DBH: Torn Alliances

by WayWardWonderer

A peaceful Revolution didn't guarantee a happy life for Connor or Hank after the battle. Scarred by the events he survived and of the betrayals he endured Connor struggles to find himself in the new world as his dark memories and nightmares seem to haunt him. With Hank's help Connor will learn what it means to be alive after he heals from his injuries and learns to trust others.

42. Blue Blood

Standing before the grave for what felt like the hundredth hour Connor eyed the carnation that had been planted on the grave near the stone marking said grave, and wondered if the gesture was one of respect or vanity. The flower had grown big enough to survive being planted outside and would survive any frost now that it was stronger and healthier. The very sight of a newly grown plant thriving over top of a grave; a plot of land that designated death itself, was as beautiful as it was eerie. Growing tall, dark green and developing the small bud that would surely bloom into a bright white carnation, the flower looked as if it belonged out at the grave.

The sound of Hank slamming the car's trunk shut followed by a sharp whistle to call Sumo over to the car filled the previously quiet air. Connor knew they'd be leaving soon and the flower would be left behind to grow on its own.

"...It feels strange to leave you here." Whispering in a hushed tone Connor took in the sight of the flower and felt an inexplicable connection to the plant. He had grown it from a tiny helpless seed and into the strong flower it had now become. "We cannot actually communicate with one another, yet I feel as though you can understand me."

A gentle breeze blew through the clearing and caused the flower to dance about gently as the wind passed it by.

"In a way I think I should thank you. Being able to watch you grow and thrive has been very grounding, and now that I know there will be some form of ever changing life where I'm... Where my previous body has been buried," he corrected his statement and bowed his head a little. "has brought me comfort. It's as if I will never be alone anymore. I will return when you bloom in time, until then you will be safe here."

Rustling from the clearing behind him made Connor turn and lock eyes with Hank as the senior detective came to check on him.

"I'm ready to leave when you are, Hank."

"So, your flower's okay?"

"Yes. It's actively taking root in the ground as we speak. There is also enough sunlight shining through the tree canopy overhead," peering upward at the large gaps in the tree branches and thick green leaves Connor confirmed that the flower would be able to grow normally. "and due to the close proximity to the lake I know the flower will be watered on a regular basis."

"Alright." Turning around Hank passed back through the clearing with Connor accompanying him over to the car parked beside the cabin. "Then let's head back to the city and enjoy the rest of our day off."

"Are you anxious about returning to the precinct tomorrow?"

"No. I've dealt with enough 'red ice' assholes that I don't even flinch when I have to take the lead on a case."

"Take the lead?"

"Yeah." Opening the driver's side door Hank sat down behind the wheel and promptly turned the key in the ignition as Connor joined him inside the vehicle in the front passenger seat. "While we were out on leave Gavin returned and was put on desk duty to keep looking into the epidemic. Six more deviants were found drained nearly of all their Thirium, while eight more have been reported missing. Since the investigation involves both deviants and 'red ice' I've been assigned the lead and I need to assemble another task force to bring this shit to an end."

Tapping into the precinct's database with a yellow flickering L.E.D. confirming the action Connor fastened his seatbelt, and stared blankly through the windshield before him. "...The eight missing deviants are all 'TR-400' models of androids. That particular model is designed for manual labor, physical exertion and for controlled strength."

"How's that significant to the case?" Backing the car down the driveway Hank turned the vehicle and began the hour long drive back to Detroit with Connor sitting beside him up front, and Sumo sprawled over the backseat behind him. "I doubt the 'red ice' dealers have a 'type', and if those deviants are known for their strength then I know they weren't chosen because they were seen as easy prey."

"Correct. Aside from these particular deviants being taller and broader than the average deviant, they're internal Thirium lines biocomponents are also larger and more efficient to prevent overheating or strain during particularly taxing activities."

"Which means...?"

"Which potentially means that these eight deviants were chosen for their higher volume of Thirium in their reserves, and the higher efficiency of their Thirium filters producing larger amounts of the very filtered Thirium the 'red ice' dealers are using to create this new, more potent batch of 'red ice'. This new drug has been dubbed the 'devil's kiss' on the street. It's also tripled the number of overdoses over the past month."

"Shit. How do we keep other deviants from being abducted?"

"According to the missing person reports and overall evidence collected, no deviants have been abducted in the past nine days. Whereas more batches of the 'devil's kiss' have been confiscated from drug dealers or overdose victims. The batches are always fresh, which means the drug is being actively produced."

"The dealers aren't abducting anymore deviants because those eight abductees..."

"Correct." Recognizing that Hank had followed his logic and come to the same conclusion Connor confirmed his suspicions. "The eight abducted deviants are being actively used to create the drug more efficiently and quicker than ever before. If we're going to find the missing deviants we need to find the kitchen where the drug is being cooked."

"I get the feeling that if one building can hide eight very large, very strong deviants without anyone noticing then we're going to have to think far outside of the box to find it."

"Adaptability is one of my prominent features, Hank. We will succeed."

The bode of confidence coming from the normally reserved and gloomy deviant was very refreshing. "Damn right. I've led a task force to victory before, and I know I can do it again."

---

Busy at his own precinct Lucas and Noreen had been assigned to work on the case of abducted deviants as well, due to the six shutdown victims being considered homicide, and the two detectives were pouring over every scrap of provided information as if they were looking for the cure to lung cancer. Despite the two detectives were given the special assignment due to Lucas being a deviant and pushing for a deviant division being added to the precinct, with being homicide detectives acting as a solid enough official reason for the higher-ups. In Captain Rourke's mind it'd be the ideal way to see if having such a unusual division would be worth it in the long run, and an ideal way to watch his newest detective work on such a high profile case as the pressure mounted.

Identifying each shutdown victim and ensuring that their remains were properly handled Lucas and Noreen sat at their desks looking absolutely exhausted after pulling overtime to assist with the second precinct - Connor's precinct, as they too scrambled to get answers. Fortunately Lucas's friendship with Gavin made it easier for the two precincts to collaborate and compare notes without getting too territorial in the process.

"What did Detective Reed have to say?" Noreen finished checking through the deviant apportionment reports from the coroner downtown, and sighed at the results. All six victims were drained of their Thirium and shutdown due to total biocomponent and processor failure. "Please tell me he's having better luck than we are."

"Gavin has confirmed that previous abduction victims are all 'TR-400' and that no new abductions have been reported. From these details we can confirm that drug dealers are using the more Thirium efficient deviants to supply their new batches of 'devil's kiss', and that we're now looking for victims of abduction rather than murder."

"So, we're both at dead ends. Great..." Nursing a small headache Noreen opened her top right desk drawer to get to her bottle of ibuprofen and downed two pills with a gulp of her strawberry smoothie. "I guess the bright side is no other deviants are being abducted, and if these current victims are so Thirium efficient then the drug dealers are going to keep them alive for as long as possible. It gives us a better chance of finding them alive than dead, and I'm all for it."

Lucas agreed as he eyed a map of the city on his terminal screen. Each area of interest were highlighted in red, and the ones that had been searched were marked with green. The lack of green in comparison to red was very disconcerting. "We still need to narrow down the search area if we're going to find them."

"Got any ideas of how to do that?"

"The plant that was infiltrated two weeks prior had been a successful sting, and pulled seven drug dealers off the street. The size of the plant has given us an idea of how large a building would need to be to house a second drug den, but with the hundreds of abandoned buildings and properties scattered throughout the city fitting such requirements... we're currently at a stall."

"So, that's a 'no'."

"Unfortunately."

Noreen looked at her own terminal screen and the map on display. A curious thought popped into her head and she needed to ask her partner about it. "Since you're a deviant does that mean you have a G.P.S. at your disposal at all times?"

"Correct. Why do you ask?"

"Well, unless that's exclusive to your model then maybe we can use the G.P.S. trackers from the previous victims and figure out where they were before they shutdown, and were dropped off elsewhere."

Lucas's brow arched while his blue L.E.D. cycled a beat faster with interest. "That's a very intriguing notion. The processors in each victim has overheated due to the lack of Thirium, but it doesn't guarantee that each G.P.S. record or visual memory has been destroyed in the process."

"Can we get that type of information and use it?"

"It'll take some time," cybernetically Lucas began filing the request and hoped it'd be processed quickly. "but I can file the warrant and have the information downloaded from a technician and provided to us once we get approval."

"The coroner can't do it?"

"No. The coroner works alongside technicians during the apportionments, but they cannot effectively download data from an android's processor without knowing what they are looking for. It's a specialized and complicated process."

Flashing Lucas a mischievous grin Noreen was already getting an idea of how her partner's mind worked. "And I take it you have someone in mind to do it."

"I do. His name is Dr. Joel Forest, and he works at the same precinct as Gavin."

"Wait, why do they have their own technician at the other precinct?"

"He's there to tend to their own deviant detective, the 'RK-800' prototype known as Connor."

"Oh, I remember seeing him in the news during the Revolution." Finishing off her smoothie Noreen plucked out one final bit of strawberry from the bottom of the cup with her straw and then tossed the empty container into the trashcan beneath her desk. Happily devouring the fruit Noreen gave Lucas an interested stare where she sat. "No wonder you look so familiar."

"Yes, our design is identical save for a mild height difference and my eyes being gray while Connor's eyes are brown."

"Sounds like you two are brothers, maybe even twins."

"...In a way we could be considered brothers, but I doubt such a sibling relationship could happen."

"I don't know. I'm close with my brother, and we used to fight like cats and dogs when we were kids."

"You have a brother as well. Can I ask about him?"

"Sure. Jermaine is my baby brother, and he wised up and moved to nice, sunny Orlando Florida after college. We see each other every winter when I fly down for a visit. He's a neurosurgeon, has a wife and twin daughters. They're his whole world and I adore them all."

"How much younger is your brother?"

"A whopping seven minutes."

The time frame made Lucas's brow furrow with confusion for a moment. "...Minutes?"

"Twins. And I hold being the older sibling over his head every opportunity I get."

"Interesting. Androids can resemble one another and be activated minutes apart, but we don't see ourselves as twins or siblings."

"Why do I get the feeling you've been thinking about sibling relationships for a long time?"

"...Because I have been." Lucas admitted that he wanted to get closer to Connor without really bringing it up. The way Connor was hesitant to forge a close bond with him still stung a little. "Connor and I are entirely unique. There is no other 'RK-900' and 'RK-800' models in existence. Our unique designs make us different than the other deviants in the city, and it's a little lonely to think about."

"Then you find a way to hang out with Connor and make him your brother. Trust me, having a brother is a pretty cool bond to keep."

"I will do my best, Noreen." Closing his eyes Lucas received an update regarding his request for the G.P.S. information. All of the information flooded his mind within milliseconds and his blue L.E.D. flickered in yellow for only a moment. "...The request as been approved. Dr. Forest is going to collect the necessary files, analyze them at his precinct and send us the results."

"When this is all over be sure to file a request for our own technician to be stationed here so we can skip the middle man from time to time. Not to mention you might get a few bumps and bruises during our shifts, so you should have your own medic available at all times."

Giving Noreen an appreciative grin Lucas swore to file such a request when the time was right. "The moment this case is solved and Captain Rourke passes his final judgment on the deviant division I will do just that."

---

Home at last Hank tried to distract himself with a basketball game while Connor proceeded to give Sumo a thorough grooming after taking him on a walk. Keeping fleas and ticks out of Sumo's thick pelt was a difficult chore, but the deviant was up to the challenge as he would never be bitten by the parasitic insects as he combed the bugs out of Sumo's fur, and picked the little bloodsuckers away with his fingertips. While Sumo was smitten with the intense grooming session and happily let Connor tend to his every pampering need, Connor himself was cybernetically sorting through details of the case at hand, and comparing notes that he realized Lucas had filed while working with Gavin through a professional contact.

The progress had been slow but steady, and in that time a handful of details had emerged from the intense investigation. All of the victims were taken from construction sights, shipping warehouses and demolition crews. Each victim had been taken either early in the morning before they were supposed to clock-in for their shifts, or in the evening right after they clocked-out. None of the victims had any ties to criminal behavior, and there was no sign of a struggle at their individual residences; three of the victims lived within New Jericho Tower as well.

After bundling up all of Sumo's loose fur from the brush and killing every little flea and tick that dared to try to make its home in Sumo's fur Connor exited the bathroom, and joined Hank in the livingroom. As he sat down beside Hank on the couch Connor was practically smothered under Sumo as the Saint Bernard following him out of the bathroom and promptly settled down on Connor's lap.

Laughing at the sight Hank noticed how shiny and clean Sumo's fur was and could smell the baby shampoo in the air. "You're going to spoil this oaf rotten."

"I'm merely doing what's best for Sumo's well being."

"I can get buying the special dog food for larger breeds getting on in years," rubbing his hand under Sumo's chin Hank watched as Sumo's tail thumped happily against Connor's shoulder. "and even the daily walks to get him exercise, but what's with the special dogs treats, weekly grooming sessions and getting him a fancy new leather collar?"

"The treats ensure that he's cooperative on his walks, the grooming ensures his fur won't become knotted up or tangled, and it keeps insects away, and the new collar is strictly to replace the old one that had worn out over the years."

"Uh-huh... And how much did those special treats cost?"

There was a heavy pause before Connor replied honestly. "...Twenty-six dollars per pound."

"Holy shit! I didn't spend that much on a single bottle whiskey, and I was trying to kill myself with booze!"

"The treats are highly nutritious and made with natural ingredients."

"Beer is made from natural ingredients, that doesn't make it healthy."

"Point taken."

"Just do me a favor and don't trade beds with him or anything like that."

"I assure you I will do no such thing."

"Cool." Picking up Sumo's front paws Hank noticed the dog's perfectly groomed nails, and noticed that it looked like Connor actually took the time to buff them to make as smooth as possible. "...Don't give him and special pedicures, either. Just keep the nails short, don't worry about polishing them or anything."

"Very well." Running his hand down Sumo's back Connor looked at the basketball game on television with mild interest and continued to cybernetically keep up to date on the case at hand. "...It appears Lucas and his partner, Detective Noreen Kayda, have begun working on the case as well. Lucas is speaking with Gavin to keep both precincts up to date."

"That's good. It'll help keep things as simple as possible."

"As of the moment Lucas is going to look into the memories and G.P.S. coordinates from the shutdown victims to try to locate the drug den, of course assuming that is where the victims had shutdown before being disposed of through various alleyways in the city."

"Sounds like he's onto something."

"...We should be helping."

"Son, we can't do that just yet. We're both still on mandatory leave until tomorrow morning."

"I'm aware."

"Relax. The moment we're back at the precinct you can dive head first into this case and tune out the rest of the world."

"I'd rather not become obsessed."

"Sorry, kid. You're the type of person to obsess over every little detail, so getting obsessed with this case is already a given."

Stopping his hand mid pet along Sumo's back Connor sighed a little with a sense of uselessness. "...I just don't want anyone else to get hurt."

"Same. We'll figure this out sooner than you think."

Much to Sumo's delight Connor resumed petting his back as the deviant had one final thought on the case at hand. "I hope you're right..."

---

It was nearly midnight and the bullpen was getting rather quiet as nighttime set in. Noreen was ready to call it a night as her headache was starting to come back, whereas Lucas was still determined to solve the case. Only after Captain Rourke told the two detectives to clock-out for the night and return to the precinct the following afternoon did Lucas leave his desk for the first time all day As he rose to his feet Lucas noticed his partner's tired eyes as she too clocked-out. While Lucas had a massive energy reserve that would allow him to function at full power for a full week before needing to enter rest mode and recharge, humans didn't have such a luxury.

Fishing her car keys from her purse Noreen gave Lucas a tired but kind grin as they left the precinct together. Walking to their precinct's underground parking garage Noreen offered to give Lucas a ride back to his apartment, but the deviant declined the offer after politely escorting Noreen to her car and bidding her a goodnight.

"You're sure you're okay to drive?"

"Yeah. I only live three blocks away." Noreen confirmed as she unlocked her car and sat down behind the steering wheel. "It's a headache, not fatigue."

"Very well. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon."

"I better!" Turning over the engine Noreen gave Lucas a respectful smile and spoke through her rolled down window as she shifted the car from park to drive and slowly pulled out of her parking space. "I can't solve this case without my partner!"

Walking away from the precinct and toward his apartment Lucas cybernetically hailed a taxi, and continued on his way until the taxi reached him. Enjoying the warm nighttime spring air Lucas glanced upward at the black sky overhead and used his enhanced filters to remove the light pollution to view the stars. It was rare to ever see the stars in the sky over big cities, but for deviants it was much easier to view them.

Sensing the taxi approaching him from behind Lucas slowed his steps and turned his focus to the autonomous vehicle. Stopping alongside the street Lucas caught the faint sound of muffled crying coming from the alleyway behind him, and promptly turned his attention to the sound instead of the taxi. Walking toward the alleyway Lucas saw a humanoid figure laying on their side and wrapped up in a dirty white sheet, and softly crying.

Reacting quickly Lucas walked down the alleyway and knelt beside the figure laying on the cold ground. "Miss?"

The figure was a deathly underweight and pale teenage girl, who had prematurely aged due to intense drug abuse. The red stains around her lips, nose and fingertips were indicative of chronic 'red ice' abuse, and yet she was reacting poorly to the drug despite having built up tolerance to it from prolonged use. She was beginning to suffer an overdose that Lucas's scanners attributed to 'devil's kiss' running through her veins as opposed to traditional 'red ice'.

"Miss? Listen to me." Putting his left palm gently on the girl's right cheek Lucas spoke to her in a calm manner as he cybernetically summoned an ambulance to the alleyway to take her to the hospital. "I'm a detective. I'm going to he-"

A dual sharp stinging pain entered Lucas's back below his shoulders just milliseconds before a powerful jolt of electricity surged through his entire body. All it took was thirty-thousand volts to incapacitate Lucas and send his system in emergency stasis mode. Collapsing to his right side with a heavy 'thud' on the pavement Lucas's gray eyes remained open, but unfocused as dozens of numerous red warnings filled his vision in response to the extreme electrical shock he had sustained.

Only the rapid pulsing glow of the red L.E.D. indicated that Lucas was even still alive, and yet the light was smothered out by Lucas's only body as he laid limp and motionless on his right side. Helpless and alone Lucas knew nothing more of the world beyond the memory of the pain in his back and the heart shuddering jolt that rendered him both defenseless and unconscious.

---

Already awake at six o'clock sharp Connor proceeded to change into his work uniform, let Sumo outside, feed the massive dog and then prepared a modest breakfast for Hank to ensure the senior detective didn't starve himself until lunchtime again. The moment the smell of fresh coffee brewing filled the air Connor heard Hank waking up and grumbling a little under his breath about having to clock-in for a morning shift. Falling back into his normal routine as if nothing had even happened to him Connor finished cooking the scrambled eggs and placed the appropriate portion down on a plate a top the kitchen table for Hank to enjoy before leaving for work.

Taking the time to check on Hank's tomato plant in the backyard Connor wondered how his flower was doing up at the cabin. It seemed so impossible for something as fragile as a flower to thrive in nature, and yet it happened every day all around the world.

"Hank should consider creating an actual garden and grow more than tomatoes. It's a simple exercise that'd keep him active in the warm months."

The sound of Hank pulling his favorite coffee mug down from the cupboard pulled Connor's attention back to the kitchen. Returning to the house through the backdoor Connor greeted Hank and joined him at the small table to give him an update on the progress of the case at hand before heading out.

"It appears that Joel has finished analyzing the processors of the previous victims and has succeeded in retrieving the G.P.S. coordinates from two of the victims." Sounding sure of his words and gathered information Connor was behaving less melancholy much to Hank's relief. "The details aren't as accurate as usual because of the severe overheating of their processors, but they can help narrow down the search area drastically. Lucas had also located a near overdose victim while returning to his apartment last night, and called it in. The victim survived and is recovering well at St. Mercy Hospital."

"A warm breakfast and some good news..." Picking at the scrambled eggs on his plate one at a time with a fork Hank woke up slowly and graciously ate the provided breakfast with gratitude in his tired blue eyes. "That's the best way to start off a shift. Do you know how well Lucas is dealing with the case?"

The question seemed a little vague despite the confidence in the way Hank had asked it. "How so?"

"Is the stress getting to him at all?" Sipping at his coffee Hank reminded Connor that Lucas wasn't nearly as experienced as he was with being a detective. Not everyone adapted quickly a high stress job. "He's still a rookie after all."

"Oh. ...I'm not sure."

"Did you guys have a fight or something?"

"What? No." Truly perplexed by such another odd question Connor gave Hank a sincerely confused look. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, you wanted to establish some sort of friendship with him the day you rescued him from New Jericho Tower, but he put up some walls. Now, he wants to reach out to you and do the same for you." Too sharp to even play dumb Hank knew that something unusual was happening between the two 'RK' deviants. "So, how come you two aren't spending more time together and hanging out?"

Unable to give a real answer Connor's blue L.E.D. cycled in yellow once before he replied as honestly as he could. "...It's complicated."

"Uh-huh." The senior detective's paternal instincts knew that something was on Connor's mind yet again, and it was going bother him all day. "What's up?"

Silent for a moment Connor again tried to an answer as honestly as possible. "...I'm not sure."

"Emotions really are a bitch, huh, kid?"

"Apparently so."

"Don't worry about trying to figure it out just yet, things will make sense soon enough." Noticing Sumo laying on the floor beside his already empty food dish Hank picked up a piece of egg and tossed it toward the Saint Bernard. Sumo quickly raised his head and caught the egg in the air before it even had the chance to hit the floor, and gobbled it right up. "It's hard to know what we really want in life."

"...You shouldn't feed Sumo eggs."

Laughing a little Hank focused on eating the rest of his breakfast before it got cold. "One piece of egg won't hurt him. Besides, eggs are good for a shiny coat."

"True, but it's best to only feed him food that is designed specifically for canines."

"Which is why I don't give him eggs every day. Anyway," taking another sip of his coffee Hank changed the subject away from work, family drama and Sumo for a moment. "did you finally decide which car you're going to buy?"

"...I've contemplated the three vehicles that caught my attention with great detail, and yet I can't seem to settle on one."

"I don't blame you. Those three cars were in great shape, not too old, they had low mileage and you can get a great deal on all three of them."

"What would you pick?"

"Of those three?"

"No. In general."

"Oh. Well, I've always wanted to work on a classic car from my childhood... Like a Corvette. Paint it a flawless sapphire blue and polish it a fine shine every day."

"Why don't you have one if you wish to take on such a project?"

"They're hard to find, need a lot of work to get running again and need a lot of attention to keep em' running."

"I see."

"How about this... Of the three cars you picked out," finishing his breakfast Hank put the empty dishes in the sink and continued to talk as he walked out of the kitchen and toward the bathroom. "which one has the most appealing color?"

"...Color wise I was initially drawn to the dark green Pace, but now I suddenly find blue to be more appealing. I'm not sure why."

"Too bad none of those cars were blue."

"Should I look for a blue car?"

"Connor, look for a car you want. I'm going to shower off and we can head out early so we can deal with signing those medical release forms without it dragging out too long."

"Of course. I'm ready to leave whenever you are."

"Right. Give me about thirty minutes and we'll go."

Settling down on the couch Connor closed his eyes and proceeded to check through the three cars of interest one more time; comparing each detail, feature and color to one another, and he still struggled to make a definitive decision. It was just as Hank had said earlier, sometimes a person really doesn't know what they want in life, even when they think they have all the information they need to make such a decision.

"Perhaps I should put off my purchase for a while longer. There's no need to rush..."

---

A horrible ache in his back and in both sides of his neck drew Lucas from emergency stasis mode and back into full consciousness. Opening his steel gray eyes the deviant was met with blackish gray static that slowly cleared as his auditory units returned to function as well. Unable to move his arms, his legs or even turn his head Lucas realized he was in a less than ideal situation. Closing his eyes again Lucas ran a self diagnostic while also trying to piece together his incomplete memory from the night before.

The last bits of his memory left intact were of him locating the overdose victim in the alleyway after summoning an autonomous taxi. He had no memory of being attacked or of being able to call out for help. The memories after that are all black and silent.

Receiving a warning regarding the two electrical burns in his back alongside his compromised descending Thirial lines on both sides of his neck Lucas looked further into his vital signs and grimaced.

WARNING:

Power Reserve: 78%

Thirium Pump Rate: 112 b.p.m.^

Ventilation Rate: 20 v.p.m/^

Thirium Pressure - LOW: 100/70

Core Temperature - ELEVATED: 101.2 Degrees Fahrenheit^

Thirium Volume - LOW: 72% Reserve

[...seek replenishment immediately]

Damage to Dorsal Plates: 94.7% Integrity^

[...estimated repair time: 02:09:43]

Electrical Burns Detected to Dorsal Plates: 3% Instability

[...estimated repair time: 00:12:22]

[...immediate technical assistance recommended]

Dismissing the warnings Lucas tried and failed to send out a cybernetic distress call to request assistance. To make things all the worse his G.P.S. unit has been knocked offline due to the powerful electrical shock, and the same interference inside the surrounding walls that were affecting his cybernetic transmissions had prevented his G.P.S. from recalibrating properly to resume function.

Opening his eyes fully Lucas glanced about the area and found himself in a room lined with reinforced concrete, metal chains and towering metal vats. His body had been suspended two feet off the floor with chains wrapped around his ankles up toward his knees, chains wrapped around his wrists toward his elbows, a chain wrapped around his upper torso just below his chest, and what he could only describe as a leather strap around his forehead to keep his head from limply falling forward.

Beneath his body were two large one gallon glass jars that had once been used for fermenting wine. There were two external Thirium lines connecting to the tops of the jars and running back up toward Lucas, specifically toward his neck. The lines were transferring the Thirium from Lucas's body into the jars at a steady pace that made Lucas feel sick and weak.

"...Wh-Where am I?"

His voice was shaking and carried and electronic reverb as he spoke to no one. The deviant's words echoed seemingly unheard in the cold room as he remained suspended in chains above his own blood as it collected in the jars.

"...I... L-Let me go!"

"...There is no point in trying to talk to them."

To his immediate right Lucas heard a masculine voice respond. Unable to turn his head Lucas could only move his eyes to try to peer toward his right as he addressed the voice that had spoken to him. The glow of the red L.E.D. created a crimson hue on Lucas's peripheral vision. "...Wh-Who are you? Where are we?"

"...My name is Albert."

"Albert. I'm L-Lucas." Struggling to keep his voice stable as he continued to lose his Thirium Lucas sought as much information as possible. "Where are we?"

"...This is Hell. This is where we come to die."

"No! I refuse to let that happen." Unable to see the deviant beside him Lucas struggled to communicate properly without seeming panicked. "I'm a detective and I will find a way for us to get out of here. We will leave alive."

"...You can't do anything."

"Albert, where are we? I need information if I'm going to succeed."

"...This is where we were brought many days ago. I... cannot remember the details anymore. My memory has been corrupted by repeated Thirium loss and overheating, but it has not failed entirely. At least, not yet."

"'We'? Are you referring to us? You and I?"

Albert paused for a moment before replying in a lethargic voice that Lucas could empathize with. "...No. There are others."

"Where?"

"...Next to you. You cannot see them and they cannot hear us."

"What is happening to us right now?"

"...The men who who are creating that red poison are using us. Our Thirium. I don't know why."

"Shit. 'Devil's kiss' is being manufactured right here..." Fighting to get a message through the thick walls and back to the precinct to call for help Lucas closed his eyes while trying to decide which functions to power down to conserve energy without leaving himself entirely helpless. "Albert, how many more are here? Seven others?"

"...Yes. That's right."

"Are you all 'TR-400' models?"

"...Yes. I was the fourth one captured."

"How are you still alive after all this time?"

"...When my Thirium gets too low the men who took us, chained us up and drain our blood gives me enough of a replenishment to prevent me from shutting down. I don't know why."

"Filtered Thirium is the key ingredient in an especially potent batch of 'red ice'. That's what 'devil's kiss' is."

"...We are being used by humans to poison other humans." There was a hint of a laugh behind Albert's words as he realized the irony of the situation. "And yet they tried to claim that we androids are a threat to society."

"Albert, are we the only ones conscious at the moment?"

"Yes. Soon I will fall asleep only to wake up to this Hell once more... You may not be so unfortunate to experience this waking nightmare."

"I may not be a 'TR-400' but I do have a superior Thirium filter." The cybernetic message failed to send but Lucas was determined to survive his abduction and torture. "If anything that's why they didn't kill me or use me for spare parts; I can help produce the Thirium they need for their drugs."

"...Then, I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Why?"

"Because you'll be forced to live through this Hell just we have, time and time again. You should be wishing for a quick and merciful death from RA9, not a replenishment from those murderous humans..."

"Albert," pulling on the chain on his right arm Lucas tried but failed to get his hand free of the binding as he spoke. "we will escape this Hell."

"...It's best for you to give up on hope of rescue now. It makes the pain of disappointment far more bearable."

"No. We will be found."

"By who?"

"My partner at the precinct is working on this case as well, she'll find me. There are other detectives out there, too. A friend of mine, someone I consider a guardian and..." Stopping for a moment Lucas took in a breath and steadied his words as much as he could. "...And my brother. They will save us, I know it."

---

Arriving at the precinct early enough to handle paperwork and get a debriefing from Captain Fowler the returned detectives clocked-in at their desks and immediately got to work on reviewing the active case revolving around abducted deviants and the production of 'devil's kiss'. The information provided by Joel was already on Connor's terminal screen, and the deviant immediately began checking the map of the city that had been marked as searched in hope of finding a new area to explore.

It didn't take long for Hank to get pulled aside by Ben to give his opinion on the matter to help form a new task force, to which the senior detective was reluctant to help with, but knew it was the city's best option at the moment. For the two senior detectives dealing with dangerous 'red ice' fiends was unfortunately nothing new.

"Curious..." Noting that the two deviant processors salvaged by Joel showed a G.P.S. failure within a block of one another Connor couldn't see a single building that could house a drug den at that particular location. In fact, there was nothing there but a single empty lot. "Maybe their processors were too damaged to be of any use after all. I'll need to keep-"

"Yo, 'Tinman'." Gavin walked over to Connor's desk and gave the deviant a somewhat worried glance as he spoke up in a low tone. "Hey, uh... Do you know where Lucas is?"

The worrisome question made Connor's blue L.E.D. flash to red for a moment before returning to blue. "...I do not. Why do you ask?"

"Well, he never came back to the apartment last night, and I didn't see him this morning before I left."

"Perhaps he is working overtime at his own precinct."

"Y-Yeah, that's probably right. The giant chunk of plastic is actually happy to go to work in the mornings... Go figure."

The tense body language and uneasy gaze didn't escape Connor's attention. "You don't seem entirely convinced."

"...Look, as one detective to another I'm going to level with you." Glancing about the bullpen suspiciously to ensure no one was eavesdropping Gavin lowered his voice again. "I have a bad feeling in my gut about this."

With his blue L.E.D. now pulsing faster Connor also began to worry about Lucas's well being and attempted to contact him cybernetically. 'Lucas? May I ask of your current location?'

No response.

'Please, it is important that you respond. Where are you?'

There was only a faint static accompanied by silence.

"I cannot seem to reach him."

"Shit. Alright, I'm going to call his partner and ask if she knows. Hell, maybe he crashed at her place to keep working on the case after she clocked-out."

"...Yes, that's probable. I'll keep trying to reach him cybernetically." Pulling his coin from his right vest pocket Connor rose from his chair and danced the coin over the back of his right hand as he approached Hank to let him know that Lucas couldn't be contacted. Standing next to Ben's desk Connor grabbed onto the senior detective's shoulder and motioned for him to head into the breakroom. "Hank, I need to speak with you."

"Be right back, Ben. Tell narcotics to keep close the harbor, and make sure none of that shit gets on a cargo ship." Accompanying Connor into the breakroom as he had been requested Hank could see the worry etched on Connor's face as well as the dancing coin on his right hand. "What's up?"

Facing Hank directly as he kept out of the breakroom doorway Connor told Hank the grim information. "Lucas never returned to his apartment last night and I've been unable to contact him."

"Wait, what?"

"According to Gavin's own statement Lucas never returned to the apartment after clocking-out last night, and he failed to arrive earlier this morning."

Hank's shoulders tensed up with righteous worry. "Does his partner know where he is?"

"Gavin is going to contact Detective Kayda and ask."

"Alright, this is what we're going to do until he's found. Hey, Chris?" Calling out to the young officer Hank waved him over and made his decision. "Have you interviewed the overdose victim that Detective Lucas Blake located last night?"

"No, not yet, Lieutenant. I was waiting for Detective Blake's report on the incident to come in, but according to the paramedics who tended to the victim he wasn't at the scene when they arrived."

"That's not right."

"That's what Captain Rourke said. There was an autonomous taxi sitting idle on the street next to the alley where Lucas found the victim, but no sign of any occupant, struggle or anything else out of the ordinary." Picking up on the stress in Hank's voice and Connor's demeanor Chris knew something serious was happening. "...Do we suspect foul play?"

"Not yet. Look, me and Connor are going to go talk to the overdose victim at the hospital and see what she can tell us about Detective Blake."

"What should I do then?"

"Is Gavin still on desk duty?"

"Yeah, three more days until he's medically cleared for field duty."

"Then take Tina and do a patrol of that block and try to find witnessing willing to talk to the cops." Reaching into his pocket Hank handed Chris one of his business cards and pointed to the back. "Tell them that this is a 'get-out-of-jail-free' card, and they can call me one time to get their ass out of jail if they fuck up after today. It's important we get information on Detective Blake from anyone deemed reliable."

"Sure, no problem. Can I ask why?"

Hank looked over at Connor as the deviant pocketed his coin and spoke up quickly. "Detective Lucas Blake is a deviant. His model is 'RK-900' which makes him rare, and a possible abduction case by the 'red ice' dealers who are using siphoned filtered Thirium to create 'devil's kiss'."

"O-Oh, right... Right!" Pocketing the card Chris stepped away from the breakroom and waved over Tina to join him as he crossed the bullpen to head toward the front doors. "Tina, we're up!"

"Connor," putting his left hand on the deviant's right shoulder Hank gave him a stern look. "we'll find him."

"...When?"

"Soon. Let's go to the hospital and ask our questions."

"What makes you so certain the victim will cooperate?" Marching across the bullpen with Hank right at his side Connor wasn't nearly as convinced or confident as Hank was about the situation. "In my experience junkies refuse to speak to the police due to a fear of getting in worse trouble for abusing drugs, and would rather remain silent."

"Junkies always talk when we remind them that H.I.P.P.A. laws keep doctors and nurses from narcin' on them; you know, that doctor-patient confidentiality bullshit. As long as we don't freak her out she should talk in exchange for a lighter sentence."

Practically jogging over the parking garage the moment they passed through the front doors Connor and Hank rushed to the Oldsmobile with their every ounce of energy being focused on finding Lucas before it was too late to help him. "Have you done this before?"

"Too many damn times to count." Sitting down behind the steering wheel Hank barely waited for Connor to join him before he turned over the engine and pulled the car out of its parking place and onto the street. "Trust me, junkies would rather spend six months in a rehab facility than three years in prison."

---

Struggling to keep his tired gray eyes open Lucas ran another self diagnostic on his weakening systems and was greeted with less than ideal numbers tinted in red. With every second he remained attached to the glass siphoning jars Lucas crept seconds closer and closer to irreversible shutdown. Barely an hour earlier Albert lost consciousness as he had stated he would, and now Lucas was the only one still conscious in the cold isolated room. Struggling in vain against his chains Lucas realized just how weak he had become and knew it wouldn't be long until he lost consciousness, too.

The chains rattled with a soft echo through the room and Lucas's slow breathing became heavier. In the distance loud footsteps seemed to be nearing where the abducted deviants were being held in the chains. With that presence Lucas felt a chill run up his spine. A chill as cold as the very room he had been left suspended in chains to be bled for profit.

WARNING:

Power Reserve: 66%

Thirium Pump Rate: 116 b.p.m.^

Ventilation Rate: 22 v.p.m^

Thirium Pressure - LOW: 100/70

Core Temperature - ELEVATED: 101.8 Degrees Fahrenheit^

Thirium Volume - LOW: 64% Reserve

[...seek replenishment immediately]

Damage to Dorsal Plates: 97% Integrity^

[...estimated repair time: 01:14:39]

[...immediate technical assistance recommended]

Blinking slowly Lucas's steel gray eyes barely focused on the face of a tall human that had a red bandana over his nose and mouth to try to keep his identity as secret as possible. The man was pale, scrawny and had healed chemical burns along his neck, over his knuckles, palms and fingertips. He was very thin from drug abuse and his eyes were sunken in due to his poor health. As the man detached the external Thirium lines from the glass bottles Lucas got a good look at his hands and chronicled the information in his memorybank to ensure that once he escaped he'd have a way to identify the man of interest.

"...Why..." Trailing off for a moment Lucas struggled to clear his thoughts as the man pulled two Thirium pouches from his back pocket, and reattached the external lines to the pouches to give Lucas a much needed Thirium replenishment before he was bled again. "...Why are you... doing this?"

"For the same reason any man does anything." The cruel human snipped as he secured the pouches to the chains holding Lucas's arms in a suspended position in the air. The blue blood began to enter Lucas's system and with it his processor began updating his vitals. "Money. This blue blood might as well be blue gold."

"...You're demented."

"Hey, less humans in the world should be something you deviants would want." Stepping back and holding out his arms at his sides before taking a small bow the man managed a wicked sneer behind the bandana. "No thanks are necessary."

"...Killer. You're nothing more that a pathetic, cowardly, ruthless, worthless killer!"

"I've been called worse, 'pretty boy'."

Picking up the two glass jars of filtered Thirium from the floor the man left the room in the same direction from whence he came.

Running another self diagnostic Lucas noted his slightly improving vital signs but sighed despondently as he realized that unless his power level reached at least ninety percent he wouldn't be able to send a cybernetic distress call through the thick walls of the mysterious and cold building that he been taken. Just as the other deviant victims his G.P.S. had been knocked offline due to the electrical shock that rendered him unconscious leaving him entirely in the dark at the moment. With no way to communicate with the outside world or even learn of his location Lucas was truly helpless.

WARNING:

Power Reserve: 67%^

Thirium Pump Rate: 114 b.p.m.

Ventilation Rate: 21 v.p.m

Thirium Pressure - LOW: 100/70

Core Temperature - ELEVATED: 101.7 Degrees Fahrenheit

Thirium Volume - LOW: 66% Reserve

[...seek replenishment immediately]

Damage to Dorsal Plates: 97.2% Integrity^

[...estimated repair time: 01:09:44]

[...immediate technical assistance recommended]

"...I need to get outside. I need... to break these chains."

Pulling on the thick metal bindings Lucas felt how tightly the chains were wound around his limbs, and could hear the metal clinking about under his fruitless endeavor. He was too weak to even try to get his limbs loose from the chains, let alone break the thick metal material.

"...There has to be a way to escape." Closing his gray eyes with fatigue Lucas tried to think but with his energy reserves dipping lower and lower and knew time was running out. "...I don't... I don't want to die like this. ...Not like this."

---

While the witness at the hospital was willing to talk to the police she was unable to provide any details that were useful to their investigation. She had been completely unconscious in the alley and had no idea that anyone had found her or called for help until she regained consciousness in the hospital. Admitting to everything; her drug abuse, where she bought it, who her dealer was and how she had been so desperate for a high that she was willing to risk smoking the lethally potent drug, the victim was brought to tears as she realized how far she had fallen in life.

With only heartbreak and the address of a known drug dealer under their belts Hank and Connor left the hospital side by side to return to the car. Keeping his head up high Hank looked over at Connor as the deviant sat down beside him in the vehicle and could see the worry building behind the deviant's eyes.

"We'll find him."

"How? There are no witnesses, no security camera footage of the alley, no sign of Lucas leaving a trail to follow and no sign of him trying to connect with anyone at either precinct."

"Don't forget you're both insanely clever deviants and are too strong to just roll over and-" Stopping himself short Hank didn't finish his statement and just turned the key in the ignition. "It's hard but be patient."

"...I can't." Retrieving his coin Connor began dancing it over his right knuckles as he breathed slowly to ease his mounting anxiety. It was still a struggle for him to handle all of his emotions, but he was getting better now that he had coping techniques that worked for him. "Lucas is in danger. I can feel it."

"Maybe so, but Lucas is resourceful."

"That doesn't make his situation any less dire."

"Just try to think of it this way." Turning onto the street Hank decided to take a longer route back to the precinct so he and Connor could talk without their conversation feeling rushed. "Lucas was originally designed to your superior, and even though you're a prototype you're still one of the most advanced androids ever created. If you can survive all the bullshit you've been through then there's no way that Lucas would ever fail."

"We don't even know what he's going through."

"That's right. And remember that since we can't know what his situation is in we can't just assume it's the worst case scenario."

"We can't-" Connor's brown eyes went wide and the coin came to an abrupt halt on the back of his hand. Staring out his side window Connor caught sight of a young woman placing a plastic bag holding a dark red substance in the trunk of her car while trying to keep in the shadows. "Stop!"

Hitting the brakes hard Hank watched as Connor slipped his coin into his pocket, opened up his door and jogged over to the car of interest. The moment he showed the woman his badge the woman began crying and put her hands in the air as if to surrender. Having no idea what Connor was saying to the woman Hank shifted the car into park before he too stepped out of the vehicle to join his partner on the sidewalk.

"Connor?" Walking up to the deviant Hank stared at the woman as she willingly unlocked her trunk and let the deviant peer inside. "What's up?"

"She was attempting to transport 'red ice'." Moving aside a purple blanket in the trunk Connor revealed the large plastic bag full of the red tinted crystals. Opening the packet Connor picked up one of the smaller crystals and pressed it to his tongue to run an analysis sample. "...Correction. The concentration of this particular batch makes it 'devil's kiss', not traditional 'red ice'."

"Son of a bitch." Using his radio Hank requested patrol to their area to take the woman into custody and search the rest of her car. Motioning for the woman to turn around slowly Hank cuffed her hands behind her back and kept his left hand on her left shoulder to ensure she didn't try to run. "Good eye, Connor."

Connor was still holding onto the package of 'devil's kiss' in his left hand while his right fingertips held the crystal in a shaking grip. His L.E.D. was bright red and pulsing very quickly as he cybernetically relayed the information and contemplated what he had just discovered upon the analysis of the drug.

"Connor?" Putting his free hand on Connor's left shoulder Hank lowered his voice as he spoke to the obviously frightened deviant beside him. "What's wrong?"

"...This 'devil's kiss' was made very recently, less than an hour ago, with the filtered Thirium of the only 'RK-900' in this entire city."

Blue eyes went wide as he realized why Connor was suddenly so frightened. "Shit... Lucas."

---

Due to the nature of the abduction and need to find answers faster than they could actually ask the questions Hank was given special permission to recruit Noreen to his task force, and clue her in on her missing partner. It was one of the worst phone calls any detective could receive regarding their partners but Noreen wasn't about to lose her cool for the sake of getting Lucas back from the drug den holding him captive. Handling herself like the experienced professional that she was Noreen formerly introduced herself to Hank, Connor and even Gavin since it was Gavin who had been the one who called her. With their mission now focused on finding a fellow detective in distress before they were killed the team of three gathered in a conference room to discuss things openly.

Stuck at his desk Gavin could only hope to relay any potential tips that came in regarding the 'devil's kiss' flood in the city, and pass along the good word. Unwilling to admit that he was worried about Lucas as well, the abrasive detective kept his mind preoccupied with handling phone calls, tips and sifting through the names of known drug dealers in hope of finding a pattern to follow.

"We can confirm that each of the deviants who have been abducted have been used to make this 'devil's kiss' shit, and are being bled dry." Putting his hands to his hips as he went over the facts with both Connor and Noreen in the small conference room Hank tried to not think about Lucas being used like cattle in some unknown place in the fucked up city. "The last batch that was confiscated has been connected to Detective Lucas Blake who has been reported missing since approximately midnight last night. No last known location, no sign of a struggle and no sign of communication."

Connor flexed his hands atop the table in the conference room as he worked on channeling his tic without needing to rely on his coin as much. Fighting to find his words Connor spoke up in a grim tone to contribute to the meeting at hand. "...The batch of 'devil's kiss' that has been most recently confiscated had been produced within the past two hours; estimated time to be one hour and forty-minutes. It was made with the filtered Thirium from an 'RK-900' model of android, and Lucas Blake is the only 'RK-900' in existence."

"The woman who had attempted to move the 'devil's kiss'", Hank continued on Connor's behalf. "has been connected to four high profile drug dealers in the city who had been arrested numerous times for selling 'red ice' on the streets. She gave us the name of her contact but he wasn't at his usual address. The same for the drug dealer our victim at the hospital gave us this afternoon."

Noreen tapped a blue pen nervously on the table as she let out a despondent sigh. "What about the G.P.S. coordinates from the salvaged processors of the previous deviant victims? What information did they give us?"

"We can confirm that the two still salvageable processors were found within the same block as one another through their G.P.S. records." Connor replied as he cybernetically brought up an image of the city map on the projector already set up in the conference room, and highlighted the victims' locations for Noreen to see. "There is no building in the area that fits the criteria necessary to operate a drug den of this magnitude, and there were no witnesses from bystanders of the neighboring buildings who can confirm any unscrupulous behavior in the area."

"Wait a minute..." Noreen pointed to the vacant lot with her pen and gave Hank a curious look. "Lieutenant, that lot used to have a large building on it, right? Some type of containment facility if I'm remembering correctly."

"That's right." Confirming the question Hank stepped back from the wall to get a better view of the map without being blinded by the extremely bright projection image. "According to site records it once housed a concrete structure designed to house a nuclear power plant that was meant to be built back in 2029, but the citizens voted against the idea of having a potential nuclear bomb near the center of one of the more violent cities in the country. Probably one of the few good decisions the community made together."

"So, they started building the plant and then tore it down after the city voted against it, right?"

"That's right."

"For nuclear energy wouldn't they need to keep the core cool and contained at all times? I'm no expert on nuclear energy or physics but I'm certain that they need to have a large area that contains numerous cooling agents and materials that absorb radiation to prevent collateral damage."

Connor cybernetically downloaded the curious information, as well as the old blueprints for the never finished building. "...To keep such a temperature sensitive core properly maintained the plant had originally designed an underground structure to house the core and keep thermal sensors active at all times. In the event of a meltdown the core would already be contained in lead lined-" Changing the image on the projector from the city map and to the blueprints Connor highlighted a truly interesting portion of the design for Hank to see. "...It'd be kept underground to prevent contamination."

The blueprint showed a massive underground system of chambers and tunnels all lined with reinforced concrete lined with lead, and strong metal chains that would keep the core as stable as possible in the event of the (rare) earthquake passing through Detroit. The underground portion of the canceled plant had been finished but then abandoned after the above ground structure was demolished, and the lot put up for sale.

"Connor," pointing at the deviant Hank sought a confirmation on what they were all thinking. "can the underground structure still be accessed by the public?"

"Affirmative." Standing up from the table Connor was ready to spring into action and rescue Lucas and the other deviants before it was too late. "There is a single access point there." Highlighting the Western portion of the map with a yellow dot Connor found the lone stairwell leading into the underground structure. "It was left opened to allow potential buyers of the lot access to the lower area for exploration, and City Hall has contemplated repurposing the structure into a massive public shelter in the event of a disaster."

"How do we get in?"

"There's a stairwell hidden under a metal door that requires two keys to access. Those keys should be in the possession of the mayor only."

"If we're right then someone has either already picked those locks or broken them. Get your Kevlar," he nodded at Connor and Noreen confidently as he made his way toward the door. "we're going to go find Lucas and bring him home."

---

Seeing red and gray static as his power dropped back down and his Thirium reserves dipped down to a dangerously low level Lucas's visual processors began to shut down to preserve his waning energy as much as possible. The faint echoes of the cold room were nothing but memories as his auditory processors steadily deafened him to the cruel reality around him. Numbing on a physical level with each ounce of Thirium he lost Lucas feared that if he closed his eyes he wouldn't be able to open them again. Refusing to give up, refusing to go down without a fight, Lucas forced his arms to move as he pulled at the chains with the pitiful strength he still had left in his body.

Staring blankly at the graying glass bottles of his stolen Thirium below his body Lucas tried to calculate how much blood he had lost as a means of keeping his mind sharp and active, yet the simple equation was far too taxing for his exhausted mind to handle. With his vision fading in and out the numbers were all scrambling together in his mind and an eerie silence falling over his ears Lucas's final efforts seemed to be in vain.

WARNING:

Power Reserve: 38%

Thirium Pump Rate: 137 b.p.m.^

Ventilation Rate: 9 v.p.m

Thirium Pressure - CRITICAL: 80/60

Core Temperature - ELEVATED: 102.8 Degrees Fahrenheit^

Thirium Volume - LOW: 44% Reserve

[...seek replenishment immediately]

Damage to Dorsal Plates: 98.3% Integrity^

[...estimated repair time: ERROR - UNKNOWN]

[...immediate technical assistance recommended]

"-orth it?" A mumbling voice barely registered in Lucas's deafened ears. The voice belonged to a hand that pointed in Lucas's paled face, his artificial skin unable to fully generate and allowed his white plastimetal frame to be seen through the semi transparent flesh. The hand was covered in familiar burn scars from years of creating illegal, dangerous drugs for the street. "We're putting more blue blood in this one than we're getting out of it!"

"The Thirium it filters is some of the best we've ever gotten out of these things." A second voice, more baritone and angry spoke up as he just barely came into Lucas's graying vision. "Get another batch out of it and keep the Thirium it produces locked up so we can sell 'premium red ice' for twice as much."

"Then what?"

"Do what we did with the other plastic-cattle we bled dry. Toss it out with the rest of the trash."

Lucas struggled to record the voices as his power levels dipped lower and lower. Having a special safeguard protecting his intracranial processor from overheating guaranteed that after he shuts down - whatever the reason may be, the evidence he was collecting against the people who were torturing and killing deviants could be used against them.

If his final act in the world was to condemn murders attacking his own people then it'd be an act that would be the deviant's honor to perform.

"...W-Won't..." Lucas's whisper was hoarse and carried a heavy electronic reverb as he spoke. "get away... with this..."

"Shut it." Dropping his hand from Lucas's face the first man promptly took care of the glass jars of Lucas's stolen Thirium before reattaching the external lines to another pair of jars to drain what was left in the deviant's system. "If your body could hold as much Thirium as these 'brahma bulls' next to you then you'd be worth the Thirium we're pumping into you."

Forcing his eyes to focus, forcing his vision to clear, Lucas noticed that neither men were wearing their bandanas over their faces which gave the deviant clear view of his assailants. Recording their faces and their vile words Lucas found comfort in knowing that after his death justice would still be served through his collected evidence.

"Make sure the others get their hourly fill." The second man, clearly the leader of the operation, snapped at the first man. "That little minx you pegged as the 'perfect mule' got busted this afternoon, so we need to make up for the batch that she lost."

"I'm on it..."

Letting out a waning weak breath Lucas lost his strength entirely as his blue blood continued to leave his body against his will. Closing his gray eyes as his power levels and Thirium reserves downed even further while his core temperature elevated Lucas used his last moment of consciousness to leave behind a cybernetic message to be uncovered by whomever found his body and downloaded his processor.

WARNING:

Power Reserve: 36%

Thirium Pump Rate: 143 b.p.m.^

Ventilation Rate: 7 v.p.m

Thirium Pressure - CRITICAL: 70/50

Core Temperature - ELEVATED: 103.1 Degrees Fahrenheit^

Thirium Volume - CRITICAL: 40% Reserve

[...seek replenishment immediately]

Damage to Dorsal Plates: 98.3% Integrity

[...estimated repair time: ERROR - UNKNOWN]

WARNING:

[...immediate technical assistance recommended]

[...EMERGENCY STASIS MODE: Activated]

"...Forgive me... for being... weak. Connor. Noreen. I'm... sorry."

---

Six patrol cars raced to the vacant lot with their sirens blaring and bright lights flashing with a rhythmic pattern. Following Hank's command the back-up officers accommodated the senior detective as he led the rescue effort with Connor and Noreen as his right and left hands. Driving onto the grassy vacant lot and surrounding the oddly placed stairwell jutting out of the Western area of the ground - it was surrounded by a concrete doorway that identified its location, Hank led the way to the stairwell door with his gun already drawn before him. Connor and Noreen joined Hank at the doorway to investigate the locks closely without drawing any unwanted attention from the unknown number of people inside.

Connor pressed his right palm over the surface of the door and ran an internal cybernetic scan of the integrity of the two locks. Both had been damaged by a strong lockpick and had been damaged approximately six months prior.

"The door isn't locked." Pushing on the metal handle Connor opened the metal door and stepped to the side while Hank stepped forward to take the lead and keep the area clear.

The stairwell was long and wide as it reached into the depths of the hidden structure beneath the city. Due to the abundance of concrete the stairwell was as cold as ice, and unnerving to traverse. Above the stairwell were numerous white L.E.D. lights leading down to the depths and blue painted arrows were placed along the walls to direct the nonexistent plant personnel through the plant that was never completed.

"Can your scanner thing work down in here?"

"Yes, but no." Lowering his voice as he followed after Hank with Noreen to his left Connor admitted that the lead lining of the underground structure greatly limited his scanner's ability to penetrate walls or send out cybernetic communication. "It's functional but extremely limited."

"Stick with Noreen at all times." Reaching the bottom of the long stairwell Hank looked at the arrows pointing toward three different corridors and tried to think of the best way to navigate the odd structure. "You two head down to the core area, I'll go to the observation area with two officers. The rest of you," he nodded to the officers trailing after them down the stairwell. "go to the maintenance chamber. Only one of you remain at the entrance to make sure no one flees from custody and can relay messages back to dispatch. The lead in the walls is going to make communication difficult. Go!"

Nodding once Connor moved down the correct corridor with Noreen still at his side and began mapping out their every movement to ensure they didn't become lost during their sweep. With each connecting corridor they passed by Connor and Noreen would peer inside to ensure there was no one inside the short hallways or small rooms as they continued to sweep the area.

"Shit." Reaching a junction Noreen looked to her left and then her right as she tried to figure out where to go. "Which way do we go?"

Connor closed his eyes and sent out a cybernetic signal that managed to pick up on faint cybernetic signals from other deviants in the area. "Go right. I can detect the signatures of other deviants in that direction."

"Is it Lucas?"

"Possibly. It's too faint for me to tell one distinct signature from another."

"Alright, lead the way." Making sure her weapon was ready for service Noreen gave Connor a confident grin. "I got your back."

Heading down the right corridor Connor let the cybernetic signal lead him closer and closer to the signatures of the other deviants in the structure. Picking up on a total of nine distinct signatures Connor knew that they had found the abducted deviants, and that they were that much closer to finding Lucas. The very second his scanner identified Lucas's unique signature among the other 'TR-400' signatures Connor hastened his pace and honed in on the missing deviants like a bloodhound tracking a criminal.

Reaching the structure's isolated section for storing a core Connor's artificial stomach knotted as he smelled the fresh Thirium in the air. Along the walls of the large chamber were nine deviants all bound in metal chains and eerily silent as they were bled dry. None of the deviants were currently conscious or aware of anyone's presence in the room making the chamber feel like a crypt for the abducted victims to rot away inside of.

The sight of Lucas near the center of the left wall completely helpless, pale and actively bleeding through external Thirium lines was a macabre as it was frightening. Connor caught sight of a human detaching the external Thirium lines from two glass jars filled with Lucas's stolen blue blood, and was about to attach the lines to another pair of glass jars to bleed even more blood from Lucas's emaciated body.

Angered at the sight Connor raised his gun and announced his presence with pure aggression in his tone. "DETROIT POLICE!" Approaching the man quickly it was clear he was ready for a violent confrontation. "DON'T MOVE!"

Seeing two cops now pointing their guns directly at him the man's eyes went wide, and in his panic he threw the two glass jars of stolen Thirium at Connor and Noreen before he took off down the opposite direction.

"I got him!" Noreen volunteered as she gave chase to the man. Leaping over the spilled blood and glass Noreen was determined to arrest the man who had been assaulting her partner. "Help the deviants!"

There was no denying that Connor alone was the only one who could help the deviants and trusted Noreen to chase down the suspect in his stead. Holstering his gun Connor looked at the spilled blue blood glistening over the shattered glass remains of the jar all over the floor at his feet with a sense of pure disgust lingering on his tongue. Turning to face the deviants all in emergency stasis mode chained to the walls to his left and to his right Connor set his priorities.

The 'TR-400' models were all tall enough that when Connor removed the external Thirium lines from their necks and the chains from their limbs he was able to easily guide them down to their knees to rest, and didn't have to worry about the unconscious deviants from collapsing forward and into the puddle of lost Thirium and glass shards. Each deviant was in emergency stasis mode, but they were stable and showed no sign of immediate distress.

"You'll be safe now..." Taking the time to free the 'TR-400' models first and making sure they were no longer bleeding Connor forced himself to leave Lucas for last as he couldn't let his personal feelings cloud his judgment. Finally removing the external lines from the 'RK-900' model's neck Connor stared at Lucas's pale face with tears forming in his soulful brown eyes. "Lucas... Please, open your eyes."

Too weak to respond to the familiar voice Lucas remained entirely limp and helpless, still bound in the relentless chains above the floor.

Moving the chains from Lucas's legs first, the deviant's lower body collapsing to the floor with a heavy drop, Connor released the leather strap from around Lucas's forehead and let the unconscious deviant rest their head against his left shoulder as he worked to remove the chains one at a time from his arms. Wrapping his arms around Lucas's chest and shoulders Connor slowly unwound the chain from Lucas's torso and supported his entire dead weight in his grip.

Carefully Connor knelt on the floor, mindful of the blood and glass, and adjusted the unconscious deviant in his grip so he could hold Lucas in his arms off the floor, and to let Lucas rest against his lap.

"Lucas? Lucas, open your eyes!"

Pressing his left fingertips to the deviant's dully glowing red L.E.D. Connor connected his mind to Lucas's mind to run a diagnostic on the weakened deviant's current system.

"Oh... Lucas. No..."

WARNING:

Power Reserve: 19%

Thirium Pump Rate: 152 b.p.m.^

Ventilation Rate: 4 v.p.m

Thirium Pressure - CRITICAL: 60/40

Core Temperature - ELEVATED: 104.4 Degrees Fahrenheit^

Thirium Volume - CRITICAL: 32% Reserve

[...seek replenishment immediately]

Damage to Dorsal Plates: 98.3% Integrity

[...estimated repair time: ERROR - UNKNOWN]

WARNING:

[...immediate technical assistance recommended]

[...EMERGENCY STASIS MODE: Activated]

WARNING:

[...Shutdown Commencing In: 00:57:34]

"Lucas!"

The dying deviant needed blood immediately before he suffered from severe overheating and biocomponent failure. There was no time to wait for E.F.T.'s to arrive at the scene of the assault, and Connor wouldn't be able to carry Lucas out of the structure, get him into a car and drive him to a facility without risking damage to Lucas's biocomponents during transport.

"Lucas, hold on. I'll think of something..."

Glancing about the small and bloody space Connor's red L.E.D. flickered rapidly in tandem with his racing heartbeat as his soulful brown eyes landed on the external Thirium line that had been used to drain Lucas of his blue blood leaving him a nearly empty shell of his former self. The Thirium that had been taken from Lucas had now been spilled on the floor leaving it useless, but the external line could still somehow prove useful.

"I know what to do."

Loosening Lucas's black tie to get the garment out of the way Connor laid Lucas down against his lap as much as possible, then tore open the red dress shirt to expose Lucas's pale chest. Returning his left fingertips to Lucas's L.E.D. Connor pressed his right palm down over the center of Lucas's barely moving chest to manually deactivate the artificial skin over the plastimetal frame.

"This won't be pleasant, Lucas." Opening the plastimetal panel protecting Lucas's rapidly beating and red tinted heart Connor picked up one of the Thirium lines from the floor and promptly rolled up the left sleeve of his white dress shirt. Wearing the Kevlar vest prevented Connor from wearing his over top blazer which made the process of getting to his bare arm a little easier. "...But this will keep you alive."

Removing the artificial skin from the bend of his left elbow Connor slid open the plastimetal paneling and connected one end of the external Thirium line to the main Thirium line running down his limb within the panel. With one end secured Connor then attached the other end of the external line directly to a port on the front of Lucas's Thirium pump. Flexing his left hand a few times Connor managed to get the blood flowing from his arm and directly into Lucas's heart.

Feeling his own heart thundering manically in his chest Connor didn't dare calm himself down just yet as he knew his rapid heartbeat would help pump blood into Lucas's starving heart that much quicker and more efficiently.

Connecting to Lucas's system once more Connor read over the downed deviant's system readout with a grimace on his face.

WARNING:

Power Reserve: 20%^

Thirium Pump Rate: 148 b.p.m.

Ventilation Rate: 5 v.p.m

Thirium Pressure - CRITICAL: 60/40

Core Temperature - ELEVATED: 104.1 Degrees Fahrenheit

Thirium Volume - CRITICAL: 33% Reserve^

[...seek replenishment immediately]

Damage to Dorsal Plates: 98.3% Integrity

[...estimated repair time: ERROR - UNKNOWN]

WARNING:

[...immediate technical assistance recommended]

[...Shutdown: DEACTIVATED]

[...Emergency Stasis Mode: ACTIVATED]

"Don't worry, Lucas." The lack of a shutdown timer was reassuring but it didn't mean Lucas was out of the woods just yet. "I'm here with you..."

---

Sweeping the observation and maintenance rooms yielded one of the most impressive drug busts in Detroit's history, and nearly rivaled the amount of 'red ice' confiscated from the historic bust that had led to Hank's promotion to Lieutenant all those years ago. The senior detective and responding officers held control of the entire structure and managed to relay the information to the single officer watching the stairwell, and asked them to call in additional assistance to take the drugs into evidence and to be destroyed later on.

A total of thirty-two drug dealers, big and small, had been rounded up and arrested on the spot. Pointing the finger at only two of the large group as the ones responsible for the whole ordeal made sifting through the mess a little bit easier than anticipated.

Holding his weapon out before himself Hank smirked as he recognized the two drug dealers laying on their stomachs on the ground with their hands behind their heads. The two men were the very duo who taunted Lucas an hour before and decided to bleed him dry. "Look at this... Diego 'Scorch' Barnham, and Jeremy 'The Cobra' Wesbach. I don't think it's a coincidence that I've heard your names once already today."

Snarling in anger Jeremy glared at Hank as he laid on the floor. "Shut up, pig!"

"You'd think by now you assholes would've come up with something more biting than that considering all the time you've spent in police custody." As the two men had their hands cuffed behind their backs Hank holstered his gun and put his hands to his hips confidently. "This afternoon my partner busted a young woman trying to pack up some of that 'devil's kiss' shit in her car. She said that 'Scorch' here," Hank pointed at the man who was doing his best to breathe through what was sure to be an impressive bruise forming on his back. "recruited her this morning."

Jeremy managed to awkwardly kick Diego in the side where he was laying for the mistake. "I told you that bitch got busted! Always thinkin' with your dick..."

"And a young lady who nearly overdosed last night told me that a dealer named 'The Cobra' sold her the shit that almost took her down. The only reason she survived is because she was found by a fellow detective who called 911 and got her help. Funny thing is... That detective was nowhere to be seen when the paramedics showed up, but his blue blood was found mixed into a fresh batch of that shit you're peddling on the streets. Got anything to say about that?"

Jeremy's pale green eyes went wide as he realized that the valuable 'RK-900' he abducted last night was also a cop. "...Since when did the police start hiring plastic over pigs?"

"Remember what I said about having more bite than bark? As I was saying... Since it was a fellow officer who went missing, and we can presume assaulted since so much of his blood was being used to make that poison, that means you're going to prison for life. Attempted murder of an officer carries the same punishment as a successful murder."

"I didn't know it was a cop!"

"Thanks or the confession, 'Cobra'. That'll make the trial a hell of a lot easier..."

"Lieutenant?" Noreen had finished her sweep of the other corridors and glared at Diego as the man cowered when he heard her voice. The moment she took off after him and tackled him to the ground Diego realized he had screwed up royally, and was going to deal with serious repercussions. "Connor located the deviant victims and they all need technical assistance."

Turning to face the younger detective Hank gave her a searching glance. "All of the victims have been accounted for?"

"Yes, sir. They're all still alive but in rough shape."

"Shit." Relaying the information via radio to the other officers Hank requested numerous E.F.T.'s to the scene and to give the Zeta Facility a head's up regarding the incoming casualties. Pointing to another officer standing in the room Hank motioned for him to keep an eye on the room while he accompanied Noreen elsewhere in the structure. "Show me where they are."

Hastening her pace Noreen expertly led Hank down the winding corridors and back to the core room where she had last seen Connor and Lucas. "This way, Lieutenant."

---

The sight of Connor kneeling in the blue blood with Lucas's unconscious body in his arms and over his lap made Hank pale to a ghostly shade. Unwilling to risk the E.F.T.'s getting lost while trying to navigate the corridors Hank ordered all available officers to help carry the deviant victims outside and keep them all as stabilized as possible until the E.F.T's arrived at the scene. Scooping Lucas up from Connor's grip very carefully Hank carried the unconscious deviant himself, while Noreen helped Connor to walk without the external line being torn from either deviant's body during the journey.

Having donated almost a fifth of his overall Thirium volume to Lucas to keep him alive Connor was feeling weak and appreciated Noreen's assistance as he walked just a pace behind Hank to keep the blood flowing into Lucas's struggling heart.

"...Connor, how bad is he?" Whispering discreetly Noreen pulled Connor's right arm around her shoulders while she wrapped her left arm around his waist to support him as much as possible. "I... I don't know much about androids. He looks terrible."

"He is very weak and was nearing shutdown." Admitting that Lucas was near death made Connor's heart skip a beat as he realized how losing Lucas would've had a horrible impact on his life. Something about losing the only 'RK-900' in the world, losing someone so unique and someone that could actually understand Connor's own pain made Connor feel guilty for being so cold to him previously. "...But Lucas is stabilizing through the Thirium transfusion. He just... needs time to heal and recalibrate his system."

"...He's so pale."

"Artificial skin thins out when our power level or Thirium level get too low. As of the moment Lucas is in insipid shock."

"And it feels like he's running a fever. The heat is just pouring off of him."

"Overheating is a common side effect from extreme Thirium loss."

"...Wow. I don't mean any disrespect by this comparison, but that's a very human reaction to physical trauma."

Reaching the staircase leading to the outside world Connor nodded his head a little and kept pace with Hank ahead of him. "...You're not wrong."

---

Media coverage of the drug bust was swift and plentiful. While the small task force was being hailed as heroes, something that none of the three detectives saw as anything more than a complimentary title, the drugs confiscated were being locked up into evidence before being destroyed before they could harm a single person in the city. The thirty-two drug dealers were being questioned and charged accordingly, and all of the abducted deviants were rescued and taken to the Zeta Facility for proper treatment. As of the moment the police officers who had aided in the bust were busy keeping nosy reporters out of the facility to give the victims a chance to breathe and recover after their ordeal.

For Lucas he had Noreen, Connor and Hank all sitting in his recovery room as he received Thirium through lines in both arms, and was placed over a cooling blanket to keep his core from overheating while his system recalibrated after enduring such severe Thirium loss. With an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth to keep cool air in his ventilation biocomponents and a Thirial activity monitor recording his vitals Lucas looked truly sick and weak.

Sipping at the coffee from by the facility's breakroom Hank looked over at Noreen as she stood beside the bed and rubbed her right palm gently over Lucas's left shoulder and then to Connor as the deviant sat at Lucas's right side with a haunted looked in his soulful brown eyes. The two detectives were both clearly worried about Lucas and Hank had no idea to help either of them relax a little as they waited for Lucas to wake up.

"Lucas will be fine you two."

"...He's still so weak." Connor was watching the Thirial activity monitor with hawk like diligence. The numbers were higher but not perfect just yet. "His vitals have improved but he still needs to rest and recalibrate."

"Do you know how he was even abducted to begin with?"

"Yes." Lowering his eyes from the monitor to Lucas's slowly rising and falling chest Connor confirmed the important details with both Hank and Noreen. "When he knelt down beside the overdose victim in the alleyway last night Lucas left his back exposed. It was Jeremy Wesbach who used a taser to stun Lucas and render him unconscious."

"You're sure?"

"Yes. There are two identical holes in the back of Lucas's shirt that line up with two wounds in his back just below his shoulder blades. There is electrical scorching to the plastimetal frame and surrounding artificial skin. Two identical puncture marks mar Lucas's back where the metal prongs pierced his frame as the electrical discharge knocked his system offline. A taser that has traces of Lucas's Thirium, as well as the other victims of abduction and assault, was found in Wesbach's car parked in an alley near the lot."

Noreen let out a sigh from her nose as she realized that Lucas was attacked because she wasn't there to watch his back, and immediately felt guilty. "I should've insisted on giving him a ride home, or let him drive me back to my place last night when he asked. He could've stayed on my couch or something."

"...But if Lucas hadn't walked down that particular sidewalk then the overdose victim would've perished in the alley." The grim thought upset Connor as he realized that Lucas had saved a life and almost lost his own life because of his good deed. "She may be a drug addict but she didn't deserve to die in such a way, and Lucas made sure she didn't."

"Yeah, I know... That doesn't change the fact that he was alone when he was attacked."

The door to the private room slid open as Abby entered to check on Lucas's progress. It'd been an hour since his admission and subsequent treatment, and Abby wasn't too worried about his chances of a full recovery. Her confidence alone seemed to be enough to lift the otherwise dour energy in the room to a more upbeat level. "Is he still asleep?"

"Yes." Connor confirmed in a low voice as if trying to not wake Lucas up. "He hasn't moved and I haven't detected any cybernetic signal from his processor rebooting yet."

"He will." Pulling her penlight from her scrub's breast pocket Abby leaned over Lucas and lifted his eyelids one at a time to check his pupil response. The gray irises weren't as glazed over as they had been, and his pupils were finally responding to light changes. "That's a good sign. His visual processors are back online, so I imagine his auditory processors are functioning as well."

Noreen kept rubbing her palm over Lucas's shoulder as she decided to test that theory. "Lucas? You're going to be okay, but we need you to open your eyes so we can see it for ourselves."

A slight twitch of Lucas's left hand held everyone's attention as it seemed the deviant heard his partner's voice. Connor stood up and looked down at Lucas in time to see his red L.E.D. cycle to yellow, and his eyes moving back and forth beneath his closed eyelids. "Lucas?" Looking up at Noreen for a moment Connor encouraged her to keep speaking. "He recognizes your voice. Talk to him again."

"Lucas, you're safe now." Moving her palm from his shoulder to his left hand Noreen picked up the cold limp appendage and held it in a firm grip. "I know you can hear us. You're in a facility and you're going to be okay."

Abby pulled her audioscope from around her neck and put the earbuds in place before pressing the metal bell of the instrument over Lucas's chest to directly listen to his heartbeat. The bell moved swiftly over the pale blue scrub top that Lucas was wearing as Abby listened to his vital biocomponent responding normally now that his Thirium reserve had been restored. "Lucas, if you can understand me I need you to squeeze Noreen's hand. Come on, I know you can do it. Squeeze just once."

As Hank rose from his chair to stand near the bed the group watched Lucas's fingers slowly curl around Noreen's hand as instructed. "That's it... We knew you weren't going to go down that easily."

"Open your eyes." Abby commanded as she pulled back the audioscope and checked the lines running into Lucas's arms. "I need you to open your eyes, Lucas. Look at me."

In a sluggish fluttering motion Lucas's eyes opened and steel gray irises focused on Abby's face as she leaned over him. "...Dr. Grayson."

"Hi. Welcome back."

"...I am... I am in your facility?"

"Yup." Nodding at Noreen as she kept holding his hand Abby took a step back and explained things to the now conscious deviant rather nonchalantly. "Your partner and your friends have been worried about you. Hell, I even saw that Detective Reed guy poke his head in for a minute before chickening out and returning to the precinct."

"...My friends?" Lifting his head up a little from the pillow Lucas immediately felt Connor's left palm under his hair holding him up. Surprised to see Connor after their previous cold encounter Lucas's yellow L.E.D. shifted to blue, which in turn made Connor's own L.E.D. finally return to blue as well. "...Connor." Looking past the deviant Lucas spotted Hank as well and managed a weak grin. "...Hank."

"Hey, son." Putting his right hand down Lucas's right knee Hank gave the deviant's leg a small shake. "How do you feel?"

"...Confused."

"I don't blame ya'. Don't worry, we got the bastards that hurt you and you're going to be just fine." Pointing to Noreen beside him Hank gave her a proud nod of his head. "Your partner tackled the asshole who was stealing your blood, and Connor got your stabilized after he freed you from those chains."

"...Thank you." Blinking slowly Lucas looked at Noreen and then Connor with relief in his gray irises. "...Both of you."

Connor spoke up softly as he kept his palm under Lucas's hair. "I'm glad you're going to be okay."

Hank looked over to Abby and asked her the one question that everyone has been dying to ask. "Abby, when can he go home?"

"I want to keep him here overnight to make sure none of his biocomponents were affected by the Thirium loss." She replied professionally as she updated Lucas's electronic chart. "Then he can go home and rest for the next forty-eight hours before returning to work."

Noreen liked that particularly good news. "Hear that? You'll be out of here by tomorrow morning."

Letting out a small sigh Lucas leaned back against the pillow and felt Connor pull his hand back. "...I don't want to be alone tonight."

"You won't be." Noreen promised as she tightened her grip around his hand. "I have the rest of the day off, so I'll stay with you until you can go back to your apartment and heal."

"...Thank you, Noreen."

Hank could see that Lucas was still exhausted and knew it'd be best if he had some peace and quiet. "Get some rest, kid. We'll see you tomorrow."

Connor looked over at Hank and seemed hesitant to leave, but understood it was for the best. "...Yes." Returning his focus to Lucas again Connor gave him a confident nod. "We'll be back to see you again tomorrow."

"...Wait." Lifting his right hand Lucas removed the artificial skin from his palm and waited for Connor to grab on. The moment Connor accepted his hand Lucas closed his eyes and transferred over his memories of the two men to use as evidence in court. "...I may have been a victim of abduction and assault, but I'm still a detective and I can still help. Use this."

Receiving all of the information in a single burst of details Connor's L.E.D. shifted to yellow for a moment. "...This is all crucial information. It will guarantee that the men responsible for what has happened to you will receive the maximum punishment. We can now confirm they are directly responsible for the assaults and manufacturing of the drugs."

Patting Connor's right shoulder twice Hank motioned for the deviant to take his leave. "Come on. Let's finish this case so Lucas can rest without needing to worry about a report being late."

Nodding a little Connor reluctantly let Lucas's hand go as he stepped back from the bed. "Right. Rest well, Lucas. We will back tomorrow morning."

"...Thank you for coming for me, Connor."

"You're welcome."

Abby watched the two detectives take their leave of the room and let out a small sigh of her own. "I get the feeling that those two are going to go for the kill with those drug dealers. I can't say that I feel sorry for them, they brought it on themselves."

Chuckling a little Noreen pulled a chair from the wall over to the bed and sat down with pure emotional exhaustion written on her face. "You know something, Lucas? You can now officially say you and Connor are brothers."

Giving Noreen a truly confused glance while Abby continued to check his vitals Lucas didn't understand her comment. "...Why would I be able to do that? Nothing has changed has it?"

"Connor freed you from those chains and to keep your stable he gave you blood right from his own body. Since you two now have the same blood running through your lines you can officially say you're brothers. Blood brothers."

"...He did that for me?"

"Yeah. I never thought I'd see something like that ever in my career; someone actively giving their own blood to another person so they could live..."

Feeling his strength draining away Lucas's gray eyes began to close as he slipped back into rest mode to heal. "...I suppose that's what brothers are supposed to do. Protect each other... Right?"

"That's right." Smirking at the comment Noreen just held onto Lucas's hand as the deviant fell asleep before her eyes. "Get some rest. I'll be right here when you wake up again, Lucas. I'm so glad that you're going to be okay."

-next chapter-