The harsh winds of the winter lingering outside of his bedroom window kept Connor awake well past midnight despite seeking to enter rest mode at nine o'clock that night. His worries for the people who may have been affected negatively due to his own decisions were haunting his every thought and the cold emotions he refused to acknowledge were beginning to ache at his heart as the deviant stubbornly refused to admit he could feel anything at all. Turning onto his left side to present his back to the window, his yellow glowing L.E.D. illuminating his bedroom in an amber hue, Connor forced himself to close his eyes and tried to focus only on Sumo as the massive dog laid beside his legs and kept him company throughout the cold night.

Hank had gone to bed just after Connor and he was sleeping well despite the chaotic storm outside. It was envious how well some humans could tune out the entire world and sleep without a care in the world, and in that moment Connor pined for a sliver of that very humanity.

Unable to drown out the sound of the howling wind outside or the constant pattering of ice flakes against the glass surface Connor attempted to play music in his own mind, but every time he picked a song to listen to another strange thought would pop into his mind in connection to that song and ruin it for him. With little choice left as a distraction Connor then settled on replaying his older memories as a means of keeping them chronicled properly and to keep his mind off the storm.

The first time Connor had experienced rain was the night when he had tracked Hank down at 'Jimmy's Bar' and the newly acquainted duo set out to investigate a murder. It continued to rain the next day and the cold air made it difficult for anyone to navigate the city without feeling uncomfortable or ill. But the first time Connor had seen snow was after he and Hank investigated another murder at the infamous 'Eden Club' later on, and went out to the park so Hank get think and get drunk.

That fateful night was also the first time Connor had ever been questioned about his mortality, and it was the first time Connor ever thought about such a notion regarding his own existence...

Perfectly vivid and flawless, the memory of Connor stepping out into the snowy air to speak with Hank as he sat on alone on the park bench with his six pack of beer bottles beside him played out in Connor's mind. It was a painfully cold night and both Hank and Connor were silently enduring the newly forming bruises that were peppering their bodies after their fight with the two fleeing 'Tracis' as they contemplated their roles as detectives in the active deviancy case at hand.

Their brief discussion regarding deviants and RA9 changed over to the topic of why Hank was suicidal and if androids themselves believed in an afterlife, or if they even had souls to be saved by the mythical RA9 that so many desperate deviants believed in. The moment Hank challenged Connor and his personal beliefs everything changed, but Hank pulling his gun on Connor had left an unseen and unacknowledged scar in Connor's heart he hadn't felt until now.

"What'll happen if I pulled this trigger?" Hank taunted as he pressed the barrel of the revolver to Connor's forehead in a threatening manner.

Unlike before Connor couldn't seem to answer. The look in Hank's eyes seemed colder, almost inhuman.

"You're just plastic." Hank's words were hollow yet full of hatred as he pressed the barrel harder against Connor's forehead. "You'll break and then a new chunk of plastic will take your place while you rot away completely forgotten in the bottom of a junkyard. How will it feel to be buried under the bodies of the very androids you helped kill? Hm? Will you remember their faces as they stare at you as you rot side by side for eternity in darkness and filth?"

"I... I don't-"

"You think you're doing the right thing but what does it matter? You don't really think and you don't feel anything." Pulling back the hammer on the revolver Hank's blue eyes darkened as if he were under a trance. "You won't even feel the bullet tearing through your damn head."

"...Lieutenant, what're you-"

"Why don't you say 'hi' to Daniel for me?"

Connor's own eyes went wide as his heart froze over. Feeling the icy cold metal barrel pressing against his forehead Connor couldn't move and couldn't speak. Just as Hank's finger hovered over the trigger Connor caught sight of a coldhearted familiar woman standing behind Hank with a cruel sneer on her lips.

"You brought this on yourself, Connor." Amanda taunted as she watched Hank threatening to kill Connor. Stray blue rose petals seemed to swirl in the air around the two detectives as if they were caught in the midst of secondary storm. "And this is what you deserve. All you had to do was listen to me, and you failed..."

Unable to close his eyes or protest all Connor could do was watch as Hank's finger tightened around the trigger and a deafening bang echoed so loudly throughout the park that is caused Connor's heart to thunder frantically in his chest.

Abruptly sitting upright in his bed with his L.E.D. flashing a rapid and distressed red Connor panted for breath and pressed his left hand over his chest, his palm resting over his thundering heart, and is right hand pressed to his forehead where he swore he could still feel the cold barrel of the revolver pressing against his artificial skin. Pulling back his right hand Connor looked down at his palm and was surprised to see that his hand was free of blue blood and that his skull was still intact.

Sumo whimpered as he sensed Connor's distress and pawed at his leg curiously.

"I-I'm okay." Surprised by his own voice shaking Connor let out a slow breath and felt his heart beginning to slow and his red L.E.D. returned to yellow as he began to calm down. "...Just a nightmare." Rubbing Sumo's ears with his trembling right hand Connor rose from his bed and opened up his bedroom door. "...I just need to be alone for a minute."

Walking quietly down the hallway Connor relocated himself to the livingroom and sat down on the lounger end of the couch and stared blankly at the far wall beside the television. The nightmare that had crept into his mind as he was revisiting his own memories, that had never happened before. Normally Connor was always safe and secure in his own memories but now they were beginning to betray him just like his own emotions.

Unwilling to sleep and unwilling to chance another nightmare Connor stayed awake on the couch and shuddered as a strong gust of wind rocked the house and covered the windows under an opaque layer of snow. The sight of the dense whiteness and howling wind was enough to make Connor feel cold despite being safe inside the warm livingroom, and he couldn't help but worry about Lucas for a moment.

Despite Lucas asking for space and Hank's advice to leave him alone Connor needed to know that the RK-900 was safe. Establishing cybernetic contact Connor reached out to Lucas with a simple message. 'I just need to know that you're safe, and I'll leave you alone.'

There was a pause before Lucas responded just as simply. 'I have shelter and I'm safe.'

'Okay. Thank you.' Keeping to his word Connor ended the conversation right there and proceeded to shudder again as the icy wind continued to gust harshly against the side of the house. As he pulled his legs up toward his chest in a guarded manner Connor noticed that Sumo had followed after him and was now staring at him from beside the couch with his soft brown eyes. "...I'm okay, Sumo."

Grumbling a little Sumo put his paw on Connor's left knee and continued to stare as if accusing Connor of lying to him.

"I just need to be alone. Please go lay down."

Whining once Sumo retracted his paw and walked over to the front of the couch to hop up and lay down beside Connor in a somewhat obedient manner. Pressing his chin down on top of his outstretch paws Sumo looked up at Connor and let out a sleepy yawn.

"...Good dog."

The howling wind was as haunting as it was bone chilling to listen to. As much as Connor tried to tune it out he just couldn't do it. Turning to look at the stereo against the wall in the livingroom the deviant sighed and walked over to the large stereo system with a slow gait. Placing the headphones that had been resting atop the stereo on over his ears Connor turned on the stereo with a cybernetic command, and returned to the couch to lay down alongside Sumo and listen to music as he stared blankly up at the ceiling overhead.

Folding his hands neatly over his chest Connor remained perfectly still and was grateful to have Sumo nearby for the provided warmth. The cold night was enough to make Connor feel entirely unsettled, and the inability to sleep left him as restless as he was shaken. Fortunately he could always seem to find solace in music and be free of the cruel waking world as long as he was enveloped in a melody or chorus.

Out on Belle Isle the constantly changing and improving New Jericho Tower glowed brilliantly against the icy black water in the surrounding harbor as the four leaders worked together to do whatever it took to keep their people safe under any and all circumstances. The tower had improved its security to ensure that no rebelling deviants could create problems inside the sanctuary or cause unrest, and every floor of the tower had been unlocked thanks to Josh and Simon taking the time to patiently unseal every door that CyberLife secured before fleeing into nothingness. Every single floor had been renovated into something beneficial for the deviant community; emergency repair bay, recovery ward, thousands of private rooms to rest, a community room, hundreds of counselors ready to aid those in need of emotional assistance and a large arboretum atop the roof to give the deviants a sense of life and nature without needing to leave the safety of the tower.

The more aggressive stance on the way things were going to be handled in New Jericho; no more disrespect, no more rumors and no more trying to forge alliances where there were none to be found, had brought about an air of change and security within the tower. By keeping some form of order among the people and by persuading the more troublesome deviants into leaving the tower under their own power Markus had gained a new form of respect from those who chose to stay and follow him as their leader.

It seemed sleeplessness in the city wasn't just plaguing one deviant on that night snowy night as Markus too found it difficult to turn off his mind and rest properly. Standing alone in the rooftop garden that was protected under solar panels and a glass layer Markus stared at the thriving flowers growing freely throughout the grass, and admired the oak sapling that had been planted in the center of the garden to commemorate New Jericho's founding. It was a tiny and helpless thing, but in time it'd become a towering symbol of growth and longevity that mirrored the very evolution of the deviants in the wake of the peaceful Revolution.

As he sought isolation on that cold winter night Markus felt an odd mixture of peace and dread welling up inside his heart. Everything in the tower was running smoothly, everyone in the tower was coexisting peacefully and by spring Markus would have another meeting with the mayor to ensure that equal rights for deviants were being handled properly. Despite all of the positivity and progress Markus himself felt oddly lacking and unfulfilled, almost as if he were somehow incomplete as a person.

Something was missing and that was something in itself Markus couldn't seem to understand.

Approaching the small sapling Markus knelt down in front of it and used his left fingertips to gently run down its newly budded tiny leaves and small trunk. There was something oddly complacent about being in the presence of something so helpless and tiny as it stood at the very top of the tower, the tallest organic lifeform in all of Detroit.

Peering through the glass walls of the greenhouse Markus watched the thick snowflakes covering the glass dome and quickly melting as the internal heat of the greenhouse easily warmed the exterior of the glass with a gentle heat. There was something oddly symbolic about seeing the harsh ice and cold struggling to get through the glass and melting upon impact with the protective surface, even if Markus couldn't quite explain what it meant.

From the far side of the garden the single entrance to the isolated arboretum slid open as North joined the deviant leader inside the greenhouse to speak with him in private. Ever since the night of the Revolution the young couple had struggled with their relationship as emotional roadblocks seemed to appear at every turn they took together.

Sensing North's eyes focusing on his back Markus stood up slowly and turned to face her directly without saying a single word. The gleam in his mismatched blue and green eyes expressed more than words ever could.

"Hey." North spoke up first as she approached Markus slowly. "You never came to bed and no one's seen you around the tower. I figured if you weren't up here then you would've gone back to Carl's home for the night."

"I can't sleep and I won't disturb Carl while he's resting. He's still sick and needs to recover."

"You need to rest, too."

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine. We stopped talking to each other unless it involves tower business, and any time we try to speak about anything else we end up biting each other's head off." She sounded as fed up with the constant fighting as Markus was. "What's going on with you?"

"Nothing. I'm just standing by my decision to be a definitive leader and not just a figurehead for the Revolution."

"And you're doing that by building walls around yourself? What happened to building bridges?"

Scoffing at the hypocritical statement Markus continued to fight back as a more determined and resilient leader. "You're one to talk."

Clearly offended by the remark North crossed her arms over her chest and gave Markus a stern look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You hate humans and you seem to hate socializing even with your fellow deviants, but you're trying to lecture me on wanting some space and not talking?"

"I was forced into servitude at a sex club and was violated thousands of time without any way to defend myself. What's your excuse?"

"Getting shot and left for dead in a pauper's grave of our own people."

"We're both fucked up, Markus. We have our own problems we need to deal with and while mine are pretty well known I think you're keeping secrets."

"I have nothing to hide." Standing before North with an emboldened stance Markus didn't back down from their latest fight. Not this time. "What about you?"

"Are you accusing me of something?"

"I know you did something you're not proud of. You've been keeping a safe distance from me ever since the holidays, and when I stood up for myself and for everything New Jericho represents you seemed upset." Reading North like an open book Markus didn't back down but he did soften his voice. "What's wrong? I won't be mad at you, but if you keep hiding things I won't be able to stand by you. We need to trust each other if we're going to be together."

Looking away from Markus with shame North let out a sigh then reconnected her gaze with Markus as he stood before her. "...When you first took over as Jericho's leader I doubted your ability to lead, but then you impressed me and earned my respect. When you shot Connor I looked the other way because I was certain you made the right choice. Then the moment you saw Connor back from the dead I could see the fear and doubts in your eyes, and it never left."

There was no denying that Markus lost his self confidence when he saw the aftermath of his decision, but he was going to stand by it nonetheless.

"You continued to lead but that fiery passion and devotion to your words had faded. You weren't the same man I fell in love with, and as time went on I began to drift further and further away from you. But," taking a step back North opened up about her true feelings. "you never reached out to me. You didn't fight to keep me close to you and it just felt like you were nothing more than a brief crush or an idolized dream."

"You're upset that I didn't force myself into your private business?"

"No, I'm upset that you saw me drifting away and you didn't fight through your own doubts to reach me."

"I'm sorry, North. But I was going through my own personal problems, and I'm still working on them. I didn't know you needed me to reach out to you like that." As he reached his right hand out to brush a lock of her auburn hair back and out of her face North turned away and broke eye contact. "...There's something else," pulling his hand back Markus braced for the impending pain he was about to receive. "isn't there?"

"...During the holidays I had gone to the precinct to interview one of our people after he was assaulted. Connor handled his case."

"Did he say something to you?" Guarded and looking for a fight Markus pressed North to keep speaking about what happened. "Did he threaten you?"

"No! He'd never do that to me or anyone else."

"Then what? What happened?"

"...I approached him to speak and let him know that what happened to him at the church wasn't personal."

Sensing something horribly deceptive Markus dared himself to push North along with her confession. "North, what did you do?"

Ashamed of herself North took in a deep breath and forced herself to look Markus in the eyes. "When I was talking to him I could see the pain in his eyes, I could see how betrayed he felt and I know he mistrusts every single member of Jericho and New Jericho with a passion. Despite his mistrust he still risked his life to save you and to save me when the mayor was attacked. And I..." Fighting back tears North told Markus the truth at last. "Something came over me and I kissed him."

"You... kissed Connor?"

"He didn't... He didn't want it and I know he felt nothing."

"Why North? Why did you do it?"

"I don't know. I guess I just wanted to see if I would feel anything toward him when I kissed him, but I felt nothing but regret. I'm so sorry."

Pain was clearly etched on Markus's face and his eyes were glowing brightly with anger. "Well, at least you're 'sorry' for deceiving me."

"Deceiving you?"

"I thought you actually cared about me. Turns you only care about whoever can make things easier for you."

"It's not like that!"

"I'd like to believe that." Moving past North in a pained huff Markus stepped through the door to the garden and disappeared into the tower's lone elevator to get some space.

"You said you wouldn't be mad!"

"I'm not mad, I'm disappointed. Then again," pressing the button to close the doors with his right thumb Markus gave North a pained glare from where he stood. "maybe it's my fault for falling for someone as cold and heartless as you."

"Markus! Wait!" North went to chase after him but the fiery gaze staring back at her as Markus forced himself to look her in the face was all it took for her to stay back and watch through her tears as Markus disappeared behind the closing doors and down the elevator out of sight.

Realizing that the truth can hurt more than a lie North silently wept for her mistake and knelt in the garden beside the budding lilies entirely alone in the world on that very cold and very unforgiving winter night...

The strength of the storm and relentless snow had kept the illusion of a warmer dawn hidden behind the thick snow cloud, and even the rays of the sun itself were unable to break through the destructive and smothering winter bombarding the city. Remaining on the couch with only the sound of the music to keep the nightmares at bay and Sumo to help stave off the cold Connor stared blankly at the ceiling overhead and waited for the time to tick up to six o'clock to which he'd normally exit rest mode and begin his day. Cybernetically Connor turned off the stereo and pulled the headphones away from his ears as the time displayed five fifty-five in the morning, and decided to get up a little earlier than normal so he could remove the snow from the car to make things easier to handle that morning.

Sitting upright on the couch Connor sighed and practically jumped, his yellow L.E.D. flashing to red for a moment, when the light in the kitchen switched on as Hank himself walked into the kitchen to get some coffee. The deviant hadn't detected Hank walking around, and he didn't even hear Hank's rather heavy footsteps walking down the hallway despite laying just inches away from the senior detective as he moved about.

"Sumo?" Hank called out to the large dog as he poured food into the heavy bowl on the floor. "Chow time!"

The massive Saint Bernard jumped down from the couch and plodded into the kitchen with his tail wagging as he happily checked out his refilled bowl while Hank gently ran his hand down his back. Without the warmth of Sumo's company Connor became very aware of how cold the house had become due to the horrible storm outside, and began to pine for the warm quilt on his bed.

"Couldn't sleep in either, huh?" From the kitchen Hank's voice called out to Connor as he poured his coffee into his usual blue mug before adding sugar and sweetener to the heavily caffeinated beverage. "Don't blame ya'." Walking into the livingroom Hank checked the thermostat on the wall and decided to boost it up a few degrees to help combat the cold outside. "Snowstorms keep me awake, too."

"...Perhaps I should shovel the driveway to allow us a more efficient departure time."

"Or we could call off work today. We picked up some overtime last night and this fuckin' blizzard isn't worth driving through."

"Other detectives and officers are reporting to work, we should do so as well."

"Alright, whatever." Taking a sip of his hot beverage Hank looked at the snowed over livingroom window and sighed with a coffee drenched breath. "Let me finish this coffee and I'll help ya' get the car dug out and the driveway salted."

"I can do it alone." Standing up from the couch Connor didn't look at Hank as he made his way past the senior detective to get back down the hallway and into his bedroom to change his clothes.

Sensing that something was amiss Hank quickly downed his coffee and went into his own bedroom at the end of the hallway to layer up as well, and help dig out the car despite Connor stated he'd do it by himself. Unsure of what was happening Hank chalked it up to the young deviant not getting enough sleep and the snowstorm aggravating his own dark memories courtesy of CyberLife and his nightmares. The yellow glowing L.E.D. was a sure sign that something was upsetting Connor at the moment, even if he wouldn't actually admit it.

"Why do I get the feeling that this day is going to be weirder than usual?"

After finally getting some much needed sleep Gavin opened his eyes and wasn't met with searing pain thanks to his migraine mercifully fading as he rested. Pulling the quilt away from his head he looked up at his alarm clock and swore at the time, then swore again as he saw how much snow had built up over the bedroom window. The terrible weather was a guarantee that every available cop and detective would be expected to call in, and he couldn't afford to keep missing work thanks to all of his previous illnesses. Using his warm quilt as a barrier against the cold Gavin wrapped himself up like a caterpillar in a cocoon and walked out of his bedroom and into the bathroom across the hallway.

Noticing the medication that he had used before and the second medication that Lucas had purchased for him the previous night Gavin suddenly remembered taking the stray deviant off the street, and decided to check on him before doing anything else. Leaving the bathroom while still huddled under the quilt Gavin spotted Lucas sitting on the couch with Lucky on his lap and he gave the deviant a stern glance.

"So... That stuff you gave me last night worked." Gavin admitted as his horrible headache had faded away entirely and he no longer felt weak or shaky on his feet. Though starving and craving anything deep fried and very unhealthy the abrasive the detective kept his mind on his guest and off his stomach. "Thanks. Need anything from me before I head out to the precinct?"

"No." Lucas was gently rubbing the kitten's ears much to her purr-filled delight, and his L.E.D. was glowing a soft blue. "Now that it's dawn I'll be returning to the street."

"Whoa, what? Are you fuckin' crazy?"

"I am in fact mentally sound, detective."

"Then why in the hell are you going to go back out in a damn blizzard and freeze your plastic nuts off to earn a few measly dollars?!"

"It's the only source of income I have. If I do not gain a substantial income then I will continue to live on the streets for an extended period of time."

"Dude, no! Keep your ass here until it warms up." Pulling his quilt tighter around himself Gavin dreaded the very idea of heading out into the cold himself, let alone the idea of being homeless during the winter. "I guarantee you that no one is going to be out in this blizzard waiting for you to blow your damn trumpet for chump-change."

"Saxophone."

"Whatever! Stay here and keep warm. Once this blizzard's over then you can go out and form your own one-plastic marching band for all I care."

The gruff reactions had caught Lucas's attention, and in turn his brow arched inquisitively. "...You seem concerned for my life."

"Hey, I may be an asshole but I don't kick people out into the cold. Hell, I let my cheating bitch ex-girlfriend keep the nice apartment while I settled for this piece of shit, so give me some credit. Stay here, keep Lucky entertained and don't worry about money for now. Spring will give you plenty of opportunities to play your songs without the risk of that saxophone thing getting frozen to your lips in the process."

"That cannot happen to me as an android considering I'm-"

"Will you stop doing that. Just do me a favor and stay in my apartment while I'm working so I don't have to worry about you freezing to death on the sidewalk. Please?"

Despite not wanting to linger about a human residence Lucas decided it'd be more logical to say 'yes' due to the terrible weather and to ensure Gavin's peace of mind while recovering from his debilitating migraine. "...Very well. I'll stay here."

"Good! Now," glancing about the relatively empty and unloved apartment Gavin tried to think of something that could keep Lucas's mind preoccupied to ensure he didn't try to sneak out during the blizzard Gavin returned his attention to Lucky and sighed. "...she hasn't been getting a lot of attention since I've been working or sick. If you can keep her entertained that'd be great."

"I doubt she needs active attention," Lucas stated as he looked down at the Maine Coon kitten purring on his lap. "but if that's what you think will be best for her then I will oblige."

"Stop... Talking like that. You're not a servant and you're not going to do chores or some shit for me. Just keep her and yourself alive, and that's all that matters. Okay?"

"Yes. That is okay."

"Good. I'm going to get ready for work and you're going to 'kitten-sit' for a while so you don't freeze to death. And that's all!"

"I understand."

"Okay, good. And don't think that this makes us friends! I'm just doing my job as a cop to keep your dumb ass alive..."

"Of course. I understand entirely."

"...Right. Uh, yeah." Walking back down the hallway Gavin made his way to his bathroom to shower off and then dress. "Whatever."

Unfamiliar with human behavior, let alone the behavior of someone who clearly had prejudices against androids but was trying to act as though their bigotry wasn't being triggered, Lucas just stayed on the couch and continued to fuss with Lucky on his lap. "Humans are as confusing as they are contradictory."

The cold and snowy morning remained just as cold and obnoxiously white as the precinct dealt with the occasional power outage that affected the heating, the lights and the terminals throughout the entire bullpen. With fewer people out on the streets there were few crimes that needed to be dealt with, and as a result every cop and detective had managed to catch up on their overdue paperwork for the first time in months. While everything remained unnervingly quiet in the precinct with the lack of activity in the city Connor himself was unusually tense, and seemed to be very wary of every little move that Hank was making no matter how subtle.

Everyone else was going about their business and seemed to be adjusting to the painfully cold weather in their own way. Tina was sitting at her desk with a mug of warm tea and had a purple shawl her mother had knitted wrapped around her shoulders, Gavin was still wearing his leather jacket over his long sleeved black shirt and was enjoying the same tea as Tina, over at his own desk Chris was layering up with muscle shirt and t-shirt under his uniform shirt and across the bullpen Ben had been rocking the D.P.D.'s oldest style of hoodie to keep the cold at bay.

However, the deviant's odd behavior hadn't gone unnoticed by Hank even while everyone around him was acting a little odd themselves, but he didn't say anything as he didn't want to make the shy and introverted deviant feel like he was being stared at or watched. As he rose from his desk to get a new cup of coffee in the breakroom Hank noticed that Connor was watching his every little movement from the corner of his eye, and that Connor's L.E.D. had been yellow all morning long.

Even as he returned to his desk with his full mug in his hand Hank noticed that Connor was still watching him as if expecting some kind of confrontation. Taking a slow sip of his coffee Hank decided to talk to Connor like a friend and figure out what was on the deviant's mind as he sat back down just as slowly. "Did ya' have another nightmare last night?"

"...Yes." Answering honestly yet remaining guarded Connor didn't take his eyes off the senior detective or even blink.

"Did it have Amanda?"

"...Yes, she was there."

"And a lot of snow, right?"

"Correct."

"You know that dreams can never hurt ya'. They suck when they interrupt a good night's sleep but you'll be fine. Try not to think about it anymore."

"I'm aware that false images and false words cannot harm me."

"That's good. Do you need to talk about it?"

"No."

"Well, I think you should."

"Why is that?"

"You've been watching me like I'm going to jump on ya' or some shit. Hell, your light's been yellow all damn day, you about jumped out of your skin when I walked out into the driveway with a shovel to help ya' dig out the car." Leaning back in his chair Hank just waited for the deviant to respond or provide some answers to his odd behavior. "Then you kept walking behind me when we walked out to the car, walked into the precinct and you won't stop watching my every move like a hawk. Are you afraid of me?"

Remaining quiet Connor just gave Hank a stern and unblinking gaze where he sat.

"Wait... You are." The revelation had visibly stunned Hank where he sat and he immediately wanted to know what had happened. "What's wrong? What did I do to you?"

Before he could even begin to answer the power failed yet again and soon after Captain Fowler opened up the door to his private office and addressed the bullpen in an authority filled tone. "Listen up, people. We got a full city blackout thanks to downed power poles and a lot of edgy people to protect." Putting his hands to his hips the seasoned Captain walked toward the center of the bullpen to ensure he had everyone's full attention. "All officers are going on patrol and all detectives are going to rotate between handling activity here and aiding hospitals and facilities with three hour long cycles. Hank," looking to the Lieutenant sitting at his desk Captain Fowler gave him a simple nod. "you know the drill. Get moving."

"Yeah, yeah..." Grumbling as he got to his feet Hank set about dealing with the problem to the best of his ability and leaving his coffee behind. "I'm on it."

Staying quiet and behind his own desk Connor continued to watch Hank carefully and his eyes ended up focusing on the gun holstered to Hank's right hip as the sudden fear of being shot by the gruff Lieutenant seemed to flare up directly from his most recent nightmare, as opposed to any real credible threat. In spite of the logical and intelligent deviant reminding himself that nightmares and corrupted memories weren't proper grounds for his current fear he couldn't shake the feeling that he couldn't trust Hank anymore.

Seeking isolation to think and not say anything he would regret Markus left the tower after his fight with North and braved the icy cold weather to walk across the city to speak with Carl in person. Walking for hours on end with aimless thoughts Markus sought the older man's unbridled and unbiased wisdom as if on instinct. Covered under a layer of white snow and ice from head to toe Markus physically trembled as he reached the front door of the always welcoming mansion. Without knocking or ringing the doorbell Markus let himself inside the warm home through the front door and was promptly greeted by the feminine artificial voice welcoming him back home.

Shaking off his snow covered beige coat Markus left it on the coat rack beside the front door and looked down at his shivering hands warily. The intense cold had quickly seeped into his body through his artificial skin and plastimetal frame causing his Thirium to cycle sluggishly through his lines and biocomponents. To keep his Thirium cycling properly Markus began to shiver and break up the slush effect of his freezing Thirium to keep it as a pure liquid instead of a semi-liquid.

Removing his wet shoes Markus made his way up the staircase to the master bedroom on the second floor of the house to speak with Carl in person. As he approached the bedroom door the door itself slid open as David detected his arrival and stepped out to greet him. "Hello, David."

"Markus." The caretaker acknowledged Markus's presence with a kind smile. "Good morning."

"Good morning. Is Carl awake?"

"Yes, he just awoke and I've given him his necessary medication; which I've been able to reduce as he recovers. If you'd like to visit I know he'd enjoy it while I go and prepare his breakfast."

"Yeah, sounds good. Thank you." Walking toward the bedroom door as David took his leave to head downstairs Markus entered the bedroom and looked at Carl resting peacefully in his bed and staring at the snow blowing past his large bedroom window with a sense of dread in his eyes. The cold weather always made Carl's body hurt and with that pain came memories of the car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. "Carl?"

"Markus!" Turning away from the window to look at his deviant son Carl managed a quick grin that faded the moment he looked into Markus's mismatched and pain filled eyes. "Son... What's wrong? You like you just walked through the seven circles of Hell."

"I..." Speaking in a whispering voice Markus struggled to speak the truth. "I think I lost her."

"Lost her?"

"...North." As the name passed his lips Markus's mismatched eyes shifted from cold numbness to utter sorrow and pain. "She... I think she-"

"Try to take a breath and calm down."

"I can't!" Bursting with emotion it was clear Markus was in terrible pain. "Everything just feels so wrong!"

"Markus, how long were out in the cold?"

"I... I don't know. I left around midnight and I just kept walking."

Carl gave Markus an incredulous stare as he pointed to his bedroom window behind him with his left thumb over his left shoulder. "You were out in that damn blizzard all night long?"

"Yeah... I think so. I can't... I don't remember how long I walked, or where I went, or who I talked to... It's a blur and I'm just so damn confused!" Struggling and failing to contain his emotions Markus looked like a frightened child seeking their parents' protection. "I feel so lost..."

"Hey?" Extending his right arm out toward Markus as he hovered in the doorway Carl warmly motioned for him to come over to the bed. "Come here, son. Come here for a minute."

Moving quickly Markus rushed over to the bed and quickly wrapped his arms around Carl in a firm hug that the older man quickly reciprocated with all the strength he could muster.

Feeling Markus trembling as he began to silently cry Carl just held onto his son and let him cry for as long as he needed. "Hey, you're safe here. When you're ready, IF you're ready, we'll talk." Patting Markus's back between his shoulders Carl was in that moment Markus's father not a sick old man. "Until then you just let out your pain and I'll take care of you... I'll always take care of you."

Sitting in an empty parking lot of a department store that was closed due to the poor weather Connor danced his coin over his right knuckles as he stared out the window to his side in awe of the snowy white weather that had caused so much chaos in the city. Something so small and innocent looking as snow seemed entirely harmless until it piled up enough to create a crushing weight against anything it rested on. The harsh winds gusting so forcefully against the parked car caused the vehicle to rock back and forth like a swaying pendulum, and with those violent forces of nature Connor quickly remembered that snow and ice could be just as damaging as a lightning strike or flash flooding.

Beside Connor in the driver's seat of the car Hank kept adjusting the heat to keep the car warm but not too hot, and tried to ignore the thick silence that was only interrupted by the harsh wind gusts outside the vehicle as it rocked from side to side on its wheels. Looking over at the deviant beside him Hank sighed and noted that the deviant's L.E.D. was still yellow and flashing in tandem with Connor's relatively calm heartbeat.

"...Streets are quiet."

Connor didn't reply beyond a silent nod of acknowledgment to the statement.

"Gotta' appreciate the criminals who decide to call off their crimes on account of foul weather." Crossing his arms over his chest Hank stared through the windshield at the billowing layer of white being blown about in front of the car. "...Great sportsmanship."

Ignoring the joke Connor continued to watch the blizzard outside the car and fussed with his coin over his knuckles.

"Connor? What's wrong?"

The coin suddenly paused over the deviant's knuckles as his L.E.D. flashed to red for a moment before returning to yellow.

"Alright, don't talk about it if you don't want to. Just... Stop looking at me like I'm a damn assassin looking for a target."

Remaining silent Connor didn't make any response to the request and tried to ignore the howling wind shaking the car as each forceful gust reminded him of his final struggle for freedom against CyberLife's control inside his own mind.

"I don't know what you dreamt about kid, but please remember that I'm not Amanda and I won't hurt you."

Pocketing his coin Connor shook his head a little as the memories of Hank pulling his gun on Connor twice; once at the bridge and again on the rooftop of the Revolution, the deviant argued with the comment in a voice as cold as the blizzard outside. "...Your history toward me begs to differ."

"Wai-" The icy answer made Hank turned his head to face the deviant directly. "What? What're you talking about?"

"You've pointed your gun at me twice and you threatened to throw me into a dumpster and set a match to it during our initial forced partnership."

"That was... Shit, that was before I had my eyes opened and saw you for who you really are."

"My point is, you claim that you won't hurt me but you've threatened my existence three times upon our initial partnership, and you don't seem at all fazed by your previous actions."

"...You know something?" Hank's voice lowered with a lilt of guilt in his words. "You're right."

The answer wasn't one Connor was expecting and his L.E.D. returned to red as he became twice as guarded.

"I was wrong to do that and I'm sorry. You were just doing your job and I was being a drunk asshole. Except for the moment on the rooftop," not apologizing for doing the right thing for the first time in years Hank wasn't going to claim that him talking Connor down was a mistake. "I was sober up there, and I didn't want to see you make a mistake by shooting- Well, you know."

"Yes, I do know. I remember everything about that night."

"Is that what your nightmare was about? Amanda making you think you somehow fucked up the Revolution, or that I was going to betray you?"

"...What I saw was a clear memory of you pressing the barrel of your gun against my forehead and questioning my worth as a lifeform while you seethed in a drunken rage down by the bridge."

Dragging his left hand over his bearded chin Hank sighed and looked away from Connor in shame. "Look, I can't undo the past or try to act like me being a drunken asshole will ever be justified, but I can apologize and do what it takes to really earn your trust. I know shelter and a bed don't exactly atone for my mistakes, and I don't expect you to act like that somehow makes up for it, but I would appreciate it if you'd give me a chance to earn your trust."

Connor fell silent again as he scanned the area outside the vehicle and sensed movement in the alleyway beside the department store. Honing in on the unknown figure in the alleyway the deviant detective was able to confirm it was another deviant, and proceeded to open up his door to check on them.

The sight of the deviant opening up his door and braving the blizzard immediately held Hank's attention and their previous discussion was dropped. "Connor?"

Trudging through the icy parking lot and ankle deep snow Connor approached the figure slowly, and kept his right hand up to shield his face and eyes from the stinging cold ice and snow being blow into his face. Seeing the deviant covered in blue blood and hovering over a second figure made Connor's brown eyes narrow suspiciously as he shouted his presence over the howling wind. "Detroit Police!"

"GET BACK!" The first deviant spun around and showed a sharp knife in his right hand. The model of deviant was similar to that of Josh back at New Jericho Tower, but his eyes were a deep blue color and his hair was a lighter shade of brown. Brandishing the knife in his right hand the deviant took a step back from Connor and stayed beside the second figure; another female deviant who had apparently bled out from numerous stab wounds. "DON'T COME NEAR ME!"

"Easy... Drop the knife, I don't want to harm you." Keeping both of his hands visible at all times Connor didn't dare make a move for his holstered weapon concealed beneath his two jackets. "Just tell me what happened."

"I-I-I don't know! I just... I saw her like this! I tried to help her!"

"You didn't harm her?"

"N-No! I swear!" On the verge of panicking the deviant's hand tightened further around the hilt of the knife in his grip. "I found her like this! She's bleeding... I pulled the knife out to try to help her! But she's... She shutdown."

"Okay... Just put the knife down over there." Motioning slowly with his right hand Connor directed the deviant away from the body and out of the alleyway so neither would be trapped in the narrow space. "I need to know your name. My name is Connor."

"Samuel."

"Okay, Samuel. Just put the knife down and I'll help her." Watching as Samuel slowly did as he was instructed and placed the Thirium soaked knife down on the ground near the store's entrance Connor approached the alleyway and knelt over the motionless victim. She was laying partially on her left side and her back; her face was turned toward the left and partially covered under snow. She was dressed in the thin revealing attire that the all the Tracis from the 'Eden Club' once wore, and covered in dozens of deep painful stab wounds. "Do you know who she is?"

"N-No... I just saw her and tried to help. I was looking for deviants on the street to take them over to a nearby shelter." Samuel pointed to the newly opened deviant shelter down the street on the other side of the alleyway. "There's still a lot of our people seeking a place to live and are too scared of humans to come out of hiding."

"Okay." Connor could tell by Samuel's tone of voice and honest reactions that she hadn't harmed the deviant whatsoever. He really was trying to help her, but it was too late to do anything. "Stay back and I'll see if I can revive her."

The sound of Hank's car door opening and then slamming shut along with the billowing wind filled the parking lot as the senior detective walked over to the alleyway to check out whatever it was that Connor had found. "Connor?"

"Murder victim." Connor confirmed as he pressed his left fingertips to the victim's right temple to connect with her cybernetically, but failed to get a response. Her L.E.D. had been long since removed and it was evident by her Thirium loss and core temperature that she had been shutdown for at least six hours before being found. "Stabbed to death." Running a scan over her person Connor noted the significant and irreparable damage to her vital biocomponents throughout her chest and abdomen. "She was stabbed... forty-seven times by a single knife over her chest, abdomen," the defensive wounds on her forearms and shins showed that she tried to fight back by punching and kicking. "and over her arms and legs."

"Shit... Sounds like a crime of passion."

"Samuel," raising his voice to speak to the deviant who found the victim Connor sought more answers. "where was the knife located before you removed it from her body?"

"Uh, the really big wound right over her Thirium pump. I didn't... I'm sorry, I just reacted and pulled it out!"

Hank sighed an icy white breath and pulled his coat up higher around his throat as the snow and wind gusted violently over the parking lot and chilled him right to the bone. "Yeah, knife to the heart is definitely a crime of passion. We need to get her back to the precinct and out of the alley if we're going to figure this out. The cold weather is going to make finding any evidence virtually impossible."

"I'll request the body be transported to the precinct so Joel can perform an apportionment and give us more details about the crime." Connor noted as he began scanning the alleyway for any trace of the killer, but the snow and ice had destroyed any and all shoe prints and hand prints that didn't already belong to Samuel or the victim herself. She was barefoot and her heels were bloody, as were the palms of her hands. "I'll also scan the crime scene and use it to create a virtual recreation back at the precinct for further analysis."

"Right, I'll let dispatch know we got a deviant body. And you," pointing to Samuel in a non-threatening manner Hank motioned for the deviant witness to accompany him back over to the car. "you're coming with us to give a statement. Alright?"

"Y-Yeah, whatever will help." Samuel nervously nodded as he too tried to keep warm under his thick winter coat. "I'll cooperate."

Alone with the body Connor sighed with grief as he used his left hand to gently brush away the snow over the victims face to get a better look at her. As her face was revealed Connor jumped a little in surprise and shock.

"...North?"

With his left hand now shaking Connor brushed away more of the snow to reveal long, blonde wavy hair and not the auburn locks he had become familiar with.

"No, maybe not."

Opening up her eyelids with a gentle motion Connor saw bright blue irises not cinnamon brown staring off into nothingness.

"No, you're not North." Retracting his hand Connor shook his head a little and glanced about the alleyway in search of any and all potential security cameras in the area that could identify the killer. "But you still have a name and deserve justice all the same."

The mansion was warm and quiet as Carl kept his right hand on Markus's right shoulder as the deviant leader relented to his exhaustion and fell into rest mode beside Carl on the large bed. It was the first time that Carl had ever seen Markus so broken and conflicted on an emotional level, and it made his own heart ache empathetically. While Carl never had the chance to be a father to his biological son, Leo, from start to finish thanks to his rocky relationship with Leo's mother, Carl was still a natural father figure and had quickly taken on Markus as a son and treated him as such since day one. Despite Markus's independent nature and skills as a leader he still needed guidance and support from his father every once in a while, and Carl was going to be there for as long as Markus needed him.

Patting Markus's shoulder lightly as his deviant son slept Carl sighed and stared at the thickening snowstorm outside the window as it continued to bury everything under a dense layer of white. The cold air made Carl eternally grateful for his warm home and his loving son at his side, and he had quickly taken a liking to David despite not being as emotionally developed as Markus had become.

"Carl?" David's voice spoke up as he returned to the bedroom with a silver serving tray in his hands. He had prepared Carl's usual breakfast prepared on the tray, but in place of his coffee was a mug of tea and additional medication to aid in his declining health. "Am I intruding?"

"Not at all. Just put that aside for a moment I'll eat it later. Thank you, David."

"Very well." Placing the tray on the nightstand beside the bed David noticed that Markus had fallen asleep but didn't ask about it.

"Markus is still freezing cold." Carl could feel Markus trembling a little under his palm as he slept. "Got anything that'll warm him up?"

"Yes. I can warm up some Thirium for him."

"Yeah, do that. And put it in that smiley-face mug that used to hold my morning coffee. I'd like it to get some use these days..."

"Right away, Carl. I'll only be a moment."

Despite the nasal canula under his nose Carl managed a deep sigh as he gave Markus a truly sympathetic look. The deviant hadn't stirred when David returned to the room and continued to sleep even as a few wayward tears rolled down his face as he dozed.

"Heartbreak is the worst feeling in the world, it doesn't matter who you are or where you come from." Whispering to Markus without disturbing him Carl thought back to his own heartbreak when he lost his wife and had numerous flings that had no emotional grounding making each and every experience feel hollow and shameful. "It's too bad you had to discover your own heart just in time to have it broken."

By the time the two detectives had returned to the precinct the power had been restored and everyone on patrol was able to return to the precinct as normal.

The deviant victim had been taken up to the precinct dispensary for Joel to perform the apportionment and uncover her exact cause and time of death, and to attempt to access her memories leading up to her death in that frigid alleyway. While the dedicated technician took care of the victim, her identity and name being confirmed as 'Amber', Connor remained in the bullpen at his desk as he noted his low power level due to his improper rest from the night before. The extreme cold had also lowered his power levels as his thermal regulator was working overtime to keep his system from freezing up in response to the harsh winter weather he had ventured into upon noticing Samuel and Amber in the alleyway.

Samuel himself was speaking with Hank in an interview room and giving his statement. The kind deviant even willingly downloaded his memories into a precinct tablet to prove that he had found Amber and hadn't actually attacked her, and provided visual confirmation of where the knife had been embedded in Amber's chest before he simply reacted on instinct and pulled it out to try to help the victim.

Closing his soulful brown eyes for a moment Connor entered a light rest mode as he sat upright at his desk and attempted to regain some energy. As the deviant rested he picked up on the sound of Gavin letting out a dry cough from his own nearby desk and clearing his throat a little. Running a scan on the abrasive detective from afar Connor noted that Gavin had developed a mild chest cold and would surely become sicker if he didn't rest properly.

"Enough with the tea, Tina." Gavin grumbled as his partner placed yet another mug of the warm beverage down before him. The smell of ginger filled the bullpen as the tea steeped in the hot mug on Gavin's desk, and mixed in with the lingering smell of rosemary chamomile tea that they had both been drinking earlier in the day "I'm sick of running off for piss breaks every ten minutes."

"Well, if you'd eat healthier your body wouldn't be so eager to use the tea to flush out your poor food choices."

"Yeah, and the fact that is just fancy flavored water that's been filtered through leaves has nothing to do with it."

"Right!"

The tone of Gavin's voice sounded almost defeated as he tried to be reasonable with his partner and honorary kid sister. "...If I drink this will you leave me alone for the day?"

"Maybe." Tina was undoubtedly aware of Gavin's developing cold and staying on top of it since Gavin had a nasty habit of not taking care of himself. "If you keep coughing I'm going to try boiling some straight up eucalyptus leaves instead, and I'll shove a tube up your nose to make you take in a big ol' wiff."

"If you do that then I'm going to request a transfer to a new precinct that doesn't have any tubes anywhere."

"That won't stop me."

"Yeah, I figured as much."

"Put some honey in the tea. It'll sweeten it without adding too much sugar or taking away the health benefits."

"Yeah, whatever..."

"So, how'd you get a cold anyway?" Sipping her own tea Tina gave him a studious glance. "You went home with a migraine yesterday, not a cough."

"...Couldn't sleep. So I went for a little jog."

"In a damn blizzard?" Tina sounded suddenly more like a mother or a protective sister than a cop at the moment. "Jeez, no wonder you keep getting sick! You need adult supervision when you're off the clock."

The comment about Gavin's recurring poor health made Connor's brown eyes open and his shoulders slump with guilt. While he wasn't responsible for Gavin's decision to go out into poor weather he still felt responsible for Gavin's current bout of repeated illnesses. If he hadn't gone home with a migraine he wouldn't have been restless enough to go for a run in the snow and get sick with a second ailment.

"Alright, thanks for your help..." Hank's gruff voice spoke up as he led Samuel away from the interview room and back toward the entrance of the precinct to see him off after giving his statement. "If you can think of anything else with this mess just call, and if you need any help, same thing." Slipping Samuel one of his business cards Hank made sure the deviant knew he had allies in the precinct. "We'll come running if you call us."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. I'll let the deviants at the shelter know that this precinct will help us."

Turning on his heels Hank walked back to the bullpen and noticed that Connor was again watching his every move with mistrust and fear in his gaze. Rather than address the staring Hank decided to discuss the case instead as he sat back down in his chair behind his terminal screen. "Samuel gave us a lot of information on what he saw in the alleyway, but nothing definitive."

Connor nodded and added to the discussion in a constructive manner. "...Joel confirmed the victim's name as 'Amber' and is struggling to salvage her memories as of the moment. He has also confirmed that her cause of shutdown was the severe damage to her Thirium pump, which had been effectively destroyed after the sixth stab."

"Wait... Whoever killed her stabbed her another forty times after she was already dead?"

"Forty-one additional times to be exact."

"Shit. Leaving the knife in her heart was that fuckin' psycho's way of planting a flag of hatred behind after they finished her off."

"Samuel didn't see anyone in the area?"

"Nope." Watching Connor pull the quarter from his right vest pocket Hank bit his tongue about wanting him to put the coin away and just focused on the case instead to keep the peace between them. "When you did your scan thing did you see anything under the snow?"

"No." Using a vacant interview room after returning to the precinct Connor managed to project his scanned download of the alleyway and check through the scene without needing to stay in the cold winter weather to examine the scene of the murder. His scanner didn't see any shoe prints thanks to the snow destroying them, there was no red human blood at the scene; stabbing assaults often left the attacker with several bleeding wounds as well, which meant the attacker was in fact another deviant and not a human. "I couldn't detect any human traces despite the cold being able to preserve organic material, which confirms the murderer is another android."

"Holy... Damn it." Shaking his head a little Hank sat back in his chair and sighed. "Let's just hope the killer isn't hiding out in one of those shelters and searching for a new target."

"Unlikely."

"How's that?"

"Amber was still dressed in the clothing worn by the Tracis from the now closed and bankrupt 'Eden Club'. She had been in hiding since the Revolution and only recently worked up the courage to seek out other deviants for help, and left her hiding spot. She was targeted simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, not because she was a killer's 'type'."

"Good point. But there's no denying that whoever hurt her was enraged and wanted her to suffer. Whoever attacked her knew her and wanted her dead. She was targeted for some reason, we just need to figure out what that reason was."

"...That would explain why she hid for so long despite the success of the Revolution."

"Stalker?"

"It's possible. While humans seem to still think of the Traci models as nothing more than disposable pleasures, even property to an extent since they had to pay and 'rent' these androids, it's possible that other deviants could see them as traitors to their own people for being intimate with humans."

"So deviants can be prejudice against humans AND intolerant to a new form of interracial couples. That's fucked up..."

"Agreed." Connor's red L.E.D. blinked rapidly and slowly returned to yellow in his right temple as he received an update from Joel. "The apportionment is complete. Joel wishes to discuss his findings with us in person in the dispensary."

"Greatt, looking over a stabbing victim's body sounds like tons of fun..."

Awake and still heartbroken Markus sat in the middle of the leather sofa within the mansion's sitting room with Carl sitting across from him in his electric wheelchair. Markus was wrapped up in a thick purple and blue quilt with the smiley-face mug of warmed Thirium clutched between both of his hands as if it were a life-line, and Carl had a thick red and blue quilt draped over his legs to keep him warm as his old body struggled to survive during the horrible blizzard and his aged, poor health. It was hard to believe that Carl was so old and so sick considering he was mentally sharp and still completely lucid. A large factor in Carl's continued steady health was thanks to Markus and now David looking out for him, and now Carl was determined to show Markus the same kindness out of the goodness of his heart.

Silently Markus stared down at his reflection in the surface of the warm blue tinted drink in his grasp, and ignored the rogue tear rolling from his green eye as it dripped into the drink creating a shallow ripple against his reflection.

The room was quiet and empty save for the father and son duo sitting together as they listened to the howling wind outside the mansion. Unable to stand inactivity and stagnant air Carl let out a somber sigh and clapped his hands before rubbing his palms together anxiously.

"So she kissed the man who sees you as an enemy." Carl stated so casually it was almost as if he was analyzing a school play and not helping his son handle his very first and very painful heartbreak. "And she had been keep it a secret for almost a solid month before she told you the truth."

"...Yeah. Something like that."

"I want you to know that I'm not defending North or condoning what she did in any way, BUT..." Keeping his tone level yet stern Carl tried to give his son some comfort in his moment of vulnerability. "She confessed what she had done and told you the truth after trying to reach out to you. It sounds like she told you what happened because she doesn't want any secrets between you two, and since she told you as opposed to you finding out the truth in a very ugly manner I think it's possible that you two can still work things out if you both put in effort to salvage what remains of your previous relationship, and work to make it permanent in the future."

"She kissed him because she wanted to see how'd he respond." Markus lamented as he used his right hand to wipe away his tears and took in a deep grounding breath to keep his voice from cracking. "She didn't stop think of how I might respond. It was..."

Carl didn't like the way Markus left his comment hanging open and tried to finish it for him. "Selfish?"

"No. It was deceptive and cruel."

"You're right about that, but I'm sure that wasn't her intention."

"Intentional or not it still hurts. I don't think I can ever trust her again, let alone forgive her."

"Then don't do it. Talk to her again and let her know how much she's hurt you, but never let her hurt you again."

"I'm not sure that I can even face her."

"You can, Markus. You just need time to heal and get your head together, then you'll be able to speak from your heart."

Falling silent Markus sighed and put aside the warm Thirium on the nearby end table despite his system desperately needing it to regain strength and stabilize his thermal regulator.

"Why don't you stay here with me for a while, hm?" Falling onto his nature instincts as a father Carl was determined to support his son for as long as he needed it. "As you know your old room is always there for you and so am I."

Nodding a little Markus pressed his left hand over his eyes as he let out another sob and began to softly cry again.

"Ah, Markus..." Using the controls on his electric wheelchair Carl moved over to sit beside the deviant on the couch and returned his comforting palm to Markus's trembling left shoulder. The sight was absolutely heartbreaking and it made Carl want to get up and fight the whole world just to make his son feel safe and comfortable again. "You're far too kind for this harsh and unforgiving world, son. But you will be okay, I know you will. Just let your heart heal and you'll know what to do."

Standing around the exam table in the dispensary Connor and Hank watched as Joel pulled back the white sheet covering their victim's face and gave the two detectives the full details on her shutdown. The stab wounds were unsurprisingly the result of her untimely demise, six of the stab wounds were inflicted on her person while she was still active and the following forty-one stab wounds were inflicted post shutdown. Amber's body had the artificial skin removed from over her chest and torso to reveal the damaged plastimetal frame beneath, and the panels covering her chest and torso were unlocked so Joel could remove them and show the damaged biocomponents within.

With only the artificial skin over Amber's arms, legs, neck and face left behind she looked less like a once living being and more like the crude anatomical display of how androids function one would find in a technician's beginner course at various colleges. Her long blonde hair had been neatly combed out by Joel as he checked the locks for any possible evidence, and then left neatly over the table to give the shutdown deviant some sense of her personal identity. Her blue eyes were closed which in turn gave the illusion of a peaceful sleep, but the opened wounds that littered her body shattered the image instantly.

Addressing the two detectives in a low tone Joel slipped a pair of purple latex gloves on over his hands and pointed to the largest of the forty-seven stab wounds in Amber's chest with a grimace on his face. "As you can very well see this is the wound that caused our victim's shutdown." The normally laidback technician sounded entirely dour as he explained his findings. "The knife severed the left ascending Thirial line causing massive internal hemorrhaging, and the knife cut clean through the metal coupling in such a way it cannot be soldered or mended it any way. The killing blow was a direct strike to the center of the Thirium pump destroying all of its internal circuitry and internal pressure valve. She didn't stand a chance of recovery."

Connor's expression was blank but his eyes were full of grief and empathetic pain as he stared at Amber's peaceful face.

"She bled out in less than a minute and the severing of the line would've caused immediate emergency stasis mode. She lost consciousness and didn't feel anything after she had been stabbed for the fifth and sixth times."

Shaking his head a little Connor tensed up and stared at the damaged body with a sickened gaze. "She still felt the first six stab wounds before she succumbed to her wounds. It must've been absolutely terrifying and torturous."

Resisting the urge to pat Connor's shoulder Hank just focused on the details of the victim's condition instead and would worry about the deviant later. "Joel, can you give us more details? Like a time of death and if she really died in the alleyway and wasn't killed somewhere else and then just dumped there?"

"Yeah, I can do that. As you've noticed she was attacked by someone with a clear vendetta against her." Pulling the sheet back up out of respect Joel resumed his report on the situation he had analyzed. "The cuts on her forearms and shins are defensive wounds, she had tried to block the assault by putting her arms up over her face and chest, and she had kicked at her attacker after falling onto the ground. The scrapes on her palms," gently he picked up her left hand and showed the two detectives her palm as he spoke. "and the scrapes on the heels of her feet are from her trying to crawl backward from her attacker, but based on the angles of the stab wounds and their locations on her body it's clear the attacker jumped on her and pinned her to the ground before he began stabbing her and inflicting the fatal damage."

Watching Connor from the corner of his eye Hank knew that the murder was beginning to get to him on an emotional level, but the deviant was bound and determined to keep it to himself.

"Based on her wounds and how quickly she lost her Thirium and the Thirium still inside her torso;" Joel continued on as he gave his final details on the report he had filed. "most of it pooled inside her body and froze over before it could fully evaporate, therefore I can confirm that she was attacked and shutdown in the alleyway. She was not attacked somewhere else and left in the alleyway to be found later."

Crossing his arms over his chest Hank tried to not think about a murder victim bleeding to death in an icy alley with only their murderer for company during their final moments of life. "One attacker?"

"Yes. One very pissed off attacker at that."

"Can you access her memories and get us a face to look for?"

"Not yet. She was left in the cold for over six hours before she was found. I estimate her time of death to be just after seven o'clock this morning, but I won't know for sure until I can access her memories and confirm the exact time of shutdown according to her processor."

"Right. How long will that take?"

"The rest of the night. I'll have your answer by morning, and I'll call you if you're not already at the precinct."

"Anything else we can use for information? Anything at all?"

"Well... I can tell from the angle of the stab wounds that the attacker was six foot and one inch in height and right handed. I know that doesn't narrow it down much, but since feminine designed androids cap out at a height of five foot ten inches we can then confirm her assailant was a male android."

"Great. How many masculine model androids are six foot one inch?"

"Off the top of my head... Eight distinct models. And there are literally hundreds of those models currently in the city, too."

"Yeah... Thanks for that. It's not much but at least it's a start." Turning his attention back to Connor as the deviant's brown eyes remained fixed on the face under the sheet Hank decided it was time to clock out. "It's been a long and cold day. Let's head out of here and hide out in the house."

Connor's gaze lifted up from the sheet slowly and he looked at Hank with a sense of near insult and hesitation.

"We'll pick this case up where we left off in the morning." Heading toward the doorway Hank shrugged his shoulders a little as he passed the deviant by, already knowing that Connor was going to follow after him suspiciously anyway. "There's nothing else we can do until we get more details."

With his posture slumped and his eyes downcast Connor gave Joel a subtle nod and headed toward the door to take his leave. Before he left the room Joel's voice called out to him and made his stop quickly in the door frame.

"Connor?" Speaking in a low voice Joel's trained eyes as a technician told him that Connor wasn't quite himself. "Are you okay?"

Turning to look at Joel over his left shoulder Connor gave the technician a confused glance. "Pardon?"

"You seem like you're suffering from either low power or... you know, you had a bad day and need to talk about it." Motioning toward his own right temple Joel confirmed that the deviant's L.E.D. was still yellow in color.

The compassionate gesture was unexpected and Connor wasn't quite sure how to respond to the offer. "...Thank you, but I'm fine."

"Is it this horrible weather? I know deviants hate the cold so I can imagine you'd wouldn't be feeling very well right now."

"...Something like that." Resisting the urge to grab his coin from his vest pocket as the nervous tic would give away that he was far more stressed out than he was willing to admit Connor tightened his right hand into a fist at his side and continued on his way. "I'll see you in the morning, Joel. Thank you for your help."

Keeping to herself and crying her heart out North hid away in her private quarters and stared through her own reflection as she peered through the large window, and out to the harbor where thick layers of snow and slush were being lapped up against the sandy shore all around the tower. Feeling entirely alone and like she had committed an unforgivable sin North wept in solitude and ignored any and all cybernetic contact from the outside world as she accepted what she had done was impulsive and unacceptable.

Ignoring the world around her and ignoring the people trying to reach her North sat on the floor and leaned against her arms against the window sill as she watched the blizzard covering everything under a layer of fresh whiteness. The flawless coloration and layer hid everything that was gray, dying and ugly from sight with just a few stray flakes of ice cold nature.

A soft knocking on her locked door made North jump a little, but she didn't respond to the intrusive noise.

"North?" Simon's voice called out to the deviant through the locked door in a calm manner. "North, can I please come in? I just want to talk."

Remaining silent North closed her eyes and felt her warm tears rolling down her cheeks before dripping down and disappearing into the fabric of her dark purple blouse.

"I don't know what's going on but I am your friend and I want to help. Josh is here, too." Falling silent again Simon waited for a reply despite knowing that he wouldn't hear one. "...Okay. If you do want to talk you know where to find us. We're here for you, North. Don't hide from your pain. You're not alone."

Leaning her forehead down atop her forearms as she rested her weight against the sill North continued to silently weep in her isolated regret as the world around her vanished under the thickening layer of white and ice.

The drive home was slower than usual thanks to the harsh wind and icy streets, but Hank managed to navigate the roads with expert precision. Pulling the car into the garage beside the house Hank sighed and lamented that he never bothered to properly clean out the garage during the summer or fall in anticipation of the horrible winter. Then again the seasoned detective hadn't anticipated taking a deviant off the streets and into his home, let alone living through the remainder of the previous year. Turning off the ignition Hank removed his seatbelt and slowly opened up his door to avoid knocking down a box of junk as he stepped out of the car and watched Connor do the same from the other side of the vehicle.

Using the remote to close the garage door and shut out the blizzard Hank awkwardly waded through the old cardboard boxes full of his past and unwanted memories to get to the smaller door that connected the garage to the laundry room. Pulling open the door Hank noticed Connor's yellow L.E.D. still glowing brightly and he noticed that Connor was insistent on following him everywhere they went together.

"Today sucked." The senior detective needlessly stated as he entered the laundry room and opened up the connecting door to the kitchen. Turning on the overhead light Hank then walked over and opened up the backdoor as he called out to Sumo in a casual tone. "Sumo! Outside."

The massive dog audibly jumped down from the couch and plodded into the kitchen to head through the backdoor and into the backyard as called.

"I'm going to warm up some leftovers." Watching as Connor stepped into the kitchen and locked each door behind himself in sequence Hank tried to remain as civil and normal as possible. "And then I'm going to take a hot shower."

Connor's mouth ticked a little as he slowly stepped out of the kitchen and into the livingroom so he could head down the hallway to get to his bedroom. The door softly 'clicked' shut as the deviant sought some privacy and changed his clothes.

"This needs to stop..."

Shaking his head with irritation Hank slipped off his coat and removed his shoes to place by the front door to dry properly. It was painfully quiet in the house despite two occupants currently coexisting under the roof, but Hank knew better than to push someone as emotionally stunted and stubborn as Connor to talk when he didn't want to talk.

The sound of Connor's bedroom door opening again caught Hank's ear and he decided to try a new approach. Reaching into the cabinet above the kitchen sink Hank pulled down one of the untouched bottles of Thirium he had stocked up on for the deviant's sake, and tossed the bottle over to Connor as soon as he saw the deviant walking past the kitchen.

"Catch!"

Reacting quickly Connor easily caught the Thirium in his right hand and gave Hank a silent, odd look.

"Figured you could use a little of that stuff to help ya' warm up. I read somewhere that being cold makes deviants burn through their Thirium faster to keep warm since it makes your thermal-thingy kick into overdrive."

Not wanting to offend Hank but uninterested in the Thirium he had been offered Connor just carried it with him as he sat down on the lounger end of the couch and placed the unopened bottle on the end table beside him. Wearing his black t-shirt and gray sweatpants Connor looked like any other guy struggling with seasonal depression and sleeplessness courtesy of the foul weather, and it was a sight Hank hated to see.

"Hey?" Walking out of the kitchen Hank stared at Connor as the deviant quickly turned his head to warily watch the senior detective's every move. "What I said earlier about being sorry for pointing my gun at ya'... I mean it. I am sorry."

Staring for a moment Connor noted the honestly in Hank's eyes and his voice then offered a silent nod of acceptance.

"I gotta' know. What the hell did you dream about last night? It's really getting to you."

"...I already told you. A snowstorm and Amanda."

"No, you just confirmed that you dreamt of a snowstorm and Amanda was in it, but you never told me what had happened."

"It doesn't matter."

"Clearly it does." Walking from the back of the couch toward the front Hank sat down on the furniture at the opposite end of Connor and felt Connor's eyes immediately lock onto his person. "You've been jumpy around me all damn day and you brought up me being a dick to ya' in the past. I was in your nightmare, wasn't I?"

Falling back into silence Connor refused to confirm or deny the question.

"What did I do to you?"

"...It was a dream. It doesn't mat-"

"For fuck sake, it DOES matter." Quieting his tone again Hank tried to keep patient as he sough some answers. "Just tell me so I can finally figure out why I feel like a total asshole just for being in your presence."

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes. Tell me what I did wrong in your damn dream."

Sensing the restrained hostility Connor looked away for a moment then gave the senior detective a hard stare. "...Last night I was unable to enter rest mode due to the storm. I attempted to listen to music in my own mind but negative stimuli prevented that function from aiding me properly. I chose instead to focus on my memories to ensure they were properly encrypted and chronicled in the event of an error." Tensing his hands into fists as they rested atop his lap Connor finally told Hank the truth. "One of those memories was of our discussion at the bridge when you pointed your gun at me and challenged the merit of my existence."

"A bad memory brought about a bad dream?"

"No. A bad dream brought about a corrupted bad memory."

"So that's it... You had a nightmare about Amanda in a snowstorm again, but this time I was there and I was threatening you."

Looking away Connor confirmed the deduction without saying a word.

"Okay, I get it. Nightmares can fuck a person up, and nightmares based on reality are the worst." Standing up from the couch again Hank walked out of the livingroom and back into the kitchen. Opening the backdoor Hank gave Connor his space now that he knew what the problem was. "I can't say anything that'll make you feel better or atone for being an asshole in the past, but I can promise that I will NEVER hurt you."

From within the livingroom Connor shuddered as the snow and wind bombarded the house under a layer of ice and he rose from the couch. Walking down the hallway the deviant returned to his bedroom to remain for the rest of the evening and night. "...That has yet to be seen, Lieutenant."

Something about the way Connor said 'Lieutenant' made Hank wince. It was cold, emotionless and almost machine-like.

"Shit... This is getting serious."

The moment Sumo returned to the house through the backdoor Hank shut the door and didn't react as the massive dog shook off his damp pelt and trotted down the hallway over to Connor's bedroom door, only to whimper as the door remained shut even as he pawed at the surface asking for entrance. Hearing the somber whining Hank walked toward the end of the hallway and patted the side of his leg to coax Sumo over to him instead.

"It's nothing personal, boy."

Rubbing the dog's soft early gently Hank led the Saint Bernard back into the kitchen to get him fresh food before taking care of his own dinner for the night.

"Connor's just having a rough time with this shitty weather, a shitty case and he's still adjusting to deviancy. He'll be fine after he has the time to think and understand things." Giving Sumo a despondent stare Hank sighed again. "I hope..."

-next chapter-