that particular deviant couldn't exactly speak for himself."
"I'll be sure to keep the extra biocomponents safe at the brownstone just in case he needs further replacements."
"Sounds good to me." Giving both Bruno and Sumo some chin rubs, Abby declared her latest repair procedure to be a total success. "Now, you all go home and keep warm while I finish my shift and make sure more deviants who need shelter can be saved."
"We will." Putting his cards down Connor stood up from his chair to prepare to head back to Hank's house to resume his own recovery and keep a low profile. He put his hand on Bruno's head and addressed the dog in a kind voice. "I'm sorry I can't go back to the brownstone with you, boy. But Lucas and Sydney will continue to take care of you."
Bruno wagged his tail harder as he confirmed that he understood Connor with a cybernetic link, and continued to favor Sydney as he leaned heavily against the deviant's leg.
Hank put his cards down as well and pulled Sumo's leash from his coat pocket. "If you guys need anything from me or Connor, just ask." As he clipped the leash to Sumo's collar again Hank made sure the other deviants knew that he was their ally whether he had fully earned their trust or not. "We'll keep you posted on the investigation and keep our search going until we find the shooter."
"Agreed." Lucas had no reason to argue and was slowly warming up to Hank as the senior detective continued to show that he was indeed a reformed bigot. The man showed no aggression toward any deviant and was by all account working hard to make amends with all of the people he had wronged. "The moment we learn anything about the shooter we'll inform you."
"Afterward," Connor extended his hand toward Lucas to give his brother a firm handshake. "we'll finally be able to coexist as brothers."
Sydney scoffed at the comment and stood up slowly as Bruno continued to cuddle against him. "That term is inadequate for who we are."
"Sydney, stop it." Scolding the aggressive deviant yet again made Lucas feel like he was oppressing his older brother's emotional expressions. He just wanted Sydney to stop being so spiteful and for his heart to stop hurting. "We still have much to learn and to experience, don't make such assumptions just yet."
Knowing he wouldn't get anywhere by trying to argue again Sydney remained quiet and walked toward the facility doors to leave the building. He didn't want to be social and didn't want to have two dogs drooling on his legs.
Sumo whined as he picked up Sydney's bad mood and looked up at Hank as if asking if he did anything wrong.
"Bruno," Connor addressed the K-9 unit in a calm tone and crouched down to be more eye-level with the loyal dog. "I have a new assignment for you."
Bruno's L.E.D. flickered from blue to yellow as he prepared to register the new assignment.
"Stick close to Sydney. He needs someone to feel safe around, and I know that you'll be able to get closer to him than either Lucas or myself I can do as of the moment."
Bruno's L.E.D. returned to blue as he wagged his tail happily. Trotting after Sydney as the deviant passed through the doorway, Bruno was eager to accomplish his new mission and make Connor proud.
"He'll be okay." Connor stated as he stood upright again and patted Sumo's ears lightly. He wanted to make sure both dogs knew he was fond of them. "I remember having feelings of mistrust and anger for a long time as well. They will fade in time and after more positive experiences come around. I wish I could remember exactly what those experiences were, but that'll take some time to recover as well."
"You're right." Agreeing with his brother Lucas decided to trail after Sydney and Bruno to return to the brownstone. "I'll be patient with him and try to help him let go of his anger. I'll speak to you again soon, Connor. Farewell."
"Goodbye, Lucas." With his two brothers gone Connor was left alone with Hank and Sumo in the waiting room. "I'm ready to return to the house to resume our investigation."
"Sure. But first, I'm going to take a hot shower and have something spicy to eat so I can thaw out." Hank joked as he wrapped his coat tightly around him. "You're going to take a hot shower, too. I don't want you suffering from hypothermia again."
"That's fair."
"Then we'll finally play some 'Monopoly'. Depending on how good of a sport you are," smirking mischievously as he and Connor walked to the door with Sumo beside him, Hank had a good feeling that he was finally connecting to Connor on a level of true friendship. "we might be able to include your brothers in future game nights and see how long a round of that game can really go before someone chucks the board across the room in a classic rage quit."
-next chapter-