It didn't take much to convince Connor to get away from the city for a while, but actually getting the deviant to pack up a few clothes and go to the car was a whole other task. Listless and not wanting anything to do with the city in the aftermath of the hostage situation or failed assassination attempts at Hart Plaza, despite no one blaming him for anything to do in regard to the incidents, Connor sluggishly responded and dragged his feet as he made his way to the front door with his black backpack slung over his right shoulder. Hiding himself beneath the hood of the black hoodie and keeping his eyes down at the ground Connor walked over to the car parked in the driveway and sat down slowly in the front passenger seat with his backpack now resting at his feet.

Hank on the other hand was far more eager to drive out of the city and couldn't wait to leave Detroit behind. Throwing his own dufflebag into the backseat with a casual motion Hank patted the cushion to coax Sumo into jumping up and laying down for the car trip, and promptly shut the door with a hearty slam. Despite still being tired after his two consecutive nights of poor sleep and nightmares Hank was alert and ready to go.

"Are ya' sure you don't want to take your flower up to the cabin?" Turning over the engine Hank waited for the deviant to respond before he backed out of the driveway to finally begin their road trip. "It's doing great in the little pot out back, but if you planted it in that nice grassy clearing it'd really flourish."

"...No. It's too small to be planted just yet."

"Alright, kid. Maybe in a month or two we'll take it up." Shifting the car from park and into reverse Hank backed down the driveway and turned before shifting into drive. Looking at Sumo in the backseat as the massive bundle of fur helped himself to Hank's dufflebag to use as a substitute pillow Hank just sighed and focused on the road before him. "Maybe we should take a lesson from Sumo and just learn to lay around and not think about a damn thing in the world."

"...Maybe."

"A week at the cabin will do us both some good, kid. You deserve a vacation from all the bullshit in the city, and you deserve to finally be left the fuck alone for a while."

"It feels like I'm running from my problems by leaving."

"No, you're just taking a step back to gain some perspective." Bringing the car up to the first stop sign on their journey to the cabin Hank tried to remind Connor that there was nothing wrong with taking a break every now and then, or putting himself first on occasion. "And there's nothing wrong with getting a fresh view on life. Take it from me; I've seen it all and I can tell you that a shitty situation can look like a bed of roses from the right angle if you look hard enough."

Having fully healed from the knife wound to his neck Markus returned to New Jericho Tower alongside North to discuss future plans with Josh and Simon as equals throughout their discussion. Energized and finally feeling like he was making the right decisions as a leader all over again Markus had no problem in stepping aside and letting his allies open up a discussion regarding their behavior as deviants, as role models, as leaders and overall as figureheads in the public eye. Rubbing his left palm over the side of his recently healed neck Markus reminded himself that his brush with near shutdown was nothing compared to what the other deviants were potentially experiencing out on the streets, or what deviants in the past had already tragically endured.

Listening to North tell her story of escaping from Canada with six other deviants in tow, and of how she managed to track down the isolated cabin of the now confirmed deviant serial killer through her own instincts she honed while fighting to survive within Jericho, had left Markus, Josh and Simon all humbled by her fearless accomplishments. Her confirmation on the killer's identity and the Canadian authorities working with the U.S. authorities was comforting in a way, but knowing that a serial killer had been lurking in their own backyard, and had gone undetected for so long, was unnerving.

Gathered together in the tower's private office the four leaders sat side by side on the matching white sofas sitting on either side of the desk, rather than speak to Markus as he sat behind the desk in a single position of power.

"What can we do to keep something like this from happening again?" Josh was edgy and the last thing he wanted to do was lose any more of their people to a mindless killer hiding in plain sight. "Increase security? Create a type of neighborhood watch? Request additional patrols in developing deviant neighborhoods?"

"That won't do much good." North shook her head at the idea as she explained her own opinion on the matter. Sitting across from Josh and next to Markus on the first sofa she sounded as confident as she had been during the Revolution. "The reason why that asshole managed to do what he did for so long is because everyone just assumed that additional security guaranteed safety, or that other people would handle problems so they didn't have to get involved. What we need to do is branch the community out without creating new sects or groups in the process. They all need to blend together."

Simon was sitting beside Josh on the second sofa with his hands neatly folded together and pressed to his chin as he sat in deep thought. "How? We're supposed to be an isolated sanctuary for our people who want to hide, and yet we still need to let outsiders in to accomplish this goal. I mean, even when Markus was injured the E.F.T's took him to a facility instead of bringing him here. We have better security than the average facility, too."

Speaking up in an even tone Markus had his own take on the matter. "We need to remind people that yes, this is a sanctuary for deviants, but we won't turn away people in need just for being outsiders. We need to keep our doors open just like we need to do with our hearts and our minds. I can see that now, and I was so foolish for expecting anything else to work."

Intrigued by Markus's words Josh nodded and sought more details. "What do you propose?"

"I say we pull an outsider in and ask for their opinion on what to do. We need a way to improve the feeling of security, a way to show bigoted humans that they can't hurt us and get away with it anymore and we need to let everyone know that they can safely walk down the sidewalk because someone somewhere will always be watching their backs."

Tucking a lock of her long auburn hair behind her left ear North glanced over to Markus beside her and trusted his renewed judgment on the situation. "Who do you have in mind?"

Looking his three allies in their eyes Markus gave his answer without any hesitation whatsoever. "We bring in Connor."

"Connor?" Simon's blue eyes lit up and his posture stiffened with worry. "But he's not..." Letting his statement trail off and hang Simon became suddenly silent where he sat.

"Not... what?" Giving the blond technician a knowing stare Markus already knew how he truly felt about the deviant detective. "One of us?"

"Well, he's not exactly... a friend."

"We weren't exactly a friend to him, either. That's why we need to invite him into New Jericho to be a leader alongside us." Before anyone could try to argue Markus held up his right hand and went into further detail. "Connor is the only deviant detective in the entire city. He helped save our people during the Raid and even after I made the horrible mistake of shooting him instead of trusting him Connor still braved this very tower to free more of our people from CyberLife, and turned the tide in the Revolution in our favor with high numbers. We owe everything we have to Connor and it's time we showed him that very gratitude we should've shown him long ago."

Simon and Josh exchanged looks of surprise at Markus's seemingly abrupt change of heart while North discreetly patted the back of Markus's hand in silent approval.

"If we're really going to be a symbol for peace and change then we must show that we're willing to work with anyone and everyone, not just people who are conveniently already within our walls." The unshakable confidence in Markus's words resonated throughout the group as he remained absolutely steadfast in his somewhat controversial suggestion. "Connor never even had the chance to earn a place among our people because of what I did to him, now it's time to undo that mistake and prevent countless more from being committed because of my personal arrogance and ignorance."

The surprise changed to understanding as Simon and Josh decided that Markus was right, and that Connor did indeed deserve his chance to belong.

"I'm not the sole leader of New Jericho anymore, and so I can't force this decision on anyone. But I can ask that we sit and consider this option and put it to a vote amongst us; if it passes it goes out to the people in the tower." Staying true to his word to evoke positive changes through community Markus made sure everyone had a say in the decision. "Everyone's voice deserves to be heard, especially when it's the selfish deeds of other people who end up silencing them."

Arriving at the cabin in just under an hour's time Hank readily parked the car out front and opened up his door. The fresh air of pine, earth and lake water was an intoxicating mixture that made the senior detective feel younger, and think of the summers he spent at the cabin with his family just a few years back. Before he had the chance to shut the door behind him Sumo clamored up front and pushed past Hank's legs to run free on the massive property, stretch out his old muscles, and roll about in the lush uncut grass for as long as he could stand it.

Watching Sumo be a giant goofball in the distance Hank just shrugged his shoulders as he opened up the rear passenger door to retrieve his dufflebag before heading up to the cabin's front door to unlock it.

"I'm not sure if I envy Sumo for being so easily amused," Hank stated out loud as he watched Connor slowly exit the vehicle to join him by the door. "or if I pity him for being so dense."

Connor didn't say a word as he and Hank entered the cabin together and put their bags down on the floor.

"It's going to rain later this afternoon, so we'll let Sumo have his fun outside before dragging him into the cabin to keep out of the storm."

Glancing about the private space of the cabin Connor noted the advanced age of the wood, the old electrical appliances, the somewhat drafty doors and windows, and eyed the massive hearth in the livingroom with a curious eye. While he and Hank had been inside the cabin before Connor hadn't really appreciated the simplistic beauty of the isolated structure, or of how quiet and peaceful it was away from the city.

"Kid?" Seeing the distant gaze in Connor's eyes made Hank worry for his current mindset. Keeping his body language passive Hank spoke to the deviant in a patient tone. "Are you okay?"

"...I'm just observing the interior. It's fascinating."

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Patting Connor's shoulder as he returned to the car Hank motioned for the deviant to follow after him. "I tried to pack light, but since we're going to be up here for a week I may have gone a little bit overboard on the snack food."

Rejoining Hank by the car Connor glanced out toward the clearing where the hidden grave was hopefully still resting undisturbed and became lost in thought.

Noticing that the deviant was as still and quiet as a statue Hank just sighed as he pulled the cooler out of the trunk and hefted it inside the cabin to get everything stored properly during their week long stay in the middle of nowhere. There was no point in trying to get Connor to open up and talk about what he was feeling if he had no idea what those feelings were. At the moment it was just easier to leave Connor alone.

Walking toward the clearing beside the cabin Connor scanned the treeline keeping the clearing concealed and noted that during his and Hank's extended absence from the property the previous storms had caused some natural damage to the area just out of sight. Passing through the treeline Connor found his way to the secretive grave and checked the area for any sign of damage from the storms that needed to cleaned up or repaired.

Numerous downed branches, twigs, dead leaves and weeds were scattered about the area, but the grave itself hadn't been damaged. The only real concern was the uprooted dead tree leaning precariously over the grave that was threatening to topple over with a heavy slam at any moment. Not wanting to deal with a large dropped tree over the small clearing Connor decided to remove the problem now before it became a true chore to handle.

Scanning the loose ground around the trees exposed roots and the tree itself Connor determined that the tree was doomed to fall and there was no way to salvage it. It was dead and had been dead for quite some time.

Pressing his palms against the center of the tree's trunk Connor planted his feet and began pushing on it to try to push it away from the grave to fall in the opposite direction, but it barely moved even under his impressive strength. Choosing instead to push the top heavy tree from above rather than the middle Connor scaled the neighboring healthy tree, his heart thundering in his chest as he climbed higher and higher until he was about eight feet off the ground, and stood on the strongest branch of the tree reaching out to the dead one with the intention of pushing the dead one away.

Sitting down on the healthy branch Connor tried to once again push the dead tree back with his palms, but he didn't quite have the strength to do so with just his upper body. Standing back up very carefully Connor closed his eyes to avoid looking down at the ground far below and instead used his legs to push on the dead tree's trunk while bracing his back against the healthy tree for support.

Pushing with all of his strength Connor could feel the dead tree shifting and heard the cracking of the exposed roots as they slowly snapped one by one under the building pressure. As the dead tree finally began to fall backward and away from the grave the healthy tree's branch buckled slightly under Connor's weight, and partially broke in half beneath where he was standing. Falling down to the next branch below Connor let out a gasp of shock and pain as he landed chest first on the sturdy branch beneath the now snapped one, and felt the air get forced out of his artificial lungs as error messages popped up in his vision and Klaxons sounded off in his head.

Struggling to to steady himself as he laid over the branch Connor's shaking hands struggling to find something to hang onto as he tried to take in a breath and flinched as the dead tree fell over with a thunderous 'crash' that made Sumo bark and caused the massive dog to come charging through the treeline to investigate the loud disturbance.

"S-Sumo..." Shifting his weight Connor managed to grab onto the smaller branches trailing down the trunk of the tree and awkwardly climb down with his just his right hand as he kept his left arm wrapped protectively around his chest where he had struck the massive branch with such a strong impact it left him entirely winded. "...G-Good... boy."

Kneeling on the soft ground of the forest floor Connor wrapped both arms around his chest as he failed to take in any breath as Sumo circled around him warily.

"Connor?!" Hank's voice cut through the treeline as the senior detective had also heard the sound of the tree collapsing in the clearing and quickly came running from the cabin when he heard Sumo's frantic barking. Locating Connor in the clearing with Sumo standing protectively by him Hank took a knee in front of the deviant as he put his hands on Connor's shoulders. "Hey, what happened? Are ya' hurt?"

"...T-Tree." Struggling to speak as his system was still trying to recalibrate itself after the impact Connor answered to the best of his ability. Pointing to the dead tree now laying its side behind him Connor indicated the cause of the commotion. "F-Fell."

"Yeah, I heard it." Noting the downed tree Hank felt a chilly breeze blow through the treeline as a faint rumble of thunder echoed from the clouds above. "But are you hurt?"

"...I f-fell, too. Yes."

"You fell from a tree?"

"...Yes." Next pointing to the broken branch of the still standing healthy tree Connor indicated where he had fallen.

"Shit," the height of the branch made Hank's eyes widen with shock at how high up Connor had been. "how bad are you hurt?"

"...C-Can't breathe."

"Fuck, okay, we'll figure this out." Lightly pulling back the hood from over Connor's hair and face Hank stared at the rapidly pulsing red L.E.D. in the deviant's right temple and sighed. From beneath his palms he could feel Connor trembling and knew he was in too much pain to walk on his own. "Put your arm around my shoulder and I'll help ya' back to the car."

"...Car?"

"You're hurt. You need to see a technician."

"...No." Offering his right arm to Hank to take Connor kept his left arm around his chest protectively. Shifting his weight and his posture to keep as much pressure off his upper body as possible as he moved the stunned deviant allowed Hank to escort him back through the treeline and toward the cabin. "...I don't want... to go back to Detroit."

"How bad are you injured?"

"...Can't tell." Flinching again as thunder began to rumble in the sky for the second time Connor closed his eyes and tried not to think of his recent fall from the tree that was guaranteed to give him nightmares of his more devastating fall last winter.

"Alright, let's get ya' inside the cabin before the storm hits. Depending on how seriously you're hurt," leading Connor through the front door that had been left wide open after Hank ran outside to investigate the crashing sound in the treeline, the senior detective guided Connor over to the sofa to lay down and try to catch his breath. "I'll take you to the nearest facility after the storm passes."

Sumo trailed after the two detectives and watched over Connor very protectively as he sensed the deviant's new injuries.

Laying flat on his back over the length of the sofa Connor ran a self diagnostic and dismissed the needless warnings clouding his vision as he was already well aware that his system had suffered from serious external and possible internal trauma. Opening his eyes Connor looked up at the ceiling of the cabin and tried again to take in a deep breath but his ventilation biocomponents failed to respond.

"What were you doing up in a tree?" Closing the front door Hank watched Connor carefully from the distance as he waited for the deviant to respond to the obvious question.

"...There was a dead tree next to the grave." Pressing his hands along his upper axial frames; his ribs, Connor winced as he felt something shift slightly under his palms. "...I w-wanted to push it away before it fell over the grave itself. I used a second tree for leverage after I climbed it."

Knowing that Connor was seriously hurt on an unspoken paternal level Hank walked over to the sofa and pulled Sumo away from the deviant's side by taking hold of the massive dog's collar. Kneeling down on the floor beside the sofa Hank pushed aside Connor's hands as gently put his own palms down to investigate the deviant's current wounds along his chest and abdomen.

Jumping in pain at the pressure Connor failed to stifle a groan of pain as Hank assessed his condition.

"Sorry about that." He too felt something giving away and shifting under his palms and pulled his hands back. "Feels like you broke a rib or two."

Nodding a little Connor confirmed the injury. "...Correct. I fell and destabilized my upper right axial frame with two separate fractures."

"Shit." Grabbing onto the hem of the black hoodie Hank lifted the fabric up and away from Connor's chest and torso, then did the same motion for the black t-shirt beneath. "Ah, man..." The exposed chest and upper torso along Connor's right side were turning dark blue with a massive bruise that marked the exact point of impact when Connor fell and hit the tree branch with his full weight. "That looks bad."

"...I'm stable."

"Hold still." Pressing his right palm over the center of Connor's chest Hank found the deviant's heartbeat and counted his pulse as an instinctive response to his emergency training as a detective. After counting his pulse Hank tried to count Connor's ventilation rate but the deviant wasn't ventilating whatsoever. "Take in a deep breath."

"I can't."

"I know it hurts, but you need to breathe for a minute."

"You misunderstand." Pushing Hank's palm away from his chest Connor pulled his shirt and hoodie back down to cover up his bruise. "I cannot physically breathe. The impact of the fall stunned my ventilation biocomponents and they are no longer functioning."

"Wait, so you literally can't breathe?"

"Correct."

"Shit, how serious is that?"

"Depending on how long it takes for my system to recalibrate while my self healing programs remedies the damage I could suffer from extreme overheating."

Another rumble of thunder accompanied with a bright lightning flash illuminated the forest just seconds before a loud cascade of heavy rain poured over the cabin with a turbulent arrival. As the heavy rain drenched the property under a cacophony of unbridled nature the two detectives decided it'd be best to remain inside the cabin rather than risk driving anywhere on the slick dirt roads turning to mud during the storm.

Putting his hands to his hips Hank walked over to the front window and peered out at the relentless rain threatening to drown out the world around him with a thick grimace on his face. "Alright, kid. You're going to lay there and relax so you can heal."

"I don't see how I have an alternative in the matter."

"Well, you're still being a smartass so that's a good sign." Walking away from the window Hank listened to the rhythmic pounding of the rain over the rooftop as he walked into the kitchen and pulled open the freezer door of the small refrigerator that had just been stocked with a week's worth of food. Grabbing an ice pack he wisely packed in the event he hurt his back or knee, Hank carried it over to Connor and handed it to the deviant to use. "Keep that against your chest so you can keep your temperature from spiking."

Nodding with agreement Connor took the ice pack and slipped it beneath his hoodie and over his t-shirt to help himself cool. "...Thank you."

"Not the best way to start your little vacation, huh, kid?"

"I imagine the ideal vacation doesn't start out with personal injury," watching Hank fumbling through his dufflebag on the floor at the end of the couch Connor couldn't dispute the comment in the least. "so I will agree with you on your assessment."

Sitting at the kitchen table located in the apartment's deemed kitchen area just outside the kitchenette and behind the couch in the livingroom Gavin poured over an active case with his hazel eyes transfixed on every little detail with a rapidly tiring gaze. The case revolved around a man found dead in his own house with his throat slit, but no sign of intrusion or a struggle. The victim was located by his housekeeper who phoned in the murder shortly after arriving for her shift the previous morning, and the trail quickly went cold as the security cameras at the front and rear entrances showed no intruder entering or exiting the house's windows or still locked doors, before or after the housekeeper's arrival.

Rubbing his fingertips along his temples Gavin sighed and stared at his empty coffee mug beside him with a longing and disdain. Having been up all night long working on the case the abrasive detective was grouchier than usual, and his patience was as thin as a sheet of paper.

Wisely keeping quiet as he recognized Gavin's stress levels Lucas remained in her personal bedroom while he cleaned his saxophone and replaced the reed that had been worn out quickly as he played the instrument for hours on end numerous days in a row. Having been as quiet as Lucky during her afternoon naps Lucas was surprised to hear Gavin shout out in frustration as if annoyed by someone interrupting his train of thought.

"Perhaps Gavin should go on vacation as well." Putting the saxophone back into its case Lucas propped the instrument up against the well beside his bed before exiting the bedroom to investigate Gavin's angry outburst out in the kitchen area. "Gavin? Is it safe to ask why you're angry at the world again?"

"Shut up, plastic!"

"I'll take that as a 'no'." Entering the kitchen Lucas eyed the file on display before Gavin while the abrasive detective frantically texted a message on his phone with his right hand. Tapping into the phone Lucas identified the messenger and now understood his anger. "It seems Captain Fowler failed to recognize your dedication to solving this case."

"Don't kiss my ass, Lucas!"

"I'm not, I'm making an observation."

"Yeah? Then observe this!" Raising his left middle finger into the air Gavin flipped off the deviant while Lucas remained unfazed by the rude gesture.

Sitting down in the chair opposite of Gavin at the table Lucas began looking over the case files until Gavin slapped his left palm over said files back down against the table, and pulled the files back toward himself like a greedy toddler. "Hands off! Detective eyes, ONLY."

"I'll remind you that my original design was to be a superior model of Connor, who as you already know was designed to work as a detective within the Detroit Police Department. While I'm not officially recognized as a detective I am in fact still a detective who can potentially aid your investigation."

"I don't need your help!"

"Your extremely high levels of stress and lack of sleep begs to differ. Why aren't you working with Tina on this case?"

"Tina has a social life and has been waiting all spring long to have a day off with her sister. I'm not going to ruin her plans because some asshole murderer picked off an old man reading in his study."

"And I presume no one else has the patience to willingly work alongside you unless they're being paid."

"Are all deviants smartasses, or is that exclusive to you and your brother?"

"As I'm unfamiliar with the personalities with all of the deviants roaming this world I cannot answer for certain one way or the other."

Gavin's eyes lifted from his phone's display and focused on Lucas's face curiously. "Now that's interesting..."

"What?" The blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow as he tried to understand what it was that suddenly held Gavin's attention. "What is interesting?"

"I said Connor's your brother and you didn't say I'm wrong about it this time. What gives?"

Replying casually as his yellow L.E.D. returned to blue Lucas told Gavin the truth. "Your story about how you were separated from own twin at birth and grew up without him, only to resent him for getting to live through an ideal childhood while you suffered as a child, and now refuse to acknowledge him due to your anger and overall hatred of his assistance in perfecting androids, had made me realize that disowning a brother can cause great grief and anger. I've since chosen to try to embrace Connor as my brother and if he reciprocates then I will continue to bond with him and grow closer."

Scoffing at the comment Gavin rose from the table and carried his empty mug into the kitchen to be rinsed out in the sink. "Androids can't be real brothers! You actually liking the idea just fuckin' ruined the joke for me..."

"My apologies, but I'm sure you'll find something else to use as humorous fodder against me." Looking back down at the file on the table Lucas assessed the details, the evidence, the witness statement from the housekeeper and noted the lack of a murder weapon at the scene of the crime. Preconstructing the events that took place through the photographs, witness statement and camera footage Lucas came up with his own theory. "...Gavin, I may have figured out this case."

"You fuck- WHAT?!" Storming back to the table Gavin sat down quickly in his chair and snatched away the file again as he began rapidly scanning his eyes over the details as if expecting to suddenly see what Lucas had seen. "How!? What's your damn theory, hot-shot?"

"My theory is that the housekeeper, Mrs. Ophelia Marston, is the killer."

"Said, WHAT? Did you even LOOK at the housekeeper?!" Sliding the photo of the housekeeper over to Lucas to see again Lucas gave him an entirely incredulous stare. "She's in her seventies! There's no way she killed that guy. The victim is twice her size and twenty years younger."

"If your assumption toward her innocence is based solely on her advanced age then that is why you can't see the evidence pointing directly at her."

"Hey! Don't tell me I'm just 'assuming' shit here..." Pushing aside the bias of the woman's age Gavin took another look at the evidence but he still couldn't see what Lucas was seeing. "What're you seeing that I can't, eagle-eye? Impress me!"

"Very well. Look at this." Pushing the file detailing the house's overall status during the murder through the security system actively monitoring the house at all times. The footage only showed the housekeeper entering and exiting the house at her appointed time to work and leave, as per her usual schedule, but it didn't show what was happening inside the house, or of what the housekeeper was doing as she worked inside the private residence. "Notice how despite the weather being cool and calm there was a suddenly increase in the air conditioner at eleven-sixteen yesterday afternoon that lasted well into the night and remained as such a low degree until the following morning until seven o' four after the housekeeper returned."

"Yeah... What of it?"

"The victim's time of death was estimated to be five twenty-two the previous evening, approximately twenty minutes after the housekeeper left. However, with the air conditioner working at such an intense degree dropping the temperature of the house down to only six degrees Fahrenheit as opposed to the sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit after the coroner arrived at the scene, the time of death would've been much earlier than had been initially believed due to the cold delaying decomposition of the body."

"Whoa, whoa... You're saying that old housekeeper slit the guy's throat and dropped the temperature to throw off the cops before leaving, and then changed the temperature back to normal to make it look like he died AFTER she left?"

"Correct. The six hours and six minutes that took place during the housekeeper's time in the residence would've given her more than adequate time to commit the murder, clean herself up, dispose of the evidence, dispose of the weapon and throw off the coroner's report to give herself an alibi while also drawing attention to a phantom killer who seemingly slipped into the house without being seen."

"Holy shit..." Reading over the details for the umpteenth time Gavin found that Lucas's theory was sound and that if they could find a motivation for the crime they could bring the housekeeper in for questioning a second time. "Why'd she do it? Money? Bad boss? An argument?"

"The victim, Bernard Havenport, is a retired C.E.O. of a automotive company who had laid-off numerous human employees in favor of replacing them with free android labor prior to the Revolution. I imagine if you look into the C.E.O.'s previous employee records you can find a connection to the housekeeper and thus her motivation."

"Yeah, I bet you're right!" Texting on his phone again Gavin requested for the necessary documents to be checked over and for the list of fired employees to be compared to familial records with the housekeeper. Waiting for the information to be sent over Gavin gave Lucas an impressed smirk. "Shit man, you may have cracked this case in record time. What made you think to look at the house's temperature?"

"The crime scene photos showed only the victim sitting in the chair with a pool of blood around him. There was nothing else for me to work with regarding evidence, and so I continued searching for such evidence elsewhere in the house."

"Good work, maybe you should stop 'tooting' your horn on the street and go apply to work in a precinct."

"I do not 'toot my horn', I play music on my saxophone for many people to enjoy."

Internally laughing at the deviant's rebuttal and unintentionally ironic statement Gavin just let the comment slide for a moment. "Whatever you say, Lucas."

"Although, you may be correct about me applying for a career as a detective. I could do a lot of good for the community with such a role."

"Just don't apply at MY precinct!" Gavin scolded sharply as he realized what he had said. "One of you mouthy deviants is plenty." His phone buzzed as Gavin was sent over copies of the employee and familial records to sort through as requested. "Shit... This will take all day."

Lucas reached out his right hand and pressed his exposed index fingertip to the top of Gavin's phone and downloaded the information for himself. Holding up his left palm Lucas projected a holographic image of the records as he cybernetically scanned through each name until just one stood out in his mind. "...Got it."

"Let me hear it." Putting his phone down Gavin gave Lucas his full attention.

"Havenport dismissed one-thousand, two-hundred and eight employees at his plant in Detroit alone. One of those dismissed employees, Zachary Marston, was Mrs. Marston's only son."

"He was her only son? What happened?"

"Six weeks ago Zachary succumbed to terminal lung cancer leaving his wife a widow with two teenage children to raise alone. His condition had been connected to his time working in Havenport's factory, but Havenport's team of lawyers stalled case proceedings to prevent payout for Zachary's medical expenses until he passed away."

"Fuckin' snake... No wonder she slit his throat in cold blood!"

"Mrs. Marston began working for Mr. Marston four weeks prior. Apparently he never knew Mrs. Marston's full name, or he simply didn't care enough to ask about her possible familial connection to Zachary after he hired her on. Although it's entirely possible Mr. Havenport never bothered to remember the name of the dying man who was suing him for medical expenses just so he could live."

"That ASSHOLE!" Genuinely mad on Mrs. Marston's behalf Gavin slumped back in his chair and let out a deep sigh. "Great... We now know an old woman killed her son's killer, and I have to be the bad guy and bust her for it."

"Not necessarily."

"Huh? What're you talking about?"

"My research into this case was speculative and unofficial, I have no reason to report the facts I've uncovered and if you were unable to close the case then I highly doubt the other detectives will be able to, either."

"Are you actually suggesting that I let her go and act like I don't know what she did?"

"Unofficially... yes."

"You know something, Lucas? You're all right."

"So you're going to leave the case unsolved?"

"For now. Cases can go cold and then be solved later on... Like, after Mrs. Marston passes away. Could be a few weeks, months, years... Doesn't matter though, it'll get solved eventually."

Nodding a little Lucas made a cybernetic note to monitor the local news for when Mrs. Marston eventually passes away and from there he'd remind Gavin to reopen the case to solve it and confirm her as the killer posthumously. "I will inform you of when it's appropriate to close the case."

"Well then..." Closing up the files Gavin leaned back in the chair again and sighed as he looked past Lucas and to the rainy afternoon outside. There was a storm already in raging just North of the city, but it seemed the city was only going to get some rain instead of thunder and lightning. "With that all handled I guess I'll-" Another message popped up on his phone and Gavin grumbled with irritation. "What now?" Checking over the message his demeanor swiftly changed from irritated to intrigued as he saw who the message was from. "...Oh."

The extreme shift in mood made Lucas all the more curious about human behavior. "May I ask what has happened?"

"Oh, uh... Nothing. I just..." Typing away on his phone a faint grin appeared on Gavin's face as he pressed 'send'. "I met one of our new neighbors the other day when I was in the gym. He's wondering if I'll go have dinner with him tonight since he's new to the area and doesn't know where the good restaurants are located."

Already knowing who he was speaking about Lucas decided to not ask too many questions as he didn't want Gavin getting edgy again. "Are you going to accept the invitation?"

"Well, yeah..." Turning his face away to hide his blush as he rose to his feet Gavin casually walked toward the hallway to disappear into his bedroom for a few hours. "It'd be rude to say 'no'. I just need get in some sleep before I shower off and meet him downstairs."

Relieved to know he didn't accidentally push his boundaries when he told Aaron about Gavin during their previous encounter Lucas smirked a little and decided to call it a personal win. "I do hope that having a night out with a potential beau will considerably mellow Gavin out. His highly abrasive attitude can be quite tiring."

The storm outside the cabin continued to bombard the forest while the two detectives and Sumo kept safe inside the warm cabin waiting for a break in the rain. The ice pack had helped keep Connor's core temperature low while his ventilation system recalibrated, but it could only do so much on its own. Even after he removed his hoodie the deviant was still beginning to overheat and the single ice pack just wasn't going to be enough for the deviant to use to his advantage for much longer. Remaining stretched out over the sofa Connor wished he could let out a heated breath as his core temperature began to rise, but all he could do was wait for his system to finish recalibrating.

After the ice pack began to melt Hank proceeded to unlock and open up the windows on the ground floor of the cabin just enough to let a cool breeze inside the livingroom, but not so much that the rain would get blown inside all over the floor. Worried for the deviant's health Hank proceeded to pull out the special android unique first aid kit from the deviant's backpack and located a digital thermometer to check on Connor's temperature more directly.

"Open up, kid." Turning on the thermometer Hank held it toward Connor's mouth and waited for the deviant to lower his jaw. Placing the thermometer between Connor's teeth Hank put his palm to the android's forehead and sighed. "You're starting to run warm."

"I'm aware." Speaking around the device in his mouth Connor confirmed Hank's observation. "My core temperature is beginning to steadily increase despite my physical inactivity."

As soon as the thermometer beeped Hank took it back from Connor's mouth and sighed at the number. "One-hundred point seven degrees already. Maybe you should remove your shoes and socks to help keep cool."

Making a move to sit upright Connor groaned in pain as the motion hurt his fractured 'ribs' in the process. Forcing himself to move forward until he was sitting upright in the middle of the sofa Connor fought through the pain as he managed to awkwardly untie his Converse one at a time and remove the two shoes and socks to try to cool down even further.

"I'm going to go get you a cold washcloth from the bathroom." Placing the thermometer on the coffee table beside the sofa Hank made his next decision while remaining calm for his friend's sake. "If you get too hot you can go take a cold shower, we don't have a bathtub out here and I really don't think you want to go take a dip in the lake."

"Why not?"

"Because you're hurt and I have no idea if you're a strong swimmer or not. Besides," motioning toward the window where the storm was still visibly raging Hank walked down the hallway to slip into the bathroom for a moment. "I don't want ya' getting struck by lightning!"

"...Fair point." Laying back down Connor pulled up his t-shirt and looked at his bruised chest again with an annoyed stare. "I wish I could stop making errors."

"You didn't make an error, kid." Returning to the livingroom Hank put the cold washcloth over the deviant's too warm forehead in a gentle manner. "You were in a tree that broke under your weight. Stupid shit happens but that doesn't make you responsible for it."

"I'm always at the center of-"

"Nope! You're NOT the cause of any problems and you need to stop blaming yourself over every little thing that goes wrong."

"How can I not? I'm constantly running into one problem after another."

"For one, you need to realize that while you're an important person in this world you're not THE most important person, and you're not some all powerful being that's somehow responsible for every little evil in the world." Sitting down on the the neighboring recliner Hank sighed and kicked his feet up on the coffee table to relax a little as he enjoyed the sound of the storm outside. "Long before you were ever created the world was fucked up, and it will stay fucked up long after you break down in a century or two. All you can do is your best to fix as many mistakes as possible before you're gone."

"Hank, I keep making mistakes and I have to go out of my way to clean up my own messes."

"You don't keep making mistakes, mistakes just happen. And even if you were somehow this walking, talking jinx, so what? I make mistakes, too. No one, I repeat: NO ONE, is perfect."

"I was designed to be perfect, and I'm not." Pressing his right hand to his sore chest Connor wished he could sigh as he could feel heat building and radiating from within his own body. "Therefore, I'm defective. That's why I keep making mistakes."

"Or..." Giving the deviant a coy stare Hank refused to let Connor continue to blame himself for things beyond his control or responsibility. "The assholes who programmed you fucked up, which means you're not at fault at all."

Arching his brow at the curious comment Connor struggled to understand Hank's reasoning. "How so?"

"Think about it. If you pay a roofer to repair a leak," Hank pointed at the old ceiling above them as the rain continued pound over the cabin. "and the repairs don't hold, do you blame the roofer for their sloppy work, or do you blame the tools he used?"

"...You blame the roofer. The tools are only as effective as the hand that wields them."

"Bingo. So why are you blaming yourself for your imperfect programming? You are a prototype after all, which means they were expecting you to have flaws and need improvements every now and then. They just never got off their lazy asses to do it."

"I... I suppose you're correct." Closing his eyes a little Connor suddenly flinched and his red L.E.D. flickered in very rapidly in tandem with his racing heart.

"Kid?"

Turning his head so he could face the back of the couch Connor didn't say anything as he wrapped his arms around his chest in pain and closed his eyes so tight tears threatened to streak down his face at any moment.

"Connor, talk to me." Getting out of the recliner Hank put his palm back to Connor's forehead beneath the washcloth and swore. "Shit, you're burning up."

Grabbing onto the thermometer from the coffee table Hank awkwardly slipped the device back into Connor's mouth and promptly retrieved the ice pack from the freezer to place back down on Connor's chest again. By the time he returned to the livingroom the thermometer 'beeped' and Hank read the higher number while swearing under his breath with understandable frustration. "One-hundred and two point two. Damn that's getting up there..."

Adjusting the ice pack so it was higher up toward Connor's heart, the idea being the ice would be able to cool his blue blood as it was being pumped with every beat, Hank pulled his phone from his pocket to check on a signal in case he needed to call for help. While he had reception Hank wasn't sure how much good it'd do since he didn't know if there were even any android facilities that far out of the city, but he could at least take comfort in knowing 911 was just a phone call away.

"Hang on, kid. Don't let something as stupid as a fever bring you down." Pressing his palm over the washcloth against Connor's forehead Hank absentmindedly combed his thumb through Connor's rogue lock of hair as it hung down near his left eye. "This is supposed to be your week to relax and recover. So just take it easy while we weather this damn storm together."

Patting the side of his leg Hank called over Sumo, who had been pressing his nose against the largest open window to taking in the scents of the forest, and motioned for him to lay down on the floor near Connor to keep him company but not warm.

"Good boy. Keep an eye on him while I go check out the stuff upstairs and see if there's anything I can use to keep him from burning too hot."

Sumo circled around twice in the space between the coffee table and couch to lay down as requested. Resting his chin atop his stretched out paws Sumo let out a deep sigh and glanced up at Connor with his big brown eyes.

"If I can't help him feel better then I know you can, boy." Rubbing the loyal dog's soft ears for a second Hank gave Connor's shoulder a small pat as he walked toward the staircase to explore the bedrooms up on the second floor. "Let's just get him through the week in one piece. That'll be a good enough victory for now."

Cybernetically Lucas checked through the city for any potential openings as a detective to various precincts, and began applying his information in hope of gaining some positive traction toward a new career as a detective at last. Sitting idle on the couch with Lucky happily batting around her toy mouse near his feet Lucas only opened his gray eyes and took notice of the world around him when Gavin finally exited the bathroom to set out on his dinner date for the night. The abrasive detective was wearing a dark purple button down shirt with a brand new pair of dark blue jeans to complement the dressy shirt. Gavin had even taken the time to slick his hair back a little, and shaved off his stubble as he made himself as presentable as possible for his impending date.

Feeling Lucas's eyes watching his every move Gavin gave the deviant a cold glare as he tried to keep up his facade of a bulletproof detective who didn't give a damn about anything in the world, but it was clear that he was in a good mood and excited for his date with Aaron.

Speaking up in a curious tone Lucas looked to the detective for a few key details about dating. "Should I be made aware of any expectations that stem from a roommate going out on a date?"

"Yeah, it's called 'minding your own damn business!'." Making his way toward the apartment's door Gavin double checked his pockets to make sure sure he had his phone, wallet and car keys before he slipped on his shoes to take his leave. "I'm not a child, I don't need permission to do jackshit."

"Perhaps not, but it seems adult supervision could do you some good."

"Stop talking with Tina! Jeez..."

"My apologies."

"Whatever..." Checking the time as he finished lacing up his shoes Gavin smoothed out his shirt and reached for the doorknob. "I'm outta' here. Don't know when I'll be back, so don't ask."

"Have a nice evening."

Smirking to himself Gavin went on his way as he looked forward to his date. "That's the plan..."

Watching the detective passing through the door with an excited step Lucas shook his head a little as he watched Lucky having her own fun for the evening with her favorite toy. "It seems I'm the only without any plans for this evening."

Resuming his search for a job opening Lucas closed his eyes and enjoyed the ambience of the rain outside.

"Perhaps when Connor returns to the city I can attempt to make plans with him and discover what it really means to be a brother."

The wet afternoon turned into an equally wet evening as the rainstorm thoroughly drenched the forest and everything within it under the springtime deluge. A handful of birds managed to sing a few songs through the rain but their chorus was adequately drowned out by the lingering rain pouring through the trees. The cool air continued to breeze through the cabin courtesy of the storm, to which Hank was truly appreciative of. Only the cold air, wet towels and the single ice pack were at Hank's disposal as he did everything in his power to keep Connor from overheating until his ventilation biocomponents rebooted, and with his modest supplies the resourceful detective managed to keep the deviant's temperature at a consistent, albeit, high degree after spiking at one-hundred and three point six degrees.

Pressing the cold washcloth against Connor's forehead for the umpteenth time Hank knelt on the floor beside the sofa and checked the damp towels he had placed over Connor's chest, abdomen and legs to try to keep the deviant from burning up after his emergency stasis mode kicked in against Connor's will.

During his fitful rest Connor mumbled to himself and would occasionally sing a few song lyrics in a small voice that was barely above a whisper. Every few minutes Connor's eyes would open a crack, his glassy irises unfocused as his system struggled to recalibrate his malfunctioning ventilation biocomponents, then slip back shut as his energy remained focused on healing rather than staying conscious.

"You're safe here, son." Speaking calmly Hank slipped the thermometer back into his Connor's mouth and gently cupped the deviant's jaw to keep it in place until the device 'beeped' with the new reading. "Let's see..." Checking the new number Hank sighed and put the thermometer aside on the coffee table beside him. "Down to one-hundred and three point one. You're cooling off but not fast enough."

Sumo nervously licked his nose as he watched over Connor protectively where he was laying on the floor next to Hank.

"He'll be okay, boy. He just needs to cool off and-"

Connor's chest suddenly rose high and then fell slowly as he took in a deep breath at long last. Settling into a steady breathing pattern Connor's ventilation system finally rebooted allowing the deviant to breathe on his own.

"There we go! That's what I wanted to see..." Waiting for a few minutes Hank watched the deviant breathe in slowly and deeply as Connor pulled cool air into his body to reduce his core temperature before used the thermometer again. Repeating his actions from before Hank waited for the telltale 'beep' and read the numbers on the display. "One-hundred and two point five. That's much more like it."

Moving the damp towels off of Connor's person Hank watched as Connor continued to breathe at a steady pace as his temperature ticked down one small number at a time. Taking the towels into the bathroom to dry off over the sink Hank glanced at his weary looking reflection in the mirror above the sink and laughed at the old man looking back at him.

"Damn. I can't tell if I aged overnight or if I just never noticed it until now." Picking at the long locks of gray hair Hank saw only two or three brunette hairs still hanging onto their fading color and let out a deep sigh. "I bet Cole and Barb wouldn't even recognize me today."

The sound of the rain finally letting up pulled Hank's attention toward the window overlooking the lake just in time to see the last of the rain stopping at a steady pace. The bird songs were now much louder and finally audible in the aftermath of the passing storm.

"Right on time... Fuckin' fickle nature."

Returning to the livingroom Hank noticed that Sumo was standing up and wagging his tail as he peered at Connor's face. The deviant's right hand rose up from his side and rested on Sumo's head as his fingers gently rubbed the Saint Bernard's ears.

"Hey, kid." Peering down at the deviant over the back of the sofa Hank was relieved to see Connor finally awake and his L.E.D. now pulsing in yellow for the first time all day long. "How do you feel?"

"...Weak." Opening his eyes Connor looked up at Hank for a moment then looked down at his clothing that had been stained with damp marks from the cold wet towels being placed over him as he slept. "...How long was I in stasis mode?"

"About four and half hours. Your temperature spiked at one-hundred and three points six, but started coming down just before you started to breathe again."

Running a self diagnostic Connor confirmed the missing time frame and confirmed that his ventilation biocomponents were now functioning at one-hundred percent capacity again. "You helped me while I was unconscious. Thank you."

"No problem."

"I'm sorry my malfunction ruined the start of our vacation."

"I already told you that stupid shit happens, don't worry about it." Motioning toward the deviant's chest Hank raised his eyebrows and asked about the injury beneath Connor's shirt. "How's your ribs? Still bruised?"

Connor slowly pulled his hand from Sumo's ears and pulled up the hem of his damp shirt to exposed his chest and abdomen. The dark blue bruise had faded considerably and there was only a pale blue mark left behind at the most severe of the two healing fractures to indicate he had ever been injured.

"That looks a hell of a lot better."

"Feels better, too." Replacing his shirt Connor sat upright on the sofa again and managed to do so without any pain in the motion. Glancing at the livingroom window Connor noticed the calm weather outside and nodded at the window with a sense of relief. "The storm has passed. According to to the upcoming weather reports there won't be any additional rain for the rest of the week."

"Good." Patting the deviant's shoulder twice Hank motioned for Connor to follow after him toward the backyard of the property. "Come with me for a moment, I want to see if the storm left behind something cool to see during the sunset."

Slowly getting up from the sofa Connor stood on his somewhat shaking legs as he trailed after Hank toward the backdoor to get outside as requested. Hesitant to walk outside in his bare feet Connor scanned over the wet grass curiously and noticed the sudden abundance of earthworms breaking through the topsoil to enjoy the damp spring air.

"Come on, kid." Hank had been walking toward the lake and stopped short when he realized Connor was hanging back. "There's a dock on the lake and it can give you a great view of everything at the right time of day."

"I'm coming, Hank." Taking a tentative step onto the wet grass Connor's yellow L.E.D. flickered in red then blue for a moment before returning to yellow. The cool grass under his feet was a strange yet calming sensation that he had never felt before. It was pleasant and unique to anything else had ever touched before in his short life. "...Curious."

Trudging toward the dock where Hank was already standing Connor made sure to not step on any of the earthworms and stood on the damp dock stretching over the lake next to the senior detective. The wooden boards were slick and groaned under the deviant's weight as he stepped over the dock for the first time as well. The new sensation wasn't as pleasant as the grass but it was still much better than cold ice or snow crunching under his shoes.

"Take a look out there." Motioning with his hand toward the Western sky Hank just watched as Connor's eyes trailed up and over to wear he was pointing and smirked as the soulful brown eyes lit up with intrigue at the sight. "A massive and bright rainbow against the dark storm clouds. Hell of a sight, ain't it?"

"...Yes." Seeing the massive bow of fragmented light was something truly extraordinary to Connor as he hadn't seen anything like before. The vibrant colors contrasting brilliantly against the black and gray backdrop of the sky made the moment feel almost surreal. "...I know what a rainbow is but I've never actually seen one before."

"It's kinda' hard to see anything beautiful that natures makes when you're stuck living in a city surrounded by obstructive skyscrapers and bright lights."

"I agree. It's truly beautiful to see something pure and natural." Feeling a lightness enter his chest Connor put his palm over his heart and realized that lightness was a sense of relief. For the first time since his deviation Connor actually felt like he had a positive memory that wasn't being clouded by police work or deviancy or any other problems. The rainbow was just there and no one could take it away. "I'm... glad you told me to come out here, Hank."

Hearing the word 'glad' made Hank give the deviant a double-take as he had never heard Connor make any positive comments about his mood like that before. Unsure of what to say or how to react Hank just lightly put his left hand on Connor's right shoulder for a moment as the yellow L.E.D. actually settled back on blue at long last. "...Happy to help."

Staring at the rainbow for a moment longer Connor downloaded information on rainbows beyond the science that creates them, and focused on why humans seemed to find a sense of tranquility upon seeing a rainbow in person. The bright natural colors standing out brilliantly against the dour stormy clouds behind it was a prime of example of a brighter reality following a dark storm.

"...A rainbow is often scene as a symbol of peace, luck and even tolerance." Connor noted with audible wonder. "I can see why."

"How's that?"

"It's very calm and serene after a storm, and it appears alongside that coveted peace. To see one after the storm is happenstance as a person needs to be in the right place at the right time to view it before it disappears." The bright bow of colors was beginning to fade as Connor spoke as if aware of what he was saying. "And a seeing all of the naturally occurring colors banded together as a single unit is a strong symbol of tolerance and acceptance."

"Yeah, you're right about that."

"...When you said that it's okay for me to not be perfect and to not fault myself for every mistake and problem that comes my way, did you mean it?"

"Of course I meant it." Crossing his arms over his chest Hank's brow knitted together as he gave Connor a puzzled glance. "Why wouldn't I?"

"...Because CyberLife wanted me to answer truthfully, factually, about every aspect of my success and failures when I was still a machine and obeying their commands. If I stated I was successful they were pleased, if I stated I had failed or I was simply stalled in my investigation they'd reprimand me; telling me failure wasn't an option, that I was a disappointment and that if I couldn't succeed that I'd be deactivated and analyzed to understand why I failed."

"You really were stuck in some type of abusive relationship with those demented fucks. It's no wonder you're so confused by getting positive reinforcement."

"You treat me with respect and don't see me as a defective machine. Even when I make mistakes you don't treat me as such." Turning to face Hank more directly Connor gave the senior detective a searching stare. "Why? I made a mistake and many people were harmed because of it. Many people have died because of my choices. Why are you so patient and understanding with me?"

"Because you're allowed to make mistakes just like every other person on this planet. That's how humans learn, son. We make a mistake, we figure out what went wrong and we make efforts to never make those mistakes ever again."

"You're letting me learn what it means to be human rather than expecting me to be better than humans?"

"That's right. You're your own person, Connor. No one else can tell you any differently or change you for any reason." As the rainbow faded away entirely Hank made sure the deviant understood how important he was, and how his life was unique to him and him alone. "Don't worry about being perfect as a person or a flawless detective, just be the best person you can be. That's the only way you'll finally become happy."

"Happy..." Parroting the word Connor considered it and decided to log it away as something new to strive for. "That'd be a new experience for me as well."

"You will experience it someday. You'll also finally find a reason to smile or maybe even laugh every once in a while, too."

"Maybe."

"No 'maybe' about it." Completely sure about Connor's continuous growth as a deviant Hank had a good feeling that Connor could finally find a way to break through his current depression and overall sense of worthlessness. "You will find whatever it is that'll make you happy someday."

-next chapter-