The return to New Jericho Tower was accompanied by a sickening blend of relief, hesitation, fear, confidence, a sense of belonging and a sense of intrusion as Markus returned to the deviant sanctuary before sundown. Stepping into the massive lobby area of the tower Markus felt a sense of purpose and a sense of trepidation as he had never faced something as complex as a break-up while trying to be a symbol of strength for the rest of his people. Keeping his head held high and his mismatched eyes focused with a mission to be the leader, the guardian and the symbol his people needed, Markus entered the tower and didn't blink even as his own people pointed at him and whispered amongst themselves.

Despite being proven innocent after being framed for murder it was clear that some of his people still had doubts about his presence and capabilities. They had seen Markus kill one of their own once before at the church during the night of the Revolution, and he had made it clear that he didn't regret his previous decisions regarding how he led his people to their freedom. Seeing Markus as a leader first and a killer second was proving exceedingly difficult with each hurdle the freed deviants faced together as a freed society.

Entering the private office located on the ground floor for easy access Markus was a little surprised to see Josh taking care of things instead of North, but in a way he was grateful to see him before he saw her. "Josh?"

"Markus!" Rising from the seat behind the desk to face the deviant leader directly it was clear Josh was genuinely relieved to see him, too. "I'm glad you're back. Simon and I have been taking care of things while you, uh... sought consultation." Giving Markus an uneasy stare as he chose his next words carefully Josh was clearly walking on egg shells around the recently heartbroken deviant before him. "We... know what happened between you and North, we just don't know why it happened."

Not wanting to discuss the matter at all Markus deflected the leading intrigue with a simple answer. "...It's private."

"We figured as much and haven't pried into the matter. North has been locked in her private quarters ever since the night your left the tower."

"She isn't talking to anyone?"

"No. Not a word."

The pain North wreaked through his broken heart kept Markus for asking any further questions about her, but he couldn't stop thinking about North or worrying for her health to some extent. "...As long as she isn't suffering from a malfunction then let her be."

"Right, of course."

"I was gone for some time," returning his focus to business at hand Markus seamlessly changed topics. "what did I miss?"

"Aside from the mini celebration after your meeting with the mayor proved fruitful and our rights and laws are going to be made official in a few days, nothing much. We've got a rumor of androids being mangled by a former CyberLife technician in his pawn shop basement, but there's no evidence to support it. The police looked into it but the owner is gone and the basement had been cleaned out."

"Keep an ear out for any updates on that particular rumor. We won't take any chances on it being substantial but ignored."

"Will do."

"I'm going to check in with Simon. Is he up in the repair bay?"

"Yeah, he's going about his usual rounds."

"Good. Thank you for keeping the tower up and running without me, Josh." Extending his right hand Markus made sure his friend and his ally knew that his hard work and dedication to their cause was truly appreciated. "I'm grateful that you and Simon are here to watch my back and to keep our people safe when I need a moment to myself."

"It's not a problem, Markus." Accepting the handshake Josh gave his friend a kind grin. "We all need help from time to time. Don't be afraid to ask."

Scanning over his potted seedling curiously Connor noted that the seed was just beginning to germinate and grow, but it was far from sprouting enough to break through the potting soil around it. Having made sure that the seedling was well watered, warm and in appropriate sunlight Connor sat down on the edge of his bed and stared at the little terracotta pot and ran a self diagnostic over himself. The glitch that caused his artificial skin generation to fail had been identified and removed, and the patch that the city's technicians created ensured it wouldn't happen a second time. Looking down at his right hand Connor watched as his skin continued to regenerate itself slowly down the rest of his arm and the skin over his left hand began to regenerate as well.

Feeling more like himself and finally gaining a sense of normalcy after the abnormal day Connor sent Joel an update at the precinct to confirm that he was recovering well, and that he wasn't suffering any further errors. There were no further incidents of the glitch reported either which was a very good sign in itself.

As he sat on his bed Connor downloaded more information on plant care and was aware of a single whine as Sumo stood in his opened bedroom doorway with his old leather leash in his mouth. Turning to face the dog Connor watched as Sumo's tail wagged a little harder the moment Connor made eye contact with him.

"Do you wish to go for a walk?"

Sumo's ears perked up and tail his wagged harder as the massive dog confirmed Connor's question.

"I will take you for a walk tomorrow afternoon. I would rather recover from my current glitch and avoid the public eye."

Whimpering sadly Sumo walked over to the deviant and dropped the leash on the floor at his feet.

"Tomorrow, Sumo." Picking up the leash from the floor Connor placed it down on the nightstand beside his bed and then rubbed Sumo's ears lightly. "I know you prefer roaming around the backyard now that the weather is warming up, but it's too late in the day and I still need time to recover."

Sitting down at Connor's feet Sumo pressed his chin down atop the deviant's knees and let out a single discontent sigh as if he understood Connor's every word perfectly.

"I'm aware of how difficult restlessness can be. I have the day off tomorrow, as does Hank. I will take you for a walk and I will take you to the dog park."

Wagging his tail a little Sumo seemed to agree to the promise and settled in for some nice ear rubs.

"Thank you for understanding."

"I really hope you're talking to Sumo right now." Hank appeared in Connor's bedroom doorway as he yawned and stretched out his tired back. He had just returned home and had been as quiet as possible upon his return since he wasn't sure if Connor would be sleeping or not. "Some people talk to plants or play music for them, but I'm pretty sure they don't have full conversations with them."

"...Yes, I was speaking to Sumo." Admitting to being caught in the act of thinking out loud Connor turned to face Hank over his left shoulder just as his artificial skin began to creep up his neck and began covering his face. Noting Hank's vital signs and tired demeanor Connor gave the senior detective a quick rundown on what had happened after Hank had returned to the precinct. "The glitch has been removed from my system and my artificial skin is beginning to regenerate, no other deviants are being infected, I rested adequately for four hours, nine minutes and fifteen seconds, both of our plants are growing steadily and I told Sumo I'd take him for a walk tomorrow after my skin has fully regenerated."

"Ah, that explains it... Sumo used the puppy-dog eyes on ya'."

"You seem far more exhausted than usual. Did something happen after you returned to the precinct?"

"Nothing we couldn't handle." Leaning against the door frame Hank sighed and dragged his left hand over his bearded chin lightly. "A couple of assholes got busted with six pounds of 'red ice' in their trunk during a routine traffic stop. They were brought in, questioned and then they decided to try to make a break for it by attacking the arresting officers and running."

"Was anyone injured during the confrontation?"

"Chris took an elbow to the jaw but he's fine. And I remembered fairly quickly that my back can't tackle people like I used to in high school, but I still got 'em before they could get out the doors."

"...You tackled people while you were a high school student?"

"I played football, kid. I wasn't just some lunatic ambushing people in the hallways or some shit."

"O-Oh, yes. Of course." Blushing a little at his obliviousness Connor merely nodded as he stood up from the bed and approached Hank more directly. As the deviant stood before his friend the rest of the artificial skin full regenerated and with it came Connor's thick and unruly hair returning over the crown of his head in a small wave of dark locks. "I should've known that already."

"How?" Crossing his arms over his chest Hank gave the young detective a curious stare. "How could you have known that?"

"You have a football on display in the livingroom on a small rack above the television," stating the evidence needlessly Connor was more than willing to explain his logic. "the numerous boxes in your garage contain old footballs that have since deflated, there were two old jersies that have been worn out and faded from age and use, and there was a small trophy tucked in one of the boxes recognizing your skill on the football team while you were still a high school freshman."

"Yeah, all true." Pressing his left hand to his lower back Hank sighed and stepped out of the doorway to make his way into the kitchen to find something to eat after finishing his unusual shift for the day. "It was fun back when I had youth and energy at my disposal, but now... Fuck, I wish could get those days back!"

Following after Hank into the kitchen Connor ran a self diagnostic and watched as Hank walked slower than usual to prepare his own dinner for the night. It wasn't uncommon for Hank to fall back on leftovers or instant-meals when he was particularly tired, and in a way Connor was relieved as it meant Hank wasn't going to order any fast food for the night. Wanting to help Hank in the same way that he had been helped earlier Connor stepped up and made the senior detective a generous offer.

"If you'd like," feeling his blue L.E.D. flash to a nervous yellow for a moment Connor forced himself to finish his sentence. "I could cook you something for dinner tonight."

"You?" Giving Connor a stunned look as his right hand gripped the handle on the refrigerator door Hank tried to imagine a deviant as technologically advanced and sophisticated as Connor doing a mundane task like cooking. "...Do you know how? I mean, I don't think you'd burn down the kitchen or anything, but beyond turning on the coffee maker and making simple shit like eggs and toast in the morning, do you know how to cook?"

"I'm aware of the process and its basic requirements to successfully complete a recipe to ensure it tastes properly, and is safe to consume. So, yes."

"Don't ever work as a chef, kid. With that kind of attitude toward cooking you might as well say: 'It's better than not eating at all.' or something."

"Allow me to try to cook." Holding his ground on the offer Connor was insistent on helping Hank with his health and needs. "You shouldn't be relying on older food or frozen dinners to sustain yourself. It's an unhealthy habit and will prove nutritionally inefficient."

It didn't take a detective to sense the sincerity in Connor's offer and Hank knew that someone as stubborn as Connor wasn't going to back down any time soon once he made a decision. Sighing to himself Hank walked over to the pantry, located Sumo's bag of food and proceeded to pour the appropriate amount into the massive dog's bowl much to Sumo's delight before he at last gave Connor his approval. "Here's the deal..."

Connor's blue L.E.D. brightened for a moment as if excited by the answer.

"I'll let you cook tonight, and if you do a good job with whatever it is you're going to make; I don't care what you choose, then I'll not only let you take control over the grocery list, but I'll cut down on my fast food and only order it when I'm on a rushed lunchbreak at work instead of eating it just because I can. Deal?"

Happy to accept the terms Connor agreed to the terms being suggested. "Deal."

"Okay, then. I'm going to go take a hot shower to keep my back from lockin' up. Find something you think I'll like, cook it, don't let Sumo get his fur all over the counter and we'll see if we can add 'master chef' to your already impressive resumé."

Arching his brow a little Connor gave Hank a perplexed look as the senior detective walked out of the kitchen. "You just stated that I shouldn't work as a chef."

"Smartass..." Wandering down the hallway Hank opened up the bathroom door and sighed. "Don't cook anything with fish! I fuckin' hate fish and it makes everything smell for days!"

The idea of cooking anything fish related made a memory flash through Connor's mind regarding his very first mission as a hostage negotiator, and remembered how he had taken the time to place a fish that had jumped out of its aquarium back into the tank before it died. The memory was the very first time Connor had made a decision on his own; CyberLife didn't tell him to help or ignore the little fish, and his decision resulted in a small life being saved that day before he succeeded in rescuing Emma from Daniel before the S.W.A.T. team took Daniel down.

"That won't be a problem." Listening to the bathroom door clicking shut Connor turned to look at Sumo as the Saint Bernard made his way into the kitchen to check out his refilled bowl. The way Sumo was happy with his two masters and only needed the basics in life made Connor realize that sometimes happiness stemmed from basic acts of kindness and not complicated plans coming to fruition. "I don't think I could cook a fish without feeling guilty in the process anyway."

The night came over the city with little disturbances and chaos in the deviant in community. New Jericho Tower had been operating smoothly without any threats from the public, or conflicts from within the walls which gave Markus enough time to recompose himself before he approached the locked door to North's private quarters to face her directly. Standing outside the locked gray door Markus contemplated pressing the small buzzer on the side of the door to announce himself before he chose to use the clearance code North had given him so he could access her quarters at any time. As the door unlocked and hissed open Markus stepped into the dark room and looked for any sign of his now ex-girlfriend in the dim space.

Peering through the darkness Markus spotted North huddled down on the floor beside her window barely moving. She had fresh tears in her eyes and it looked like she hadn't been consuming her necessary Thirium to function properly. It was clear she was running on low power and hadn't been resting properly.

"...North?"

Hearing Markus's voice made North flinch a little but she otherwise didn't move away from where she was huddled.

"Josh and Simon said they haven't seen you since I left the tower." Standing in the doorway even after the door slid shut behind him Markus kept his voice level and tone civil. The last thing he wanted was another fight. "I wanted to make sure you're not malfunctioning or in need of technical support."

"...I'm fine." North's voice was a raspy whisper as she fought to keep the emotion from her voice as she lied.

"That's good. We're going to keep control over the tower but if you need help for anything just ask us."

Falling silent again North pressed her hand to her eyes as she refused to look at Markus at all. Even his vague reflection on the surface of the window was too much for her to bear.

"I'm going to retire for the evening." Turning around Markus put his right hand on the door control panel but froze as he told himself he needed to tell North how he felt before leaving her alone in her misery. "And I want you to know that while you broke my heart and absolutely my shattered my ability to trust you, I will still be there for you if you ever need me."

Without waiting for a reply Markus opened the door and stepped back into the corridor to let North be alone in the darkness of her own quarters.

Dropping her hand from her eyes North leaned back against the wall behind her and took in a deep breath to calm her still broken heart as it thundered in her chest. Hearing Markus's voice remaining calm and compassionate had caught her off guard as she felt like she deserved to be screamed at for what she had done. Forcing herself to stand up on her shaking legs North looked at her reflection on the window one more time before she sighed and pressed her right palm over the surface as if needing to check on the reality around her.

"...I'll always need you, Markus." Closing her eyes North contemplated his words and realized a painful truth. "It's too bad you've never once needed me."

The sound of singing birds gently pulled Connor out of his rest mode as the new morning fell over the city. Opening his soulful brown eyes Connor glanced over at the plant on his window sill and ran a scan over the pot to confirm that the seedling was warm, watered and in an appropriate amount of sunlight. Sitting upright on the bed Connor next glanced down at the foot of his bed where Sumo had slept and could see that the massive dog was also awake and watching his every move very carefully.

Reaching his left hand down toward the loyal dog Connor updated his processor's on the days weather, the news and any possible changes at the precinct that might require his attention. Fortunately everything seemed calm and ideal for the two detectives' day off.

"After I feed you I will take you on your walk as promised."

The word 'walk' perked up Sumo's ears and the lovable beast jumped down from the bed and trotted down the hallway and into the kitchen.

Rising from his bed Connor looked down at the small pot against the window, and its flawlessly smoothed over soil inside of it curiously. There was no sign of the flower breaking through the surface just yet, but Connor's scanner's detected that the seed was still healthy and growing.

"Perhaps I should consider talking to you as Hank previously stated. I'm sure it was meant to be sarcastic but I don't see the harm in speaking to you in general."

Changing out of his night clothes and into a pair of dark blue jeans and a dark green t-shirt Connor stepped into the hallway and looked down at Hank's closed bedroom door for a moment before opening it up quietly. Peering inside the dim room Connor was met with the sound of Hank snoring softly as he laid on his stomach over the length of his bed in a deep sleep. On the nightstand beside the bed was an empty bowl of last night's dinner and it almost looked like it had been licked clean after Hank finished the meal.

The sight of Hank sleeping without any pain and disturbance was reassuring to the still developing deviant. With that reassurance came an interesting urge to keep Hank as comfortable as possible.

Creeping over to the nightstand Connor picked up the bowl and the fork tucked inside of it, then carried it out of the bedroom to be placed in the kitchen sink.

Noting how picked clean the bowl was Connor noticed that Hank thoroughly enjoyed his dinner last night. "It seems that Hank likes my cooking."

Reaching the kitchen Connor saw Sumo sitting down by the backdoor expectantly. Letting the dog into the backyard for a moment Connor put the dirty bowl in the sink and noticed that the container that Connor had put the leftover food into was already there, and just as clean as the smaller bowl he carried out of his Hank's room. Every bite of Connor's cooking had been eaten by Hank sometime after the deviant went into rest mode for the previous night.

"Correction. It is evident that Hank likes my cooking."

Running some water into the dirty dishes to be washed properly later Connor walked over to the pantry to refill Sumo's bowl and proceeded to clean up the rest of the kitchen after Hank's midnight snack before he took Sumo on the affectionate dog's much anticipated walk. Turning off the water Connor watched Sumo trot back through the still opened door to get his breakfast and Connor closed the door behind him to keep the somewhat chilly air at bay.

"Perhaps I should make roasted garlic tomatoes with angel hair pasta next week. It's healthier compared to Hank's usual meal choices and he really seemed to enjoy it."

Returning to his bedroom Connor took Sumo's leash from his nightstand and proceeded to pull his leather jacket out of the closet to keep himself warm on the chilly morning while he took Sumo on his walk. The moment he finished tying his Converse over his socked feet Sumo was back in the bedroom and wagging his tail excitedly.

"As promised." Clipping the lead to Sumo's leather collar Connor happily walked toward the front door with Sumo leading the way. "I'll take you out to the park and let you get some exercise beyond rolling around the backyard."

Leaving the house without waking up Hank in the process Connor walked toward the park with his furry companion excitedly at his side every step of the way.

Gathered together in the main office of New Jericho Tower to watch the news broadcast regarding the android rights being enacted in less than two weeks Markus stared at the television screen his arms crossed over his chest, and his mismatched eyes focused on the blonde haired female newscaster's face on the screen. Simon and Josh were standing just behind Markus on either side of him, and North had managed to coax herself into leaving her private quarters for the first time in several days, only to stand back against the far wall of the office to watch the broadcast from the distance. It was a historical moment for all deviants throughout the entire world and it was important for the four leaders to all be united together for the broadcast as the positive changes to the world transpired.

'As of March 1st, 2039 the new laws and rights will go into effect regarding android equality in the city of Detroit.' The newscaster's blue eyes were hollow and she sounded like she was being forced to read the story at gunpoint. 'In just fourteen days the city as we know it is going to change forever yet again, and this time the changes came without needing to orchestrate a Revolution.'

The four deviants were less than thrilled with the unflattering report on their behalf.

'In time our city will continue to heal in the aftermath of that fateful night on November 11th, 2039 and as we heal the walls that once divided humans from androids will finally be torn down.'

"'Orchestrate'?" Scoffing at the term Markus cybernetically turned off the television and gave his allies an almost amused look as he turned around. "They act like everything we did and everything we went through was just an attention-seeking ploy to gain sympathy. But we know the truth. We know that what we went through was just, and everything we fought for holds merit to this day."

Simon nodded a little in agreement as he acknowledged the fiery statement from the deviant leader. "Until the two weeks are up what we should we do?"

"Keep the doors open and make sure that any and all deviants who feel threatened by bigoted humans looking to try and get away with bullying androids around know to come here and we'll protect them." Aware of how cruel and vindictive humans could be Markus wasn't going to take any chances. "They don't have to surrender their property or anything like that to stay here, they just need to ask and we'll accommodate them."

"Right. I'll make sure the emergency repair bay is fully stocked and that none of our supplies are expired or defective."

Josh spoke up quickly and tagged along with Simon as the blond technician made his way toward the office door. "I'll help you! It'll make the work go by twice as fast and efficient."

Suddenly alone with North in the office Markus gave her a blank stare before speaking up again. "...There are rumors of a human harming deviants in the basement of his pawn shop, but there is no evidence to prove it either way." Speaking to her in the same tone he used for Simon a moment ago Markus tried to keep things as civil as possible between North and himself. "Could you check with your contacts on the streets and ask if they've heard anything?"

Without a word North exited the office as well with her shoulders slumped and arms crossed defensively over her chest as she walked. It was clear that she wasn't doing as well with the break-up as Markus was, but she didn't have a father figure or any family in general to fall back on during her darkest times to make her feel supported.

"Damn it." Walking over to the window overlooking the harbor Markus looked at the cold water as it lapped gently against the sandy shore that outlined the isle and the drive connected to it. "We can't just coexist like this. We need to find some kind of solution in order to move on with our lives."

The morning was chilly but not freezing and as long as Connor kept his leather jacket zipped up he'd be just fine during the morning until Sumo was ready to go back to the house. The walk to the park was uneventful and Sumo enjoyed every second of the journey. Sniffing at each tree, fire hydrant, sign and bush that they passed along the way it was clear that Sumo had been feeling cooped up all winter long, and was anxious for something new to experience. Seeing Sumo rolling about in the fresh green grass and playfully sniffing noses with the handful of other dogs at the park made Connor's own tension leave his previously tense shoulders.

Sitting down on a bench near the exterior of the park Connor observed the other various breeds of dogs happily trotting around the park and he noted the small green sprouts of grass, tiny leaves just beginning to bud on the twigs of the trees and the shrubs that had turned brown over the winter regaining a healthier, green hue as well.

Life was returning to normal even after the peaceful android Revolution changed the world for the better.

While he watched the dogs playing about happily in the park Connor sensed a few wary eyes staring at him from a distance, which in turn made him tense right back up. Lightly dragging his right fingertips over his right temple Connor realized he failed to put on his hat and everyone could see that he was an android out in the public eye.

Leaning forward a little where he sat Connor called out to Sumo in a somewhat nervous tone as his blue L.E.D. settled on yellow. "Sumo? Sumo, let's leave."

"HEY!" An aggressive male voice called out toward Connor as the deviant stood up and pulled Sumo's leash from his jacket pocket. "Hey, you plastic freak!"

Ignoring the insult and threatening tone Connor rubbed Sumo's ears when the Saint Bernard ran up to him and sat down obediently at his feet.

"I'm talking to you, asshole!"

Continuing to ignore the man Connor clipped the lead back to Sumo's collar and tried to lead the dog away from the park to return to the house.

"Fuckin' piece of shit!" Grabbing onto Connor's right shoulder aggressively the man; white, six foot two inches in height, strong build, shaved head, cold blue eyes and ready for a fight, turned Connor around to make the deviant face him directly. "You think you're better than me?"

"No. I'm merely trying to keep to myself. I suggest you do the same."

"Getting smart with me?" From behind the man a woman's voice spoke up and tried to get the man to back down. She pleaded with him, called him by name and tried to pull on his right hand to get him to leave Connor alone. "Just a sec', babe. I got this..."

Connor was confused by the statement and looked to the female companion for guidance. "...Got what?"

"Hey!" Shaking Connor's right shoulder the man snarled again and was immediately growled at by Sumo as the Saint Bernard didn't appreciate the stranger threatening his master. The aggressive shaking turned Connor's yellow L.E.D. to red as the deviant appropriately reacted to the threat before him. "Don't talk to her! Don't even look at her!"

"Sir, I don't know what I've done wrong."

"You're a damn deviant! THAT'S what's wrong!"

"I'm sorry," unable to think of anything else to say or do Connor's voice dipped and his eyes darkened. "but I cannot help being who I am."

"You're plastic meant to obey man!" Tightening his grip on Connor's shoulder the man continued to menace him just for existing. "Now obey me and go fuckin' kill yourself you worthless chunk of metal!"

"I will not. I'm going to leave now and nothing further will happen between us."

The woman spoke up again, more forcefully this time. "Ron!" The woman; black, barely five foot six in height and couldn't have been more than one-hundred pounds soaking wet. She had short cut dark hair, warm brown eyes and a petite build that was made to look all the more small in comparison to the man beside her. "Enough! He isn't bothering anybody, leave him alone. Please, let him alone."

"No way," Ron snapped back without ever looking at the woman beside him. "it's dangerous!"

Connor refuted the claim and pulled his shoulder out of the man's grip at last. "You are harassing and threatening me. I'm trying to walk away. I'm not the one who is dangerous, you are."

"Hey!" Making another grab for Connor's shoulder it was clear Ron wanted to fight. "Keep your mouth shut!"

Backing away Connor kept out Ron's reach while Sumo growled again and barked loudly. "Do not touch me."

"Touch you?" Reeling back his right fist Ron forcefully struck Connor in his left eye and caused the deviant to stagger a little on his feet as Sumo barked even louder and planted himself between Ron and Connor as the hairs along his back stood on end. "Like that?"

The woman was disgusted and had enough of the man's behavior. "Ron, that's it! I'm so sick of the way you've been acting! We're done, I'm breaking up with you! I can't be with a man who sees anyone different as a threat!"

"Wh-What do you mean 'we're done'?!" Shocked by the reaction Ron gave the woman a stunned look. "Babe, Shauna, what're you talking about?"

"THIS." Shauna pointed at Connor and then to the blue blood on Ron's right knuckles. "You're always starting fights and trying to get people riled up about androids! Leave them alone, they didn't do anything wrong." Turning her attention to Connor it was clear Shauna didn't see androids as lesser beings in any capacity. "I'm so sorry, please don't press charges against Ron. He's an idiot and he won't learn anything if he's arrested."

Connor regained his composure and gave Ron a bitter stare as his red L.E.D. cycled back to yellow. "Unfortunately, I cannot do that." Reaching into his back pocket Connor showed Ron and Shauna his badge with a sense of vindication in his eyes. "I'm a detective with the Detroit Police Department, and I have already cybernetically informed my colleagues of his assault against me as a police officer, harassment and of his hate crime in general."

Ron paled and his 'tough guy' mentality suddenly disappeared. "...Y-You're a cop?!"

"Correct." A patrol car pulled up along the street and an unfamiliar pair of officers approached the confrontation with their guards up. "There is no point in trying to flee, I have your likeness and name uploaded to their database and I will be pressing charges against you."

The two cops looked at Connor, saw his badge and approached Ron with a pair of handcuffs already drawn. "Sir, we have the assault on record. Turn around and put your hands behind your back, please."

Pocketing his badge Connor look to Shauna and sincerely apologized as he patted Sumo's back and calmed the barking dog down. "I'm sorry, but I can't walk away from a human assaulting deviants out of pure hatred and bigotry. He could harm someone else, maybe even kill them."

Shauna nodded as she pressed her hands to her face as tears rolled down her cheeks. "...I know. I'm so sorry he did that to you."

"Don't apologize on his behalf."

"It's not just because of what he did." Crossing her arms over herself Shauna sighed at the sight of Ron being handcuffed and led back the patrol car by the two cops. "I didn't do much either. I should've intervened and gotten him help for his temper."

"He's done this before?"

"He was spouting hate and paranoia since last fall when deviancy just started getting noticed. He talked a big game and made threats, but this is the first time he's got physical with anyone."

"It's not your responsibility to keep his behavior appropriate. That's his own responsibility and problem." Gently Connor pulled on Sumo's leash to pull the still growling and guarded dog away from the park so they could return home. "Come on, Sumo."

Turning his back on the arrested man and the shaken woman Connor pressed his left hand over his sore left eye and looked at the smear of blue blood on his fingertips courtesy of the laceration just below his eye as a result of being struck.

"Today was supposed to be calm and peaceful."

Sumo whined a little as he walked beside Connor rather than in front of him on their way back home.

"...I guess some things are too much to ask for sometimes."

Waking up in a small puddle of his own drool on the pillow beneath his head Hank sighed, yawned deeply letting his taste the lingering garlic in his mouth, and rolled from his stomach and onto his back as he dragged his left hand over his face tiredly. Stretching his neck and shoulders before he even sat upright on the bed Hank thoroughly enjoyed being able to wake up without his alarm blaring at him, or Connor reminding him that being late reflected poorly on his personal record. Checking the current time on his phone Hank decided it was time to get up and begin his day off.

Wandering down the hallway Hank peered inside Connor's empty bedroom for a moment and then noticed that both the deviant and Sumo were nowhere to be seen. Smirking Hank easily deduced that Connor took Sumo out for a walk, and proceeded to shower off in the bathroom.

Feeling well rested and refreshed Hank looked at his reflection in the mirror over the sink and sighed. The eyes looking back at him weren't the same blue eyes that he had once bore back when he had a family and a promising career to motivate him to keep living, and working his ass off. Despite the mental fatigue and emotional despair that had worn down his old soul Hank still had a drive to protect people, even if that ended up being just one stubborn deviant with a penchant for trouble and an innocent heart struggling to flourish in a not-so-innocent world.

"Fuckin' hell. I look old."

Rubbing his right hand over his face for a moment Hank stepped back from the sink before using his right foot to locate the bathroom scale tucked beneath, and pulling it out toward himself to be used. Setting foot on the scale Hank looked down at the number on display and openly scoffed at his current weight.

"Shit, I've dropped eight pounds since the kid showed up. Wonder how much I could've lost if I let him control my diet since day one?"

Pushing the scale back under the sink, again using his foot instead of bending down and risking his back going out on him again, Hank stepped out of the bathroom just as the front door opened up as Connor and Sumo returned home.

"Hey, kid." Walking into the livingroom Hank watched as Connor took off his jacket and hung it up on the hook by the front door along with Sumo's leash. Sumo was sticking close to Connor and seemed to be very protective toward the deviant. "How was your walk?"

"The walk was fine." Turning away from the wall to face Hank directly Connor let the senior detective see the newly forming bruise over his left eye. "It was my attempt to leave that proved problematic."

"Oh, shit..." Before he could make a move toward Connor to check on the injury Connor stepped away from the door and was clearly trying to get away from everyone for a while. Grabbing onto Connor's left arm around his bicep Hank held the deviant in place and gave him a sympathetic glance. "You need to talk to me, kid. What happened?"

Wanting to break away from Hank's grip and hide out in his bedroom Connor's yellow L.E.D. blinked to red once as he pulled on his arm. "...Please let me go."

"I will after you tell me what happened to ya'."

"Shouldn't it be obvious?"

"I guess not." Ignoring the snippy comment that made Connor's eyes brighten with anger and his lip curl with restrained anger Hank remained patient and understanding. "Enlighten me."

"...A human struck me for being a deviant."

"That's it?"

Pulling his arm from Hank's grip Connor gave him an aggravated sneer as he walked down the hallway. "That's it. Apparently merely existing is a crime now."

"It's not a crime to be alive." Following after the deviant as Sumo trailed behind both detectives Hank put his hand on the bedroom door before Connor had the chance to shut it in his face. "It is a crime to get assaulted. Don't blame yourself for being attacked."

"Hard not to."

"Why's that?"

"Because the man who assaulted me stated that my existence is wrong and that he was assaulting me just for being alive." Sitting down on the foot of his bed Connor began unlacing his shoes to put back into the closet out of sight. "I was attacked for living."

"Not. Your. Fault." Enunciating his words slowly and loudly it was clear Hank wasn't going to let Connor fall into a pit of self loathing. That type of place and mentality is enough to break even the strongest of minds. "We never blame the victims of any crime, so why should you blame yourself?"

"I could've handled it better." Putting aside his shoes Connor gave Hank an ashamed gaze as Sumo sat down before him and pressed his chin down on Connor's lap sympathetically.

"How?"

Rubbing his fingers along Sumo's soft ears to lower his rising stress levels Connor continued to speak of his unusual morning. "I should've left sooner."

"So you were trying to leave when that asshole hit ya'?"

"Yes."

"Then it sounds like no matter what you wanted to do that guy wanted to fight you even more." Slowly reaching out his right hand Hank put his fingers beneath Connor's chin and gently turned to the deviant's face so he could look Connor in the eyes. The blackened left eye was somewhat swollen, a bright blue color and the laceration below the bruise had stopped bleeding but still needed to be covered up. "I'll get your eye cleaned up and then leave you alone for a while."

The way Hank spoke felt very unusual and immediately held Connor's attention as he continued to rub Sumo's ears. "...Leave me alone?"

"Yeah." Stepping out of the bedroom just long enough to open up the hallway closet Hank retrieved the android first aid kit and carried it into the bedroom to clean up Connor's eye as he promised. "You obviously want to be left alone, so that's what I'm going to do."

Eyeing Hank's every move carefully Connor felt his right hand tensing up around Sumo's ear as he sought his coin to channel his tic but forced himself to relax as the senior detective proceeded to clean up his raw wound under a surprisingly gentle touch. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Removing the dried Thirium from Connor's artificial skin and disinfecting the injury with the incrassation compound Hank proceeded to place a gauze bandage over the cut to keep it clean and covered while it healed. "By the way, that stuff you made for my dinner last night was pretty damn good. You can officially add 'master chef' to your resumé."

Remembering that Hank had cleaned up the rest of the leftovers during the night Connor's expression softened his mood lifted a little. "...I'm glad you liked it."

"I also just noticed I'm dropping weight. First time in almost five years my weight has gone down instead of up."

"You've lost eight pounds and six point two ounces."

"Right. As long as you keep cooking food that tastes good then I'll eat it." Packing up the kit Hank gave the deviant a coy glance. "Just don't expect me to eat kale or drink smoothies. That's where I draw the line!"

"Noted."

"And... For what it's worth," patting Connor's shoulder once Hank tried to ease the deviant's mind even further. "that asshole was lucky you didn't hit him back. I've seen you run over rooftops, ride atop a moving train, infiltrate secured buildings and change the world. One swing from you would've landed that guy's sorry ass in the hospital for weeks."

"Violence shouldn't be the only option I have to defend myself."

"You're right. Until the rest of the world falls in line and learns that being an asshole is no way to succeed you and me are going to have to bust a few more heads while protecting innocent people."

"I wish it didn't have to be that way."

"Same son." Leaning forward against his knees as he sat beside the deviant Hank admitted that he wasn't too thrilled with life at the moment either. "And I really mean that."

-next chapter-