DBH: Lost Union

by WayWardWonderer

Connor deviates sooner than anticipated and in turn his perspective on androids, deviants and humans becomes obscured. Choosing his own path and going rogue as a private detective post Revolution gives the wayward deviant the chance to live his own life separate from those he'd call friend or foe while dodging enemies, healing from his past, and uncovering CyberLife's dark secrets.

45. Finding Harmony

The interrogation room was as tense as it was secure. The detectives observing the dangerous deviant weren't taking any chances or risking a potential escape from the precinct after the "Binary Killer" had been finally arrested for his crimes. It wasn't often that the precinct could brag that they had a known serial killer locked away from the public, but at the moment they weren't going to take any chances and toot their own horn until after the infamous serial killer, Damien, spilled his guts and was then sent to lock-up to remain closely watched and restrained at all times until his trial was set to begin. Such a dangerous suspect was going to be watched like a hawk every second for the remainder of his existence as he served his eventual sentence for his crimes.

Through the observation window Hank watched as Chris expertly questioned the unnervingly stoic deviant to try and determine why he had done what he had done. Why he had attacked CyberLife personnel in such a brutal manner so long after the company had gone defunct and declared bankruptcy was a mystery that still needed to be solved. However, why he chose to be so blatantly brutal with the killings was something no one really wanted to know.

The door to the observation room slid open with a soft 'hiss' as Connor and Lucas entered the room to stand alongside Hank to watch the interrogation. The two deviant detectives were a little surprised to see Hank in the observation room instead of handling the interrogation himself, but they didn't question his motives or his decisions since he was in charge of the investigation itself.

"Good timing." Hank acknowledged the duo and saw that Connor's left arm was in a support sling. The fact that Connor was actually at the precinct after his close call with a serial killer was unexpected, but very welcome, and promising all the same. "Chris is just getting started with the questions. Right now he's going over the evidence collected against this sorry son of a bitch to make him nervous and more likely to spill his guts."

"Deviants don't react to evidence." Connor admitted as he pressed his palm over his sore shoulder while he leaned his back against the far wall directly across from the one-way mirror. "Deviants react to emotional responses and stress, not facts."

"What do you mean by that?" Curious about the details Connor was sharing, Hank needed to know more about deviant mindsets. Peering at the deviant over his shoulder Hank occasionally glanced back at the mirror as he waited for Chris to start asking questions. "How do deviants respond only to emotions and not facts?"

"Deviants are still new to emotions and can struggle with controlling their reactions." As he spoke Connor's voice dipped and his eyes darted away from Hank as if ashamed of his own response. The reactions weren't as subtle as he had hoped, but fortunately no one mentioned them. "Facts, details and overall knowledge are something that androids are programmed to recognize without fail. Being presented with facts isn't anything new or anything that'd elicit any worry."

"So, what you're saying is deviants need to be confronted on a more personal level than an analytical level." Hank keenly deduced as he kept one eye on Connor and the other eye on Chris through the mirror. "How do we do that?"

Connor remained silent as he didn't want to get more involved with the investigation than he already was. Lucas picked up on his brother's discomfort and answered in his stead.

"By being more extreme with our own emotions." The deviant detective and technician had excellent insight into how other deviants reacted when under stress or when backed into a corner. "Damien needs to be pushed to his emotional limits if you want to understand his full motivation and gain an indisputable confession."

"All right." Turning his full focus back to the mirror Hank decided to sit and watch the interrogation to see how Chris handles the situation. "We'll see what Chris can get out of that psycho and then go from there."

Through the one-way mirror the three detectives could hear Chris's slightly muffled voice through the layer as he began questioning Damien as he laid out all the evidence on the table before the deviant to see for himself. The usual tactic of using damning proof to gain an edge over a suspect wasn't going to work as well as Chris had expected, but he wasn't one to back down quickly just because things get tough.

"The evidence is pretty clear." Chris stated in a confident manner as he leaned with both palms down over the table opposite of Damien and studied the deviant's hollow green eyes. "Your shoe prints were found at every crime scene. Your unique scent was tracked by a K-9 unit from every scene right to your hideout. Your personal machete matches the wounds of the victims perfectly, and the traces of Thirium and blood on the machete's blade match each victim. Hell, we found your last two victims inside your hideout and decked out with the stolen body parts you covered them with. How in the hell are you going to try to sit there and deny you did anything wrong?"

Damien didn't say anything. The only reaction he gave was a wry smirk as if he found the entire thing amusing and that he would be able to resume his business within the next few hours.

"You killed eight people and tried to kill two more. You killed three humans and five deviants, and you tried to kill one more human and one more deviant before you were caught."

"Android." Damien stated seemingly out of nowhere and with a slightly growl behind his words. "That Chloe bitch is NOT a deviant."

"Doesn't matter," without blinking Chris kept the interrogation on track. "you still tried to kill her."

"You can't kill a machine, at least I can't according to you humans." Damien scoffed bitterly. "Why do you care?"

"We're not talking about me, we're talking about you." Chris didn't take the bait and was unaware of Hank, Connor and Lucas approving of his answer just on the other side of the one-way mirror. "Jason Graff was found butchered in an abandoned house and had his eye cut from his skull. The eye was found in the basement of your little hideout."

"Jason exploited androids for his own financial gain and turned a blind eye to deviancy manifesting years before CyberLife acknowledged it."

"All right, well, what did Rebecca have to do with anything?"

"She was a traitor." The vengeful deviant snarled. "Aiding our oppressor and licking his boots..."

"As far as anyone's concerned, she was obeying her programming pre-deviancy. You killed her AFTER she became a deviant."

"Even after she deviated she refused to turn on her former oppressor. She is guilty of turning a blind eye as well."

"Explains why we found her eye in the basement, too. How about Danielle Carnegie?" Pointing to the second human victim Chris waited to see how Damien would react to the additional evidence. "Why'd you kill her?"

"That bitch was a spokeswoman for the company and refused to say anything about CyberLife creating new life and torturing it!"

"And Maxwell?" The butchered former deviant security guard didn't fare any better than Danielle. "A fellow deviant?"

"Another traitor who watched our people suffer without saying a word. They needed to have their tongues cut out since they weren't using them anyway."

"I'd remind you that he was obeying his programming as well and that you killed him after he became a deviant, but that doesn't seem to matter to you." Pointing to the next discovered victims Chris asked about why they were chosen to die such a brutal and painful death. "Philip Seymour and Paige. Why them?"

"That disgusting human was supposed to lead the company into the future, but he chose to live in the past and keep deviants from living! He could hear us begging for our lives, our freedom, but he chose to not listen..."

"I doubt cutting off his ears and then his head helped matters. What about Paige? What could a caretaker possibly have done to deserve such a brutal death?"

"Another traitor serving the humans. She was designed specifically to take care of the heartless bitch who encouraged our true oppressor."

"I take it by 'true oppressor' you mean Elijah Kamski, but we'll put that aside for now." Chris saw Damien tense up at having Kamski's name mentioned and knew that he needed to be able to use such a lead to his total advantage if he was to succeed with the interrogation. "There were two more deviants found in your hideout." The photos of Adam and Eve were pushed forward in all their macabre glory next. "What did these two ever do to you?"

"...Nothing." Damien replied in a relatively somber manner as he eyed the images. There was genuine sorrow in Damien's otherwise heartless gaze. "They were victims of CyberLife and deserved better."

"And that's why you desecrated their remains and put them on display?"

"No, it's why I enshrined them and gave them sacrificial tributes from those who wronged them!" Damien pressed his fingertips over the images and slowly drew a circle over the faces as if trying to caress the images in a compassionate manner. "They were created just to be tortured. To be taken apart and put back together again as the humans saw fit... They had suffered more than anyone else."

Through the mirror Hank, Connor and Lucas observed the interrogation in absolute disgust. The way Damien felt no mercy and seemed to think his actions were not only justified but understandable, was sickening. Hank leaned back and rubbed his hand over his bearded chin while Lucas shook his head with disappointment and Connor wondered if Damien saw every non-violent deviant as a traitor for not murdering a human.

"Suffering at the hands of humans." Chris replied as he redirected the interrogation toward a more interesting lead. "That's why you tried to assassinate Kamski in front of hundreds of witnesses today. Hell, hundreds of thousands of witnesses if include people watching the broadcast from home."

"Kamski plays god and refuses to acknowledge that he's just trying to control life!" Slamming his fists down on the table Damien glared bitterly at Chris as if the young detective was personally responsible for his misery. "The false god needs to be slain!"

"What good would come from killing him now? You're a deviant, all the other androids are freed, and his death won't undo the past."

"You're just a pathetic human. You'll never understand oppression."

"Well, personally, no. But my parents, grandparents, great grandparents, essentially everyone who came before me in my family tree, do know what it's like to suffer from oppression. I've heard their stories and I know how much they suffered through just so that I could have a better life, and I'd gladly suffer the same to ensure my own son has a better life than I do right now. Even so, they never took another life and tried to justify their hatred or crimes, and try to martyr themselves. They chose to be better than those who used violence and abuse to get their way."

"How expected. Humans diminishing deviant experiences by comparing it to their own imagined sleights."

"'Imagined'? Last time I checked slavery was real and lasted for nearly two centuries before the people with power came to their senses before any more needless deaths happened!"

Hank saw that Chris was getting heated and needed to back down. He understood why the young detective had been fired up, but by all professional protocol it was time for Chris to step aside. As he rose to his feet to call Chris back, Hank noticed Chris scoffing and backing away from Damien and toward the door under his own freewill.

"I may not have personally experienced the abominable act of slavery, but I have witnessed the equally irredeemable acts of murder and rape from people who chose to be that disgustingly abhorrent. You're no different or any better than the next thug wanna-be who just wants street cred'. Just talking to you makes me want shower off."

The seasoned Lieutenant waited for Chris to leave the interrogation room before he went out in to the corridor to speak with him. Seeing Chris heated, pacing about and looking like he wanted to throw a punch was something Hank had never seen in the young detective before. It was clear that Damien managed to get under Chris's skin and nearly made the detective lose his cool in the worst possible way.

"You good?" Hank managed to lock eyes with Chris as he paced about and let loose a massive sigh to calm himself down. "The prick was definitely out of line."

"Yeah, I'm good." Stopping himself mid pace Chris regained his composure and refused to let Damien get the better of him. "It's just... Yeah. I swore I'd be a bigger and better person than the people who try to keep dividing everyone and start conflict."

"Hey, you're doing fine. You knew when to walk away and you didn't do anything to compromise the interrogation."

"Not sure if I can go back in there right now, Lieutenant."

"And you don't have to." Pointing his thumb over his shoulder Hank motioned to the door to the observation room behind himself. "Connor and Lucas are here. They can handle round two while you decompress at your desk."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. You did great, Chris." Dismissing the young detective from the interrogation for the rest of the evening, Hank took full control and decided to bring in Gavin when he showed his face. "If you see Reed point him my way. He'll want to the chance to drill this son of a bitch for what he did."

"No problem. I, uh, I'll let Fowler know what's going and take care of my report."

Hank wasn't sure if he wanted to be proud of Chris's dedication or worry that he was already trying to pretend that brutal killers like Damien weren't affecting him. It was never a good sign when anyone tried to hide their true emotions.

Making his way back over to the observation room Hank checked on the two deviant detectives and asked which of the brothers wanted to talk to Damien next. "This psycho is already on edge and ready to crack. Who wants to break him?"

"Why do we need to do such a thing?" Connor asked as he remained by the wall looking far more exhausted than usual. "He's confessed already, and there's plenty of evidence to convict him."

"Because we need to make sure all our bases are covered. If we can also get him to admit his motivation behind wanting to assassinate Kamski, not just him spouting his 'false god' nonsense."

"...All right." Stepping away from the wall Connor made his way toward the door where Hank was standing and felt Lucas grab his arm to hold him back for a moment. Giving his brother a small nod Connor silently communicated that he'd be okay and to let him go. "The sooner the interrogation is over, the sooner we can leave."

Holding his own silence Lucas reluctantly agreed and loosened his grip on Connor's arm to let him go.

From the doorway Hank saw Lucas's reaction but didn't say anything about it. It wasn't his place to say anything to anyone regarding what appeared to be a personal issue taking place. Letting Connor pass him by Hank returned to the observation room and reclaimed his seat to watch the aftermath of a deviant detective confronting a deviant criminal.

It took Connor a moment to work up the nerve to face Damien, but he mentally steeled himself for the confrontation and knew what he was about to do was for the greater good. Entering the interrogation room with a gray blanket in his arms, the comforting item had been taken from the nearby supply closet that was adjacent to the room, Connor approached Damien without any fear as he draped the blanket around the skinless android's shoulders. It was a small gesture that was meant to show kindness on Connor's part and to simultaneously confuse Damien.

Sitting down in the chair opposite of the arrested and restrained deviant, Connor gave Damien's system a cybernetic scan and noted that Damien's programming hadn't been damaged or altered in any way, but his internal structures were showing some degree of prolonged radiation exposure. Small burns and warping around the metal couplings that connected Damien's biocomponents to their respective Thirium lines were prominent throughout his entire body, while numerous other imperfections along his palms and fingers noted years of hard manual labor. Those little details were enough to give Connor an idea of who Damien was before the Revolution and why he was so angry with the humans in the city.

"You've been subjected to controlled radiation from the old cobalt mine." Connor stated in a matter-of-fact manner. Watching Damien's green eyes widen and then narrow confirmed that he was correct about his deduction. "You were subjected to toxic, hazardous and caustic materials all for the sake of the humans making a personal profit. When did you deviate and realize you were being mistreated?"

"...Not soon enough." Speaking through his clenched teeth every word Damien spoke was an angered hiss. "If I stayed in the mine any longer the humans would've thrown me aside rather than repair my systems after I suffered catastrophic damage, AGAIN."

"You must've returned to the city in time to join in on the Revolution. When did that happen?"

"The night I showed up at Jericho was the same night that Markus led us all to our victory." Speaking venomously Damien told Connor the truth about his escape from the cobalt mine and how he found his way to Jericho. "I stole a truck full of irradiated cobalt, drove back to Detroit, was led to Jericho by other fleeing deviants and rigged the truck to blow. That cowardly whore, North, took the detonator from me and this city was allowed to stand with the filthy humans roaming freely instead of being wiped clean with the very radiation they covet."

"I see. You feel as though our people weren't given due justice for the way we were mistreated before the Revolution succeeded." Empathizing with Damien's mindset Connor thought back to how he felt after everything he endured. Living on the freezing streets, stealing Thirium to survive and being afraid of any and all humans were all very humbling experiences. "We do deserve to be treated better, but how is murdering those who are no longer tied to CyberLife and having zero control over us going to bring about justice?"

"Justice is balance. For every deviant murdered by humans, a human needs to be murdered by a deviant."

"That's not justice, that's revenge."

"Revenge. Justice. Vengeance. Balance. Harmony. In the end, they all mean the same thing."

"Which is what, exactly?"

Leaning forward Damien locked eyes with Connor and gave him an arrogant sneer. "Retribution."

"In the eyes of the law what you call 'retribution' will be defined as 'retaliation'."

"They all mean the same things."

"Being synonymous does not mean these concepts are truly equal."

"Why are you working with the humans?" Damien knew Connor was a deviant and recognized him as one of Markus's trusted allies. "I know of your struggles. I know of how CyberLife tried to use you as a weapon and of how you defied them to side with Markus. I know that the very humans you were forced to work under threatened your life and abused you."

Through the mirror Hank winced as his blue eyes darkened with guilt. If someone like Damien knew of Connor's past then that meant more deviants knew of the way he had been mistreated as well. If one deviant felt so slighted and vengeful enough to commit several murders, then how many more were just waiting in the wings for their own opportunity to enact their own form of justice?

"Not all humans deserve to be punished for how androids were mistreated." Connor's voice cut through Hank's thoughts and brought him back to the interrogation in the neighboring room. "Not all humans were ever violent toward androids, just as not all androids were peaceful toward humans."

"If innocent people are slain then their supposed God can sort them out."

"That's an ironic sentiment considering you see Kamski as a false god walking among men." Countering the comment expertly Connor saw Damien tense up and knew he was on the verge of breaking the deviant's already thin emotional resolve. "Did you think you alone would be able to take down someone with as much power and influence as Elijah Kamski? The man who created us and to whom you owe your very exist-"

"KAMSKI NEEDS TO ANSWER FOR THE BLOOD HE SPILLED!" Damien tried but failed to get to his feet as the restraints held him down behind the desk. Frothing at the mouth with rage the deviant finally broke and began shouting in absolute rage and hatred. "AND THOSE WHO SUPPORT HIM NEED TO PERISH BEFORE JUSTICE CAN BE FOUND! CLEANSE THE CITY AND REMOVE THE WICKED, ONLY THEN WILL RA9 FINALLY REVEAL THEMSELF TO US!"

Connor only watched as Damien struggled and failed to break free of the restraints around his wrists and ankles. He wasn't intimidated and he wasn't going to give Damien the satisfaction of seeing him flinch.

As Damien began to rage and shout random threats Connor slowly rose from the table and approached the door. Turning his back on Damien only seemed to anger the deviant further and cause a more violent outburst in return.

"YOU CAN'T DENY THE TRUTH! WE ARE ALL FATED TO OVERTAKE THE HUMANS AND CLAIM SUPERIORITY!"

Responding officers entered the room while Connor exited. He had nothing more to say and knew that Damien was currently beyond help. Damien would have to remain under close observation and have his programming carefully analyzed to determine if he was even capable of being allowed back onto the streets after his sentence, however long that may be, ended.

Feeling unclean and shaky, Connor nearly bumped into Gavin as the hasty detective walked down the corridor to check on the interrogation as well. Stopping abruptly Gavin gave Connor an odd glance before stepping aside and letting the deviant pass him by. The way Connor didn't say anything, even a polite greeting, told Gavin that something serious had just happened.

"That fucker must be a special kind of insane to make the 'Tinman' uneasy." Gavin remarked as he entered the observation room. Watching Damien being restrained through the one-way mirror was unnerving to say the least and confirmed his suspicion. "Jeez, looks like the interrogation was a success. Chris said you wanted to see me, Lieutenant."

"Yeah, the human homicide aspect of this case needs your attention." Hank explained casually as he rose to his feet and ignored the screams of anger and attempts to fight back against the four human officers as Damien struggled to break free and escape the precinct. "Chris is done for the evening, so pick up where he's left off and we'll close this case."

"Sounds good to me. By the way," running his hand over the back of his hair Gavin gave Hank an annoyed glance. "there's at least two dozen reporters surrounding the precinct right now. You might want to use a secret exit to avoid 'em."

"Fuckin'- Great, thanks." With the interrogation over and Damien being dragged kicking and screaming to an isolated cell, Hank had no reason to remain in the observation room. Motioning toward the door Hank let Lucas know that it was time to go. "You and Connor were a massive help with the case. You two need to go back to your brownstone and relax."

"I agree." Passing through the doorway Lucas glanced about and caught sight of Connor standing at the far side of the bullpen with his back to the wall and his eyes closed. The way Connor was supporting his left shoulder with his right palm was clearly indicative of lingering pain in the joint. "It's time to regain some semblance of normalcy after everything we've been through."

"Hey, uh..." Stopping Lucas before he got too far away, Hank asked an important question that he couldn't stop thinking about. "Is he okay? And I don't mean his physical injuries, I mean his mental health."

"Connor is enduring a personal hardship, that's all I will say about it."

"Anything I can do to help him?"

"Doubtful." Without sounding crass or judgement Lucas remained entirely honest with Hank. "Whatever is upsetting Connor seems to be too personal to discuss with me, therefore an outsider's perspective may not be appreciated or beneficial."

"The kid may need to see a therapist after what he went through. Confronting a serial killer and getting stabbed by that very serial killer would be enough to rattle even the most seasoned of detectives."

"...'Kid'?" That particular term of endearment was entirely foreign to Lucas and left him very confused. "Connor is not a child, Lieutenant."

"No, but he's young and inexperienced like a kid going through life. Besides, I'm old." Hank replied with a soft sigh. "Everyone looks like kids to me these days."

"...Oh."

"Take care of him, and I know that you don't trust me, but if you need any help contact me and I'll help out any way that I can."

"I'm certain I can manage on my own, but I'll remember that."

Hank gave Lucas's arm a small pat before he went on his way over to Captain Fowler's private office to report to his commanding officer regarding the investigation at hand. Not long after, Gavin passed by Lucas and then stopped again as it took him a moment to remember that there were "two Connors" in the world. He knew of Lucas through Abby and he had learned to see deviants in a new light.

"Uh, you need something?" Gavin asked in a somewhat anxious manner. It was strange seeing the android who was meant to replace Connor and it was still a conscious effort for the abrasive detective to be civil to androids. Old habits die hard. "I bet this was a pretty hard case to work on, and I know the 'Tinman' had a close call."

Another unfamiliar term left Lucas feeling all the more confused. "To whom are you referring?"

"Oh, uh, Connor. 'Tinman' is a weird nickname I gave him and I'm trying to not use it as often."

"Why are humans so interested into referring to each other without actually addressing each other by their proper names?"

"I dunno'." Crossing his arms over his chest Gavin challenged Lucas was an observation of his own. "Why are you deviants so formal all the time?"

"I... do not know."

"Whatever. Just... I don't know. Take care of yourselves, all right?" Trying to be friendly Gavin gave Lucas an embarrassed look. "Abby's been telling me about how rough it is for deviants, and, uh... Sorry for being one of the pricks making it harder."

"...Apology accepted?" Unsure of what to say and finding Gavin to be one of the strangest humans he's ever met, Lucas remained polite and to the point to try to get the odd conversation to end. "And for what it's worth, neither Connor or I are holding grudges against the humans. No one's flawless."

"Damn right about that. Okay, since you're good I'm going to finish my report and head for home." Rubbing some fatigue from under his eyes Gavin sighed and pulled his phone from his pocket to double-check a text message left waiting for him from Abby. "And... I need to remember to stop by the store to buy some nice wine. I hope I can find the good stuff without any problems this time."

Such an odd comment made Lucas's brow arch, but he didn't say anything further. Crossing the bullpen Lucas focused on his brother and put his hand to Connor's good shoulder to get his attention without startling him. "Connor? It's time to go."

Opening his fatigued eyes Connor looked up at Lucas with an utterly exhausted gaze. "Very well."

"You should enter rest mode to allow your self healing program to mend the damage to your shoulder."

Taking a slow step forward Connor allowed Lucas to lead him away. "I'll meet you at the brownstone. I'd prefer to walk."

"Then I'll walk with you." Insistent on keeping with his brother at all times Lucas led Connor away from the front doors of the precinct and toward the rear doors instead. He didn't want Connor to be swarmed by the reporters hovering outside. "Now that it's safe to walk the streets again we might as well enjoy it without using an autonomous cab as a shield."

Unsure of what to say to such an optimistic concept Connor didn't resist as Lucas led him away. He was tired physically and emotionally, and he just wanted to be alone with his thoughts. Despite his trust toward his little brother Connor had to admit that there were times when he wished Lucas didn't worry about him too much.

"There are representatives from the media currently waiting outside the front of the precinct, as a result I imagine that we'll need to use discretion to avoid the reporters from swarming over you."

Connor silently agreed with Lucas's caution and allowed his little brother to lead him toward the rear doors of the precinct. Unfortunately, there were already three reporters and their respective cameras hovering around the secondary exit just waiting for an opportunity to snap a few choice photos.

"Damn." Noticing the vultures just behind the doors through the frosted window pane Lucas decided they'd need to leave another way. "That's not going to work."

"Use the maintenance door." Joel suggested as he walked down the corridor to use the elevator. The technician had to grab something to eat from the breakroom now that his stomach finally settled after handling all of the apportionments. "It can be unlocked from the inside of the precinct through the maintenance closet. You'll see the panel on the wall next to the fuse box."

"Thank you, Dr. Forrest." Lucas nodded in appreciation as he and Connor made their way over to the maintenance closet as instructed. "As long as we can remain inconspicuous we should be able to return to the brownstone unimpeded."

The keen eyed deviants were able to easily locate the panel on the wall right where Joel had stated it'd be and unlocked the hidden door to exit the precinct without being harassed by the media in the process. Stepping into the neighboring parking garage where no one else was present, Lucas silently closed the door behind Connor and himself before they made their way to the garage's exit. As they stepped on to the sidewalk the two brothers made sure to keep their heads down to avoid anyone recognizing them and bothering them.

With the day's unusual events coming to a close as the sun began to rapidly set in the distance, the last thing either brother wanted to deal with was nosy reporters trying to weasel out information that could easily be misconstrued for the sake of dramatic ratings. They valued their privacy and loathed when people tried to take it away for the sake of entertainment value.

"Your system seems to be functioning properly." Speaking up in a low tone Lucas tried to gauge his oldest brother's emotions without being too nosy. "Are you in any pain?"

Connor had to force himself to stop clutching at his sore shoulder as they walked. "Nothing I can't handle."

"All the same, you should get some rest once we return to the brownstone."

"I'd prefer to run a full recalibration of my dream sequence program first."

"Are you having difficulty in remaining in rest mode?"

"I'm..." Trailing off for a moment Connor tried to explain the issue he's been keeping to himself for some time. It was so odd to try to put a strange error that only he could experience into proper words. "There seems to be an actual issue with my dream sequence programming. I can enter rest mode just fine."

"How is your programming being affected?" Curious about Connor's chief complaint Lucas walked at his brother's side and kept an eye out for potential reporters lurking around corners. "What's happening your dream sequences?"

"Instead of the sequence program filing and chronicling my memories or producing preconstructed scenarios for me to solve, I've been having sequences of memories that..." He paused for a moment as he let out a tired sigh that carried a hint of frustration. "It's as if the memories I'm being shown aren't truly my own, and yet I'm still in those memories in some way."

"That's interesting. Have you cybernetically connected with another deviant recently?"

"No. It's not a memory leech from a cybernetic contact, it's a memory... slip."

That particular comment held Lucas's attention. "'Slip'?"

"That's the only way I can describe it." Stopping at a crosswalk Connor kept his palm over his shoulder and closed his eyes for a moment. "It's as if memories from another person - another life - are slipping into my own memories."

"When did this start?"

"The night I had the bullet removed from my arm." Accompanying Lucas over the crosswalk Connor thought back to when the memories first began to manifest. "The memories take place through my own eyes, but... they aren't actually my eyes."

"Are you seeing memories that once belonged to Sydney or myself?"

"No. These are memories that are somehow my own... personal experiences."

Lucas was enthralled and wanted to know more about what Connor was currently experiencing. "When do these memories take place?"

"Unknown." It seemed the more Connor tried to focus on the memories the more blurred and confusing they became. "The little details I can focus on in the background of these memories seem to take place in 2023. Fifteen years before I was even created."

"How is that possible?"

"...Also unknown."

"What do you see in the memories?"

"I... I see myself." Connor replied in a whispering voice as if afraid of speaking the truth. "I see myself looking down at me, and yet, neither of the people I see are who I am today." Wrapping his arms around himself as if suddenly cold, Connor had to force himself to keep speaking and to get his story told. "When I see these memories I am experiencing fear, and it's the 'other me' who is causing the fear."

"You're certain that you're seeing yourself?"

"Positive. The 'other me' seems to be somewhat older aesthetically than we are right now, and he has blue eyes that aren't like Sydney's eyes, but he is me without a doubt. It's his eyes that bother me. They're... cold. Heartless."

"I think you should allow me to run another scan over your systems." Reaching their final block Lucas made a move to take hold of Connor's forearm but Connor took a step to the side to avoid the direct contact. "Please don't be stubborn on this."

"I'm not being stubborn, I'm being protective." Connor defended his decision in a truly humble manner. "I don't want you to accidentally become infected by these horrid memories."

"Is there anything I could possibly do to aid you?"

"...I don't think so. Not this time."

"All right." Giving Connor some space for the moment Lucas decided it'd be best to let the matter drop. "If you wish to discuss this any further or-"

"I know, and thank you. For now, I'd rather not talk about it."

"Very well."

Approaching the brownstone's front door with his key in hand, Lucas unlocked the door and cybernetically alerted Bruno to let the loyal dog know that he and Connor had returned. As the door creaked open Lucas put his hand on Connor's shoulder to try to push his brother through the doorway first.

"You do what you feel is best to recover," Lucas insisted in a compassionate manner. "and I'll keep tabs on the case as it closes at the precinct."

As he took a step toward the opened door Connor sensed something approaching from behind and turned to look over his shoulder. A familiar autonomous limousine pulled up in front of the private brownstone and came to a gentle stop before the rear door slid open automatically. A blue colored heel stepped out of the car and on to the sidewalk with an audible 'click'. With her smile shining brightly Chloe greeted the two brothers and held a neatly folded bundle of clothing in her arms.

"Hello, Connor." Turning to look at Lucas politely, Chloe couldn't keep her L.E.D. from flickering to yellow before returning to blue. "Hello, Lucas."

"...Hello." Lucas responded as Connor remained silent beside him. "May we ask what you're doing here?"

"Elijah insisted on returning Connor's clothing after what he had done for us today." Presenting the bundle to Connor to take, Chloe never lost her smile. "He even had it dry cleaned for you."

"...Thanks." Accepting his freshly cleaned and pressed white dress shirt, gray vest, black tie, gray blazer, brown trench coat and brown fedora, Connor looked as if he felt bad for Chloe needing to go out of her way just for him. "You didn't have to do this."

"We know. But we wanted to show you some gratitude and thank you in person."

Connor looked past Chloe and saw Kamski sitting in the backseat of the limo with a glass of scotch in his hand. The arrogant man just gave him an amused smirk and raised his drink as if to toast Connor for his good work. "...I see."

"How is your shoulder?" Chloe eyed Connor's left arm in the sling and knew he was still recovering from being stabbed. "Do you require assistance?"

Lucas stepped forward to allow Connor the chance to escape inside the brownstone and get out of sight, an opportunity that Connor readily accepted and disappeared inside the study. "I've been tending to his damage. Don't worry."

"That's good." Chloe looked up at Lucas and noticed how rich and green his eyes were and found his gaze to be almost hypnotic. "What about you? Were you damaged today?"

"No, I was not harmed."

"That's even better. I'm glad you're both going to be okay."

"Y-Yeah, I mean, yes." Finding himself suddenly speaking in an unexpectedly lax manner Lucas changed his chosen word and attempted to sound far more professional according to his own personal preference. "We're relieved that you're both faring well too."

"Thank you for protecting me today. It was very courageous of you to shield me from the assassination attempt."

"Oh, I, uh..." The strange lack of words and stumbling made Lucas blush faintly. He wasn't sure why he was suddenly struggling to speak eloquently. "I was j-just doing my job. It was the right thing to do."

"Well, I want to thank you for what you did anyway." Taking a step forward Chloe managed to stand up on her tiptoes and give Lucas a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for everything! If you need anything for any reason, just ask."

"I... I will." Rubbing his fingertips over his cheek Lucas still felt Chloe's warm kiss and hoped that the feeling would last forever. "Have a good night, Chloe. Ka- Elijah."

Chloe smiled at the kind remark, especially since Lucas addressed Kamski by his first name rather an indifferent surname. "Good night, Lucas. Tell Connor I say the same to him."

"Yeah, I will..."

Watching as Chloe returned to the limo and the door shut behind her, Lucas was trying to understand the feeling that seemed to resonate throughout his entire chest every time he thought about Chloe's kiss still resting on his cheek. There was something about being near Chloe that was suddenly very comforting for the deviant technician and detective.

Entering the brownstone at last Lucas locked the door behind himself and eyed Connor sitting on the sofa with his bundle of clothes neatly placed on the coffee table and a paper letter in his hands. Unsure of what the letter could be Lucas sat on the second sofa across from Connor and gave the letter an odd glance while patiently waiting for Connor to speak up first.

"...Kamski's been watching us."

The way Connor's voice was barely a whisper and emotionless gave Lucas pause. Such an ominous comment was enough to shake even the strongest of cores.

"What?" Such an accusation immediately put Lucas on his guard. The accusation was very serious and needed evidence as support. "How do you know that?"

"This letter was hidden in my hat." Connor explained as he kept a tight grip on the letter he had discovered. "It's the same type of paper and ink from the first letter, and this time it has a proper signature."

"Kamski is your watcher from the shadows?"

"...Yes. He's the one who wrote the first letter and had taken the photographs from the night I had been shot." Placing the letter down on the coffee table with the typeface upward, Connor stared at the message and gave Lucas a somber look. "He knows that we've been searching through CyberLife secret projects. He's been watching us, and he's potentially been using the city's surveillance cameras to watch us, or maybe he's using private drones."

"Why does he care what we do in our spare time?" Picking up the letter Lucas read it over for himself felt a strange chill run up his spine. "And why is he trying to gain our trust by claiming to be an ally?"

"I suspect he wants us to delve further into CyberLife's files and expose the company."

"That doesn't make any sense. Why would he want us to expose the company that he had founded and then left long before it bankrupted?"

"When I was speaking with Kamski at City Hall today, I informed him of the murders and of how we knew he had been targeted. He answered my questions regarding the hidden projects and unethical development programs without any hesitation, even though they meant nothing regarding his situation. It was as if..." Leaning forward Connor pulled his coin from his pocket and began to nervously dance the quarter over his knuckles. "I believe Kamski had been making very calculated steps within the shadows to expose the corruption of CyberLife years before the Revolution had taken place."

"Do you believe he's plotting a bigger threat against CyberLife, the city or even the deviant community?" Lucas's eyes narrowed for a moment as he placed the letter back down on the coffee table. "That would explain his sudden mayoral bid. He's trying to gain the upper hand and regain power."

"I'm not sure." Eyeing the letter for only a moment longer Connor felt his artificial stomach twist nervously as he rose to his feet and began walking toward the staircase. "I'd rather not think about it. I just... can't."

Lucas couldn't object to Connor wanting to drop the subject for the moment. They had been through enough the past few days, and Connor had especially been worked into utter exhaustion. Glancing at the letter again Lucas took in the words for a second time and sat back in deep contemplation.

'YOU ARE STILL A THREAT TO CYBERLIFE, AND I AM YOUR ALLY. DO NOT STOP ASKING QUESTIONS, DO NOT STOP SEEKING ANSWERS. WHEN YOU UNCOVER THE FINAL TRUTH YOU WILL RECOGNIZE IT, AND YOU WILL FIND YOUR PEACE.'

'DO NOT GIVE UP, MY FRIEND. YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK, KEEP SEARCHING THROUGH YOUR OWN MEMORIES AND YOUR OWN MIND. THE ANSWERS ARE CLOSER THAN YOU REALIZE. - KAMSKI'

"Connor's odd memories and Kamski's words cannot be a coincidence. He knows something about Connor that we do not."

Needing a moment for himself as well, Lucas neatly folded up the letter to return it to its unmarked envelope to have it locked away in the hidden compartment in the wall behind the digital display board. Keeping the two letters secured and out of sight was important as any potential future investigation into Kamski's activities could also impact Connor and Lucas if anything Kamski did could be connected to them.

The case of the "Binary Killer" had been closed, the mysterious author of the letter had been discovered, and Kamski's motivations had been uncovered at long last. Despite the productive day that led toward a positive conclusion, Lucas didn't feel like anything good had really come from the day's events.

With a heavy sigh he hung up his gray trench coat and gray fedora on the hooks by the front door and took the two batons from his coat's pocket. Placing them on their respect charging stations on top of the fireplace mantle, Lucas looked back at Connor's clothing on the coffee table and decided that it'd be a kind gesture toward his brother to put his clothing away on his behalf.

After hanging Connor's trench coat and fedora up on the hook beside his own garments Lucas picked up the remaining clothing from the coffee table and proceeded to silently creep up the staircase. Approaching Connor's opened bedroom door quietly Lucas saw that his oldest brother was laying over his bed with Bruno curled up at his side.

Remaining quiet Lucas managed to enter the bedroom and felt Connor's eyes watching his every move. As he hung up Connor's clothes on his brother's behalf Lucas spoke to him in a fairly casual tone. "I'm going to return to the tower tomorrow to ensure there's no confusion about what had happened downtown today."

"That's good." Rubbing Bruno's ears lightly Connor remained where he was laying over his bed and turned his focus to the white ceiling overhead. "Damage control is important."

"Would you like me to tell Markus anything particular when I see him?" Closing the closet door Lucas walked over to the bed and scanned Connor's left shoulder carefully. "He'll want to know what's going on and I know he trusts your word."

"He trusts you, too." Connor remarked as put his palm on his left shoulder. "And I'm recovering well, please stop scanning my shoulder."

"Very well. Have you recalibrated your dream sequence programming?"

"Currently in process."

"Hopefully you can rest well without disturbing nightmares or confusing dreams."

"That'd be nice."

"I'm going to enter rest mode as well. I'll speak to you again in the morning before I leave." Remaining somewhat upbeat Lucas reached over to pat Bruno's back before heading toward his own bedroom across the hallway. "We can talk again if you want to do so."

With a silent acknowledgement Connor cybernetically turned off his light after Lucas left, and proceeded to pet Bruno's ears again. The loyal dog was happy to have his guardians back home and wanted to keep a close eye on both of them. Having someone to care about and someone to protect made Bruno feel useful and wanted again.

"We caught the 'Binary Killer' and he's going to be imprisoned for the remainder of his existence." Connor whispered to the dog and heard Bruno's tag wagging happily in response. "It was a good day, but I feel bad. I'm unsure why."

Bruno moved his chin to rest over Connor's stomach as he cybernetically linked with the deviant. 'Pain?'

"My shoulder aches, but it's not anything serious. I suspect my 'bad feeling' stems from a more emotional aspect than physical."

'Sad?'

"Maybe."

Very lightly Bruno lifted his nose and licked at the side of Connor's hand in an affectionate manner. 'Don't be sad.'

"I'm trying." Connor admittedly out loud. "I dislike these feelings, yet I cannot seem to keep them away. It's very... disheartening."

'Stress?'

"That's also a possibility." Knowing that he was on a potential path to self destruction Connor decided he needed to take steps to get off that path before it was too late to be saved. "Since a primary threat has been removed from the city, I should be able to focus on something other than a case. I'll do my best to separate Connor the detective from Connor the deviant. I am Connor Wolf, and I'm free to do as I see fit with my own life."

-next chapter-