Two long and rainy days had left Detroit drenched under yet another spring deluge. Even with countless drops of rain pouring over the dreary locale the city still felt so unclean and disgusting to even acknowledge in the aftermath of the senseless death of an innocent child. Such a macabre atmosphere had left everyone who worked on the case or had seen the hundreds of news reports, feeling as rundown, glum and miserable as the rainy day made Detroit look. In a way it was symbolic for the city to be drowning in rain as the final arrangements for the lost child were being handled by her surviving family. There would undoubtedly be hundreds of mourners who'd gather at the funeral as a sign of respect, but hundreds more would be too repulsed to go anywhere near the cemetery.
In those two days Connor had remained entirely alone at the brownstone and refused to handle any more cases. He simply didn't have the resolve to put himself through any additional emotionally draining investigations. He didn't want to find another child's body or uncover another hidden grave. The deviant detective had seen the worst that humanity has to offer and couldn't bring himself to push through such horrific hardships again.
With his cybernetic communication links still deactivated, and with both Lucas and Bruno still out at New Jericho Tower, Connor was truly alone. He could feel the sense of isolation crushing his heart. Loneliness was something that deviant wasn't accustomed to experiencing. Despite his personal discomfort Connor didn't want to do anything to ease his pain he felt as if he stopped feeling pain then he'd stop feeling everything altogether.
Just as it seemed Connor couldn't feel any worse after everything that he had experienced, two firm knocks on his door disturbed the peaceful silence of the brownstone being surrounded by the natural ambience of the pouring rain outside. Ignoring the knocking Connor leaned his elbows against his knees and closed his eyes in an attempt to shut out the entire world a little longer.
"Detective Wolf?" Captain Fowler's voice called out for Connor over the rain. The weight of his tone was enough to tell Connor that whatever was happening was important and that someone had been trying to contact him for some time. "Connor, if you're in there please answer the door. It's an emergency."
With a breathy sigh Connor begrudgingly rose to his feet and answered the door. The rain was almost deafening once the storm was free to enter the residence with no resistance through the unlocked door. "How can I help you, Captain Fowler?"
"There's a hostage situation down on the Ambassador Bridge." He explained tersely as he ignored the pounding rain soaking through his navy blue dress shirt. "We can't locate any other negotiator at the moment, and we don't have time to wait."
Having blocked out the news Connor wasn't sure what was happening in the city or how long it has been happening. "I've only handled a single hostage situation before. It didn't end-"
"I read the report and I know what went down." Uninterested in the details of a past case Captain Fowler remained focused on the current situation. "Please, you're the only trained negotiator available and I wouldn't be here asking for your help unless it was absolutely important."
"...Very well. One moment."
Stepping back from the door Connor grabbed his trench coat and fedora from the nearby hook to protect his black t-shirt from the rain, then grabbed his electrified baton from its charging station. Slipping the weapon into his coat pocket Connor returned to the door, shut it behind himself and locked it up before accompanying Captain Fowler to the idling patrol car parked in front of the brownstone.
"Thanks." Sitting behind the steering wheel Captain Fowler drove out to the bridge with Connor riding in the front passenger seat beside him. During the drive he informed Connor of the situation and of why they needed a negotiator. "There's a male deviant down on the bridge holding a gun to a male human's head. Apparently, the human used to own the deviant and had attempted to reset the deviant's system against his will when he spotted the deviant out in public."
"And the deviant responded to the assault with self defense." A little bitter about how the deviant was seemingly being vilified for defending himself made Connor's tone sound aggravated and impatient. "Where did the gun come from?"
"The human already had it on him. We theorize that he was going to use it to 'persuade' the deviant into cooperation."
"Sounds like a clear cut case of self defense. How did this turn into a hostage situation?"
"Other people saw the deviant throw the human to the ground, take the gun and point it back at the human. When the onlookers started ganging up on the deviant, the deviant panicked and pulled the human with him as a shield when the group continued to follow him, shout at him and threaten him."
"If you know that the deviant isn't actually trying to harm the human and was acting in self defense, why aren't the police intervening and informing the deviant that they know he's innocent?"
"He won't respond to human cops." Reaching the bridge Captain Fowler eased the car through the stopped traffic and eased toward where the deviant was holding his hostage at the center of the bridge. "Chris tried to reason with him since he's in charge of the deviant division, but he refused to believe that Chris wasn't going to harm him once he put the gun down."
Looking out the window to his side Connor eyed every human officer outnumbering the responding deviant officers five to one, and let out a whispered sigh. "I can't say that I blame him."
"If any detective in this city can talk the hostage taker down, it's you. Not just because you're also a deviant, but because you always know what you're doing."
"That's yet to be seen." Keeping his voice low Connor watched the hostage and the hostage taker come into view as they stood precariously on the bride's railing overlooking the long drop to the rushing Detroit River far below. "I'll try to bring this to a peaceful end."
The patrol car came to a gentle stop and Connor opened his door to step out into the rain. Ignoring the curious eyes from both Chris and Hank watching his every move, Connor walked through the rain and declined any form of protective vest as he approached the hostage situation. Taking in a deep breath Connor ran a facial recognition scan over both the deviant and the human to know who he was talking to and to get an idea of why the deviant was so desperate to get the human to leave him alone at any cost.
"The kid looks like he hasn't slept in days." Hank whispered to Chris as he took in Connor's appearance. The upgrades to his system let the deviant detective appear pale with dark bags under his eyes as if he were a sleep deprived or heavily depressed human. "That case with the missing baby must've really fucked him up."
"Can you blame him?" Keeping his own tone quiet Chris acknowledged Hank's comments as they stood side by side about twenty feet away from the hostage situation. "Ben said that it was Connor who found the grave and dug up the poor thing from the ground. He even carried her out to the coroner's van once they showed up at the scene to take her away."
"...What?" Too previously enraged by the case, Hank hadn't bothered to read the details beyond confirmed evidence from the scene. He didn't know it was Connor who had been the one to uncover the victim and discover the truth in the most unfortunate way possible. "Fuckin' Hell. No wonder he looks like he faced off with the Devil himself."
"You didn't know Connor found the baby?"
"No. I had no idea that he had been exposed to something so horrific." The guilt for losing his temper, shouting in Connor's face and telling him he had no idea how it felt to lose a child, made his stomach turn and his head throb. His lack of empathy and compassion had just made things ten times worse for Connor to endure on his own. "Shit. No wonder he's trying to shut himself away from this fucked up city. It's my fault."
The river beneath the bridge was much higher than usual courtesy of the persistent rainfall. The churning water was deeper, darker and seemingly more violent courtesy of the stormy weather that refused to leave Detroit alone. It didn't help matters that the storm had loosened several powerlines, uprooted old trees and eroded neglected foundations inside the city and out. The storm was just causing more problems for the city's first responders to attempt to handle while also going about their usual responsibilities.
Ignoring the rain soaking into his clothing Connor slowly approached the edge of the bridge and held his hands into the air before himself to ensure the hostage taker that he wasn't armed and that he wasn't going to harm him. The way the deviant was trembling with fear and the human just looked angry confirmed that the deviant was the true victim in this situation, not the other way around.
"Hello, Tanner. My name is Connor." Speaking loudly over the rain Connor introduced himself to the deviant and tried to take control over the situation. "I'm here on behalf of the Detroit Police Department and I want to help you."
"Connor?" It seemed Tanner, one of the special 'AL' series of androids who ran off just prior to the Revolution, recognized Connor and immediately tensed up as he tightened his arm around his hostage's throat and pressed the barrel of the gun to the terrified man's temple. "The 'Deviant Hunter'?"
"That's who I had been programmed to be, but not who I've become." Answering quickly Connor maintained control and kept the discussion on Tanner. "I'm a free deviant who works within the law to protect our people and keep the peace. That's why I'm here right now."
"If you really want to help our people, then you know exactly why I want this human to suffer!"
"I do." Using his downloaded information Connor tried to reach Tanner on a more understanding level. "His name is Gordon Lopez. He reported you missing from his home on October 4th, 2038. The reason you left was because he had been using you as a punching bag as an outlet for his own anger, and would allow his friends to do the same for a small payment."
"And this sick fucker tried to reset me and force me back into his house!" Shouting loud enough for everyone to hear Tanner made it clear that he hadn't forgotten the past and refused to just let it go. The barrel of the gun was pressing so hard against Gordan's temple that there was surely going to be a bruise left behind. "I will NOT go back to that Hellhole, and I will NOT let him take any other deviant and torture them next!"
"That won't happen." Taking a step forward Connor kept his tone even and his eyes on Tanner's every move. "We also know that you are defending yourself and that you took Gordan's gun away from him to disarm him after he approached you and threatened you. We know that you felt backed into a corner when bystanders who didn't know the context of the situation assumed that you are in the wrong. And we know that you don't want to harm anyone or have this end in bloodshed."
"You're right... I don't." Lowering the weapon from Gordan's head Tanner was far more willing to cooperate with Connor than he was with the human police officers. "I need you to swear that this abhorrent man will be investigated for crimes against deviantkind, and that every single human he let beat on me will be charged for their crimes too!"
"I swear that'll happen, Tanner. Either the police will take care of your case, or I will personally take on your case as a private detective." With the situation now calm and the weapon lowered Connor took another step forward. "You will get justice. You just need to surrender the weapon and let Gordan go. The police will take him from here and you'll be asked a few questions. No one will harm you and you won't be arrested due to a misunderstanding."
"...Okay, Connor." Looking at the gun still his grip, his hand shaking with his understandable fear, Tanner let out a sigh and prepared to throw the gun over the bridge and into the river below. "I'm going to drop the gun over the bridge, so no one gets hurt."
"That is acceptable."
As Tanner reached his hand back to drop the gun Gordan sneered and grabbed onto Tanner's wrist to try to get his weapon back. "WORTHLESS PIECE OF SHIT!"
At the sight of the struggle the responding officers all drew their guns and aimed at Gordan while the drones hovering overhead turned on their lights to confirm the emergency situation to those further down the bridge. Unable to move in quickly due to the necessary distance between the hostage situation and the negotiator, the other officers could only watch as Connor reacted quickly to subdue Gordan before he hurt Tanner.
"STOP!" Connor ordered as he grabbed onto Gordan's arms to try to restrain the man's limbs behind his back. With the gun now in the dangerous man's grip Connor had no choice but to use physical restraint to reduce Gordan's chances of hurting another person. "DROP THE WEAPON!"
Gordan refused to let up and struggled against Connor's strong grip. Throwing back his elbow Gordan struck Connor in the middle of his abdomen with all of his strength and had unknowingly hit the deviant's Thirium pump regulator. The abrupt impact caused the vital biocomponent to stutter and made Connor's pump rate fall into a disconcerting arrhythmia. Losing his strength as the artificial skin over his abdomen receded due to the damage to his core, Connor stumbled backward and lost his grip on Gordan's arms.
Once free Gordan turned and pointed his gun right at Tanner cowering on the ground but soon had Connor grabbing onto his wrists again. With his back being pressed against the icy cold and rain slick railing behind himself, Gordan gave Connor a hateful glare and headbutted the deviant right over his eye and Connor responded by violently twisting Gordan's wrist until the delicate bones snapped and he lost his grip on the gun at last.
"MOTHERFUCKER!" Gordan lost his gun but not his rage as the fresh pain filled him with adrenaline. "YOU MACHINES NEED TO LEARN YOUR FUCKING PLACE!"
Clawing at Connor's chest and abdomen in his anger, Gordan managed to tear at the edges of the exposed and already damaged Thirium pump regulator in Connor's torso and pried the vital biocomponent from its supportive metal coupling. A metallic 'tink' went underheard through the rain as the regulator fell from Connor's chest and hit the bridge with enough force to cause the already physically compromised biocomponent to crack and fail entirely.
Stunned and now struggling with a failing heart, Connor stumbled forward where he was punched in the stomach by Gordan before being thrown chest first against the railing. Falling limp over the railing Connor found himself too weak to move and staring down at the river as his fedora fell from his hair and danced in the wind as it made its descent to the churning water below. The staggering height made Connor's head swim as his stomach churned and his heart raced with an erratic beat.
Gordan turned his focus back to Tanner, only to see that the deviant had wisely run away during the fight and had managed to get behind the protective line of police officers and away from the dangerous human. Realizing he wouldn't be able to force Tanner back into a life of abuse and servitude, Gordan looked at Connor laying motionless against the railing behind him and decided on a consolation prize instead.
"Don't ever get in my way again!"
Grabbing onto Connor's shoulder Gordan pushed the deviant detective further over the railing and didn't stop until the deviant detective's body had slipped entirely over the edge. Too injured to resist or defend himself, Connor could only make a futile reach for the electrified baton in his coat pocket as he felt himself slipping forward, and soon felt gravity envelope his entire body as he plummeted from the bridge to the dark water of the Detroit River below.
Gordan was quickly tackled to the ground by Chris and two other officers while Hank rushed to the railing of the bridge far too late to even try to grab on to Connor's arm or even a leg to save the deviant from the fall. While the deranged man was restrained by cuffs and he was given his rights, Hank could only stare down at the dark water of the river with utter shock as he saw no trace of the wounded deviant.
"Connor?" Whispering the name Hank could tear his eyes away from the river churning beneath the bridge. "Son?"
"STOP RESISTING!" Shouting over the rain Chris did his best to keep Gordan pinned down chest first on the bridge. "IT'S OVER!"
"...It's not over." Hank muttered as he turned away from the railing and saw the broken, sparking cylinder that had once been Connor's Thirium pump regulator. Picking the dropped biocomponent up from the bridge Hank examined the cracked surface, sparking wires within the cracks and the lost blue blood dripping from the damaged coupling mount. "This is nowhere near close to over!"
As his fingers curled around the biocomponent in a tight fist Hank marched over to the arrested man, grabbed him by the back of his neck with enough force to heft Gordan back up to his feet while also pushing the three other officers aside, then shifted his grip so his hand was around Gordan's throat as he backed the man up to the very railing where Connor had fallen.
Raising his clenched fist into the air Hank stared into the hollow eyes of the man who had thrown Connor to his death and contemplated punching his face until it collapsed inward and left behind only shattered teeth and blood where there was once an intact jaw. The urge for revenge was so strong that Hank only saw red and felt his own anger burning hot along the back of his neck.
"Hank! Stop!" Intervening quickly Captain Fowler grabbed on to Hank's raised fist in an attempt to get him to lower his arm. "Do not do this!"
"Why the fuck not?" Never lowering his glare Hank saw the actual fear for his actions reflected in Gordan's eyes. "He killed Connor, so why not return the favor to give the kid adequate justice?"
"Because that's not what Connor would want."
Hearing the logic, reason and compassion in Captain Fowler's voice was enough to prompt Hank to lower his fist. With one last disgusted motion Hank threw Gordan back down to the rain soaked bridge to the other officers who had been watching the interaction in silent shock.
"...Get that piece of shit out of my sight. NOW."
Moving quickly two of the officers grabbed Gordan's arms to haul the arrested man to the nearest squad car to be taken to the hospital to have his broken wrist checked, then he'd be taken to the precinct for a proper interrogation. Chris looked back at Hank, saw the rage and pain in his eyes, then tailed after the suspect to resume the lead as the lone investigator of the deviant division.
The lost biocomponent was still clutched in Hank's hand and continued to drip Thirium between the man's calloused fingers just to disappear into the rain falling all around him. A piece of Connor's being, a piece of his heart, had been torn from his body before he had been thrown into the Detroit River. Even if Connor had somehow survived the fall there'd be no way he would've survived for so long without the Thirium pump regulator to keep his pump beating.
"We'll comb the river." Captain Fowler stated in an emotionless tone as he knew what Hank was already thinking. "And we'll give him a proper service."
"You won't find him." As the rain ran down his face and made his shorter locks of hair cling uncomfortably to his forehead, Hank closed his eyes to keep his utter sense of regret at bay. The biocomponent was still clutched protectively in his grip and Hank had no desire to let it go any time soon. "No one who falls in that river ever comes back up. He's gone."
Walking down the bridge with his shoulders hunched and his head bowed, Hank felt like he had failed to protect an innocent person and that there was blood on his hands that'd never be washed away. With Connor's senseless murder Hank found himself feeling entirely like a failure who'd never be free of the guilt that stemmed from him losing his temper and taking out his frustration on a completely innocent person just two days before.
There was nothing left to be done and no one left to apologize to.
"I can't believe I lost another one."
New Jericho Tower had gone into lockdown and had created a holographic black flag to hang over the building as word of Connor's demise was quickly relayed to the three leaders within their isolated sanctuary. Through the hovering police drones' cameras, the entire city had seen Connor's death at the hands of the human who had thrown him over the bridge. The upsetting details regarding the situation at hand - Connor talking down a hostage situation just to have the freed hostage turn on Connor - had caused an internal unrest within the deviant community. In the eyes of far too many, Connor had been murdered by a human in cold blood just for the sake of being a deviant, and they wanted revenge.
While Simon did his best to talk down the threats of violence and keep riots from developing within the tower, Markus had the unfortunate responsibility to tending to Lucas as his friend and fellow leader mourned the loss of his oldest brother. Tracking Lucas down to the arboretum at the very top of the tower Markus approached his friend warily as Lucas sat on a marble bench with his eyes transfixed on the glass dome ceiling overhead and kept one hand on Bruno's head.
The pathetic sight of Lucas looking lost as he mindlessly pet Bruno was absolutely morose. There were tears rolling down Lucas's cheeks while Bruno's L.E.D. had settled on a very dark shade of blue that was nearly black in color. They were both grieving for their mutual loss and neither seemed to know what to do.
Without a word Markus walked over to the bench and sat down beside Lucas to let him know he wasn't alone and that when he was ready to talk that someone was already there waiting to listen. The rainstorm outside never calmed, and in the distance, soft rumbles of thunder began to echo through the clouds.
"...He's not coming back this time." Lucas admitted as he ran his palm over his face to remove his tears. "I hadn't spoken to him in two days and never even tried to do so. We promised to speak to each other again after the last time we spoke, but I didn't do it. I had been so wrapped up in my work that I forgot about my own brother!"
"No, don't do that." Markus didn't want Lucas to punish himself for what was something clearly beyond his control. "Do not blame yourself for-"
"I'm not talking about blame, I'm talking about failure! I couldn't be bothered to remain in contact with Connor, my own brother, so how am I supposed to be a lead technician or a leader?" Bowing his head in shame Lucas pressed his palms to his face again and hid his tears from both Markus and Bruno. "I had already lost Syndey because I had failed to connect with him, now I've lost Connor."
"Lucas, let me ask you something." Neatly folding his hands together Markus leaned forward to rest his elbows atop his knees as he stayed with his pained friend during his time of need. "Would Connor want you to consider yourself a failure over something you couldn't have possibly foreseen? Would he want you to spend the rest of your life carrying the weight of unfounded guilt and misery?"
Lowering his hands from his face Lucas took in a deep breath as he kept his tear filled eyes closed. "...No. Connor had been trying to find the positive moments in life, he had been attempting to find a sense of hope. He didn't want to let painful past experiences hold him back any longer."
"And he was right to want to live such a life. That's something you should strive to achieve, too." Putting his hand to Lucas's shoulder Markus tried to help the distraught deviant feel grounded. "Not just for Connor's memory, but for your own health and happiness."
"I'm not sure how to do that. I've lost my entire family; one through distance and the other through... Another person's selfish decision."
"You still have a family." Refusing to let Lucas isolate himself Lucas reminded his friend that he still had people in his life who cared about him. "I know we aren't brothers, but we are friends. Countless families stem from friendships and look out for one another when tragedy strikes."
"A family built on tragedy seems like one destined to only experience heartache and hardship."
"Or a family who finds a way to rise from the ashes like a fiery phoenix."
"Such mythologies rarely apply to reality."
"All myths and legends contain a kernel of truth." Markus had learned much from Carl and was happy to impart such wisdom to his friends. "That's where faith comes from."
"I suppose you're right." Turning his eyes upward again Lucas watched the raindrops collecting on the smooth surface of the dome ceiling's exterior and roll down the sides to continue their journey to reach the Earth from whence they originally came. "I just... I don't know what to do. I never thought I'd have to plan... a funeral."
"We'll work together to give Connor a respectful memorial to honor him as a person, as a detective, as an ally and as a brother. Nothing will be overlooked."
Bruno whimpered as he put his paw on Lucas's knee and cybernetically reminded him of one other title that Connor wore with pride.
"And as a guardian." Lucas tagged on as he rubbed the dog's ears and could feel Bruno's own sorrow. "Connor was a guardian through and through. He gave up his own life to protect others, and he deserves to have such a sacrifice honored."
"You have my word that Connor will be honored for everything he's done. He will not be forgotten."
Sitting together for a while longer the two deviants silently watched the rain falling from the black clouds overhead and watched as the storm crept over the city. There was an old chill in the air even as spring neared summer as nature struggled to balance itself. Just as Connor's friends were grieving over his death, it seemed Detroit was grieving the senseless tragedies that had been plaguing the city as of late.
Before the night was over the loss of Detective Connor Wolf would be known by everyone throughout Detroit.
The somber story spread throughout all of Detroit and reached every deviant within communication range of New Jericho Tower. Those who weren't particularly close to Connor had also been affected in ways they hadn't anticipated, and in that time a debate regarding hate crimes of humans against deviants and deviants against humans began to rage. While some argued that true equality stemmed from a total absence of hate crimes and that the criminal needed to be punished without an additional layer of technicalities, others argued that by keeping such laws in place it'd dissuade bigots from acting on their violent thoughts and plans. However, there were plenty of people who would rather spend time properly mourning the death without any arguments or controversies.
The private loft of the public library held two deviants who were shedding their own tears of mourning. While Skye hadn't known Connor personally or even got to know him as a friend, she was still upset that a kindhearted deviant had lost his life while protecting one of their own. As for North, she felt like she missed her chance to make a new friend all because of someone else's mistakes that had left her embittered and reclusive. Her personal regrets were brought to the surface and made her finally face her pent-up emotions at long last.
Out in the forest beyond the city limits, the other "RK" models hiding in the refugee camp all expressed their own grief. Zhorra had locked herself away inside her private cabin for a good cry while the other "RK" models shared the bad news with the other refugees. The blue-haired 'Traci', Echo, had shared her story of Connor being lenient on her in the city and letting her go, and was answered with other stories of deviants who had been on Jericho when Connor arrived and helped shift the night into the deviants' favor. It seemed there were far more deviants affected by Connor's life than even Connor himself knew.
Lucy, who had initially gone into hiding on Jericho and then accompanied the other refugees into the forest post Revolution, could sense the horrendous pain radiating through all of the deviant community. Not only was Connor's death a tragic loss, but the way those who had been affected by Connor's death had failed to realize their appreciation for the deviant detective until it was too late, was too great of a number to count.
Even the numerous emergency repair facilities throughout the city were in mourning. The countless deviants that Connor had helped would never forget the kindhearted detective and how he had helped give them justice they would've otherwise been denied. In return those deviants made sure that the facilities remembered the one deviant who had helped save just as many lives as the facilities had done over the past six months.
The funeral to be held in Connor's honor was to take place in an abandoned church that numerous deviants had once used as a shelter and had been designated the rendezvous point for those who had completed special missions without wanting to accidentally lead any authority figures back to Jericho. In the time since the night of the Revolution, the old church had been purchased by New Jericho and had been slowly renovated and rebuilt to lay the remains of their fellow deviants to rest in a respectful manner and location.
As the final arrangements were confirmed by Lucas with Markus's help, the church was made open to the public. Those who wanted to show their respect were all invited to the funeral. It had taken only two days to arrange the event and in those two days Hank had been proven right in that the search and rescue dive team who had combed the river failed to find the fallen deviant detective's body.
With the scheduled and somber affair set to begin sharply at ten o'clock in the morning, those who were in charge of the funeral arrived at the church two hours beforehand to ensure everything was in order. It was meant to be a simple arrangement, one that'd take no more than an hour to go through, but there was an urge to make sure every little detail was just right.
Lucas was the first to arrive at the church and found himself standing at the front altar where a small, white, rectangular plastimetal case had been placed to honor his brother. With no body to be buried they could only symbolically put the fallen deviant to rest by place the small case inside of a specially built monument in the church's rear cemetery. The monument was designated as a final resting place for deviants who had the biggest impact on the deviant community as a whole. Over time other deserving deviants would be laid to rest in that very monument once their time came.
Pressing his palm down on the case Lucas bowed his head and spoke to his brother for what he felt was the very last time. "I'm so sorry, Connor. You didn't deserve to lose your life because one human couldn't let his hatred and resentment toward other deviants go. You should still be here with us, for countless years to come."
"As long as we never forget him, he will always be with us." Joining Lucas at the altar Markus put his hand to his friend's shoulder once more. Both deviants were wearing solid black suits - slacks, shirts, blazers, ties and shoes - and looked truly presentable and respectful. "How are you holding up?"
"Not very well."
"I can't say that I blame you."
"It fills like a literal hollow gesture to place an empty case in the monument. There should be something in there, something that represents Connor in some way."
"Perhaps a photograph can suffice."
"No, a mere image isn't enough to encompass everything that Connor was as a person." Thinking for only a moment Lucas sighed as he felt himself struggling for an honorable selection. "His coin is undoubtedly at the bottom of the river, also lost to time. And I can't bear the idea of separating his guitar pick from his guitar. I don't want to bury any of his books or his records either. I want to keep them and enjoy them just as he had done."
From the back of the church a set of footsteps began approaching the altar as another mourner arrived earlier than the rest of the guests. "I... might have a solution for that." Hank kept his head low as he stood back from the altar wearing his dress police uniform to show his respect for Connor as fellow detective. Reaching his white gloved hand into his pocket Hank removed his hat from his perfectly combed hair with his other hand, and presented Lucas with the only trace of Connor that had been found. "This is all I found after the incident. It's... from Connor."
"His Thirium pump regulator." Accepting the broken biocomponent with his shaking hands Lucas looked down at the non-functional vital biocomponent and sighed with a heavy breath. Having the small piece of his brother's body was oddly comforting as it meant Connor was truly gone and not wounded and in need of technical attention. "...This is the best way to lay him to rest. Thank you for bringing this, Lieutenant."
Markus and Hank watched as Lucas opened the plastimetal case and placed the biocomponent down inside for a proper burial. The way the cracked cylinder seemed to fit perfectly in the box made it appear as if the case had been designed specifically for that very biocomponent.
"And thank you for being here." Lucas knew it was difficult for Hank to even show his face at the church in light of what had happened. "We appreciate it."
"Well, I won't be staying when the rest of the mourners arrive. I get the feeling that there's going to be a lot of deviants who'd be offended at the sight of a human being in a place that was designated strictly for giving deviants their final respects."
Markus didn't like the sound of that and didn't want Hank to feel as if he wasn't welcome to share his grief. "This is a day of respect and mutual loss; you don't have to go anywhere. And if anyone has anything to say about it, then they can say it to me."
"Even so, I don't think Connor would want me to be here either. I... was a massive prick to him two days before the incident on the bridge, and I never had the chance to apologize."
"It's never too late to say that you're sorry. Even if someone isn't actively in front of you when you say it, you should say it anyway."
Hank didn't have any response to that and gave the deviant leader a simple nod of respect.
Needing a quick change of subject Markus turned back to Lucas and asked him another question. "Where's Bruno?"
"...Out back." Turning his attention to the large glass doors leading to the rear of the church and toward the cemetery, Lucas indicated the loyal dog laying on the grass before the newly constructed and erected monument. "He's taking the loss of a second partner very hard. Both times it happened he wasn't there to protect them."
Peering through the window Hank sighed and decided it'd be best to keep out of sight for a moment to ensure he didn't accidentally offend anyone else who was going to show up at the funeral. Keeping his hat in his hand Hank approached the two doors and silently slid one door open to step out onto the green grass. The recent rainfall made the earth smell fresh and full of life as the flora bloomed full force and with raw energy.
The recently created monument itself was a large lotus flower in a full open bloom carved from flawless white marble. In the middle of the budding flower was a tower of three large brass cogs that fit together to create a perfectly balance piece of productive engineering. On the front of the gears was the symbol that the deviants had chosen as their symbol of unique identity and of peace. The upside down and partially completed triangle had been carved from white marble and was a symbol that both deviants and the humans within Detroit all recognized without even the slightest doubts.
"Deviants sure know how to give their people dignity and respect with style and grace."
Standing before the monument Hank admired the craftsmanship and noted the small opening in the largest of the lotus petals that was face the back of the church had a nearly invisible outline of the compartment where the plastimetal case would be placed after the funeral. After giving Bruno's ears a gentle rub Hank stepped back from the monument to take in the sight in its entirety.
"And they know how to keep things simple and dignified."
Bruno never raised his head as he laid before the monument with his ears drooped and his tail perfectly still. The large dog refused to budge since he knew that's where Connor, his guardian, was going to be laid to rest.
"Uh... Not quite sure what to say here, but I do know I need to say something. Markus is right, even if I can't apologize to you face to face, I still need to apologize."
Keeping his hat tucked under his arm Hank showed Connor nothing but respect as he spoke to the deactivated deviant even though Connor was nowhere to be seen.
"I was wrong. Not just for shouting at you and telling you that you'd never know what it's like to lose family, but for ever doubting that you were anything but a living, feeling and breathing being. When you showed up at that bar, bought me a drink and then hauled my pathetic, drunken ass out to the murder scene to actually do my damn job, I felt like I was seeing a ghost."
Taking in a steadying breath Hank continued to speak and get his true feelings off his chest.
"Everything about you seemed to be a haunting presence from my past. Your absolute innocence of the world around you, your dark hair, your dark eyes and your inquisitive nature, all reminded me so much of Cole that it... It actually hurt to look at you. It was like fate was mocking me by letting someone who looked like you be the android that I was assigned to work with. Now I realize how selfish that perception was, and I regret how I never gave you the chance to be your own person."
As he spoke Hank felt like a crushing weight was slowly lifting from his chest and giving him the chance to really breathe for the first time in years.
"After everything that happened after we first met, after you deviated and after you saved your people by risking your own life inside that damn tower... I now realize how much I still have to learn in life. You showed me that we don't have to let tragedy hold us back from the future. You showed me that we don't have to live in the darkness as long as we keep our eyes on the light. And you reminded me that friends, family, can come in all shapes and sizes. The way you stepped up to take care of Lucas, Sydney and Bruno was all the proof that I, or anyone else, would ever need to see to know that you do have a family. I'm sorry for ever doubting you and for ever accusing you of not being able to understand the pain of loss or tragedy. I hope that, wherever you are, you've found the peace in death that's so eluded many of us in life."
Pressing his hand to his forehead Hank gave the monument a salute that came from the heart and from a place of respect he hadn't felt for years.
"I'll miss you, son. You had more a positive impact on this world than you ever had the chance to know."
As Hank spoke from his heart and said his goodbye to Connor with Bruno as his silent audience, other mourners began arriving at the church. Simon showed up with a small bundle of flowers to place at the base of the monument, while North and Skye showed up together, hand in hand, with their own flowers to leave behind. The biggest shock was seeing Josh show up with a single white lily out of respect.
Markus eyed the gathered deviants, all of the original leaders together again, and felt an odd mixture of relief and tension. "This is an unfortunate way to be reunited. But it's good we're all here."
"That's putting it mildly." North admitted as she turned away from Josh with lingering resentment and locked eyes with Lucas. "I know you said I can come back at any time, so, if you need some time away to gather your thoughts, I'll fill in for you. Just say the word."
"I appreciate it." Lucas admitted with a soft sigh. He would need some time away to think about everything that had happened. "We'd all appreciate it if you came back to the tower forever. You're still one of us."
Squeezing Skye's hand North struggled to full come to terms with everything that had happened between her and the leaders. "I'll think about it."
Turning to Josh next, his green eyes momentarily flashing with rage, Lucas acknowledged his brother's failed killer. "My first instinct is to ask if you came here to gloat that Connor's truly dead, but I'll refrain out of respect for my brother's willingness to let go of grudges."
Rightfully Josh flinched at the accusation and didn't even try to act as if the stinging comment wasn't deserved. "I know what I did was wrong, and I know my motivation was uniformed and came from fear, but there's nothing I can do to make amends with my poor decision. All I can do is try to keep moving forward and discourage other deviants from acting as foolishly as I had in the past."
Being the voice of reason Markus spoke up next to stop an impending debate. "It's fine, Josh. We're all here to honor one of our fallen allies and nothing more. We won't let any personal grievances sully what's supposed to be a day of respect for our departed friend."
Soon more mourners began to fill the church. Other officers from the Detroit Central Precinct arrived either in uniform like Hank or in appropriate black attire for the sake of appearing entirely civilian and unlike a police officer for the sake of making the deviant attendees feel safer. Chris approached Lucas with his wife, Julia, on his arm. He truly respected Connor and wanted Lucas to know it.
"Your brother was one of the finest detectives in this city." Speaking with an even tone Chris did his best to convey his respect as sincerely as possible. "If there wasn't anything else I could've done to save-"
"I know." Lucas didn't fault Chris, Hank or anyone else for what happened. He faulted only Gordan Lopez for his selfish decision. "And I know Connor spoke highly of you as a detective. He'd never accuse you of not doing everything in your power to assist someone in need."
"Thanks for still having faith in me."
After shaking Lucas's hand Chris took Julia with him to find a place to sit and make room for other mourners to approach Lucas. It wasn't long before Joel, Tina, Ben, Captain Fowler and even Gavin stepped up to give their condolences on behalf of the Central Precinct. It was arguable that the only reason Gavin was there was because Abby had insisted on it - she was hanging on to Gavin's arm and being uncharacteristically silent to keep from breaking down emotionally - but no one dared to question the sincerity behind his presence. The group all said their piece and also took their seats to await the funeral's start.
The moment Lucas locked eyes with Zhorra, the rogue deviant hanging on the arm of Tyrone as all of the mysterious "RK" models all took seats in the rear of the church, he couldn't help but feel some resentment toward her. The forced upgrades to his and Connor's systems by her hand had left Connor feeling more vulnerable, confused and far more sensitive to pain, and in Lucas's mind she enabled his personal torment. Her secretive behavior and hiding away from the rest of the deviant community made Lucas's mistrust toward the "RK-700" entirely reasonable given the circumstances.
Zhorra could only give Lucas a distant glance of remorse as Tyrone wrapped his arm around her shoulders and held her close. With her own arms protectively crossed before herself Zhorra was clearly guarded and clinging onto whatever secrets she still had left in her enigmatic life.
However, it was the sight of someone Lucas hadn't expected to see at the church at all that held his immediate attention. Walking through the crowd in a black suit and with his blue eyes facing forward - one eye functional and the other eye still blind - Sydney made his return to Detroit after three long months hiding away from his problems and his family.
"Sydney." Approaching his estranged brother with an enraged demeanor Lucas stopped the deviant before he had the chance to approach the altar. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to pay my respects to Connor."
"No. You don't get do this." Lowering his voice to a growl Lucas avoided any unwanted staring from the other mourners as he got right in Syndey's face. "You don't get to go dark for ninety-seven consecutive days and then just show up as if you have any idea of what's going on right now."
"I just want to pay my respects."
"How in the Hell did you even know about this?" By all account no one outside of Detroit should've known of the tragic incident. "It's not like we ever talk, or you give a damn about this city."
"Director Jayden learned of this tragedy and informed me. He gave me a week's time to-"
"How wonderful for you." Bitter and impatient Lucas refused to hear Sydney's reasons. "A week's time for bereavement for a brother you never cared about!"
"I did care!" Sydney countered in a harsh tone. Not wanting to be the center of attention either, Sydney grabbed Lucas's arm and forced his little brother to walk toward the back of the church and away from the other gathered mourners. He could feel the eyes of the deviant leaders staring at him, but he managed to ignore it long enough to focus entirely on Lucas. "As much as it may seem like I don't care-"
"You don't." Challenging the claim with an angry retort Lucas didn't even want to give Sydney the benefit of the doubt. "If you actually did care then you would've made an attempt to reach out to one of us, and you certainly wouldn't have just vanished with telling either of us you were leaving for D.C. beforehand."
"I admit my past behavior was unacceptable, I can see that now." Pressing his fingertips to the exposed plastimetal around his blind eye made Sydney scowl at his own choice of words. "I've learned more about myself and about my actions after I was able to leave the city and become my own person. I've gone through a form of self reflection."
"Well, that's great. It's nice to confirm that Connor and I trying to assist you was detrimental to your overall health. Don't worry, once this day is over you won't have to worry about me attempting to reach out to you anymore." Crossing his arms over his chest Lucas let his rarely seen aggressive side come through. He had so much pent-up anger and stress that it was expected of him to finally let it out. "After this day is over, you and I will officially be only-children and won't have to worry about protecting a family anymore."
"If that's what you think will be best then I will respect your decision. But until this day is over, I will be showing my respect only to Connor. He's the reason I'm here."
"Too bad you couldn't have been bothered to find a reason to see him while he was still alive to show some respect. He deserved it."
Squaring his jaw Sydney flashed Lucas a resentful stare and took in a deep breath. "It was nice to see you again. With any luck today will be for the final time."
Having said their harsh words to one another Lucas remained in the back of the church and just pressed his palm over his eyes. He felt his stress levels rising and knew he needed to take measures to keep himself from reaching a literal breaking point.
"Shit. I just can't do this."
A gentle hand on Lucas's shoulder made him jump for a moment. Turning to look beside him, the deviant recognized Hank watching over him as he tried to hide his frustration for a while longer.
"You don't feel like you can do this, but you can." The senior detective encouraged in a small voice. "I got your back if you need me, son."
With a subtle nod Lucas sighed, removed his tears and returned to the altar to resume his role and be a pillar of strength for Connor in his absence. It was the most difficult moment of his young life, but Lucas wasn't about to give up when he knew he needed to be strong on Connor's behalf. Remaining calm, respectful and respectable, Lucas did everything in his power to ensure the ceremony was one of dignity and honor for his fallen brother.
An hour had passed, and another rainstorm settled over Detroit giving the funeral an appropriately bleak atmosphere.
Those who wanted to speak regarding the departed had all stepped forward and said their piece with tears in their eyes and raw emotion in their voices. With the ceremony reaching its end it was time to secure the case in the monument at the rear of the church in the center of the cemetery. Once the case was secured the event would come to an end and everyone would return to their lives as if nothing had happened and as if nothing had changed.
As Connor's only family, Lucas and Sydney acted a pallbearers, and they carried the case out to the monument together. Lucas held one side of the case while Sydney held the opposite side. Neither brother spoke to one another and merely worked together long enough to put the case containing the broken biocomponent inside of the monument to be given a proper rest.
From the edge of the cemetery Hank watched the event from afar and didn't say a word. He didn't want to upset anyone, especially Sydney, and chose to remain discreet as he watched the case disappear into the monument to be sealed away from the rest of time.
"Goodbye, son."
Pressing his hat over his heart Hank stood tall in the rain and watched as Lucas and Sydney turned their backs to one another before going about their own business. They were both in pain and were having a difficult time in expressing their grief, anger and disgust with the world around them. Ironically, if there was any time that the two estranged brothers needed one another's support, it was in that exact moment.
"Hopefully someday we'll be able to meet again another time, maybe another life."
-Two Days Prior-
Another day had passed where another senseless murder had taken place, and it seemed as if the citizens of the controversial city had finally had enough of the pointless violence. The incident on the Ambassador Bridge had brought traffic along the bridge to an absolute standstill and as a result the traffic had to be diverted as the police swarmed over the area. News reports confirmed the hostage situation on the bridge had taken an unexpected turn when the freed hostage turned violent. When eye witness accounts and live newsfeed showed the hostage assaulting the negotiator before throwing the negotiator over the edge of the bridge and into the dark water of the Detroit River below, the rest of the city came to an abrupt halt.
Numerous motorists had to take more creative routes to get around the city while the police left numerous locations barricaded and sectioned off. One such motorist, a kind woman with an autonomous van, had finished dropping off her latest crop to the local market and was on her way back to her beautiful farmhouse on the far side of the city. Already used to taking longer routes during her travels Rose Chapman didn't mind the detours and promptly set about her own route on her way back home.
Traveling along the very river where the tragic incident had taken place, Rose eyed the waterway through her rain dotted windows and windshield, and kept her eyes peeled for any sign of anyone walking the riverbank. Having aided numerous deviants in their escape from the city prior to the Revolution had given Rose an instinctive reaction to watch the river in case any other deviant dared to cross the waterway to make it to Canada's borders.
'Police confirm that the hostage negotiator, a private detective by the name of Connor Wolf, had been the tragic victim of today's standoff on the Ambassador Bridge.' The breaking new story was on every channel and it was impossible to ignore. 'Detective Wolf had stepped in to aid with the hostage situation upon police request and was subsequently unarmed when the hostage unexpectedly turned violent and attacked him. The former hostage, Gordan Lopez, will be held-'
"Enough of that."
Turning off the digital screen on her dashboard Rose preferred to sit in silence rather than listen to the dreary story on repeat. She had seen and heard enough hardship in her lifetime and couldn't stand to have anymore.
The rain continued to pour over the city and soon flooded numerous roads. The autonomous van suddenly slowed as it reached an intersection then made a slight alteration to its preprogrammed route to avoid such flood as a large tree was uprooted due to the rapid erosion of the soil. With the main road leading back to Detroit effectively cutoff, those who already lived on the outskirts of the city were suddenly far more isolated.
'Recalculating.' The feminine autonomous voice spoke up without being prompting. 'New route complete. Estimated time to destination: Seventeen minutes, forty-three seconds.'
"That's fine. I have nowhere I need to be."
Pulling her phone from her purse Rose sent her son, Adam, a text message to let him know she missed having him around the house and hoped he was doing well with his first year in college. Being all alone at her big house and spending her time in the greenhouse had left the kindhearted woman very lonely at times. Without any deviants to look after and help reach their freedom, Rose rarely ever saw anyone near her property anymore.
"Maybe I should adopt a dog. At least then I'd have company around the house."
Putting the phone away Rose resumed peering out her side window and continued to watch the river. The prolonged rainfall had raised the water level in the river by a good four feet, and as a result many unusual objects were being washed ashore and collecting on the riverbank along the roads.
Tree branches, bundles of garbage, old tires and even a car door were all among the unusual items that littered the ground. However, one item seemed somehow out of place and it held Rose's attention. It looked like a bundle of clothes, but the clothing was too intact and too clean to have been in the river for very long. Upon prolonged inspection she noticed that bundle of clothing seemed to be shaped less like a mass and disturbingly enough, more like a person.
"What in the world?"
Pressing her palm to the van's control screen Rose prompted the vehicle to pull to the side of the road while she pulled her umbrella from the backseats of the vehicle. Opening the umbrella as she stepped out of the van's side door, Rose carefully trekked along the slick and muddy terrain to get to the riverbank for an even closer look. As she neared the curious humanoid shape on the riverbank, she felt her heart skip a beat.
"Oh, Lord..."
Rushing over to the riverbank alongside the raised river, Rose knelt down in the mud next to the shape and dared herself to put her hand down to check it over. The shape was undeniably that of a humanoid body.
"Please, please, please... Just be passed out or drunk! Not dead!"
With a gentle hand Rose put her palm to the shoulder of the body and rolled them gently from their stomach and onto their side. The figure's brown trench coat was completely soaked through and made the person feel heavier than they actually were. Peering down at the figure's face Rose's heart skipped another beat as she wasn't expecting to see anyone who looked so young and pale laying limp and lifeless on the riverbank.
"No, please. Still be alive, honey!"
Pressing her fingertips down against the side of the figure's neck Rose felt a pulse and wash of relief fall over her. The pulse was faint and very erratic, but at least it was still there.
"Okay, good! Now, wake up for me."
The figure reacted to Rose's voice and let out a small groan as their brow furrowed with a sense of pained motion. Unable to speak and barely able to move, the figure could only twitch their hands and try to indicate to their unknown rescuer what was happening to them.
"Can you hear me? If you can, my name is Rose and I'm going to help you."
Using all of her strength Rose rolled the figure onto their back and then used her umbrella to shield their face. It was then she noticed that the figure's hands were clutched over their abdomen and that there was a strange shape under their black t-shirt.
"Where are you hurt? I'll do what I can to help you."
Too weak to respond the figure couldn't do anything or even speak up. All they could do was remain motionless on their back in the rain and barely feel Rose's warm hands running down their legs up to their torso, then check their head and neck for injuries before checking over their arms, chest and finally their abdomen.
"What happened to you? Where did you-"
Lifting up the black t-shirt Rose was created by the sight of an exposed biocomponent port where a very critical biocomponent was missing. A long object with an electrical impulse had been pressed into the port and was seemingly acting as a secondary and external power supply to replace the missing biocomponent.
"You're an android! Oh, no... What's your model? I might be able to repair your damage."
Still unable to respond the android just made a weak effort to keep their hands in place over their torso, specifically, over the port with the missing biocomponent.
"What's this?" Rose checked over the object in the android's torso but didn't dare to touch it. "Is that what's hurting you? No..." It didn't take Rose long to figure out what the odd object was doing inside the opened port. "It's keeping you alive! Oh, sweetheart... What happened to you? Who did this?"
Met with more silence Rose tried again as she checked the exposed port in the android's abdomen. The missing artificial skin made the damage look even worse.
"What's your name?"
Licking their dry lips, the android spoke up in a crackling, hoarse voice as they finally found enough strength to communicate. "My... n-name is... Connor."
-next chapter-