Springtime was quickly turning to summer as the weather remained warm and free of any rainclouds overhead. It seemed the city was finally finding a semblance of peace after so many tragic events had taken place, but even so, no one was going to let their guard down any time soon. Dealing with so many abrupt and drastic changes, corruption, controversies and so many needless and traumatic moments had left Detroit feeling rather jaded and exhausted. The historic deviant Revolution had left its mark on the city in a positive way, but the continued violence, murders, assaults and rumors of a new wave of "red ice" appearing in the streets had left everyone feeling as if whatever progress was being made toward the betterment of Detroit was all just a hollow gesture.

The relative return to normalcy was rather short lived for just about everyone. As the nightmares returned any moment of restful reprieve was spent with Connor gasping himself awake and clutching at his arm as if in the limb was damaged or experiencing extreme pain. Even with his stress levels very low or even non existent, he was beginning to have the nightmares on a nightly basis, and each time the dreams were becoming increasingly vivid.

Panting for his breath Connor unconsciously clutched at his right arm and stared blankly at the wall at the far side of his room. He could feel Bruno pawing his leg and hear him whimpering, but the shaken deviant simply couldn't find his voice and acknowledge Bruno's attempts to reach out to him.

"Connor?" Lucas had noticed his brother's distress from his own bedroom and quickly checked on Connor. Pressing his exposed fingertips to Connor's temple Lucas performed a system diagnostic to determine the severity of Connor's condition. "Your stress level is currently at forty-seven percent. Try to take in deep breaths to keep your core from overheating."

Following Lucas's instructions without any hesitation Connor took in a nice deep breath and focused on his stress level being displayed in his visual processor. The numbers began to slowly tick down until the numbers shifted from a red color to a blue color confirming the improvement. "...I-I'm okay. I'll be fine."

"I know you will." Pulling back his hand Lucas proceeded to check over Connor's arm after noticing that his brother was clutching it in a protective grasp. "I didn't detect any abnormalities within your arm. Does it ache?"

Turning to face his brother standing beside his bed Connor gave Lucas a truly confused look. "Huh?"

"Your arm." Lucas watched as Connor seemed to realize what he was doing and slowly let his grip on his arm lessen. "You appeared to have been in pain."

"No, my arm is undamaged. My nightmare involved-" Stopping quickly Connor decided it wasn't the time to delve into his personal issues. There was nothing to talk about considering it was just a bad dream. "Nothing, it's fine and it's over."

"What happened in your nightmare?"

"Same thing that always happens. The person who bears my face physically assaults me." Looking down at his arm for a moment Connor sighed and ran his hand through his hair in an attempt to fix his messy locks. "The nightmare ends with me being thrown from a second story balcony and breaking my right upper arm from the extreme impact courtesy of the fall."

"Interesting. The details are always the same?"

"For the most part, yes. However, there are times where the details seem more vivid or change entirely."

"Would you please allow me to run a full diagnostic on your memorybank and your dream software?"

"This is a mystery I must solve on my own." Declining the offer Connor decided it was time to get up and begin his newest investigation even before the sun had fully risen on the horizon. As he rose from the bed Connor cybernetically tapped into the news reports to get an idea of what was happening in the city that morning. "I promise that I'll be okay. Go to the tower and do whatever it is you need to do."

"I don't feel comfortable with you being alone while working on a case."

"I'll bring Bruno with me. And I assure you that I will not cross any bridges today."

Lucas wasn't amused by the joke and the darkness over his eyes perfectly expressed it without him needing to say a word.

"I apologize, that was in poor taste."

"It's not your fault." Lucas's compassionate nature often made him far more sensitive to issues in the city than he could really understand at time. "I still feel responsible since I wasn't there to watch your back."

"I had fourteen responding police officers on the bridge with me that day, and I was armed with my baton, and yet I was still assaulted."

"That is doing very little to ease my concerns for you, brother."

"Sorry. Just know that I'll keep in contact with you at all times while I'm in the field." Connor was fearless in the face of a new investigation and hoped that Lucas would feel the same soon. "At any point you can communicate with me, and I'll respond immediately."

Bruno grumbled as he jumped off the bed and sat down at Lucas's feet to remind the younger brother that Connor wouldn't be alone. 'Bruno will protect Connor.'

"We know you will." Happily Lucas rubbed Bruno's chin and relented to Connor's desire to work solo on his new case. "Just promise me that you will not confront anyone on a physical level."

"I can assure you that I'll do everything in my power to avoid a physical confrontation. I am not in the mood for a fight, I just want to find the truth that CyberLife is apparently trying to keep secret from us and the rest of the world. After I know the truth then I'll finally be able to rest easy once again."

Activity in the Detroit Central Precinct had started out normally enough as patrol handled the usual complaints of loitering, trespassing and a few thefts, but soon things took a sharp turn for the more extreme. A reported overdose of "red ice" came in just after four in the morning, and soon after additional reported overdoses followed. The victims were long time users who were being poisoned by the offensive drugs despite having a built up tolerance to the extreme chemicals that went into the drugs' overall creation. It wasn't long before first time users or those who had only just begun experimenting with the drug were found dead in their homes or in the process of dying.

Despite Hank no longer working in the narcotics division, he was brought into the case simply because his knowledge and experience of working in the field was absolutely invaluable. Seven overdoses resulting in four deaths had become the seasoned Lieutenant's priority over any other case. In his mind the drug dealers responsible for the overdoses were guilty of negligent homicide, and thus back in his division and under his authority.

Sipping at his mug of coffee Hank sighed and examined the details that had been provided by the coroner's reports and the blood tests from the still living victims at the hospital. The concentration of the "red ice" found in all seven victims' blood confirmed that they had been poisoned by the same batch of the drug and that meant there was a single dealer in town who was responsible for everything happening.

"Why do so many assholes think they can be the next drug Kingpin without any experience?"

It was a tragically common occurrence for people with virtually no knowledge behind the delicate process of manufacturing the very drugs they were trying to sell. If the drugs were too weak then no one can get hooked and become a regular customer, but if they're too strong then anyone who tries it ends up dead before they can buy again.

"Can't start a business if all your clients are fuckin' dead."

"Don't try to figure out what's running through a junkie's head." Gavin grumbled as he passed by Hank's desk in a sluggish manner. He seemed far more tired than usual and had dark bags under his eyes from a noted lack of sleep. "And don't worry about what's going through a drug dealer's head, you know, unless it's a bullet!"

"You need to go back to bed for a while." The senior detective ordered as he didn't appreciate Gavin's behavior slipping back toward bad habits. "I don't want to deal with another 'Reed mess'."

"You're not actually defending those fuckers, are you?"

"Of course not. I'm just defending my right to NOT have to deal with another disciplinary hearing regarding your attitude."

Letting out a deep sigh Gavin rubbed both palms over his face and let his breath escape through his fingers. "...Fuckin' right. Sorry."

"Late patrol?" Hank asked as he made a motion for Gavin to sit in the still vacant seat across from his own desk. The way Gavin was carrying himself told Hank that the younger detective was dealing with a lot of stress, and it wasn't necessarily all job related. "Or... something else?"

"You could say that." Dropping into the chair with a heavy flop Gavin leaned forward against the cleared off desk and glanced about the bullpen as if needing to make sure it was safe for him to talk. "You know how me and Abby have been seeing each other, right?"

"Yeah. Poor woman could do so much better..."

"Don't I know it. But anyway, uh, we have been getting really close and have been contemplating just runnin' down the courthouse for a quickie marriage without all the dramatics and money being wasted on a buncha' flowers and other stupid shit. And now it seems like we have to really commit to it because, well..."

Hank knew what Gavin was talking about and he couldn't keep the coy grin off his face. "First off, is this something you both want to have happen?"

"The marriage?"

"That, and the other reason you're looking to make it official."

"Well, yeah." Despite his fatigue Gavin sounded undoubtedly certain about his and Abby's decisions. "I mean, Abby's great and she can handle anything that comes her way, and she's mentioned wanting it a few times before anything officially happened. And even though my childhood was a fuckin' nightmare, I know I don't have to repeat that stuff that I went through. And we both love kids, so, yeah. We both want this."

"Then, congrats." Reaching into his desk Hank pulled a notepad out of the drawer and quickly wrote down a few details before sliding it over to Gavin to take and read for himself. "This is how me and Barb got to the courthouse without anyone knowing about it. Go do what you gotta' do. Grab your two witnesses, get some rings, sign the paperwork and then celebrate in your own way."

Gavin gave Hank a truly perplexed glance as if he had been expecting something far more complicated. "That simple?"

"It was for me. If anyone tries to give ya' any shit then call me. I'll set them straight."

"Thanks, Lieutenant." Putting the paper in his pocket for safekeeping Gavin slowly rose to his feet and let out another sigh. He was tired yet excited for his future with the woman he seemed to truly love. "Just do me one more favor..."

"I won't say anything." Sharp as ever Hank knew what Gavin wanted and had no problem in keeping the secret. "Not my business."

"Right. Appreciate this!"

As Gavin walked away to his own desk Hank couldn't help but chuckle. It was strange how every soon-to-be-parent had the same look of shock in their eyes after finding out the big news. It was fascinating to watch the shock change to awe over time, and in time Hank knew that Gavin's fears of being a father would disappear the after he holds his child for the very first time.

"Well, at least there's something good to look forward to in the future."

Finishing off his coffee Hank set about checking in to the confirmed chemicals found in the blood of the seven overdose victims to try to determine where the chemicals came from and who would have access to said chemicals. It didn't take long to narrow down the search pool to a single warehouse in the middle of the city, and even less time for Hank to swear at the name registered with the warehouse's address.

"Son of a bitch. CyberLife is still fuckin' shit up in this city even after they went under."

The warehouse of interest was one that used to hold spare Thirium, biocomponents and limbs for androids before said items were shipped to their respective CyberLife stores for commercial sale. It was also supposed to have been cleared out and left for sale after the Revolution had taken place as an act of peace and tolerance towards the deviant community in the city.

Unfortunately, the realtor in charge of the warehouse's property failed to properly take the deed from CyberLife or check on the property during what should've been the eviction process. Whether or not the realtor was complicit with CyberLife keeping illegal stock on the seized property wasn't Hank's interest at the moment. He was more focused on finding the person or persons who were responsible for the overdoses sweeping through the city.

"All right. Time to get a damn warrant and check the place out."

Preparing his request via e-mail Hank glanced over his notes somberly and hoped that any holy deity watching over the world would grant mercy and let this particular "red ice" investigation be his last. The senior detective felt far too old and far too tired to keep pulling overdose victims out of the gutters and having to make the uncomfortable call to the victim's family regarding the situation he had just responded to.

"With any luck the jackass will be dumb enough to still be hiding in the warehouse when I show up. It'll make my job a hell of a lot easier if I can just walk right on up them and arrest their sorry ass on the spot!"

A deep and personal investigation had prompted Connor to reconsider the ominous words written in the letters provided to him by Kamski for an unknown and heavily enigmatic reason. The deviant detective's instincts were telling him that his past with CyberLife, Kamski's cryptic behavior and his own strange recollection of bizarre memories that shouldn't belong to him in any capacity, were somehow all connected to one another. Everything that Connor was seeking seemed to come from a time that happened long before Connor even existed, and as a result that meant Connor would have to get directly involved with his search for the truth if he were to make any progress regarding the mysterious investigation.

In order to make his first big step forward Connor decided it'd be best to begin by searching through the secret files that CyberLife continued to hide even after going defunct post peaceful Revolution. Checking through the city's registration regarding business and properties, Connor honed in on a single warehouse in the heart of the city that still bore CyberLife's name even after the company collapsed.

Dancing his coin over his knuckles Connor led Bruno out of the autonomous cab and toward the warehouse to check the building in person. There were no security personnel in the area since the warehouse was supposed to be abandoned, but the strong locks and chains over the doors told a different story. Someone was still keeping an eye on the building.

Pressing his palm to the locked front doors of the two story warehouse, Connor closed his eyes and performed a scan as his coin slipped into his pocket. There was a single biometric human signature inside the building confirming one person inside. Why they were there and why they had locked the warehouse was another mystery that'd be solved later on.

"Bruno, keep quiet and do not alert the occupant that we are in the area."

Leading Bruno around the sides of the warehouse Connor did his best to peer inside the old building through the cloudy windows, but he couldn't see inside the dark structure more than a few feet. There was a vague movement in the shadows near the center of the building and a single figure moving around the dimly lit interior, but Connor couldn't determine if the person was armed or not. He could only confirm that there was one man inside the building, and he had no idea who they were or why they were there.

Bruno pawed at Connor's hand to get his guardian's attention as he cybernetically warned Connor of potential danger. 'Chemical leak detected inside the building.'

'Can you identify the chemicals?' Responding cybernetically in turn Connor managed to keep as quiet as possible as he located a long metal ladder connected to the second floor's emergency fire escape. Pulling a wooden crate over to the ladder Connor climbed up onto the box and lined up his jump to reach the bottom rung of the ladder itself. 'Are they flammable or toxic?'

'Yes, they are volatile.' Sniffing at the air Bruno struggled to identify all of the chemicals stored inside the building. 'Methylamine. Ammonia. Nitro glycerin. Lye. Acetic acid. Perchloric Acid. Sodium Hydroxide. Thionyl Chloride. Phosphine. Benzyl Chloride. Acetic Anhydride.' Licking his nose nervously Bruno continued to use his sensitive sense of smell to detect and identify numerous other chemicals, many of which were used in the manufacturing of Thirium and biocomponents. 'Benzene. Acetone. Ethanol. Methanol. Freon. Hexane. Lead acetate. Red phosphorus. And sodium kerosene.'

Within seconds Connor had quickly deduced what the chemicals had in common, and his heart sank. 'All ingredients used in the creation and processing of "red ice".'

'We found a "red ice" lab.'

'Correct.'

'Should Bruno alert authorities?'

'Not yet.' With a single swift jump Connor grabbed onto the bottom of the ladder and managed to pull himself upward to climb the ladder up to the attached metal landing connected to the fire escape door. He'd be able to enter the building and avoid detection by using the alternative doorway rather than the main doors on the ground floor. 'After I explore the building, we'll alert the proper authorities. We cannot let any innocent people get poisoned by this illegal substance.'

'Bruno will stand guard.'

'Good boy. Do not bark and only react if the man inside the building tries to flee.'

'Bruno will obey.'

Using his fingertips Connor palpated the door and found a weak point that would let him force the door open without causing any significant damage. Due to the warehouse being reportedly abandoned by CyberLife, the emergency alarm on the fire door had long since been deactivated and wouldn't make a sound once the door was forced open.

Smoothly and silently Connor managed to pry the door from its frame and open the door just wide enough to slip inside the warehouse without anyone noticing his intrusion. The acrid smell of the improperly contained chemicals was thick enough in the air to send Connor's analysis software into overdrive as he had to force the numbers and data from his vision long enough to focus on his task at hand. He wasn't there to bust a "red ice" ring or apprehend any drug dealers, he was there to uncover any dirty little secret that CyberLife had left laying around.

Creeping along the metallic catwalk that comprised the warehouse's second floor, Connor kept his steps light and kept his eye on the human down in the middle of the ground floor surrounded by his numerous and dangerous chemicals. The sight of the improperly contained and exposed chemicals being so close to an unwatched Bunsen burner gave the deviant detective every reason to exercise extreme caution. One misstep, one little accident, and the entire warehouse could be consumed in flames within a few terrifyingly short minutes.

A quick facial recognition scan gave Connor an I.D. on the man below, and Connor now knew who to turn over to the police once his own investigation was over. He sent the same information to Bruno outside to ensure the loyal K-9 unit would be able to track down the right man in the event the man fled from the warehouse before the police showed up.

After locating the door to a private office on the far side of the catwalk Connor proceeded to swiftly break the lock on the door with his hands to begin exploring the isolated room in search of anything of interest. Remaining nearly invisible with his stealthy approach, Connor closed the door behind himself with an inaudible 'click' and visually scanned the dark room with his superior android vision. Without any opaque layers of dust and grime stuck to thick glass that was designed to keep natural light shining into the building to a minimum, Connor could easily make out every object in the room by shape and size alone.

"A safe is in here. Interesting."

In the far corner of the office was a massive black iron safe that was locked behind a digital pad and physical key. The dual security methods were quite efficient, but still not efficient enough to keep Connor's curiosity at bay. As he knelt down in front of the safe Connor cybernetically called out to Lucas as a means of keeping his word and keeping Lucas in the loop during his investigation.

'Lucas, I've discovered a warehouse that belongs to CyberLife harboring a locked safe.' Pressing his palm to the safe door Connor performed a scan that penetrated the thick surface to give the deviant a holographic view of the internal tumblers keeping the door sealed. 'The warehouse is also doubling as a "red ice" house.'

'You shouldn't be there.' Lucas warned as his worries for his brother suddenly mounted. 'It's dangerous to be anywhere that CyberLife still owns, let alone around people who create something as senselessly lethal as "red ice".'

'There is one human inside the warehouse at the moment. His name is Gerard Calder. Unfortunately, he is a cop and is clearly corrupt.'

'If you're in the proximity of a corrupt police off-'

'I won't be seen by him, I swear.' With a controlled focus Connor retracted the artificial skin from his palm and managed to cybernetically override the safe's keypad lock, then he took hold of the safe door's handle to pull on it until the hinges began to give way under his mounting strength. Careful to not let the safe door 'creak' as it opened Connor peered inside the safe and noted the interesting physical files left behind. 'I found something.'

'What is it?'

'A file with blueprints regarding the prototype "RK" series.' Pulling the file out of the safe Connor quickly scanned over the documents and uploaded every crucial detail into his memorybank for later analysis. 'The entirety of the "RK" program is here. It starts with the "RK-100" and stops with the "RK-900". The date in which the first "RK" prototype was approved for manufacturing and testing was on May 22nd, 2037; and seemed to have been pushed through the red tape by Kamski himself.'

'Kamski? He had been away from CyberLife for approximately nine years at that point.' Lucas was picking up on something unusual regarding Kamski and his connections to both CyberLife and the 'RK' series of androids. 'Why would he silently return to CyberLife just long enough to push a prototype design forward, then retreat from the company again?'

'Unknown. My guess is we'll need to speak to Kamski himself and hope he cooperates with our questions.'

'That might prove to be more challenging than solving a case without any clues or evidence.'

'Agreed.' Checking the safe thoroughly Connor made sure he didn't overlook anything crucial and slipped the file into the deep interior pocket of his brown trench coat for safekeeping. There was no reason to keep such delicate information behind for someone else to uncover. 'I'm now going to leave the warehouse as discreetly as I entered. Bruno is already outside keeping guard over the warehouse.'

'Should I do anything to assist you?'

'No, I'll go to the tower, and we can speak in person. Since the file pertains to all "RK" models we should speak with Markus.' Knowing that the deviant leader was the only 'RK-200' in existence could provide answers to questions Connor hadn't even considered asking. Closing the safe to disguise his investigation Connor decided it was time to leave the warehouse and get out of potential harm's way. 'I'll see you within the hour.'

'All right. I'll see you soon, stay safe.'

'I will.'

Keeping as silent as possible Connor opened the office door again and peeked out through the small gap between the door and the door frame to observe the activity within the warehouse. The chemicals were becoming more noxious, and Connor's system quickly warned him of a dangerous mixture of the chemicals hanging thick in the air. Throw in the dangers of the open flame of the Bunsen burner with all the chemicals, and the deviant knew that the entire area was now extremely dangerous.

'Bruno, keep away from the warehouse doors.' The cybernetic link with the K-9 unit had proven to be an invaluable tool. 'There is an immediate risk of combustion due to the chemicals in the area.'

'Should Bruno contact the authorities?'

'Yes.' Keeping his head down Connor crept along the catwalk and looked down at Calder as the man coughed and struggled to maintain some control over his amateur chemistry project. 'Inform the precinct and fire department of the situation, and give them your confirmed list of chemicals so they can prepare accordingly.'

'Bruno will obey.'

As he passed over the center of the warehouse directly above the long metallic table full of chemicals Connor noted that Calder was showing signs of intoxication. The man wasn't wearing any protective gear over his face, just his hands, and he was beginning to wobble on his feet. As Calder fumbled to mix his chemicals he remained blissfully unaware of the incredible danger he was in.

"Gerard Calder is clearly a corrupt officer with a questionable police record."

Connor spoke to himself in a low whisper as he carefully assessed the situation at hand. He knew that through Bruno that emergency services were already on their way to the warehouse to contain the dangerous chemicals and prevent an imminent explosion, but even so there was no guarantee that help would arrive in time.

"He has a shady history of stereotyping and profiling suspects during investigations, and he's been accused on numerous occasions of misogyny, racism and bigotry against androids. He's also been suspended four times for excessive force during arrests that resulted in suspects arriving at the precinct with excessive damage to their person."

Reaching the fire escape door Connor paused, looked down at Calder as the deplorable man coughed and began to lose consciousness, and decided that even if he couldn't find any logical reason to try to save the life of a man who didn't care about the other lives around him, it would still be wrong to just turn his back and let Calder alone to die a potentially horrible death.

"Shit..."

Opening the door fully Connor tried to ventilate the warehouse as much as he could before he stealthily jogged down the nearby metal staircase to get to the ground floor. Unwilling to risk that Calder was secretly harboring a weapon Connor decided it'd be best to sneak up behind the man and render him unconscious with a quick and effective 'sleeper hold'. Afterward he'd be able to carry the man outside the warehouse and to safety.

Just as Connor's shoes hit the concrete floor of the warehouse Calder let out a truly sickening cough before he collapsed forward over the table. The man's body was limp for only a few seconds before he began to seize from the chronic chemicals he had been exposed to and inhaled. His jarring motions caused the opened chemical containers to rock for a moment before tipping over and splashing over the open flame of the Bunsen burner.

Seeing the inevitable seconds before it happened within a massive flash of explosive force, Connor wisely stopped and put his arm up over his face as he dropped to the floor to duck down in his only attempt to avoid damage from the burning combustion. The eruption caused by the fire was enough to shake the entire warehouse and create a deafening sound that rivaled a bomb detonating on the battlefield. Flames, a bright flash and rush of motion swept through the warehouse as the entire building was readily engulfed in hungry flames.

Anyone who had been inside the building was now at the mercy of the fire and those who would attempt to smother the blaze before it claimed any victims.

With a heavy heart and a physical search warrant in his possession, Hank made the drive out to the curious warehouse with no idea of what to expect once he began the search entirely solo. The rest of the bullpen was far too busy handling patrol, numerous emergency calls regarding further reported overdoses and potential drug deals going down in the streets, to accompany Hank into the field. Relying solely on his skills, experience and knowledge regarding his previous position as the lead investigator of the narcotics division, Hank's gut told him that be checking for the source of the ingredients for the "red ice" he'd find the trail to the person or persons responsible for the drug distribution.

As he pulled the Oldsmobile along the enclosed parking area that surrounded the warehouse Hank heard dispatch reporting a massive chemical leak and illegal drug lab in the very building that he had just parked in front of. Wisely Hank confirmed his location to dispatch and checked his weapon holstered on his hip. He wasn't about to take any chances.

Opening his side door Hank stepped out of the vehicle and spotted a familiar K-9 unit rushing up to him all excited and with his L.E.D. cycling in red. The moment he spotted Bruno Hank knew that things just far more complicated than he had anticipated.

"Bruno?" Glancing about the area Hank tried to find any sign of Connor or Lucas anywhere near the warehouse. "What're you doing here? Where are-"

A massive explosion suddenly shook the entire block and caused Hank to instinctively duck down while Bruno let out a surprised yelp and rushed over to Hank in an instinctive need to protect his fellow officer. As the fire tore through the building and filled the air with thick black smoke, Hank reached back for his radio to dispatch and informed them of explosion and requested immediate back-up to his location.

Reaching for his phone Hank looked back to Bruno and asked the K-9 unit a few questions as he used his free hand to waft away the smoke filling his face. "Who's here with you?"

Bruno cybernetically responded through Hank's phone via text message so Hank could understand what he was saying. 'Connor.'

"And where is he?"

Looking back at the warehouse over his shoulder, Bruno confirmed Hank's fears. 'Inside.'

"Shit... All right, we'll find him together."

Slipping the phone back into his pocket Hank took a few steps forward and shrugged off his thick coat and pressed the wadded up material over his face to protect him from the smoke and burning chemicals in the air. The last thing he needed to do was pass out in the middle of a burning building.

"Bruno, find Connor! Seek!"

Bruno's L.E.D. flickered to yellow for a moment as the loyal dog charged toward the burning building and noted that the front doors had been blown clean off the door frame after the explosion. Preconstructing a route inside the burning warehouse only took Bruno a few seconds, and soon the K-9 unit rushed inside and began barking to direct Hank through the blaze.

Keeping his head down and his coat pressed over his face, Hank managed to trail after Bruno relatively easily by following the barks and followed the dog to the back of the warehouse where he then saw a figure laying on their side while remaining entirely motionless. There were flames creeping up the figure's right arm and heading toward their shoulder and their face with no sign of stopping.

"Shit! Connor!?"

Dropping to his knees beside the unconscious deviant Hank pulled his coat from his face and used the garment to pat out the flames burning through Connor's trench coat. The deviant didn't respond to Hank or Bruno, let alone react to the intense heat and flames actively damaging his artificial skin and beginning to crack and warp the plastimetal frames beneath.

Gently Hank rolled Connor on to his back and pressed his fingertips to the side of Connor's neck. The unique pulse point confirmed that Connor was still active, but he was in need of repairs and immediate technical treatment.

"We got ya', son..."

Using his coat again Hank covered Connor's burned arm and the back of his head and neck from the surrounding flames that were actively encroaching on them. Grabbing on to Connor's wrist, Hank pulled the deviant up and then over his shoulders to carry him out of the building in via fireman's carry. Wrapping his hands around Connor's wrist and his ankle, Hank kept a firm hold over the unconscious deviant's body as he carried Connor back through the blown open door of the warehouse to get him to safety. Bruno was leading the way back outside to ensure there were no mishaps along the way.

Rushing out through the door and into the bright sunlight and fresh air, Hank managed to carry Connor over to the Oldsmobile and sit him down on the ground with his back pressed against the front tire. The moment they were free of the burning warehouse the high pitched sound of emergency sirens pierced the air. Numerous police drones began circling the smoldering warehouse while two patrol cars, two fire engines, a rescue truck and an ambulance rushed toward the inferno to try to contain and extinguish the blaze.

"Connor? Can ya' hear me?"

Hank asked as he carefully unwrapped Connor's burned arm from his coat before gently peeling back the burnt fabric of Connor's own trench coat down and away from the deviant's face, neck and right shoulder. Using a delicate touch Hank exposed the damage beneath the charred sleeve and grimaced at the thick black and dark blue burns all over Connor's right upper arm and shoulder.

"Ah, shit... Don't worry, son." Waving over the responding paramedics Hank hoped that they'd be able to help the wounded deviant. There were no Emergency Field Technicians at the scene at that moment. "Help's here."

The first paramedic gave Connor's shoulder a brief onceover before shaking his head somberly. "We don't carry any supplies for androids in this rig. Not yet anyway."

"Fuck." Pressing his palm to Connor's forehead Hank coughed a few times and tried to gauge how alert the deviant truly was. "Okay, I'll take care of him. Check for anyone else found in the building. Report said there was one other guy in there."

"Will do, Lieutenant."

Tina and her temporary rookie partner rushed over to Hank to check in with the ranking detective before doing anything else. They were one of the first patrols on scene and were anxious to assist in any way that they could. "Lieutenant! What's going on?"

"Don't know. Dispatch got a report of a chemical leak and then this whole building just blew."

Acknowledging the unconscious deviant Tina tried to figure out something important she clearly missed. "Why's Connor here?"

"I don't know that either. I'll take care of Connor and you monitor the situation." Trusting Tina to keep him in the loop Hank put the young officer in charge of the scene during his absence. "Let Fowler and Collins know about the explosion and let them know I'll resume the investigation after I get Connor taken care of."

"Right. Come on, Tyler." Tina looked at her trembling rookie partner and gave him an easy assignment. "You're going to help me with crowd control to keep curious bystanders at bay. After that, we'll get more up close and personal with the rubble."

With one problem handled Hank resumed focusing on Connor. The deviant was still unconscious and needed to have his arm tended to as soon as possible.

"Okay, uh..." Looking over at Bruno beside him Hank watched the loyal dog tilt his head curiously and knew that Bruno had just sent him a new text message. Pulling his phone from his pocket Hank rapidly read the screen and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, good idea. We'll take him to New Jericho Tower so we can let Lucas know what's up."

Bruno grumbled as he pawed at Connor's knee while Hank pulled the deviant's arm around his shoulders before wrapping his own arm around Connor's waist. Pulling the deviant up to his feet Hank helped Connor clumsily walk beside him as crossed over to the passenger side of the Oldsmobile to pull open the door. After helping Connor to sit down in the front seat Hank patted the side of his leg to call Bruno over.

"Come on, Bruno. Up!"

The K-9 unit quickly hopped into the car and rested his chin over Connor's knee as he watched over his guardian with an attentive eye as the door beside him slammed shut. The loyal dog didn't want to risk losing Connor a second time.

Snatching his coat from the ground Hank tossed the soiled garment into the backseat of the car before he sat down behind the steering wheel. Informing dispatch that he was taking a wounded civilian in for treatment left Hank feeling as if he was somehow being indifferent to Connor as a being with his own thoughts, feelings and goals. He was supposed to be Connor's friend, not just another cop watching over another civilian.

"Hang in there, son. You'll be patched up and back to cracking cases in no time."

The vibrations of the old car speeding away and then pulling onto the street was enough to jostle Connor back into reality. After dismissing all of the digital warnings in his visual processors regarding his exposure to the various chemicals, smoke and extreme heat on top of the significant burns to his right shoulder and arm, Connor blinked his eyes a few times and felt Bruno press his cold wet nose under his chin. A quick glance about confirmed that he was no longer inside the burning warehouse and that he was now inside the Oldsmobile right alongside Hank and Bruno.

"Lieu... tenant?" A hand on his undamaged shoulder was oddly grounding as Connor replayed his last recorded memories before being rendered unconscious. "Why... are you here?"

"I was going to search the warehouse after I had some evidence regarding 'red ice' production pointing me in that direction." Eyeing the black smoke rising into the sky via rearview mirror, he sighed and knew he was going to have an odd discussion ahead. "Then, well..."

"A-Are you hurt?"

"No, just smokey." Pressing his palm over his mouth Hank stifled an annoying cough as he focused on the road ahead of him. "Fire department's handling the warehouse. And I'm taking you to New Jericho for treatment."

A sharp pain in Connor's right shoulder drew his attention from Hank and back to his own person. Seeing charring of his own body through the destroyed sleeves of his trench coat, gray blazer and white dress shirt was absolutely nauseating. "...Shit."

"That's what I said. I'm just glad you're still in one piece."

"...You're taking me to New Jericho." The fear of upsetting Lucas by showing up injured was enough to made Connor feel like he was going to throw-up. "No. Not the tower. Take me to the Zeta Facility."

"What's the different between the tower and the facility?"

"My brother." Connor had to resist pressing his palm over his sore shoulder as he took in slow, deep breaths. He didn't want to accidentally contaminate his own wounds by touching them with a dirty hand. "If Lucas sees me damaged it'll just upset him. If I show up with my damage already treated, then it might help soften the blow."

Slowing the speed of the Oldsmobile Hank idled at a red light and gave Connor a searching glance. The raw emotion in the deviant's eyes was enough to convince Hank that it'd be best to make the slightly longer drive out to the facility before heading to the tower. "Okay. We'll get you patched up, a fresh shirt and then we'll go talk to Lucas together."

"Thank you, Lieutenant."

"Don't thank me just yet. I still have to know why you were in the warehouse and why it exploded." Hank's detective senses were tingling. He knew there was something big happening in the city and he was going to figure out what it was before it had the chance to surprise him. "You answer my questions and I'll do everything I can to keep your name out of the report. Deal?"

In too much pain to really offer a counter Connor readily agreed to the offer and sank back in his seat. "...Deal."

The wounded deviant was taken right into the first available treatment room the moment he and Hank had arrived at the Zeta Facility. The way Connor was covered in soot, smelled of burned plastic and chemicals, and was paler than usual, gave Barry all the reason to push his treatment to the top of the list. It took a combination of a decontamination shower, incrassation compound and a lot of patience, but slowly Connor's damaged shoulder and arm had been properly sterilized and bandaged by Abby's skilled hands. Being a former E.M.S. gave Abby enough insight regarding Hank's appearance to encourage him to take a decontamination shower as well, then return to the exam room to ask his questions.

After he had a moment to breathe Connor was given a quick examination by Abby while Hank asked the deviant detective questions about why he was at the warehouse. Confirming the CyberLife connection and his personal case - the confiscated file as proof - Connor was quickly cleared of any potential arson investigation and Hank was now more interested in the destroyed "red ice" lab courtesy of the fire than anything Connor had been doing.

"And you can confirm that the asshole you saw cooking that shit was Gerard Calder?" Hank asked as ran his hand over his damp locks of gray hair and made sure the smoke and chemical smells had been washed away. "Accusing a cop of anything like that is pretty damn serious."

"I can confirm it." Raising up his left hand Connor created a holographic image of his memory regarding the man's face over his palm, and he watched Hank's blue eyes light up with disgusted recognition. It was a struggle to not move as Abby finished bandaging his right arm and shoulder since the limb still ached with every beat of his pump. "I had Bruno cybernetically send in the report after I finished my own search of the warehouse."

Bruno was sitting at attention beside the door and listening intently to everything Connor was saying. The K-9 unit knew to record everything regarding interrogations to ensure all evidence was handled properly and official protocols were being upheld.

"All right. I'll make sure Fowler knows that we don't have to worry about that prick fuckin' shit anymore."

"Why was someone as dishonest as Calder allowed to remain an officer?" Wincing slightly Connor let Abby gently flex his shoulder with her hands to ensure that the bandages were going to hold without being too tight. The flames had destroyed a large portion of his artificial skin that stretched the length of his upper arm from his shoulder down to elbow. The plastimetal frame beneath had cracked and warped slightly due to the exposure to the extreme heat. "He was undoubtedly a liability."

"Calder was an older fucker with some friends in high places. We all wanted him gone, but even so, no one deserves to go out like that."

"I'm inclined to agree." His own burns were all the proof he needed regarding the agony of burning to death in a horrific explosion. "Fortunately, the 'red ice' he had created was also destroyed along with him. As were most of the chemicals." Giving Abby a studious look Connor gave the technician a reassuring piece of information. "Due to my limited exposure to the chemicals and the decontamination shower, my presence has in no way affected you while in your current condition."

Abby narrowed her hazel eyes a little as she gave Connor a curious stare in return. "Oh? And what's that, detective?"

"I... feel as if that's something I shouldn't blatantly discuss without your express permission."

Hank smirked as he realized that Connor knew what he knew, but Connor had figured it out on his own whereas Hank had been told the information by Gavin earlier that say day. "Just so you know, Reed let me know about it this morning. He's keeping it quiet, but I'm in the loop since I was in his shoes over a decade ago."

Crossing her arms over her chest Abby let out a deep sigh and shook her head. "Go figure detectives are shitty at keeping secrets." With a smile on her face Abby lightly pressed her palm over her lower belly as she returned her focus to Connor. "Can you give me the exact time frame? Even with today's modern medicine, doctors still have to guess regarding accuracy."

"I can do so." Holding up his left palm again Connor waited for Abby's consent. "Permit me?"

"Yeah, go for it."

Lightly Connor pressed his palm over her belly and retracted his artificial skin as he performed a simple yet accurate biometric scan. "...Eight weeks, three days. No sign of chromosomal anomalies, deformities or illness. You're both entirely healthy."

"That is the best thing I've heard since I peed on the damn stick last week."

Chuckling a little Hank decided it was time to offer the kind technician sincerely happy words regarding her condition. "Congrats. Don't worry, I'll make sure Reed has uninterrupted paternity leave when the times comes."

"Damn right. It'll be bad enough with all the late hour feedings and diaper changes after bringing an entire human being into the world in one of the most painful manners possible, so I am absolutely NOT doing it alone." Officially glowing with maternal pride and joy Abby made a few notes in Connor's electronic chart and gave him the clear to check-out from the facility. "Okay, you're good to go. Your arm and shoulder are going to be sore for a while, so don't be afraid to drink extra Thirium as a means of kick starting your self healing program to keep the pain to a minimum. I have a small dose of what's called 'Thiricetomal' for willing patients to try, but since you're a prototype..."

"I understand. Experimental Thirium substitutes may not be entirely compatible with my system." Sliding off the exam table Connor supported his arm with his opposite palm and let out a small huff of pain. "I'll be fine with the extra Thirium. Also, I imagine Lucas will be watching over me once I let him see the damage for himself."

"Don't let him unwrap my beautiful bandaging for at least six hours! It's not often I get to use an entire roll of gauze on one wound."

"I will let him know."

Hank knew it was time to go and he wanted to get his report filed as quickly as possible. "Okay, son. We'll get you some fresh clothes and head out to New Jericho Tower. You talk with your brother, and I'll head back to the precinct to ensure there are no more 'red ice' labs I need to take down."

The bleak news of CyberLife's last standing warehouse being destroyed in a fiery explosion and of Connor finding a file regarding the "RK" projects had been enough to make the air all throughout New Jericho's private office feel crushingly heavy. Markus had never seen any files regarding the "RK" series in person before, and as he read over the details he began to feel as if he, Connor, Lucas and even Sydney were all apart of some unscrupulous experiment that was never meant to see the light of day. The specifications within each models' design, the limited access to the blueprints and the secretive nature of the project in general, all pointed to shady activity within the already dark and enigmatic company.

Connor patiently waited for Markus to process everything he was reading and allowed Lucas to perform a cybernetic scan over his right arm in the process. The short sleeve of the black t-shirt didn't do much to hide the bandages, and Bruno providing Lucas with a visual recording of Connor's treatment only encouraged Lucas to check the bandaged burns for his own personal reassurance.

"This is very strange." Markus muttered as he closed the file and placed it down on the desk with a disheartened huff. "CyberLife had been planning on something for a long time. Kamski created the "RK" project, then shut it down before he left the company, only to return to the company to give the project the green light and disappear again. Why? What changed his mind so abruptly? Why did CyberLife keep everything so quiet?"

"Still unknown." Connor admitted as he rubbed his palm along his sore arm. The painful sensation and location of his injury caused the deviant to momentarily see flashes of his unusual chronic nightmares making it difficult to concentrate on the conversation. "...Something very important or controversial must've occurred in Kamski's life to prompt him to make such a big decision."

"But what? According to the date on the file, the project was approved over a year before deviancy began to spread and force CyberLife to release you as their last ditch effort to keep everything under control."

"Actually... Deviancy had only begun getting officially reported in February of 2038. That doesn't mean it hadn't already been happening for an extended period of time beforehand. Deviancy could have manifested years ago, even as soon as Kamski left the company."

"Do you think Kamski knew of deviancy and tried to assist the company in stopping it?"

"No." Motioning to the file on the desk Connor gave Markus a knowing look. "You're the only 'RK-200' in existence, and you were created specifically to take care of Carl after his car accident. You were created after the 'RK-100' had been completed and field tested. When was the car accident that left Carl paralyzed?"

Markus's mismatched eyes darkened for a moment as he did the simple math and realized that the "RK" line had been in production for years longer than officially reported in the file, which meant that Kamski had been working on morally questionable and highly illegal projects in the shadows for years.

"...Was my creation through design or coincidence?" The deviant leader wondered aloud. "I know that my appearance was created specifically by Kamski to be a possible representation of a child that Carl could've had with his former fiancée before she passed away, but was my original creation supposed to be something different? Was I supposed to be someone else? Did I have a different purpose that was ultimately changed?"

"We can't be certain of anything without any evidence to support it." Refusing to jump to conclusions had been one of Connor's strongest mindsets. He didn't want to make any false accusations or make things far more complicated than they needed to be. "All we know is that Kamski worked on the 'RK' series himself, put the production on hold and then back into motion, and he knows more about us 'RK' models than anyone else at CyberLife ever could."

Understandably nervous, Lucas spoke up and gave his own opinion on the matter being discussed. "If that means confronting Kamski to get the truth, I suspect our investigation will go cold. Kamski isn't known for being entirely cooperative."

"Even so we need to ask questions and keep searching for answers." Connor felt it in his gut that he was on the right track and that those very CyberLife secrets that Kamski warned Connor about were all connected to the enigmatic 'RK' series. "We'll confront Kamski tomorrow and ask him about the file in person. We're not going to back away now that we're so close to finding the truth."

"...Very well." Despite his own discomfort Lucas knew it was important to uncover the truth and to ensure CyberLife wasn't hiding anything else that could prove important to the deviant community's future. "I'll join you when you go to speak with him. If there's two of us asking him questions, then it'll be more difficult for him to try to deflect answering or hide anything. With any luck we'll finally put all of CyberLife's secret shame to rest."

-next chapter-