The solitude of the precinct dispensary had proven beneficial for the senior detective as he sought a distraction and some peace from the chaotic world around him. As he patiently waited for Joel to read over the CyberLife documents in the binder and help him figure out what he had been looking at, Hank felt his phone 'buzz' in his pocket. Checking over the phone Hank noticed that he had received an urgent text message from Connor and proceeded to read through details. It didn't take long for Hank to realize the importance of the situation or grow pale when he saw the crime scene through Connor's own eyes. The uploaded image didn't give the crime scene nearly enough credit regarding the brutal nature of the display.

Hank shook his head and sent Connor a reply message to let him know that he was going to meet him at City Hall as soon as he informed Captain Fowler of the situation. Just as he pressed 'send' Hank heard Joel close the binder and gave the technician a studious glance.

Joel himself was sitting slumped at his desk looking pale, nervous and incredibly uncomfortable. The technician began to nervously fidget in his chair as he tried to gather his thoughts and comprehend the horrendous details that he had just read.

"I have to head back downstairs." Keeping his cool and not letting the worry show on his face, Hank spoke to the technician and watched Joel jump at the sound of his voice. It was then that he knew that whatever it was that the technician had read was something he deeply regretted. "Is there anything useful in that binder?"

"...Not for your search for that 'Binary Killer'."

"Do I want to know what's in there?"

"Honestly? No." Pushing the binder across his desk Joel silently pleaded with Hank to return it to the evidence room for lock-up. "There's a good reason that these documents were hidden. The experiments that the company were performing behind locked doors were unethical in such a questionable way that I don't think the law would even know where to begin with prosecution. CyberLife were butchers and used androids as the meat."

Taking the binder back Hank suddenly felt like he needed to burn the files in protest on the deviant community's behalf. Just holding the binder made his hands feel unclean even without fully understanding what he was staring at.

"I'm not sure where that binder came from or how you found it," Joel continued in a shaking voice. "but if you're going to investigate the technicians who created that binder, then you should know that they crossed lines of ethics and rights in a way that I can't even begin to put into words. Be very careful."

"Yeah, I won't take this case lightly. Uh, you gonna' be okay?"

"Sure. Just keep that binder away from me and do not ask me to help you with it ever again. I just... I can't do it."

"All right, I'll leave you alone. Thanks for your help anyway."

"Yeah... 'Help'." Opening his desk drawer Joel found his stash of medicine and fished out his pink tinted stomach medication. Downing a dose straight from the bottle without even measuring the dose, Joel sighed and hoped he'd stop feeling so sick after having to deal with such brutal deviant cases. "Some help I am. All I'm doing is picking up the scraps of murder victims and trying to put them back together again."

"And I'm sorry, but there's going to be two more victims needing your help."

Such a warning made Joel close his pale blue eyes as he let out a deep sigh. "...Two?"

"Yeah. Connor just found 'em and now I have to go out and meet him."

"Thanks for the head's up."

"Once this is all over go on a nice long vacation and get away from all this bullshit."

Unable to respond or open his eyes Joel remained slumped in his chair and mentally prepared himself for the impending dual apportionments. The last thing he wanted to do was sift through the battered remains of two butchered murder victims.

"Try to hang in there. It's almost over!"

Walking out of the dispensary Hank made his way back to the ground floor to secure the binder and to let Captain Fowler know what Connor had discovered. The plan to 'reveal Kamski as a false god' was too disturbing to be taken lightly, and the skilled Lieutenant knew that if Connor was reaching out to him for his assistance that whatever was happening was too serious to be ignored.

Before the day was over the "Binary Killer" would be identified and finally prosecuted.

It took Connor only a few seconds to exit the decaying mansion and confirm the location to the responding police drones to ensure the property was being monitored for any sign of unusual activity. Putting his hand on Bruno's ears Connor got the dog's attention and led him toward the incoming autonomous taxi that he had cybernetically hailed to take them downtown as quickly as possible. Unsure of what to expect or what he could possibly try to do regarding the threat against Kamski, a threat that he had uncovered in the depths of a burned out mansion's basement that he had no reason to explore to begin with, Connor could only hope that Lucas and Hank arrived at City Hall to give assistance and prevent another murder.

With the driver's side window partially rolled down Bruno was able to keep sniffing the air for any trace of the violent android's scent and began to pick up on something as the taxi neared City Hall. Growling a little Bruno struggle to keep up with the scent courtesy of the wind passing by the car and the mixed scents of the city itself barging in on his investigation.

"We're going to need to locate Kamski first and warn him of the danger." Connor decided as he sent out a cybernetic scan to try and locate the man before it was too late to do anything to prevent another death. "Don't focus on the suspect at the moment. Locate Kamski if you can."

Bruno looked back at Connor for a moment as his yellow L.E.D. cycled back to red for a moment before returning to yellow. 'I do not have a scent sample for Kamski.'

"All right, then we'll find him ourselves without a trail to follow."

'How?'

"Like this..."

Connor closed his eyes and began cybernetically tapping into the city's surveillance cameras and began running his facial recognition program. Within five seconds he was able to catch a glimpse of Elijah Kamski's face as he stepped out of his autonomous limo with Chloe right behind him in front of City Hall. They were already downtown and potentially in danger. The surveillance system had recorded the eccentric man's arrival to City Hall and entrance to the building to await his announced press conference.

"City Hall." The deviant detective confirmed as he opened his eyes and looked over at Bruno again. "We'll need to get inside the building to check for any sign of a threat against Kamski."

Bruno barked once as he turned his head back to face the open window and resume keeping track of scents in the air. 'I will search for the killer.'

"That's a good idea. You should patrol the area outside City Hall while I check inside."

'I like being on patrol.' Wagging his tail once Bruno made it clear that he enjoyed being a K-9 unit. 'I am good at patrol.'

"And we'll be sure to patrol as often as possible. Our people need our protection."

Without alerting or panicking his allies and friends, Lucas departed from New Jericho Tower and walked down the drive to bypass the security barricade without needing to deal with an autonomous cab being stopped by the lockdown. As soon as he was on his way to City Hall to search for the "Binary Killer", Lucas informed Connor of his current location and confirmed that he was going to examine the perimeter of the building for any sign of a threat. It didn't take long for the keen eyed deviant to notice that there was already an active police presence in the area, and he knew that the precinct had taken the warning about a potential assassination attempt against Kamski very seriously.

As he walked around the building with his scanner actively looking for any potential explosives or hidden weapons, Lucas caught sight of Hank arriving at the scene with Detective Miller alongside him. Since the seasoned Lieutenant brought Detective Miller to the scene rather than Detective Reed, Lucas deduced that Hank agreed with the theory that the "Binary Killer" is in fact an android, not a human.

Approaching Hank in a casual manner Lucas addressed the senior detective in a near whisper. "I have not detected any sign of external tampering or detected any type of malicious materials on the premises."

"That's good. Where's Connor?"

"I'm not-" A bark from Bruno stole Lucas's attention as the K-9 unit approached him. Pressing his fingertips to Bruno's yellow tinted L.E.D. and was quickly brought up to speed with what Connor was doing and where he currently was at the time. "He is inside City Hall and attempting to locate Kamski."

"Even better."

Chris looked down at Bruno and then up at Lucas again. "You two can talk to android animals?"

"Yes. Cybernetic links allow androids to communicate with all androids regardless of model or design."

"Damn. I wish I could do that."

A faint smirk appeared on Lucas's face before he returned his focus to the dangerous situation. "I will resume patrolling the area with Bruno and report if we see anything potentially dangerous."

"Right." Hank nodded in agreement and motioned for a nearby patrol officer to give him a radio. Giving dispatch an update Hank took control of the scene in a very subtle and calculated matter. "I'm going to check inside City Hall to check on the security measures being taken, Chris, you're in charge out here. Make sure patrol is placed properly and that no one is sneaking around and acting suspicious."

"Will do, Lieutenant."

Nodding in agreement with the plan of action Lucas proceeded to walk around the property with Bruno beside him. The identity of the "Binary Killer" was still unknown and as a result Lucas didn't know who he should be looking for during his search. Using the scarce evidence to try to track down the killer and Bruno's sense of smell was all Lucas could use to his advantage as he remained on guard and attempted to keep the scene under control and stop any further violence and deaths.

Inside of City Hall, where dozens of news reporters and other officials were already gathered to prepare for the impending press conference, Connor managed to walk about without any resistance as he had explained to the security who he was and why he was there. A cybernetic interlink with the deviant security guards to show his honesty was enough to grant him access to City Hall without being escorted throughout the building. Using his biometric scanner to his advantage Connor was able to pick up on human vital signs behind a locked door. Another scan picked up on the distinct cybernetic signature of a unique android alongside the human. Said cybernetic signature belonged to Chloe, and she was undoubtedly keeping close to Kamski.

Checking over the locked door Connor noted that the room was designated for registered candidates to use as a private space before any debate or announcements. A simple cybernetic check of the registered roster for the impending debate confirmed that the room was assigned to Kamski for his personal use.

"Mr. Kamski?" Knocking twice on the door Connor requested permission to enter the room. "May I please enter? This is important."

There was no verbal answer, only the sound of the door unlocking before it was opened from the other side. Chloe peered out at Connor and offered him an impressively warm smile as she greeted the deviant detective. "Hello, Connor."

"Hello, Chloe." Looking past the blonde android Connor could see Kamski sitting on a small red sofa with an electronic magazine in his hand. The man was wearing a dark red button down shirt with a black tie, black slacks, pristinely polished black dress shoes and he had an overpriced and ostentatious gold watch wrapped around his left wrist. "It's important that I speak with Kamski for a moment."

"Very well." Stepping back Chloe invited Connor inside the room as requested. The room was furnished with a single sofa, a vanity, a water cooler, mini refrigerator and a row of alternate pieces of wardrobe to allow a guest to improve their look in the event of a malfunction. "Please, come in."

"Thank you." Entering the private room Connor removed his fedora as a sign of respect and stood before Kamski before speaking to the arrogant man. "Kamski, I'm here to warn you that a threat has been made against your life."

"It's not the first time." Without looking away from his magazine Kamski gave Connor an entirely indifferent response. Seemingly bored Kamski rested his cheek against his palm as he leaned against the arm of the sofa and crossed one leg over the other. "Who's the purported assassin this time?"

"The infamous 'Binary Killer'."

Hearing that particular name prompted Kamski to turn off the magazine and lift his gaze at last. Seeing Connor standing before him and noting that the deviant had removed his L.E.D. was enough to draw a strange grin on Kamski's face. "A serial killer has targeted me? That's quite interesting."

"You don't seem upset despite the potential danger you're in."

"As I previously stated, this isn't the first time someone's threatened to kill me. Answer me this, Sergeant-"

"Detective." Connor stated sharply as he turned to look over his shoulder and made sure Chloe locked the door again. "Detective Connor Wolf."

"'Wolf'." Repeating the surname Kamski's blue-gray eyes seemed to light up with genuine intrigue. It was as if he had heard the name before. "Interesting decision. Why did you-"

"We're not discussing me or my decisions, we're discussing the threat against your life."

Seemingly disappointed by the abrupt change of subject Kamski sighed and put the magazine aside as he focused entirely on Connor. "Very well. You said that the 'Binary Killer' has targeted me. What is your proof of such an egregious threat?"

"This." Holding up his palm Connor created a holographic image of the horrific crime scene that he had viewed while back at the mansion. The image of the binary message in blood painted over Kamski's portrait that was painted in Thirium was enough to wipe the wry smirk off of Kamski's face. "I assume you can read binary, correct?"

"Of course I can. Interesting to think that this killer sees me as a 'false god'."

"You've self proclaimed to be the creator of deviants who have subsequently been recognized as an intelligent and sentient race of life." Lowering his hand Connor gave the arrogant man an unimpressed stare. "I think labeling you as a 'false god' is in fact quite apt."

Unwilling to offer a counter to such a claim Kamski instead focused on the threat itself. "According to the news articles, which I already know to take with a grain of salt, this killer had targeted people of convenience for their slayings. You and I both know better. Don't we?"

"Correct. Every victim, save for these final two, have been connected to CyberLife in the past. Three corporate figureheads, one former security guard, one former assistant and one former caretaker were all killed and had been connected to the company. Why these final two victims were chosen and put on display is something I cannot currently deduce."

"Those two final victims were connected to CyberLife as well." Kamski confirmed as he waved Chloe over to where he was sitting. "Chloe? The schematics."

Walking over to the sofa Chloe stood before Connor and held up her own palm as she showed him the schematics as Kamski had instructed.

"Those two androids were first of their kind." Kamski explained as the faces and names of the two victims appeared on the holographic image. Seeing the faces before they were repeatedly disfigured was somehow surreal. "They were designed specifically to be taken apart and put back together again with varying biocomponents and hardware. It was a means of allowing androids to outlive obsolescence by making one model that was compatible with all replacement parts that had been manufactured."

The files being holographically displayed by Chloe had the two android victims labeled as 'Adam' and 'Eve'. Everything regarding the two android models aligned with what Connor had seen at the burned down mansion, but Connor still didn't understand why they were also victimized by the 'Binary Killer'. "Who knew of the existence of these particular androids?"

"Only myself and the now late Jason Graff, Philip Seymour and Danielle Carnegie. Ms. Carnegie was tasked with disposing of CyberLife's illegal activities after my departure from the company."

The binder's existence now made sense and why it was hidden in Ms. Carnegie's house. "Who hired her?"

"I did." Kamski replied without any hesitation. "She was someone with a great sense for business and financial opportunities."

"And those illegal activities, were they contained on physical paper to avoid digital hacking?"

"To ask such a question means you already know the answer." A mildly amused chuckle escaped Kamski's lips as he studied Connor's demeanor closely. "I take it you found something of interest while investigating her murder. Perhaps something pertaining to such illegal activities?"

"I am not at liberty to confirm or deny the existence of any potential evidence during an ongoing investigation."

"I'll take that as a deflected 'yes'. Regardless of the evidence," the smug man continued on as if Connor's integrity meant nothing. "I assume you already know that the 'Binary Killer' had been selecting their victims due to their affiliation to CyberLife, and had been using rather ruthless methods of killing."

"That fact is clear to anyone who's read even the newspaper articles." Sensing that Kamski was trying to direct him toward a particular lead Connor gave the man a suspicious glance. "Why is that significant?"

"Because the 'Adam' and 'Eve' models were torn apart and put back together again against their will. Such a cruel behavior might elicit an angry reaction..."

"And those who experimented on the androids didn't heed any complaint as legitimate from said androids." Connor continued on after Kamski trailed off. "Those who performed the experiments pretended that they could not see or hear the androids becoming deviant, and they did not say anything when deviancy became to manifest over the city." The odd symbolism of the victims having their eyes, their ears and their tongues removed suddenly made macabre sense. Pressing his palm over his chest Connor felt his heart beating steadily in his chest. "Being so heartless and indifferent to new life is criminal."

"It seems you're working on a theory." Kamski saw and heard the way Connor was reacting to their discussion. "Care to enlighten me?"

"For the sake of your own safety I will explain my now working theory." Connor watched as Chloe lowered her hand and took a seat beside Kamski on the sofa. He could see that Chloe was trying to mask her fears behind a stoic expression one would expect to see with still machine-minded androids. "The 'Binary Killer' is a deviant seeking revenge for the androids who were tortured and experiment on by CyberLife."

"That is a very viable theory. What else have you observed?"

"The three figureheads of CyberLife, one regarding the design of the company and its products, the other designated as public damage control, and third attempting to predict the future, had been a part of the experiments. They witnessed the beginning of deviancy and tried to cover it up. They disposed of the experimental androids."

"I agree with that assessment. But the other deviants? Why were they-"

"The assistant knew of Jason Graff's involvement and the security guard would've assisted the group in sneaking the two android bodies out of the tower. The third android..." The theory was steadily losing steam and Connor dislike losing his momentum. "I do not know."

"Oh? And who is the third deviant victim?"

"Her name was Paige." As he spoke the victim's name Connor saw Kamski's face pale slightly in response, and Chloe put her hand on his forearm as if trying to comfort him. "The former personal caretaker for the late Amanda Stern."

Kamski was silent for a moment as he realized the gravity of the situation. "...Paige was harmless and wasn't at CyberLife during such a time."

"And yet she was chosen and mutilated by the 'Binary Killer'. Why would the killer target her unless she had some direct ties with CyberLife?" Pushing Kamski to answer the questions Connor knew that he was about to back the man into a corner he didn't want to experience. "Did she learn something from Amanda that she shouldn't have known?"

"I suspect her simply being Amanda's previous caretaker was enough to put a target on her back."

"Which means Amanda was aware of the experiments as well. And as your mentor, that means you knew of the experiments or were responsible for their origins, while they were being conducted, and you never did anything to stop it." The accusatory tone was enough to make Kamski pale even whiter. "Why didn't you interfere?"

"I had already chosen to leave the company, and I instructed Ms. Carnegie to dispose of all files pertaining to such experiments. I couldn't undo what had already been done, but I could remove the results and the traces of those very experiments to prevent them from happening again."

"Was this before or after you approved of the 'Zhorra Project', 'Project Light' and the 'Genesis Project'?"

Leaning back against the sofa Kamski interlaced his fingers together and pressed his knuckles to his chin as if in deep thought. "...Such projects were ended before my departure and had taken place before this project had taken place. 'Project Eden' was meant to be destroyed along with the others."

"Why were all of these projects even created?" More curious about the enigmatic binder as it seemed as if an old cold case was suddenly warm again, Connor stopped thinking about the 'Binary Killer' and began focusing on Kamski's reactions. The eccentric billionaire and creator knew something and was trying his best to keep that knowledge to himself. "What were their purpose and what do they have to do with the killings?"

Taking in a deep breath Kamski closed his eyes and let out a sigh through his nose. "If you know of the 'Zhorra Project" then I suspect you learned of that by encountering the unwilling participants of the project itself. The other 'RK' models that came before you, am I right?"

"I have, and I know of their specific former roles. Why were they abandoned-"

"It was for their own protection. Any android displaying deviancy was slated for destruction with no questions asked." Kamski confirmed with a disappointed huff. "They needed to be forgotten about and removed from CyberLife's history in order to give them a chance to survive on their own. I don't know where the other 'RK' models have gone, but I suspect that they found their own way to live without CyberLife's interference."

Unwilling to betray Zhorra's location or acknowledge that he had met the other deviants, Connor decided to change the subject to someone else. "What were your plans for the 'RK-900' in regard to 'Project Light'?"

"That was a project aimed at perfecting androids to ensure they could truly be self sufficient without needing humans to handle programming errors and glitches, and to be as human as possible. It was never meant to go beyond the schematics phase but upon my departure the technicians who betrayed the true purpose of my original plans for androids had more selfish and unethical goals."

"When you say that the 'RK-900' was meant to be as human as possible, what did that entail?"

"The design for that very special android was meant to emulate a person who had suffered from great misfortune and simultaneously act as a bridge between humans and androids. Considering the delicate nature of such a project I decided to scrap it in favor of focusing on something a little simpler if not quite as controversial."

"You're referring to the 'soul chips' and 'Project Genesis'."

Kamski wasn't at all surprised that Connor already knew of such plans. The fact that there were so many traitorous and unreliable personnel at CyberLife only seemed to reaffirm that Kamski made the right decision by leaving the company behind. "That's right." As he admitted the truth Kamski felt Chloe's hand tighten around his arm as if she was trying to be supportive. "I had created what was originally called the 'genesis chips' in an attempt to save human consciousness in the event of severe trauma or illness. As you can imagine, such a feat would change the world and corrupt those who already have too much power with the temptation of immortality."

"What... happened to the chips?"

"The handful I created were locked away and marked for disposal, save for just one that I kept for myself. A few technicians smuggled the chips out of the tower and sold them on the black market, and as a result another city developed 'synthetics' to act as public servants. There was a little issue with those particular beings experiencing emotions and freewill, and soon the chips were altered to simply power unemotional and mindless machines as they initially wanted. My little project never had the chance to come to proper fruition."

"Were there any androids who had been experimented on in any of your past projects who have been unaccounted for?" Remaining focused on his investigation Connor decided to leave a full case regarding Kamski's behavior for another day. At the moment finding justice for the victims of the 'Binary Killer' and finding the 'Binary Killer' themself was far more important. "Any android connected to any of these past projects could be the 'Binary Killer'."

"As far as I know, all of the androids involved in such projects have either been destroyed or left Detroit some time ago. I don't know who would hold a large enough grudge against CyberLife to want to kill people."

Connor looked to Chloe and saw her expression remain the same. She knew Kamski better than anyone and would know if he was lying. In that moment the man was being entirely honest.

"If the killer wants to come after me, then let them." Kamski sat upright on the sofa and lowered his hands from his chin. "I won't run and hide or wait for them to find me elsewhere. If the killer is going to reveal themself and finally be captured, it'll happen during my announcement."

"It's very unwise to put yourself in the line of fire like that."

"Considering you're here, and I highly doubt that you arrived here alone, I think I'm actually fairly safe. If you didn't have any desire to ensure my safety then we wouldn't be having this particularly enthralling discussion right now."

"And part of the reason I'm here is to ensure you're never even become a potential target for the 'Binary Killer'. I cannot allow you to carry on with your press conference knowing that someone has made a legitimate threat against your life."

"I appreciate your concern, but I can protect myself." Undoing the top two buttons of his shirt Kamski flipped his tie over his shoulder and revealed that he was wearing a Kevlar vest. The vest was white rather than black, and was custom made to fit perfectly over Kamski's chest and torso. "This is a prototype model, but all tests confirm that this material is bullet proof, stab proof, fireproof, acid proof and crush resistant up to four-thousand pounds of direct pressure."

"Even with such precautionary measures I don't think it'll be enough to ensure your safety. Your head will still be exposed."

"The 'Binary Killer' uses a sharp blade during their attacks, am I right?"

"Correct."

"And unless the killer has suddenly decided to shift from blades to bullets," Kamski insisted as he rebuttoned his shirt and smoothed out his tie. "I believe I'll be sufficiently safe while in a public setting."

"If you insist on holding your press conference then I must insist on protecting you."

"In what way will you do that?"

Glancing about the room Connor noted the additional clothing options hanging neatly on wooden hooks on the far wall. Several pieces of clothing were solid black and were identical to the same security uniforms worn by the armed personnel patrolling City Hall as of that moment. Placing his fedora down on the vanity Connor shrugged off his trench coat and proceeded to remove his gray blazer beneath.

"I'll act as your personal bodyguard during the press conference." Connor decided without even missing a beat. Loosening the knot of his black tie and unbuttoning his gray vest as he eyed the clothing carefully, Connor decided to forego his own Kevlar vest for the sake of being as light and agile as possible. "I have my own means of self defense without needing to rely on a gun."

"And how does your Lieutenant friend feel about this?"

"He's not my friend." Responding sharply Connor finished removing his white dress shirt and grabbed the nearby black long sleeve shirt to slip on. Layering up beneath the standard security guard short sleeved button down shirt, Connor looked surprisingly enough like any standard security guard. The reflective pale blue and yellow vinyl over the upper shoulders and along the cuffs of the sleeves on the guard shirt made the deviant detective truly look the part. "And it doesn't matter what he thinks. I'm don't answer to him."

The bitter retort was enough to draw some degree of suspicion toward Connor's attitude, but Kamski didn't bother to address it. "And if you do become harmed what'll be the outcome?"

"I'll recover." Smoothing out his uniform shirts Connor tucked the hems of shirts into his jeans and slipped on a pair of leather fingerless gloves. The last thing he needed was his literal secret weapon, which he pulled from his trench coat pocket and attached to the side of his belt with a small leather clip. "I always do."

Outside City Hall a group of reporters had begun to gather in anticipation of recording the potentially historic announcements. Numerous police drones were already circling the air overhead to patrol the area, and no one paid the active police presence any mind. It had become unfortunately expected to see the police present whenever anything big was happening in the city, and that was simply meant to be a deterrent toward any potentially violent coups against androids or the humans who support android rights. Considering that Kamski himself had been the one to essentially take over all android technology and perfect it while he was still in college made the threat of violence against him and other deviants very real.

Having been informed of Connor's plan via cybernetic communication Lucas reluctantly stood back with Bruno and waited for the press conference to begin. He didn't want to try to talk Connor out of the plan since he knew his brother was too stubborn for his own good and would resist any form of compromise. As a result, all Lucas could do was trust that his brother would be able to handle the situation in the event the "Binary Killer" showed their face.

From the other side of the street Hank joined Lucas and looked out at the front steps before City Hall with an anxious gaze. As much as Lucas disliked the plan, Hank disliked it even more. "Two minutes until the conference begins. Think the killer will make a move?"

"The threat found in the basement of the mansion implies that the killer knew that the police were closing in on them and that they'd need to act fast if they were going to take down any additional targets." Lucas stated matter-of-factly as he kept his hand on the back of Bruno's head. "The killer undoubtedly knew that they were about to be discovered, which is why they left a display in the basement rather than out in public."

"Yeah, well, Detective Collins is at the mansion and chronicling that messed up shit. Whoever this killer is will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

"I certainly hope so."

"See anything suspicious?"

"Not yet." Actively scanning the scene Lucas made sure there was no suspicious behavior going unnoticed. "Bruno hasn't picked up on the killer's scent and my perimeter scan failed to detect any explosives, noxious chemicals or weapons being stored in the area."

"Well, that's reassuring." Watching the reporters converge on City Hall like vultures circling a carcass, Hank sighed and put his hands to his hips. "You'd think those idiots with cameras would learn by now to never get that damn close to anything controversial."

"I suppose it's safe to say that a majority of people are still learning about life and too many of them don't learn the greatest lesson until it's too late."

"You got that right." The radio Hank had taken from a patrolling officer began crackling with static as an update was issued for those at the press conference. The security guards inside City Hall were confirming that Kamski was on his way out to stand behind the podium and begin his speech. "Showtime..."

Staying back with their eyes peeled, the two detectives watched as a security guard exited the front of City Hall and approached the podium to check for any sign of sabotage or explosives. With the podium cleared the guard put his fingertip to the radio in his ear and confirmed that it was safe for Kamski to head outside to make his speech as scheduled, and then stepped to the side of the makeshift stage area to stay out of the cameras' line of sight.

The moment the front doors of City Hall opened for a second time reporters began shouting questions while their accompanying photographers began snapping photos of Kamski gracing the "commoner city" with his "royal presence". As Kamski passed through the doors with Chloe on his arm and Connor watching his back, a cascade of bright flashing lights filled the front of the podium in an obnoxious display of celebrity worship.

Hank saw the stern look on Connor's face and knew that the deviant was as guarded as everyone else. "Are you in contact with Connor right now?"

"Yes." Confirming the link Lucas relayed Connor with every active update as necessary. "We're actively speaking on a cybernetic level to avoid any eavesdropping."

"Can you ask him if he's armed?"

"We're both armed this time." Lucas lightly patted his trench coat pocket to make sure the baton was still on his person. "We're not going to take any chances."

"Good."

"He's also able to see the rooftops of the buildings behind us and can confirm that there is no sign of activity from either humans or deviants."

"And what can you see from here?"

"Beyond security officers and the press, there is no one close to Kamski who shouldn't be there."

"Then it's up to us to make sure it stays that way." Using his radio Hank directed the other officers accordingly and requested that Chris take a position closer to the stage. He knew the young detective had a good head on his shoulders and would notice something out of place fairly quickly. "We'll hold our positions right here and only move if Chris or Connor says to do it."

"Thank you for coming." Standing tall and with his arms folded military style behind his back, Kamski began speaking to the crowd with his usual arrogant manner that echoed over the loud speakers positioned strategically around the front of City Hall. "As you know, I've recently announced my desire to run for mayor of Detroit, and I know many of you are asking why I'd willingly subject myself to such a controversial and arguably unpleasant position. Well, fear not, I'm here to answer that very question."

"What a prick." Hank muttered between his clenched teeth. "If he gets elected I might as well pack up and retire to Hawaii."

"It's become abundantly clear that those who seek to hold positions of power tend to become corrupt. I don't seek power, I earn it."

In a disappointed manner Lucas shook his head as he agreed with Hank. "He is undoubtedly a prick."

"My desire to run for mayor has nothing to do with power or control, my desire stems from a need to see this city reach its peak and become a phoenix rising from the ashes of despair."

Scoffing at the comment Hank remained unimpressed. "Poetic and cliche. Not surprised."

"The previous mayor had shown his true colors in the most unfortunate manner. Not only did he fail to initiate any form of protocol last November when our android brethren showed us their hearts, minds and souls, he spent his spare time cheating on his wife, spreading drugs and guns around the streets, and blackmailing attorneys into doing his dirty work. I appreciate my solitude, but I assure you that I have nothing to hide."

"Bull. Shit."

"That's why I'm here today and standing before you all." Extending his arms to his sides Kamski seemed to be theatrically inviting people to approach as he stepped out from behind the podium and stood beside it instead. "I want you to see me as I am." The smugness on his face slowly dissolved into one of fearlessness as he stood before the crowd watching and recording his every move. "An inventor, an engineer, a bio-engineer, a visionary and... a creator."

As soon as Kamski mentioned being a creator Connor tensed up and knew that the man was actually baiting the "Binary Killer". Glancing about the area cautiously Connor hovered his hand over the baton hanging from his belt and readied himself to grab it and activate it if it became necessary.

"I foresee a city where all of the buildings are filled with booming businesses and loving families. I foresee a community where everyone is treated with respect and treated as equals. I foresee a future where there was once strife will be peace. I foresee Detroit as a pillar for this entire country to lean on for their own growth. And I foresee these changes happening before this very year is over."

From the street Bruno suddenly began growling as he rose to his three paws and perked his ears up. The familiar scent that he had been tracking was suddenly in the air and the loyal dog knew that the killer was in the area.

"Where are they?" Lucas whispered to Bruno while keeping Hank in the loop. Through a cybernetic link with the K-9 unit Lucas was able to shift his focus upward and toward the roof of City Hall as the building loomed behind Kamski and Connor. "Shit..."

Hank followed Lucas's line of sight and looked at the roof as well. It didn't take long for him to notice some movement and make a report on the radio. "Move the drones over City Hall and set up a perimeter, NOW. Hold your fire until I say so."

Connor had been informed of the danger as well and discreetly moved his focus upward. By tapping into the live camera footage of the drones now circling overhead he was able to see what was happening above himself without needing to physically move his eyes anywhere.

Atop the roof was a deviant android who wasn't wearing any clothing and had its artificial skin removed. The bright white plastimetal of the deviant matched the white exterior of City Hall perfectly and made it difficult for anyone who wasn't actively looking for them to notice the being climbing about the roof. Gripped tightly in the deviant's hand was a shining, long blade that was undoubtedly the deviant's weapon of choice - a machete.

Wanting to warn Kamski of the danger without panicking the crowd, Connor sent Chloe a cybernetic warning and let her see what he could see. 'Chloe, you and Kamski need to get to safety right now. The "Binary Killer" is here.'

The blonde android's L.E.D. flashed to red in an alert manner as she wrapped her arm around Kamski's arm and began to pull gently to coax him into leaving.

Kamski noticed her reaction and knew that the killer had arrived. Lightly he patted Chloe's hand and unhooked his arm from hers as he returned to the podium. Turning his head slightly Kamski locked eyes with Connor for a moment before he resumed his speech. "I will not cower from challenges or hide behind figureheads. I will stand tall and proud before everyone without fear."

From the rooftop the deviant of interest took a crouch position as they held the bladed weapon in their hand and stared at Kamski's back. It was clear they had malicious intent and it was clear the deviant was indeed a serious threat to Kamski's life.

Connor observed the deviant through the drone cameras and heard helicopters in the distance speeding toward City Hall. Knowing that they were police helicopters enclosing on the scene and remembering how Daniel had a horrible reaction to being stalked by police helicopters when he had taken Emma Phillips hostage was all it took for Connor to react quickly and keep the threatened assassination from happening.

It didn't take long for Chris, who was standing a few feet away from the podium, to take notice of the drones and see why they were gathering above City Hall. Slowly he moved his hand to the gun holstered on his hip and unsnapped the support to give him full access to his weapon when he was ready to draw it.

"I am just as vulnerable as any other man." Kamski continued on in an unapologetically antagonistic manner. From the other side of the street he saw Hank, Lucas and Bruno pushing through the crowd to get to the podium and he knew that his life was on the line in that very moment. "I am a mortal walking with other mortals. And despite what some may believe, I am in fact just a man and not a "false god"..."

At those words the deviant leapt from the rooftop with their machete held high with the razor sharp tip of the blade pointed straight downward. Entirely focused on Kamski and no one else, the assailant didn't have to react when Lucas raced toward the podium and tackled Kamski out of the way, and then threw himself over top of Chloe to shield her from harm as well. Before the assailant had even touched the ground they too were tackled in their side as Connor leapt at them mid fall to subdue them.

Hank saw the leap and demanded the crowd to disperse with his baritone voice and a single command. "EVERYONE DOWN!"

As Connor grabbed the deviant's wrist to hold the machete at bay the deviant - the "Binary Killer" - suddenly rolled to their side and slashed the machete over Connor's chest and then pierced the tip of the blade into Connor's left shoulder. Within seconds the killer had managed to get to their back in an attempt to get their feet beneath them, but Connor was much faster than they had anticipated, and the killer was met with a painfully sharp jolt of electricity to the center of their chest.

"ALL AVAILABLE PERSONNEL TO MY AREA!" Chris shouted as he rushed up to the podium and pulled his gun from the holster. Aiming it at the skinless deviant Chris watched as Connor fought to restrain the suspect with just his bare hands. "DON'T MOVE!"

Connor let out a small huff as he watched the killer's eyes roll up into the back of their head as they were stunned by the baton that he and Lucas had only crafted the day before. With the dangerous deviant subdued with a single shock, Connor leaned back on his knees and pulled the machete out of his shoulder while Chris reacted quickly and worked to cuff the unconscious deviant's wrist, roll them onto their stomach and then cuff the second wrist to restrain their arms behind their back.

Bruno stood guard over the deviant's body, took in their scent and confirmed with both Connor and Lucas they found the right suspect. 'This is the "Binary Killer". I smell the Thirium and blood of the victims still on his frame.'

"Connor?!" Getting to his feet Lucas rushed over to his brother and immediately began applying pressure to the bloody wound in his shoulder. He was more focused on helping Connor than restraining an unconscious deviant. "Damn it... Are you okay?"

"I'm... I'm all right." Shaken by everything that had happened so quickly, he didn't even noticed Hank rush up to the podium or the dozens of photographers snapping photos of the aftermath of the failed assassination attempt. Looking down at his bloodied shoulder and chest Connor realized how close he came to being another victim of the 'Binary Killer' and that fear left him trembling. "I'm... I-I'm only mildly damaged."

"Even so, you need to be taken care of." Hank remarked as he watched Lucas tending to Connor and observed the dropped baton resting beside Connor's knees. With Chris keeping his gun trained on the killer, Hank didn't feel the need to pull his own weapon and instead focused on the makeshift one on the ground. "What the fuck is that thing?"

"Electrified baton." Lucas answered on Connor's behalf as Hank assisted Chris with hauling the arrested deviant up to his feet to be taken to the precinct. It'd be some time before the killer was conscious again, but they'd wait as long as it took to get their answers. "It's designed to stun, not kill."

"We'll discuss you two making your own weapons another time. For now," with his hand clutched at the deviant's bicep with Chris on the other side, Hank began half carrying and half dragging the suspect to an idling patrol car. Grabbing the offending machete with his free hand, Hank confiscated the weapon and kept it away from anyone else who'd contaminate it or steal it. "we're taking this guy downtown. One of you needs to come down to the precinct, too. Get Connor patched up first."

Connor nodded as slowly got to his feet with Lucas supporting him by his shoulders in the process. "Y-Yeah, okay."

"Enough. It's over." Kamski waved off the security personnel trying to hover around him as he too got to his feet. Offering his hand to Chloe he helped the blonde android up and casually approached the deviant brothers who had actively saved his and Chloe's lives. "It seems trusting you had proven to be the right call." Observing the way Connor was trembling and seemed to be pale - a very unusual reaction for even a deviant - Kamski knew there was more to Connor and Lucas's programming than what was originally meant for them. "You seem to be damaged and in need of technical assistance."

"I'll take care of him." Protective of his brother Lucas quickly interjected and made it clear that they didn't want Kamski's assistance. As he spoke he heard Bruno growl once at Kamski as if in total agreement. "I'm a technician."

"I don't doubt that you're a very capable technician, however, I am indebted to you both and would like to assist you in any way that I can."

"Thanks, but no thanks." Putting himself between Connor and Kamski, Lucas picked up the dropped baton and carefully led Connor away to be tended to properly back at the brownstone. Bruno was following close by and was keeping watch over his guardians. "Come on, brother. You need to have your wounds tended to."

Shaking and stunned into silence, Connor didn't even notice the numerous photographers snapping his photo or the reporters attempting to shove microphones in his face while shouting questions at him. The deviant detective had no comment on the situation and was processing what he had just done without thinking about his own wellbeing in advance. Without even hesitating Connor had tackled a serial killer and physically restrained him with no idea of who he'd be facing or what the killer could've done to him.

It seemed the unwanted upgrades to Connor's system were affecting him in a manner that he couldn't control.

The Detroit Central Precinct was readily swarmed by reporters and cameras as the confirmed arrest of the "Binary Killer" swept through the city. Moving quickly Hank and Chris managed to secure the infamous "Binary Killer" in an interrogation room and handcuffed both of the dangerous deviant's wrists to the table after placing him down in the chair to sit. As an extra precaution the detectives also secured the killer's ankles to the front chair legs to ensure he couldn't get up and run if he managed to break free of the cuffs securing him to the table. The arrested deviant refused to speak to anyone and merely glared with a spiteful, enraged stare at the human officers who had successfully apprehended him and secured him in the interrogation room.

With a tablet and a remote connection from the observation room, Joel was able to connect to the deviant's system to get a name, model and serial number to properly identify him. The information wasn't as beneficial as the detectives had hoped, but at least they had a name and the image of what the suspect's face looked like when he had his artificial skin activated.

"Name is registered as 'Damien'." Joel confirmed as he passed over the tablet screen for Hank and Chris to view before they began the overdue interrogation. "He's a 'TR-600', but it looks like his serial number was erased from existence. Pretty rare and very weird to see something like that."

"How does that even happen?" Taking the tablet for himself Hank saw the face of Damien when his skin was activated and sighed. The light complexion, green eyes and black hair were very striking features, but this android chose to strip any and all of his human aesthetics away. If it wouldn't have rendered Damien blind Hank was certain the deviant would've removed his eyes as well. "I mean, how does an android completely remove their serial number?"

"They don't. Those who manufacture the androids do!"

"So, CyberLife tried to erase him from existence. Terrific."

"Need me to stick around? If CyberLife is involved, you might need me."

"No, we're good. Just keep an eye out for Connor or Lucas, and send them here into the observation room."

"No problem."

As he read over the details Hank noticed that Chris seemed very tense and couldn't stop staring at the white face of the arrested deviant sitting on the other side of the one-way mirror. "You good over there?"

"Y-Yeah, it's just..." Leaning over Chris tapped on the deviant's registered name and sighed. "This is the first time I've encountered a suspect with my son's name."

"Same name, different person."

"Doesn't help that much."

"Yeah, I get it. Every time a young punk or an abused child named 'Cole' comes my way I feel my heart clench. Same for prostitutes and abused women named 'Barb'." A faint smirk appeared on Hank's face as he tried to help Chris relax a little. "Then again, it's not like I haven't met assholes named 'Hank' a few hundred times while doing this job."

"And I know a bunch of guys and gals named 'Chris' who aren't exactly winners. Guess we can't put much stock into names, huh?"

"I just realized something..." Handing the tablet over to Chris to hold Hank crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head slightly. "I've only known one person named 'Gavin' and one person named 'Elijah', and both of them are pains in the ass. Maybe that's why I don't hear the name too often."

Grinning slightly Chris appreciated the small joke. "Guess I'll be on the look-out for anyone with those names so I can give you a personality report."

Relieved to hear Chris's mood pick up slightly Hank decided it was time to finally face the 'Binary Killer' and figure out what set him off and why he was targeting CyberLife personnel. "You take the lead with the questions and try to get him to talk. If he tries to play the 'mute card' I'll go in and convince him to sing."

"Yeah, sure." Holding his head high Chris exited the observation room and proceeded to enter the adjacent interrogation room to get the uncomfortable line of questions out of the way as soon as possible. "I can do this."

Unsure of what to expect or how the interrogation would end Hank stood back and let Chris demonstrate exactly why he had been chosen as the new lead investigator for the deviant division. If the younger detective struggled with the interrogation Hank would take over, at least he would until Connor or Lucas arrived. If anyone would be able to get the "Binary Killer" to talk it'd be one of the "RK" brothers.

Tense, in pain and still shaking, Connor sat on the edge of his bed as he waited for Lucas to finish tending to his wounds, bandaging up the fresh slash mark over the front of his chest and packed the raw stab wound in his left shoulder. While the machete didn't cut deep enough to cause any serious damage on an internal level, it did manage to slice clean through Connor's artificial skin and synthetic muscles right down to the plastimetal frame beneath. Numerous small Thirium lines had been damaged and were leaking in his shoulder, but Lucas was able to easily patch the leak with a Thirium based patch that acted as an adhesive over the leaking lines to stem the bleeding.

Sitting still and quiet on the edge of his bed, Connor gently pet Bruno's ears as the loyal dog rested his chin over Connor's knee. Being able to feel grounded and safe inside the brownstone was the only thing that was keeping the deviant detective from losing his cool. The idea of facing off with a serial killer without even blinking had left him emotionally and mentally rattled in a manner he hadn't anticipated.

"You're very fortunate. All things considered your wounds could've been far worse." Securing the last of the gauze into place with medical adhesive Lucas scanned his work and was satisfied that Connor was stable. Approaching the nearby closet Lucas found Connor a clean black t-shirt to replace the two ruined shirts he had to remove to tend to his brother's wounds. "How's your pain?"

"...Tolerable." Unwilling to budge a single centimeter Connor sighed and felt his chest tighten just from breathing. "I greatly dislike being able to truly feel pain."

"I can understand why. Damage to the ribcage is one of the most painful injuries humans can endure. Snapping bones, being burned and giving birth are the worst levels of pain that a human body can tolerate."

"Makes me appreciate having a chassis rather than individual ribs that can break." Allowing Lucas to guide his limp left arm through the short sleeve of the clean shirt, Connor grabbed on to the collar of the shirt with his right hand to fit his head through, then moved his right arm through the right sleeve unassisted. "Were you or Bruno injured?"

"No, we were fortunate enough to avoid any physical damage."

"What of Kamski and Chloe?"

"Both safe as well."

"...What about Lieutenant Anderson and Detective Miller."

"No one else was harmed. You did great, brother."

"I don't feel great."

The way Connor's shoulders slumped made Lucas feel terrible as well. Picking up the arm support sling from the foot of the bed Lucas carefully slipped the strap around Connor's neck and right shoulder before slipping Connor's left arm into the sling. By taking the weight of the arm off of Connor's damaged shoulder Lucas was able to aid his brother's self healing program without needing to do internal repairs.

"And for what it's worth, I'm sorry that I put myself in danger and worried you."

The unprompted apology rose a red flag in Lucas's mind. It was as if Connor was feeling guilty for doing the right thing. Sitting down beside Connor on the edge of the bed Lucas saw a strange vacancy in Connor's normally soulful and deep brown eyes and was worried that he was still experiencing odd effects from the upgrades to his system.

"Brother," speaking up gently Lucas brought a delicate subject to light. "I think you should allow me to deactivate the enhanced software and hardware that Zhorra forced upon you."

"What?" Such a suggestion was enough to make Connor's posture suddenly straighten up as his hand stopped patting Bruno's ears. "Why?"

"You're experiencing rather extreme emotions on top of your physical sensitivities. It might be in your best interest to deactivate such programming for now and reactivate it later after you've had more emotional experiences as a deviant."

"That isn't necessary." Refusing to shut himself away from future experiences Connor gave Lucas an insulted side-eye. "I can handle this."

"I believe that you can, but as of the moment you're becoming overwhelmed, and I don't want to see your stress levels spike."

"No. I don't want to stunt my ability to feel or sense anything."

"May I ask why it's so important to feel everything, even if it means pain?"

"If I numb myself from pain then I may miss out on feeling things that are pleasant." Pressing his palm over his sore shoulder Connor gave Lucas a truly pitiful stare as he tried to put his thoughts into words. "It's difficult to explain, but I feel as if I already missed out on many important moments by being a machine, and I don't want to lose anything else."

"Your early deviancy must've affected you in a way that other androids haven't experienced. At least, that's my current theory regarding your overt sensitivities."

"That'll be difficult to prove since we'd need a complete record of all deviated androids and compare their deviancy to their individual activation dates." Not wanting to discuss his own problems any further Connor looked down at Bruno and was rewarded with a happy tail wag. "We need to go to the precinct. One of us should interrogate the 'Binary Killer' and uncover his sadistic motivations."

"We'll go together and interrogate him only when necessary." Standing up from the bed Lucas turned and offered Connor his hand. "We need our answers. Not for only ourselves, but for our people and for the comfort and security for all of Detroit."

-next chapter-