What had started out as an investigation into the possible hideout of a 'red ice' dealer quickly took a turn for the unusual after the search turned into a full chase through the city. An old office building that had been slated for demolition in the next three days turned into a secondary hideout for the dealer who was attempting to flee the police. Due to the scheduled demolition the building already had controlled explosives positioned at key locations in the structure's foundation by trained personnel before the building itself was barred from public access. Despite the security measures taken; fences, signs, temporary cameras and even two guards, the single dangerous man managed to elude the police and hide somewhere in the decrepit building.

Patrol had tracked the man down to the building and were in the middle of a sweep when back-up arrived. With Gavin inside the building and Tina sweeping the perimeter Hank and Connor arrived to lend a hand. Hank's experience with dealing with 'red ice' dealers made him invaluable to the case at hand and Connor's ability to scan the entirety of the building made the deviant a bit of trump card in tracking down the man as he hid somewhere inside the building.

Hank stayed outside the building with Tina as they tried to figure out where the man had gone, and informed the two guards of the situation at hand. Connor managed to catch up to Gavin just as the abrasive detective located the room in the basement where the deranged and armed man was hiding. Down in the depths of the dark and cold basement the two detectives cornered the armed man and tried to talk him down for a more peaceful arrest.

"Don't move!" Gavin barked as he pointed his gun at the drug dealer who was already pointing his gun back at the two detectives. "Detroit Police! Put your hands up and drop the weapon!"

"FUCK YOU!"

Connor stayed right at Gavin's side as he scanned the man's vitals and knew he was too high and deranged to be reasoned with. The amount of 'red ice' in his system was dangerously high, enough to put his heart into a dangerous arrhythmia, his blood pressure was through the roof and he had a dangerously high blood alcohol level to boot.

"Drop the gun, NOW." Gavin ordered as he refused to blink as he stared down the man. "You have nowhere to run!"

"Gavin," speaking calmly Connor let the detective beside him what his scanner had picked up on. "this man needs to go to a hospital."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"His vital signs are very erratic and the amount of drugs and alcohol in his system can prove fatal if he doesn't receive medical attention very soon."

"Then he better fuckin' cooperate with us." Keeping his aim directly on the man's chest Gavin refused to let the man get away a second time. "You hear that, bro? You need to see a doctor. You took too much of that shit you're using to poison the streets! Don't run and drop your gun."

"F-Fuck off!" Scratching nervously at his neck with his left hand the man stared at Gavin and Connor with his bugged out bloodshot eyes. "You just want to lock me up!"

"Better than letting you run wild and hurt people!"

Connor didn't approve of the crass response and spoke up on his own. "Sir, listen to us. You're going to be very sick and we can help you. Just drop your gun and surrender."

"FUCK YOU! PLASTIC ASSHOLE!" Waving the gun around wildly the man didn't notice the two detectives releasing the safety on their guns as they kept their aim focused solely on him. "I won't-" Spotting the yellow flash of Connor's L.E.D. and catching sight of a blinking red light on a strange block of something secured to the wall the man began to lose his already waning cool. "Fucking FREAK!"

The reaction made Connor's brow knit with confusion as his scanner continuously monitored the man's condition. "I do not-"

"You have these damn monitors all over the city!" Pointing his gun at the blinking light the wired up and dangerous man hovered his finger over the trigger ready to shoot. "This is how you plastic freaks are monitoring us humans?! You're trying to control us and read our minds!"

Connor looked at the blinking light and immediately detected the powerful explosives contained within. "Do NOT shoot! Those are danger-"

"I knew it!" Sobbing as if frightened and relieved the deranged man made his absolute final decision with no regard to the innocent people standing before him. "Well, your reign of terror ends now!"

"Shit!" Cybernetically Connor tried to disable all explosives in the building before the bullet left the chamber in a last ditch effort to keep tragedy at bay. Moving swiftly he tackled Gavin backward away from the explosive and kept his body between the human detective and the impending explosion. "GET DOWN!"

Outside the building Hank and Tina finished sweeping the perimeter and had called in an update to the precinct while also requesting additional help to the scene after learning from the guards that there were armed explosives inside the building. Stepping back from the building and onto the street Hank ordered that no one use their radios just in case the frequency might accidentally set off the explosives, and ordered everyone to keep back and on the street until the building could be cleared or the explosives were disabled. Backing away further and further from the building Hank made sure the other three people in the air were just as far away.

Putting his hands on his hips Hank looked up at the building warily as he stood on the other side of the Oldsmobile opposite side of the building, and nearly three hundred yards away. Motioning for Tina to join him with his left hand Hank never took his eyes off the building of interest.

"Chen, where did Gavin go when he ran inside?"

"He made his way toward the stairwell." Holstering her weapon Tina spoke with her superior officer honestly. "I believe he went down to the lower level."

"Toward the basement?"

"Yeah. There's only a single underground floor in the building."

"Shit." Dragging his left hand over his bearded chin Hank shook his head a little and told Tina some unfortunate news. "From what the guards told me all of the explosives are located in the basement."

Suddenly fearing for her partner and best friend's safety Tina had to fight to keep her composure and remain professional. "Damn it."

"We'll keep things-"

A deafening explosion echoed through the air as the building shook and began collapsing in on itself. Moving on instinct Hank grabbed Tina's shoulders and pulled her down to the street as he crouched down behind his car, then threw half of his body over the smaller officer to try to protect her from falling debris from the devastating blast.

"FUCK!" Swearing as the explosion rocked the city and threw a cloud of dust into the air Hank stayed down and didn't move until the ground beneath him stopped shaking. With his ears ringing and his eyes burning from the dust cloud Hank stood up slowly and made sure Tina wasn't harmed as she also stood up and remained right beside him. "Chen? Are you good?"

Tina's ears were ringing and well, and her face was covered in dust. Despite Hank's baritone voice and shouts she could just barely make out what he was saying and respond accordingly. "I'm not hurt! Are you?"

"No! Keep the perimeter tight and call in search and rescue!" Despite the chaos of the scene Hank maintained control over everything to the best of his ability in regard to the explosion. "We have at least three people possibly trapped in the basement!"

"I'm on it!"

Dragging his arm over his eyes Hank tried to rid the stinging debris from his vision as he approached the two guards who were just as stunned and shaken by the explosion. "You two hurt?"

"No!" Coughing and trying to rid the dust from his eyes the first guard spoke up and answered for the two of them. "We're good!"

"Make sure people keep back unless they have a badge! No one goes in the building except for rescue personnel, got it?"

"Got it, sir!"

"Alright, move it!"

Stepping back from the guards and toward the dusty Oldsmobile again Hank blinked a few times to try to clear up his eyes as the dust began to settle all around him, and choke away the clean air he was trying to breathe in. Peering through the fading dust cloud and toward the ruins of the partially destroyed building Hank tried to not think the worst, but knowing his partner was somewhere inside the twisted pile of concrete and steel.

"...You better be okay, son. I can't lose you, too."

The darkness and painful silence of the destroyed basement was disturbed only by the rhythmic red pulsing glow of Connor's L.E.D. as he called out to Gavin in a low voice. Kneeling down beside the abrasive detective as Gavin laid on his back partially buried under random slabs of loosened concrete and broken pipes Connor ran a scan over Gavin's form to record his vital signs. Pressing his right fingertips down against the left side of Gavin's neck Connor manually tracked the unconscious man's pulse through his carotid artery as he continued to speak to him, and try to rouse Gavin back into some semblance of consciousness.

Sustaining minor damage due to the explosion Connor found his movements greatly limited as he scanned the area and determined how much oxygen was still left inside the closed off area. The deviant estimated that Gavin had only fourteen minutes of breathable oxygen left before he'd suffer from any form of hypoxia, but if Connor turned off his own ventilation program Gavin's time frame would increase to eighteen minutes instead.

"Gavin?" Speaking up in as loud of voice as he could muster Connor dismissed the numerous warnings in his visual relay units as his system chronicled all the damage he had sustained during the explosion. Feeling the Thirium leaking out of a penetrating wound in his back Connor forced himself to focus first on Gavin and his own condition second. "Gavin, I need you to open your eyes and speak to me."

A sudden improvement in Gavin's vital signs made Connor's red L.E.D. flash to yellow for a moment as the detective began to stir.

"Gavin." Carefully removing the largest portions of debris from Gavin's body Connor monitored his blood pressure closely as a precaution as he couldn't be certain of internal injuries being exasperated by the shifting weight over Gavin's wounded person. "Wake up."

"...Fuckin'..." Trailing off in a murmuring tone Gavin heard Connor's voice through his throbbing headache as he regained his senses. "...What the... fuck?"

"Gavin, we were caught in a controlled explosion. We're currently trapped but I can detect human vital signs above us attempting to get to our location."

"...Fuckin' WHAT?"

"What is the last thing you-"

"Get away!" Batting Connor's hand away from his neck Gavin coughed a little and discovered that beyond Connor's red light the area was completely black. Unable to see and barely able to move Gavin was unsure of what to do next. "...Shit. D-Did that fucker seriously bring a whole fuckin' building down on us?"

"Apparently so."

"And where is the asshole now?"

"He's in the corner opposite of where you are currently laying."

Growling a little in anger Gavin was ready for a fight. "And how is he?"

There was a heavy pause before Connor replied honestly. "...Dead. He didn't survive being in such close proximity to the blast."

"Ah... Fuck!" Trying and failing to sit up Gavin gasped in pain and laid back on the floor. "Ow! What the fuck?!"

"You've sustained three fractured ribs and a bruised kidney. You must lay still and remain calm."

"I am calm, fuck-face!"

The incredibly rude insult had surprisingly offended Connor. "...That was uncalled for."

"Just back off and give me some space! I fuckin'... I don't like small spaces!"

"Very well." Sitting back a few inches from where he had been kneeling Connor pressed his left hand to his bleeding back where he could feel the sharp jagged chunk of metal piercing into his back dangerously close to his thermal regulator near his core. Unable to send a cybernetic message through the thick layer of concrete and metal above him all Connor could do was sit and wait for rescue. "...Help is already here. They just need to clear a path to our location."

"Yeah... Right."

"May I ask why you're claustrophobic?"

"No! Shut up."

"...Okay." Not wanting the abrasive detective to stress himself out or deplete his dwindling oxygen level Connor remained civil for the sake of Gavin's own peace of mind. "I will remain where I currently am for your own comfort."

Scoffing at the kind words Gavin sighed, and immediately regretted the motion as it made his fractured ribs ache in his chest. "...Whatever."

Outside the building the search and rescue personnel had gathered around the ruins and were using thermal imaging to locate the survivors down in the basement of the destroyed structure. Only able to find two heat signatures; one belonging to a human and the other belonging to an android, the team knew they needed to move fast if they didn't want to deal with any more casualties. As two ambulances were called to the scene as a precaution the E.M.T's and the E.F.T.'s all waited for any sign of the trapped victims being extricated from the ruins.

Leaning his back against the side of the Oldsmobile Hank crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the dusty street with a blank gaze. He could sense that Tina was tense and worried but he didn't really have any words of comfort to offer at the moment as his own partner was still trapped in the rubble.

"Lieutenant?" A familiar voice called out to Hank in a professional manner as more officers converged on the scene. "...Is Connor trapped?"

Turning to face Lucas without looking completely broken Hank nodded and confirmed that the deviant detective was still inside the ruins. "Yeah. It's him and Detective Reed."

Knowing that both his brother and his roommate were trapped made Lucas's L.E.D. flash to red with worry. "...Are they hurt?"

"We don't know."

"Damn it."

Putting his hand to Lucas's shoulder Hank sighed and tried to give him an optimistic look. "Think it's safe to say you got the job, huh?"

"...Yes." Wearing the red dress shirt and black tie he had donned during his job interview Lucas looked as professional as ever. "I started this afternoon and I'm on patrol."

"Hell of a way to start your new job."

"What can I do to help?"

Hank thought about the offer for a moment and a flash of brilliance shone over his blue eyes. "Can your scanner get through that rubble?"

"Yes. If I get close enough to Connor and Gavin I can direct the search and rescue team accordingly."

"Then let's go introduce you to the search and rescue team." Pulling on Lucas's shoulder lightly Hank showed the deviant toward the ruins with purpose in his every step. "We'll get Connor back, Lucas. Try not to worry."

Waking with Hank toward the building, the two detectives showing their badges to ensure they weren't stopped as they walked, Lucas immediately recognized one face in the group of rescue personnel that made his worries lessen only marginally. "Aaron." The kind firefighter and Gavin's current beau was a calming sight to see. "I should've known he'd be on call tonight."

Remaining still and silent Connor ran a self diagnostic over his system to properly chronicle the damage he sustained while simultaneously watching over Gavin very carefully. With his core temperature only slightly elevated Connor's main physical concern was of his Thirium volume dropping down to eighty-seven percent. The number wasn't too low, but at eighty-five percent he'd need to replenish his Thirium reserve nonetheless. Another grace of good fortune came from the stability of the metal debris lodged in his back also keeping his Thirium loss at a minimal trickle. Dismissing his non-critical vital signs Connor focused on Gavin and the countdown timer estimating the amount of oxygen left in the enclosed space before it was entirely depleted.

Hearing a stifled groan of pain from Gavin a few feet away from him Connor's brow arched and his red L.E.D. flashed to yellow as the unexpected noise caught his ear. Fully capable of seeing Gavin even in the pitch black darkness Connor noticed that the abrasive detective seemed to be struggling to lay still as if a steadily intensifying pain was burning through his chest.

"Gavin, try not to move."

"Shut up!"

"I'm telling you this because of the fractures to your ribs. You can destabilize them and cause the fractures to widen until you suffer from a full break if you don't lay still."

"Stop scanning me!" Grumbling to himself Gavin looked away from the sound of Connor's voice to stare at nothing in the darkness. "You're as bad as your brother..."

The comment wasn't expected and just raised an interesting question. "Lucas scans you?"

"Every damn time I come back to the apartment he-" Realizing what he just admitted to Gavin's blood pressure spiked with adrenaline and embarrassment for a moment before he tried to save face. "...Didn't I tell you to shut up?"

"I've known about you two being roommates for some time now. He's aware of your desire for discretion and only told me about it when he mentioned that he was worried about your health when you were suffering from a stomachache."

"...Whatever."

"Lucas all told me that you saved his life and gave him shelter during the winter when he refused to go to a deviant shelter, or come back to the house with Hank and myself. Thank you."

Falling stubbornly quiet Gavin for whatever reason refused to acknowledge the thanks and rubbed his right hand along his sore fractured ribs.

"You... also referred to Lucas as my 'brother'." The term was still an interesting concept in Connor's mind. "That seems... odd."

"Why? Lucas wants to be your little brother, so why not take him under your wing and be the big brother he wants?"

"I... I don't have any right to take on such a responsibility."

Managing an arrogant laugh Gavin just shook his head and took in a small breath as he contemplated what Connor had just said. "It's not a like it's a rite of passage or holds any real power, you fuckin' idiot. You're just being a brother."

"...What does it mean to be a brother? I have no experience with such a role."

"Well, uh... Like, if Lucas is having a shitty day then you just hang out with him and make him feel better, or you always make sure to watch his back."

"That sounds reasonable."

"'Reasonable'? Jeez... You androids really don't know nothing about families."

"Apparently not. I'm not even sure why Lucas wants me to be his brother." Marred by his own self doubt Connor just didn't know how to react to such a simple request. "I'm... too emotionally damaged to be good support for him."

"No one's perfect, asshole. I sure as shit wasn't..."

Ever intrigued by Gavin's statements Connor asked another interesting question. "...You have a brother?"

"I-" Mentally kicking himself for admitting so much personal stuff to Connor thanks to being injured and groggy Gavin decided to just give a single non-answer to try to silence the questions. "Look, I don't talk to my brother because he had a much better life and has a real arrogant attitude."

"But you were once close as siblings when you were children, right?"

"Fuck no! That asshole..." Trailing off for a moment Gavin tried to dismiss the subject entirely. "...It doesn't matter."

Sensing something was amiss Connor delved into any and all details about Gavin Reed as he could find through a cybernetic search within his own memorybank containing all information on all officers and detectives back at the precinct. Gavin's work as a detective, his high school achievements and even familial activity through the news were all easily accessible details for the resourceful deviant to locate. What Connor discovered about the Reed household was shocking and painful to say the least, and in turn he now understood by Gavin didn't want to talk about his past.

Reading the obituary for one Kimberly Aria Reed, age eight, who drowned at a community pool when one of the first androids approved for public protection broke down in the intense summer heat without anyone noticing, gave Connor much needed insight into Gavin's rough childhood. The broken down android was the assigned lifeguard at the pool who failed to react when Aria began drowning and Gavin failed to notice his sister's distress until it was too late to save her. After numerous incidents with such ineffective androids CyberLife easily took over the android market and became the previous corporate powerhouse that many deviants still fear.

To make things worse Connor discovered an arrest record for Gavin's father for multiple counts of physical abuse, child neglect and drunken disorderly conduct. The arrest came after his father had thrown Gavin through a window; the assault resulting in the scar over Gavin's face, and in the end Gavin was put in the foster care program. Gavin's mother had been institutionalized for her drug addiction and her untreated and very severe postpartum psychosis. It seemed she never left.

There was no mention of Gavin ever having a brother, which Connor found incredibly interesting, but unless Gavin was going to give him any further information Connor would have to remain in the dark regarding the enigmatic Reed sibling.

"I'm not sure what your story is with your brother," Connor admitted in a somber tone as he glanced up at the ceiling of rubble as he sensed people encroaching on where he and Gavin were currently trapped. Rescue was just a few minutes away. "but I am sorry about what you happened to your sister."

"Shut it!"

Taking the hint Connor decided to keep that particular information to himself. "I won't mention it again."

Pressing his right palm over his eyes Gavin let out a breathy sigh and winced as the motion made his sore ribs shift against will. "...If you want to know what it's like to be a brother," he spoke up as if forcing himself to work through a deeply seeded pain. "then just spend time with Lucas and make sure he knows that you want him around."

"...Noted."

From above the ceiling shifted a little as the rescue personnel were working to remove the debris to free the captive detectives below. Connor tried to send out a cybernetic distress call but the layer of metal and concrete was still too thick. Barely able to pick up on the unique signature that only Lucas emanated Connor's yellow L.E.D. managed to blink in blue for only a moment before it returned to yellow.

The light shift didn't go unnoticed by Gavin. "What's going on, 'Tinman'?"

"...Lucas is above us. He must be scanning through the debris to locate us and aid the search and rescue team."

"Fuckin- Tell him to knock it off with the scanning! It's weird..."

"After we're extracted I will pass that request along to him."

"Good..."

Working alongside Aaron to heft away the smothering debris one slab of concrete or chunk of drywall at a time Lucas was able to pinpoint Connor and Gavin's exact location. Trying to hone in close enough to get a reading on both of their vital signs Lucas directed the rescue personnel appropriately during the search. The moment his scanner got a clear reading on Connor's system Lucas held up his left hand to motion for the personnel to stop digging for just a moment as he neared the area where the reading was the strongest.

Kneeling down Lucas pressed his exposed left hand over the cold concrete surface and closed his gray eyes. Sending out a small radar sweep over the area below where he had knelt Lucas managed to reach Connor on a cybernetic level and confirm his and Gavin's current statuses.

"They're both here and they are both conscious." Looking to Aaron as the firefighter kept his cool and waited for information on Gavin, the focused deviant and rookie detective gave everyone an update. "Detective Reed has suffered from two fractured ribs on the right side of his chest as well as a bruised right kidney. Mild internal bleeding is suspected but not critical."

Discreetly Aaron let out a sigh of relief and his tense shoulders slouched slightly.

"Connor has a single penetrating wound to the lower dorsal plastimetal frame. The offensive object is stable but will need to be extracted inside of a facility by technicians in a sterilized field."

Aaron waved his right hand at the teams of E.M.T.'s and E.F.T.'s and gave them an eager command. "Get the backboards ready! We have two victims! One human and one deviant!"

"We can continue to dig over here." Lucas motioned as he began slowly removing the layer of concrete at a steady pace. "If we dig elsewhere we may inadvertently cause the ceiling of debris to collapse inward on them."

"You heard him!" Standing right alongside Lucas with his mind entirely focused Aaron made sure everyone listened to what the deviant was saying. "We got two victims who are just out of our reach and need our help!"

Remaining in place Connor's scanner detected a sudden rush of fresh air into the small space and with it his countdown timer for the air supply vanished. Shifting his weight so he could kneel down beside Gavin as the wounded detective remained on the ground Connor purposely positioned himself in such a way that any bits of debris that could fall into the hole wouldn't strike Gavin on the way down. Letting out a hissing breath as the movement pulled on his damaged back Connor stayed in place and refused to budge.

Gavin noticed that the deviant was in pain but before he could ask what was wrong a sudden beam of light from flashlights overhead nearly blinded him, and cut off his words before he had the chance to speak.

"Connor? Gavin?" Lucas's voice called down into the growing hole where the rescue personnel were peering down into the darkness. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes, Lucas." Glancing up at the second deviant above him Connor confirmed that he and Gavin were aware of his presence. "We're here."

"We'll open the hole wider and secure you to backboards to life you up. Do not move."

Connor simply nodded while Gavin snarked back in his usual manner. "Where the hell are we gonna' go?"

Cybernetically Connor contacted Hank's phone now that he had a signal and let the senior detective know that he was okay and only suffered mild damage to his frame; nothing internal. "I wasn't expecting to have Lucas here at the scene of the collapse, but I'm... glad."

"Glad, huh?" Gavin raised his left hand to shield his eyes as the bright flashlight beams continued to sweep the interior of the small space. "Tell him that and then hang out for a while."

"Is that the 'brotherly' response to this situation?"

"That, and it's a good way to show someone you give a shit about their existence."

"Right... I'll make a note of that as well."

Standing far away from the search through the massive pile of debris with a heavy heart Hank watched as Lucas quickly took to law enforcement like a natural, and internally hoped that Connor would be able to work alongside the second deviant some day as a pair of skilled detectives. Rubbing his left hand over the back of his tense neck Hank nearly jumped when he felt and heard his phone buzzing in the depths of his coat pocket. Fishing the small electronic device from his pocket Hank eyed the display screen and let out the deep breath he didn't realize he had been holding until that moment as he read over the long overdue and reassuring message.

Putting his hand on Tina's shoulder as she anxiously shuffled her weight back and forth on her feet Hank got her attention and gave her the good news.

"Tina, stop fidgeting." Showing her his phone Hank gave the young officer a smug grin. "I just got a message from Connor. He and Gavin are okay."

"Thank fuck..." Finally holding still Tina also let out a deep breath and stared at the rubble pile as the two E.M.T's carried the bright orange backboard over to the other search and rescue personnel to begin victim extrication. "If Gavin died I would've revived him just so I could kill him myself for scaring the shit out of me!"

"I can get behind that. Come on." Slipping the phone back into his pocket Hank led the way over to the two parked ambulances at a slow gait. "We'll meet them over there and then yell at them if necessary."

"Oh, trust me on this one... It's very necessary!"

From the distance Hank could see the two E.M.T.'s walking away from the top of the rubble with the backboard secured in their grip. A firefighter was helping them transport Gavin down the pile and toward the ambulance, and Hank swore he could see the firefighter not only grab onto Gavin's left hand but kiss the abrasive detective's knuckles. Even stranger was the fact that he swore he could see an actual grin Gavin's face, and he wasn't insulting someone in order to have that fleeting moment of joy appear.

"You go remind Gavin that running into an abandoned building in search of an armed suspect completely alone is one of the dumbest things he's ever done." The sight of Gavin awake and talking helped ease his tension but until he saw Connor safe as well Hank wasn't about to let his guard down. "And I'll go remind Connor that he isn't bombproof."

"That won't be a problem, Lieutenant. Leave him to me."

Stopping near the bottom of the rubble pile Hank watched as the two E.F.T.'s finished loading Connor onto the second backboard with Lucas walking right beside him in a protective manner. Both of the deviants had blue L.E.D.'s which was a great sign, but the fact that Connor was laying on his right side instead of on his back seemed unusual.

"Connor?" Assisting with the transportation by helping with the backboard Hank looked down at the deviant covered under concrete dust and flecks of mud from broken, dripping water pipes with a sympathetic gaze. "Hey, what the hell happened in there?"

"The suspect shot one of the primed explosives that had been secured to the Northern corner of the building's foundation. I managed to cybernetically deactivate three of the four explosives entirely." Connor explained as he was placed on a gurney on his side and then loaded into the back of the android unique ambulance. He noted Hank's reaction upon seeing the jagged metal piercing into his back, but didn't comment on the senior detective's uncomfortable behavior. "However, the fourth explosive had only been partially deactivate before the bullet caused an electrical discharge within the the explosive's casing causing said explosion."

"Shit... You're telling me that explosion could've been four times as worse?"

"Theoretically, yes."

"Son of a bitch."

Connor remained still as the E.F.T.'s awkwardly removed his blazer, unbuttoned his vest and dress shirt to expose his chest. After they applied wireless leads to his chest and torso to record his vital signs on their portable Thirial activity monitor Connor looked at Lucas who was standing next to Hank, and asked him a simple question. "Lucas? Will you... accompany me to the facility? I don't want to be there alone."

"Y-Yes, of course." Lucas glanced at Hank and lowered his voice a little as if asking for permission like a little kid. "...I am permitted to go with him, aren't I?"

"Yeah, son. Go." Proudly Hank patted Lucas's shoulder and pointed with his free hand's thumb over his shoulder back to the scene of the mess. "I'll take care of things here and let your commanding officer know you're just interviewing the witness at the facility."

"That is accurate and beneficial. Thank you."

"I'll see you later, Connor." Patting Connor's right leg gently Hank looked at the two E.F.T.'s for some confirmation. "Which facility is he going to?"

The E.F.T. who wasn't using an audioscope to listen to Connor's chest answered the question in a confident manner. "The Zeta Facility out on Tenth Street."

"Alright. Hang in there, son." Stepping away from the ambulance Hank watched as Lucas climbed in the back and sat down on the bench next to one of the E.F.T.'s so he could stay at Connor's side. "I'll see you as soon as I can!"

Closing the ambulance doors Hank stepped aside and watched as the emergency vehicle began backing up from where it was parked before it turned around and faced the street. Seeing the blue vehicle with matching blue lights taking off down the street with a loud siren announcing its presence Hank dragged his right hand over his tired eyes as he held back his frustrated tears for a while longer.

"...I can't believe that explosion could've been worse than it already was."

Lowering his hand Hank dared himself to look back at the rubble pile in time to see the bloodied body of the gunman being lifted up on a second backboard after being unburied by the rescue personnel. The white sheet over his body was stained with blood and dirt in such a sickening blend of red and brown that Hank felt his stomach turn.

"I'm just grateful he made it out of there with only that damn chunk of metal in his back, and nothing worse!"

Having stayed beside Connor during transport to the facility and after being admitted into Dr. Abby Grayson's care yet again, Lucas refused to leave the wounded deviant alone as Connor had his injury analyzed and properly treated. Helping to place Connor on the treatment table to lay on his stomach and keep the chunk of debris from being jostled about, Lucas showed no sign of leaving Connor's side any time soon. Using his own scanner to check over Connor's condition Lucas wasn't worried about the deviant suffering from any permanent damage, but that didn't stop him from worrying that his potential brother might be in serious pain courtesy of his wound.

Showing a blank expression on his face and unreadable eyes Connor didn't react to Abby palpating his back around the wound, or holding the internal viewing screen over his body. To him it was just a routine examination and nothing more serious thanks to his own stubborn mind telling him that the damage he sustained wasn't serious.

Cybernetically Lucas uploaded his report regarding his presence at the scene of the explosion while also relaying Connor's account of events to ensure that both precincts knew the full story of the odd pursuit that ended in said explosion. Keeping near the far wall Lucas resisted the urge to help as Abby gently cleaned off and then sterilized the artificial skin around Connor's wound before she carefully removed the metal debris from Connor's back.

"Okay... I just need to get a firm grip and pull this out at a steady pace." Abby always spoke to her patients in a respectful and intelligent manner regardless of the situation. Having a soft spot to the kind deviant detective made her tone seem all the sweeter at the moment. "Connor, hold your breath and remain as still as possible."

Deactivating his ventilation program for the second time that evening Connor grabbed onto both sides of the treatment table with his strong hands and tried to not think about what was about to happen. "...I'm ready."

"Alright. On the count of three I'm going to start pulling on the debris. You should feel some tugging motions but resist letting your body get pulled around to make things easier."

"I understand."

"Okay, let's do this." Checking her grip on the debris Abby tightened her gloves hands and squared her shoulders as she leaned over her patient. "One, two... three."

Connor used his arms to support himself as he laid as flat as possible over his chest atop the table. Stifling a groan of pain as the debris began exiting the massive fracture in the frame along his lower back Connor's system warned him of the debris shifting about inside the injury site. The pain was enough to make his previously calm blue L.E.D. flash to red as struggled to not move or let out a pained gasp in response to Abby helping him.

"I'm sorry, Connor." Abby heard the groan and kept her hands steady as she continuously pulled on the debris. "I'm trying to be careful and gentle."

Lucas promptly walked over to the table and put his hand to Connor's right shoulder in a comforting manner. "It's almost over, Connor."

Nodding a little Connor closed his eyes tight and felt immediate relief as the debris was pulled from his back with a sickening 'squelch' thanks to the slick Thirium coating the offending metal object. With the debris removed a gush of Thirium oozed from Connor's back and ran down his sides in a thin blue tide.

"Shit..." Dropping the debris on the table beside her Abby promptly pressed gauze to the bleeding wound to apply pressure. "The debris must've nicked a main Thirium line. How do you feel?"

"...Cold." Forcing himself to open his eyes Connor stared at the gold tie clip on Lucas's shirt in an odd trance. "I feel cold."

Without hesitation Lucas walked over to one of the supply cabinets against the wall and pulled a silver emergency blanket from a small shelf. Unwrapping the blanket from its plastic packaging Lucas draped the blanket over Connor's shoulders toward his middle back to help him feel warm while Abby cleaned up the wound and cauterized the bleeding line with a small soldering iron.

"...Th-Thank you, Lucas."

"You're welcome."

Abby bit her lower lip as she used the intense heat to seal the leaking line and grimaced on Connor's behalf as he winced in pain. "I wish I could do something about the pain, Connor. But I need you to keep your external and internal sensors active so I can see what I'm doing without opening up your back entirely."

"I-It's okay." The hiss of the iron followed by the pale blue smoke cloud courtesy of the heat sealing the bloody line made Connor internally flinch. "Do what... you need to do."

Doing his best to distract Connor's thoughts while Abby tended to his wounds Lucas engaged the injured deviant in conversation. "This was technically our first case together as detectives. I do hope in time we'll be able to work together again without an explosion being involved."

"Y-Yeah. It'd be nice to... work alongside you to solve... cases and help our people." Blinking slowly Connor took in a shallow breath as he ignored the pain in his back even as Abby continued to apply pressure, and poured stinging astringents into the injury itself. "Wh-What were you doing before you came to the scene... of the explosion?"

"I was on patrol with an officer when we received word of the incident. I asked to be dropped off to assist at the scene while my temporary partner resumed patrol and helped keep the street closed off to other people."

"...Do you have any interesting cases to work on?"

"Nothing regarding deviants. I'm currently working on a larceny case revolving around a textile plant owner not paying his employees their due wages." Watching as Abby finished sterilizing the wound in Connor's back Lucas scanned over the deviant's back and confirmed that he was no longer bleeding and that the wound was thoroughly cleansed. "I suspect I will have it solved before the end of my shift tomorrow."

"That's good."

"Hopefully after that I can either be moved to homicide where my programming will be of more use. With any luck I can convince Captain Rourke to open our own deviant division to help with the cases throughout the city."

"...Yes. That would be good."

With strong hands and gentle movements Lucas helped Connor slowly sit upright on the table, his legs hanging over the side, while Abby used fresh gauze to bandage the injury site under a white layer that wrapped around his entire torso. "I just got word from the hospital." Lucas stated quickly as his blue L.E.D. flickered to yellow with a new text message. "Gavin is going to be admitted to the hospital overnight for observation strictly as a precaution. It seems Tina and Aaron are going to stay with him."

"...He wasn't injured too severely, but I imagine his close proximity to such an explosion would warrant an overnight stay. There's... still a risk of internal hemorrhage due to being so close... to the shockwave."

"What about you? Are you going to stay overnight in the facility?"

Connor just sighed as he closed his eyes with exhaustion. "...I don't know. I hope not."

Abby spoke up quickly and pressed her right palm to Connor's left cheek in a comforting manner. "You're stable and coherent. You can go home and rest as long as Hank stays with you tomorrow to make sure you don't do anything to physically exert your back. You need twenty-four hours to rest."

"...Understood."

"You'll also need to replenish your Thirium before you enter rest mode for the night. No exceptions."

"I will do so." Looking to Lucas in an almost frightened manner Connor wondered about the senior detective's current location. "Is Hank here, yet?"

"Not yet. I'll stay with you, Connor." Guiding the deviant back down to the table once more to rest on his right side Lucas remained loyally at Connor's side. The way Abby was hovering around made Lucas suspect Connor was worse than either of them were letting on, and he wasn't about to risk leaving Connor by himself. "You won't be alone."

"...Thank you, Lucas. I appreciate this."

Taking the silver blanket from the side of the table Abby shook it out and draped it over Connor in a comforting manner. Afterward Abby gently combed her fingers through his messy dark locks of hair in a kind manner. "Rest here until Hank arrives. You're going to be just fine, Connor."

"Yes. Thank you for your help, Abby."

"You're welcome, Connor." Looking up at Lucas Abby gave him a kind smile. "You two can just stay in here for a while and relax. I'm going to go get Connor some clean scrubs to wear since his uniform is covered in concrete dust."

Nodding a little Lucas acknowledged the comment and just stood beside the table to watch over Connor as the injured deviant closed his eyes to rest. Unsure of why he was so protective toward Connor in that moment Lucas just busied himself with his cybernetic reports while keeping close to the wounded deviant. Whether or not his compulsion to protect Connor stemmed from his own nature as a person or because he wanted to be Connor's brother, Lucas couldn't say just yet.

Only time would tell.

The mess downtown was still being cleaned up and handled by three different fire departments, three different police departments and a dozen construction crews even as midnight neared. Having been dismissed for the rest of the night and the following day Connor decided to tune out updates on the situation downtown as he leaned heavily against Lucas's side while he was carried inside the house to rest. Stepping through the front door after Hank opened it up for the two deviants Connor felt his body becoming heavier with fatigue as even the simple act of walking was enough to make his injured back sore, and drain him of the waning energy he managed to regain.

Moving slowly and patiently Lucas carried Connor into his bedroom and gently laid Connor down on his stomach to ensure there was no pressure on his aching back whatsoever. The pale blue scrubs covered the white gauze wrapped around Connor's torso, but the faint outline of the bandages against the material of the scrub top was still recognizable.

"This feels so weird." Hank stood beside the bed and gave Connor an empathetic look. "Usually it's my back that's problem, not yours."

"I'm okay, Hank." The way Connor's L.E.D. was settling on yellow with intermittent flashes to red said otherwise. "I'm just tired and need to rest."

"Would an ice pack or a heating pad help?"

"No. I only require Thirium and rest."

"Wish my back could recover just by sleeping. Alright, kid." Tilting his head to the side for a moment to work a knot out of his neck Hank stepped out of the bedroom and into the hallway. "I'll get you some Thirium."

Alone with Connor for a moment Lucas gently placed his left palm down over Connor's back and ran a scan. Ignoring the hiss of pain in response to his touch Lucas detected the mended line holding strong and the plastimetal working to reshape itself after being damaged by the debris. "You're fortunate the debris didn't damage any of your internal biocomponents."

"I'm aware."

"I apologize if my hand caused you pain." Retracting his palm Lucas proceeded to remove Connor's shoes and place them down on the floor inside the deviant's closet. "I just wanted to be sure your current discomfort is due to your body healing and nothing more serious."

"I understand."

Hank returned to the bedroom with two bottles of Thirium in his hands. Placing one bottle down on the nightstand beside the bed Hank opened up the second bottle and handed it over to Connor to take. "Since you're down with a backache I'll take Sumo on his walk tomorrow and I'll make sure the plants are doing good in those new pots you put them in."

"Thank you."

"Lucas?" Glancing up at the second deviant with a kind gaze Hank gave him a hospitable offer. "Want to stay the night?"

"I..." The newest detective was a little surprised by the offer and didn't know how to respond. "...I wouldn't be opposed to it."

"Cool. I figured since your roommate was spending the night in the hospital that you'd be a little lonely tonight."

Lucas's L.E.D. flashed to red as he tried to determine how Hank knew that Gavin was his roommate.

"Relax, son. I figured it out when you called Gavin by his first name back at the scene. The only way you'd know that, and the only reason you'd give a damn about the annoying little bastard, is because you actually hang out with him." Giving the confused deviant a smug grin Hank continued on with his explanation and deductions. "Besides, I overhead you talking about your roommate being sick with a stomach problem and the next day at the precinct Gavin was just beginning to get over a stomach problem. I don't believe in coincidence."

"...You figured it out through just that?"

"Well, not just that. There was also the fact that you were rooming with a human who didn't want you to talk about it, Gavin's mood picked up after he got into a better apartment with a new roommate, and he's been nicer to Connor. I don't gossip about other detectives and mind my own business as long as no one is being hurt. As far Gavin's concerned no one knows about your mutual living arrangement."

"I should've known I wouldn't have been able to fool a seasoned detective like yourself."

"Flattery doesn't fly with me, kid. Nice try."

Blushing a pale blue Lucas glanced over at Connor and noticed that Connor had not only finished the two bottles of Thirium, but was already deep into rest mode to let his body heal.

"There's a spare blanket and pillow in the hallway closet." Whispering now that Connor was asleep Hank opened the closet in the bedroom and found the quilt Connor had been using until he got the weighted blanket to replace it. Draping the quilt over Connor to keep him comfortable Hank motioned for Lucas to step outside of the bedroom for a minute. "Just be aware that since Connor's down and out then Sumo is going to be all over you."

"I don't mind."

"I figured as much. At first I didn't understand why so many deviants love animals," the senior detective admitted as he pulled the spare blanket and pillow from the hallway closet and passed them over to Lucas. "but then I remembered that humans suck and that's why we humans have pets to keep us company."

"I doubt that's entirely the reason, but I'll take your word for it."

Removing his shoes and jacket Lucas placed them down by the front door, and then slipped his holster and weapon from his hip to leave on the bookcase before walking over to the couch. Laying down over the length of furniture Lucas placed the pillow under his head and then draped the blanket over himself to keep warm. It didn't take long for Sumo to notice Lucas's presence as the sleepy dog got up from his pillow in the corner of the livingroom, stretched out his old body and promptly hopped up onto the couch to lay down alongside Lucas in an affectionate manner.

Smirking at the sight Hank reached his hand over the back of the couch and patted Sumo's back in an approving manner. "Need anything before I go take a shower?"

"No, I'm okay here."

"Alright. And just remember, if you ever need a place to go for whatever reason you may have, then just come here. We'll always make room for you."

"Thank you, Hank."

"You're welcome. Get some sleep," yawning a little as he walked down the hallway toward the bathroom Hank bid Lucas a 'goodnight'. "and I'll see ya' in the morning."

Rubbing his left palm along Sumo's ears Lucas gave the massive dog a small grin and felt surprisingly at home as he settled down on the couch. There was something warm and welcoming about the house, and with that comforting atmosphere Lucas felt like he could actually let his guard down and not worry about anything for just a little while.

"You're much bigger than Lucky, but I don't mind sharing the couch."

Sumo's tail wagged a little as he pressed his chin down over Lucas's chest as he settled in for the night.

"Maybe in time I'll be able to invite Connor or even Hank over to my apartment to spend time together." Closing his eyes Lucas entered his own rest mode. "That's what brothers do, right?"

-next chapter-