The week passed by with a heavy feeling in the air at the precinct. Not only had the car accident that maimed Gavin's arm left everyone feeling morose on behalf of their injured colleague, but the investigation into the failed airbag in Gavin's patrol car led to less than ideal answers. The failure of the safety feature was directly linked to the automotive plant that had known about the flaw, but shipped out the vehicles anyway to avoid a costly recall. With the Detroit Police Department now looking into the plant and looking to press charges, a majority of the patrol cars were being examined by mechanics to prevent further failures, and ensure that the patrolling officers were all safe.

As for Gavin his return to the waking world in the hospital was met with pain, shock and absolute horror. Nearly suffering a panic attack when he was told the unfortunate news regarding his lost left arm Gavin raged at the surgeons who made the decision to not reattach his arm, and needed to be sedated before he worked himself up into such a frenzy that he caused his sutures to bleed or stressed himself into a stunted recovery. Tina and Aaron stayed with him and did everything they could to keep him calm, but whenever he awoke he'd either go into a rage or a crying fit of utter fear and resentment. Respecting Gavin's request to not have visitors everyone else at the precinct kept their distance, and only received updates from Tina when Gavin gave her permission to talk about what he was going through.

The family of the drunk driver had attempted to extend their sincerest apologies toward Gavin, but were met with only warnings to keep away from Gavin at all times. The precinct didn't fault the family in any way as they weren't responsible for the man's drunken behavior, but they weren't necessarily warm or receptive to their presence either.

It seemed Gavin was slipping into a deep and dark depression and Aaron was determined to keep him from giving up on himself. Tina herself was just as determined but was getting emotionally exhausted with enduring Gavin's frequent angry outbursts. The duo managed to convince the hospital to release Gavin into their care after the week was over, and confirmed that he wouldn't be left alone until his mental state improved. The healing detective had been placed on suicide watch due to the mental and emotional strain that came from losing his arm, but it'd be his friends watching over him as opposed to indifferent medical personnel.

Feeling as if he were intruding on Gavin while the detective hid himself away in his bedroom at the apartment Lucas would only take his leave when Aaron or Tina arrived for their shifts in watching over the despondent detective for the day. Lucas had been awake all night long to keep an eye on Gavin as he was the only one who could stay awake for such a long period of time. Even when Gavin was practically unconscious in his drug induced slumber Lucas didn't dare look away from him for even a moment. Tracking Gavin's vital signs, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest, and watching every little muscle twitch in the sleeping detective's body, left Lucas feeling exhausted himself.

Gavin's hair was greasy from a lack of constant showering, he had thick and dark stubble all over his chin that was ready to start growing out into a dark beard within a day or two, and his clothing was becoming stained with sweat from his frequent outbursts of anger. He looked as rough as he undoubtedly felt, and it'd take him quite some time to recover from everything he had gone through.

"...He slept well." Lucas stated as Aaron quietly met him by the opened bedroom doorway. The duo watched as Gavin laid flat on his back with his thick gray comforter laying over his body keeping him warm in the bed. "No sign of a fever, bleeding or blood clots."

"Has he been eating?"

"Not much. The only time I see him drink water is when he takes his antibiotics, painkillers and sleeping medication. Even then, I have to practically force him to cooperate. In the total eight days since the accident he's lost six pounds, four ounces."

"Shit." Aaron looked absolutely heartbroken to see his boyfriend suffering so much pain physically, emotionally and mentally. "I'll try and get him to eat something weighty today."

"That'd be for the best. Will you be okay watching Gavin alone?"

"Yeah, I can handle him. What're you going to do today?"

"I'm going to seek advice from my brother and Lieutenant Anderson on how to help Gavin through this."

"What about the prosthetic arm? Did you make any progress in finding one?"

"Gavin's lingering hatred toward androids has made him very resistant to receiving such a replacement for his arm." Noting Gavin's stubborn nature being a constant problem throughout his life Lucas struggled to find a way to help his friend. "But I'm certain we can find a solution."

"Yeah..." Aaron sighed as he slipped his right hand into his jean pocket for a moment as if he were nervous about something. "We will." Walking into the bedroom fully Aaron slowly laid down on the bed beside Gavin, laying over top of the comforter, and rolled onto his left side so he could drape his right arm over the sleeping detective lightly. "...It's okay, Lucas. Go do what you need to do. I won't be going anywhere."

"I'll be back this evening. Call me if you require assistance."

Quietly walking down the hallway Lucas made sure Lucky had fresh food and water in her bowls, gave the cat's ears a gentle rub, then left the apartment as silently as possible. Determined to help Gavin recover from the accident that took his arm away Lucas marched toward the elevator at the end of the corridor, summoned an autonomous taxi through cybernetic means and made his way down to the ground floor of the apartment complex to take his leave.

'Connor.' Next cybernetically reaching out to his big brother Lucas sought the counsel of someone who had more experience with human behavior than he did. Stepping into the parking lot of the apartment complex Lucas awaited his taxi and stared up at the blue sky overhead with a dour view. 'I need your help...'

Seeking a place of isolation Connor sat outside the house on the small back patio with Sumo resting his chin over his lap, and his soulful brown eyes closed tight. The past week had been so tense and uncomfortable that it left Connor feeling a little overwhelmed, and the quiet of the backyard was enough for him to find a much needed sense of calm that kept his anxiety at bay. As his left hand absently rubbed Sumo's ears in an affectionate manner Connor cybernetically checked through the numerous vehicle options at his disposal, and narrowed down his final selection at long last.

Making his final decision Connor confirmed his purchase and agreed to pick up his selection that every evening after everything was filed properly, and the vehicle in question was given routine maintenance. As he opened his eyes Connor received the cybernetic message from Lucas and agreed to speak with him in person to assist in Gavin's recovery.

"...This summer should've been more peaceful than the previous winter." Connor lamented as he continued to pet Sumo's ears. "It seems that was too much to hope for."

"Don't be so sure, kid." Hank's voice replied loudly through the opened kitchen window overlooking the back patio. He had overheard the comment while washing up his breakfast dishes in the sink. "The summer is just beginning..."

"I still can't shake that bad feeling." Standing up Connor looked at Hank through the window while the senior detective stood in front of the sink and spoke with the deviant on the other side of the screen. "It's as persistent as ever, and I cannot place why."

"Are you still freaked out by what happened to Gavin? Those types of feelings are hard to shake off."

"I'm still feeling sympathetic toward Gavin's plight, but I know that he's going to live. It'll be a difficult adjustment, but he'll continue to live on." Crossing his arms over his chest Connor's blue L.E.D. cycled in yellow for a single beat before returning to blue. "This feeling that something serious has happened elsewhere in the city just won't seem to go away."

"Yeah?" Turning off the sink Hank dried his hands and watched as Connor walked toward the backdoor with Sumo now following loyally at his side. Once the deviant was back inside the house Hank tossed the damp hand towel onto the countertop behind him as he watched Connor's demeanor very closely. "What're you thinking is the problem?"

"...Unknown. It's just a very unusual and heavy feeling."

"Is it something to do with the precinct?"

"No." Shaking his head as he answered with a confident tone Connor confirmed that his odd feeling had nothing to do with the precinct. "It's as if there is something radiating within the deviant community but it's being left unspoken."

"A conspiracy?"

"Not necessarily. Since the Zeta Facility has reopened and I haven't heard anything about assaults or abductions taking place from either witnesses or anyone working in the facility, I suspect what has happened has been intentionally kept quiet for reasons I cannot currently fathom."

"I know it's hard, but maybe you should go and check out things with New Jericho."

"I'd rather not."

"Okay, you don't have to. It was just a suggestion."

"I'm aware." A soft knocking on the front door made Sumo bark once as Connor called out to the visitor in a loud voice. "The door is unlocked, Lucas."

Hank turned to look at the front door as Lucas entered the house and slowly trudged toward the kitchen to speak to his brother in person. "Oh. Hey, kid."

"Hello, Hank." Entering the kitchen and giving Sumo some ear rubs as well Lucas greeted the duo politely. "Thank you for agreeing to speak with me."

"You're my brother, of course I'll talk with you." Not seeing the proud smirk appear on Hank's face beside him Connor noted that Lucas's L.E.D. was set on a weary yellow, his steel gray eyes seemed fatigued and he could detect that Lucas's power reserve was at a surprisingly low seventy percent. Lucas's advanced model meant that his power could remain consistently high in the nineties without needing nightly rest, and yet his power was low enough to slightly affect his outward appearance. "You appear to be exhausted. What is happening with Gavin?"

"He is recovering well enough, but he is resistant to accept help, to eat regularly, or to even consider getting a bionic prosthesis for his arm."

"I see."

"Gavin is also suffering from frequent emotional outbursts that have left Tina shaken and Aaron a little confused. I'm immune to such outbursts since I don't know Gavin well enough to have any of his remarks truly affect me on a deep level, and as such I'm the only one who can clean his wound and replacing his bandages while being actively insulted and threatened." As he told his story Lucas nervously wrung his hands together before himself and gave Connor a pleading stare. "Despite the wound healing properly I fear Gavin's health is declining and I'm unsure of how to help him."

Turning to look at Hank for guidance Connor gave his mentor and unofficial father figure a lost stare. "...If Gavin is pushing everyone away, then it might be best to push back a little and not let him live in self induced isolation. Right?"

Hank agreed and gave his own opinion on the matter. "Gavin needs someone just as stubborn as himself to push him back up and onto his feet. I know Tina can be stubborn and bullheaded at times, but she's also was too sympathetic for her own good when it comes to her friends. She may not be strong enough to Gavin back on his feet all on her own."

"What about Aaron?"

"I don't know the guy very well, but from what I've seen in how he deals with Gavin whenever the jackass has gotten hurt in the past I think it's safe to say that he'll be able to pull Gavin out of his funk. Whether or not Aaron'll be able to stay with him after everything is over is a whole other challenge."

Lucas gave the senior detective an odd glance of his own as he continued to rub his hands together. "How so?"

"Well, whenever a serious medical dilemma takes place during a serious relationship it'll either make that relationship stronger or break it in half. It happens a lot after people suffer from strokes or heart attacks. A stroke," pointing at his own head as he spoke Hank emphasized his point. "can fuck with a person's overall personality, and heart attacks require a drastic change in diet and exercise that'll piss of the person trying to recover. Sometimes its get to the point that they'd rather keep up their bad habits instead of changing, and it pisses everyone else off. I imagine someone as smug as Gavin losing a limb is going to be just as difficult, if not worse, than someone healing from a stroke or heart attack."

"What can be done to help him?"

"He's going to need a shit-ton of patience. It's too bad Gavin's own family is fucked up and useless. This is the time when family can be really important."

Taking Hank's words to heart Lucas closed his eyes and contemplated the advice. "...Family." Recalling everything Gavin had told him about his own past and of his personal pain, the very story that motivated Lucas himself to seek out a brotherly relationship with Connor, the gray eyed deviant let out a soft breath and gave Connor a focused stare. "Gavin's parents are out of his life, and his younger sister is deceased, but his brother is still alive."

"Brother?" Hank gave Lucas a skeptical glance as he rubbed his left hand over his bearded chin. "Since when has Gavin had a brother?"

"Since the day he was born. Literally." With a subtle tilt of his head Lucas informed both Connor and Hank about Gavin's long lost brother that had been kept secret for a majority of their lives. "His brother is a younger fraternal twin. They were separated at shortly after birth as Gavin's parents didn't want to raise twins. They kept Gavin and gave his brother up for adoption. This is something Gavin didn't know until the day after his eighteenth birthday when his brother called him."

"Holy... shit. I knew his family was fucked up," Hank admitted as a piece of his heart actually went out to Gavin for more than just the loss of his arm. "but I didn't know they were so fucked up that they'd keep one kid and not the other, then having a third kid down the line... What the hell? Who does that to their own damn kids?"

Connor was intrigued by the notion and cybernetically tapped into the precinct's personnel files to locate further information on Gavin. Using his advanced software and programming Connor was able to delve even deeper into the gruff detective's past and located the hospital records confirming that Gavin had a twin brother who was given up for adoption, and saw the birth certificates to prove it. Unable to locate any adoption records as the missing twin's name hadn't been provided Connor looked to his own little brother for additional information.

"Lucas, what is his brother's name? Do you know?"

Hesitating for a moment as his yellow L.E.D. cycled to red Lucas gave both Connor and Hank a timid look before replying honestly. "...Elijah Kamksi."

"K-Kamski!?" Hank was genuinely stunned and seemed like he was ready to demand some evidence before he'd believe such a claim. "That smug asshole who perfected androids and founded CyberLife is the twin brother to one of the biggest android bigots in the whole city?!"

"Yes." Lucas confirmed in a low tone without an emotional bias to his words. "And Gavin is no longer prejudice against androids."

"What the... fuck!? You're sure about this?"

"Yes." Turning to look at Connor as he knew his brother had immediately begun running a photo comparison of the two men and easily confirmed that their appearance was not only indicative of siblings, but their date of birth and recorded hospitals of their births matched perfectly. "Connor?"

"...It's true, Hank. I noticed a familiarity between Gavin and Kamski when we first met Kamski at his personal residence last November, but I had dismissed it as a familial link simply from having a common ancestor in the area. I initially believed they were cousins at the closest possible relationship due to the fact that neither Gavin or Kamski publicly announce their sibling relationship to one another, and have vastly different last names."

"Fuckin' hell..." Truly shocked by the revelation Hank sighed and sat down heavily at the kitchen table for a moment. "The only relatively sane member of Gavin's family is the most powerful man in all of Detroit, and one of the most reclusive bastards in the entire nation. Damn."

Lucas redirected the conversation toward something more productive as he addressed his brother again. "Connor. I want to go speak to Mr. Kamski and seek his assistance."

"How so?" Perplexed by Lucas's suggestion Connor gave his younger brother an inquisitive glance. "Kamski is a promising bio-engineer and bio-technician, but even he cannot restore lost limbs on any form of organic life."

"True. But I believe he might be able to assist Gavin regardless."

"You wish to speak to him in person?"

"Yes. Would you please come with me?"

Nodding a little Connor accepted the offer and agreed to accompany Lucas on his task for the day. "Yes. I'll assist you."

"Thank you."

Hank rubbed his right hand over the back of his neck and let out a deep sigh. "All right. Take the Oldsmobile and try not punch the arrogant son of a bitch in the face unless you plan on showing me the playback... I want nothing to do with the bastard."

Connor didn't say a word as he turned to step into the livingroom to grab the car keys from the bookshelf, all the while Lucas tried to understand the comment with no context whatsoever.

"Thank you for the car, Hank." Trailing after Connor as he headed toward the door Lucas made sure Hank's generosity wasn't forgotten. "We'll back before the evening."

Patient and understanding Markus stayed beside North as she sat on the sandy shore outside the tower with her bare toes resting in the warm waves lapping gently against the shore. Still recovering from her assault, not just physically but mentally and emotionally, North stared out at the dark water with a glazed over gaze as she tried her hardest to block out the horrible memories of being attacked by three humans out in the forest. She could still hear the vile words of the man's threats as he breathed down her neck and into her ears. She could still feel his hands holding her down against her will and tearing open her blouse before she did the same to her jeans. She could still feel his revolting touch as his hands pressed all over her body against her will, and touched in her places that she never consented to being touched.

The absolute worst feeling was how she could feel the three demented men all taking turns with her as they violated her over and over again.

Only when the trio got bored with torturing the group of refugee deviants did they decide to leave the traumatized victims alone. Zipping up their pants and walking away from the physically assaulted deviants, leaving them alone at their campsite, the trio drove away in their pick-up truck without the slightest hint of shame for their actions.

"...I know you're sick of hearing this question." Markus admitted as he stayed close to North without making her feel uncomfortable. "But how do you feel?"

Wiping away a rogue tear before it could fall North just stared out at the harbor as she drew her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her knees in a guarded manner. "...How should I feel?"

"In any way you want."

"...I feel like a piece of garbage."

"You're not! You never were and never will be. You may feel like you are somehow in the wrong, but you're not. Please don't see yourself as anyone but a strong and confident leader."

"I should've known better. I should've known to avoid the main forest trails during-"

"North, do NOT blame yourself for being attacked. It's not your fault or any of the other deviants' faults. Those men who..." Intentionally trailing off Markus refused to acknowledge the attackers as anything but dangerous monsters as he spoke. "Those repugnant creatures are the ones who are at fault. NOT you."

"I should've been able to protect myself! I should've-"

"Stop it, North. The fact that you were willing to do what you did without being armed in any capacity is a huge sign of your confidence and courage. You were overpowered and caught off guard, that's all. It's not like you were knowingly leading the group into harm's way. Those sick freaks took advantage of a random chance encounter and committed horrible crimes."

Falling silent North turned away from Markus has if she were entirely ashamed of herself. "...Please stop."

"You don't want to talk about it anymore, I understand." Picking up a handful of the thin sand resting between North and himself Markus watched the tiny grains slip through his fingers and dance about in the passing warm breeze. "What do you want to do?"

"...Nothing."

"Then that's fine." Dropping the sand entirely Markus stayed at North's side and stared at the water with a longing gaze to explore the horizon. "Take as much time as you need. When you're ready to do something, anything, I'll still be right here."

Sitting in the Oldsmobile in front of Kamski's unassuming mansion Connor stared at the private residence situated on the sandy shore of the harbor overlooking Belle Isle and remembered how he and Hank had gone to visit Kamksi just prior to the Revolution in search of answers toward deviancy. The dark memory of being forced to choose the fate of an innocent android after having a gun forced into his hand by Kamski himself still haunted Connor's nightmares. Seeing Chloe's innocent blue eyes looking up at him as she knelt on the floor with a blank expression on her face waiting for Connor to make his choice was one of the most conflicting feeling that always resulted in the empathetic deviant feeling sick to his stomach.

Lucas had never met Kamski before, though he knew of Connor's past experience with the eccentric billionaire. Understanding that Connor needed a moment to prepare himself for the impending encounter Lucas remained quiet as his brother mentally steeled himself for the impending discussion.

'Aaron,' sending the kind firefighter a quick message cybernetically Lucas checked in on things back at the apartment during his absence. 'how is Gavin faring?'

Sending back a text Aaron gave Lucas an update on the situation. 'He woke up twenty minutes ago and tried to go back to sleep when he saw me. I made him some toast with peanut butter and he's eaten a single bite since then. It's progress at least.'

'Any pain or sign of developing infection?'

'No more pain than usual and his arm is still infection free.'

'That's good to know. If you need me to purchase anything before I return to the apartment let me know.'

'It's fine. Tina will be over in a few hours to help keep watch while I work on making him a bigger lunch. I'll make him put his weight back on even if I have to hold him down and force feed him.'

'I hope it doesn't come down to that, but if it does I'll help out.'

'Thanks. See you later.'

Ending the conversation Lucas turned to look at Connor beside him as his big brother looked at the mansion over the steering wheel with a cold stare.

"...I'm ready to go inside now." Feeling Lucas's eyes studying his face Connor sighed and turned off the engine before pocketing the key. "I'm not sure what type of help you're expecting to receive," giving his little brother a pessimistic glance Connor admitted that he didn't have his hopes up. "but I will stand by you and support you during the discussion."

"Thank you, Connor. I know it isn't easy for you to come back here." Opening the door beside him Lucas removed his seatbelt and exited the vehicle while Connor did the same from the other side. "I appreciate you joining me despite your discomfort."

"This isn't about me, it's about helping Gavin." Slamming the door shut behind him Connor stared at the front door of the mansion as if he were staring down the Devil himself. "If pushing through a deeply seeded discomfort is the best way to help him then I'll do it."

Walking side by side Connor and Lucas reached the front door of the mansion and stood silently before the closed door. Slowly raising his right hand Connor rang the doorbell and sucked in a deep breath as his L.E.D. cycled through all of its colors before returning back to its standard blue color. Just hearing the sound of the doorbell was enough to give Connor an anxious flashback to that night when he had been forced to choose between his mission and sparing an innocent life.

Waiting for the door to be opened Connor subconsciously tensed up while Lucas remained contrastingly calm beside him. The urge to turn away and leave was strong, but the desire to help his brother and to help a fellow officer back at the precinct was even stronger.

The door was opened from the other side with a soft hiss as Chloe herself appeared in the doorway. Staring at Connor for only a moment Chloe's blue L.E.D. flashed a little brighter and faster, then cycled once in yellow as she looked to Lucas beside him. "Hello, Connor." Smiling as she spoke Chloe looked at Lucas and noted his current model through a basic scan. "Hello, 'RK-900'. How can I help you?"

"We-" Speaking up first in a hesitant tone Connor gently asked for their unprovoked favor. "We are here to speak to Mr. Kamski. It's an important matter that revolves around..." Trailing off as if intimidated by Chloe's very presence Connor struggled to explain his and Lucas's visit. "It's just very important."

"Of course." Without even the slightest hint of fear or resentment in her actions Chloe stepped aside and let the duo inside. "I'll inform Elijah of your arrival and let him know you wish to speak to him. Please wait here for a moment."

"...Thank you."

Stepping through the front door and into the sitting area that felt more like a lobby or a waiting room rather than an extension of a mansion, Connor glanced at the framed image of Amanda on the far wall with a glazed over stare. Meanwhile Lucas scanned the area curiously as he had never been inside the mansion before. Very little had changed since the last time Connor had set foot in the cold and uninviting space, yet the two detectives still needed to investigate the area closely.

The cherry blossom trees growing in the corners of the room continued to give off a gentle aroma while the surrounding decorative architecture was as bland and pretentious as ever. The chairs were expensive but uncomfortable, the marble floor was spotless and sense of importance was thick in the air.

Chloe herself walked into the adjacent study across the sitting area and disappeared from sight for just a moment as she spoke with Kamski in person.

Unable to sit down Connor walked toward the image of Amanda and looked at the deceased woman's cold eyes as even from beyond the grave she seemed to be staring directly into Connor's heart, judging him and condemning him without saying a single word. The cold cruel woman had clearly scarred his heart.

"...That is Amanda." Lucas recognized the woman's face as he walked up behind Connor and stared at the image as well. He had briefly seen the woman when he connected with Connor's mind, and in that very limited time Lucas understood why Connor was so afraid of her. "She was Kamski's mentor."

"Yes. Her image was used to create the A.I. that CyberLife used to keep me under their influence within the Zen Garden. I imagine her callous and calculating manner that inspired Kamski and motivated him is what allowed her to be such a fierce and intimidating handler even in my own mind."

"According to the files on her life and accomplishments Amanda has been long since deceased. You truly have no reason to continue to fear her."

"I'm aware. But her words and her behavior was very... memorable."

The door to the study slid open again as Chloe's smiling face reappeared to speak to the duo of deviants. "Elijah will see you."

Nodding in silent acknowledgment Connor and Lucas entered the study as Chloe stepped aside again and spotted Kamski sitting behind his desk with a glass of scotch in his left hand, and a stylus pen in the right. Without lifting his eyes from the glowing tablet screen laying over the top of his desk Kamski greeted the deviant brothers with a casual wave of his right hand.

"Mr. Kamksi." Speaking loudly and clearly Connor stood before the desk with Lucas still right at his side. Ignoring Chloe as she stood beside that desk like a loyal lapdog keeping close to her master. "Pardon the intrusion, but we must speak to you."

"Chloe tells me you have something important to discuss with me." Finally looking up at his guests Kamski's cold gray eyes lit up briefly as he recognized Connor by his voice alone, and discovered that there was now a new deviant in his midst. Not expecting to ever see Connor again, let alone a second version of Connor, the eccentric billionaire was thoroughly intrigued by his unexpected guests. "...I assure you, I'm all ears."

"Kamksi, we know of your fraternal relationship to Detective Gavin Neil Reed. Eight days ago he was involved in a serious vehicle accident and it resulted in the loss of his left arm." Motioning toward his own left arm with his right hand Connor indicated the exact point of injury on Gavin's person. "The surgeons could not salvage the limb and he is need of a prosthesis."

"Why come to me?" Eyeing Connor carefully then staring at Lucas with an inquisitive leer Kamksi tried to feign indifference. "Brother or not, I cannot regrow limbs or lost organs. There are also numerous Cyb- Digital Sentience," smirking a little as he corrected the name of the stores in the city Kamksi made his point in a very cold manner. "that already have dozens of prosthesis selections to choose from."

"We're here because Gavin will be forced to retire from the force if he is unable to regain a fully functioning arm. We also know that you have the knowledge and skill to create a prosthesis advanced enough to give him the functionality he needs to continue his career."

"And you've come all this way just to talk to me about Gavin... why? I know he is not your friend, Connor." Finishing his scotch Kamski dropped the stylus from his hand and rose from his desk to stand directly before his guests while Chloe remained silent but observant. "And I doubt that he asked you for this favor. So tell me. Why are you here?"

"I wish to help a fellow officer in need."

"No, that's a noble reason but not the reason you're here." Too smart for his own good Kamski challenged the two deviants about their real motivation. "Tell me the truth."

Lucas interjected quickly as he knew that Kamski was just trying to toy with Connor rather than actually help him. "Gavin saved my life last winter. He also gave me a warm shelter to reside in as I adapted to my deviancy and discovered how I wanted to live my life. Coming here was my idea. I wish to repay him for his kindness and nothing more."

Giving Lucas a faint grin Kamski scoffed a little and humored the comment as looked at Lucas's gray tinted eyes. "And I imagine that it's your peculiar friendship with Gavin that led you to my doorstep. Isn't it?"

"That's right."

"You may look like Connor, to an extent." Kamski pointed to Lucas's gray eyes as if amused by the color choice at the hands of CyberLife. "But you're very different." Pointing to his own eyes Kamski compared his eye color to Lucas's confirming they were identical. "You're the final design, aren't you? The rumored 'RK-900' that had been locked away somewhere deep inside the Hellish depths of CyberLife Tower itself."

"Yes, I am. My name is Lucas."

"Lucas... Where did such a name come from?"

Looking toward his older brother beside him Lucas confirmed the origin of his name. "It came from Connor. He helped me find an appropriate name."

"I see. Interesting."

Arching his brow at the reaction Lucas was intrigued by Kamski's own intrigue. "How so?"

"It doesn't matter. What does matter is the issue with my estranged and very stubborn brother." Stepping around the two deviants Kamski passed by his large pool that currently had no occupants - the other two 'Chloe models' were nowhere to be seen, and he seemingly disappeared into a hidden workshop on the other side of the study. "I imagine dealing with Gavin is never an easy task."

Neither of the deviants disagreed with such a notion and just waited for Kamksi's return while Chloe watched them both curiously.

"As a result," the brilliant bio-engineer returned to the study with a long rectangular steel case in his right hand. The metal handle on the case was as shiny as the rest of the case, and it allowed the case itself to gently sway slightly as Kamksi carried it across the study toward his guests. "I have a strong suspicion that if anyone will be able to get this particular prototype to function properly, it'll be him."

"...Prototype?" Questioning the claim Lucas's L.E.D. cycled into a curious yellow right alongside Connor as they both attempted to scan the contents of the case as Kamksi laid it out over the desk before releasing the metal clasps and opening the lid. "What kind of prototype are you referring to?"

"This." Pushing open the lid Kamski revealed a white plastimetal left arm that had black tinted paneling at the joints, and a connection port at the top of the arm where the shoulder of the host would connect to the limb. The arm's length could be adjusted at small interior ports along the joints and could be given power through either Thirium or a full electrical charge at a secondary charging port near the elbow. "You were wise to assume that I'd have such a prosthesis on my person. It has been tested and it has full range of motion, strength and dexterity. However, such a range can be limited depending on how in-tuned the host is to the limb."

Connor eyed the prosthesis and thought back to how Detective John Kennex over in "The City" had a prosthetic right leg from the knee down after he too had been gravely injured in the line of duty. He was a stubborn detective who resented the artificial limb, but had slowly acclimated to having it and managed to regain full mobility after he had given himself the time required to heal and adjust. In a way, John and Gavin had a lot in common.

"This prosthesis," the keen eyed deviant noted the advanced programming as his soulful brown eyes scanned the arm carefully out of a cautious reaction. "is unlike the other prosthesis models available elsewhere. This limb has bionic adaptability features and software that I cannot identify."

"Not surprising. This and the other bionic limbs have been little toys for me to tinker with during my retirement." Hardly modest Kamski seemed eager to talk about his side projects. "Creating new forms of life and hardware that improves life is nothing more than a hobby of mine." Picking up the arm with both hands Kamski pressed a small switch concealed near the wrist and activated a layer of artificial skin that swept over the limb like a tide. Even fingernails appeared over the fingertips to make the arm look as realistic as possible. "I even took the liberty of adding purely aesthetic details to give myself an extra challenge."

"Why not market such advanced prostheses to the rest of the world?" The secrecy of the project didn't make any sense to the deviant's mind. "Why hide something as incredible and beneficial as enhanced prostheses from those who truly need the assistance?"

"Thanks to advances in modern medicine weeding out the chromosomal anomalies while still in the womb humans are no longer being born with malformed or nonexistent limbs, and those who suffered severe trauma are rarely left with amputations nowadays." As he spoke Kamski approached Chloe and lightly caressed her left cheek with his right hand. "It seems beauty being manufactured is slowly becoming the norm'." Turning back to face his guests Kamski gave the deviants an emotionless stare. "If I were to make bionic limbs available on the market they'd be bought and overpriced by selfish corporations seeking to take advantage of the small group of people in need of their services. The lack of demand would make the supply intentionally limited and rare."

"I highly doubt that your hesitation to make such advancements known stems from a sense financial morality." Glancing about the luxurious study with a stern gaze of his own Connor made it known he didn't believe the sentiment in any fashion. The large pool near the center of the room, the oak desk overlooking a spectacular view of the harbor, the high value scotch sitting on the desk and priceless paintings lining every wall of the mansion was all the proof Connor needed to make such a claim. "You seem to have an ulterior motive that I cannot pinpoint as of the moment."

In an attempt to dismiss the comment Kamski returned to his desk and watched Connor's every move with a scientifically motivated gaze. "You're too paranoid for your own good."

"No, I'm merely a detective who has learned to trust his gut and his instincts."

"I won't even try to dispute such a claim." Powering off the bionic arm, the artificial skin receding into nothing, Kamski very carefully returned the limb to the case for proper storage and protection. "Now, I will hand over this particular bionic limb to you both, free of charge, in exchange for something less monetary and more educational."

Silently and cybernetically Connor and Lucas engaged in a quick conversation regarding whether or not they should accept the offer or barter for an alternative agreement. Neither deviant trusted Kamski for their own reasons, Connor's were more personal than Lucas, and neither were eager to placate the eccentric creator's curiosity.

"I can feel you two thinking." Snapping the lid of the case shut Kamski turned to face the deviants once more as he presented his back to the case sitting on his desk. "I hope you're not conspiring against me."

Breaking the silence first Lucas gave Gavin a skeptical glance as he crossed his arms over his chest in a guarded manner. Anxiously drumming his right fingertips over his left bicep the gray eyed deviant sized Kamski up in a studious manner. "...You want information from us. Why? You're the creator of all androids, and therefore should already know everything about us."

"Theoretically, yes. But you two..." An amused sneer graced Kamski's thin lips as he faced off with the duo without even flinching. "Are the exception."

"Because we were created after your retirement."

"That, and because you two are something entirely... special."

Sensing that Kamski was intentionally withholding vital information Connor glared at the human as he too took a defensive stance as he crossed his arms over his chest and stood his ground. "What makes us unique in comparison to the other deviants? I doubt it's our advanced programming that has drawn your interest toward us."

"That's a correct assumption. What makes you two so special, what makes you two... superior," the smile on his lips only broadened as he spoke to the deviants in a smarmy tone. "is the fact that you two were never meant to exist."

Lucas had been eager to get more information on his and Connor's designs and he wasn't going to let his rare opportunity go. "Tell us why we are so different. Why do we feel, sound and appear so different from the other deviants ever created?"

"Your appearance?" Narrowing his eyes a little Kamski seemed to be enjoying the question being thrown his way. "That's all you care about?"

Understanding what Lucas was trying to ask Connor clarified the question in an impatient voice. "We were designed to hunt and destroy deviant androids, and yet our appearance is entirely unique which would make it very easy for such deviated androids attempted to hide to recognize and thus evade us. It would've been far more logical for Lucas and I to aesthetically appear as one of the most common models of androids in order to successfully hide in plain sight. Why did CyberLife make it so easy for us to be recognized and to be identified?"

"You'd have to ask CyberLife. I didn't approve of them using your likeness when they decided to create their 'weapons', and I don't know why your face was the one chosen for their final desperate attempt to save the company from its inevitable end."

"...My likeness." Lowering his eyes to the floor between Kamski and himself Connor's brow furrowed with confusion as he contemplated Kamski's cryptic answer. Pressing his right fingertips to his face and L.E.D. as it flashed to red Connor contemplated the intriguing question. "Who designed our likeness? Why do we look like this?"

"Let's just say you and I have a very brief but memorable history. I wasn't there when your 'RK' model was designed, nor was I there when you were originally activated, given your mission or your name. Who used the likeness and why is just something I can't answer."

"You imply you do know where our design originated." Sharp as ever Connor pinned down Kamski with the passive comment. "You said you weren't there when were designed and activated, but you do know where our design came from. You may not have approved of CyberLife using it, but that doesn't mean you don't know where or who finished our design before we were activated."

Smirking with utter amusement Kamski shook his head and smoothly changed the subject. "I believe it was you two who need to answer my questions, not the other way around. Answer me in a satisfying manner," keeping himself between the case and his guests Kamski had no intention of letting the bionic limb out of his sight without a good reason. "and you can have what you want."

Once more exchanging words of doubt Lucas replied to the taunt in a confident manner. "Very well. What do you wish to know?"

"You two are deviants who never should've existed, and yet here you are. How is it possible that the 'Deviant Hunter' has become a deviant," motioning to Connor with a cocky wave of his left hand Kamski's eyes trailed over to Lucas as he spoke. "and the superior hunter has allowed itself to become deviant?"

"I spoke to Amanda." Almost whispering as he responded Connor's eyes already dark eyes darkened further and his posture slumped with self disappointment. "She told me I was designed specifically to deviate. I was nothing more than a tool in her hands, a weapon to be used against my own people. CyberLife wanted me to deviate and get close to the deviants to make it easier to eradicate them, but the problem with deviancy is the connection to humanity. Humans are very unpredictable and cannot be controlled. And thus, deviants cannot be predicted or controlled either."

"True enough, I suppose. Might I ask when Amanda told you such damning truths?" Absolutely enthralled with the notion of Connor's deviancy Kamski gave Chloe a cheeky grin as he sought further clarification. "It surely didn't come about through casual conversation or report updates."

"No... She told me this when she tried to kill me. Amanda attempted to resume control over my programming and force me to assassinate Markus shortly after the Revolution succeeded. I refused. I escaped her control. But you already know this," straightening back up Connor's eyes lit up with anger and resentment toward Kamski as he took a single step toward the shorter human. "don't you? You're the one who told me of the emergency exit. You also seemed to know all about deviancy despite your distance from CyberLife. And how is that Chloe herself somehow knew of Jericho's location despite always being in your presence?"

Fascinated by Connor's fearless nature Kamski locked his eyes with the deviant and challenged him where he stood. "You're the detective. You tell me."

Staring at Kamski's face for a moment Connor compared his features to that of Gavin and noted their similarities and their differences. Determined to solve the mystery Connor's eyes widened with a strange revelation. "...I know the truth of who you are. Of... what you are."

"Oh?" Kamski's gray eyes narrowed again as he extended his arms at his sides as if inviting Connor to strike him. "Then who and what am I?"

"...You were the twin brother who was given up after birth." Replying in a whisper Connor pieced together the odd puzzle and was given an unsettling image of Kamski to see before himself. "I've been trying to comprehend how such a decision was made; why was Gavin kept by your parents but you were given up for adoption? My first thought was that it'd be financially easier to care for one child rather than two, but then your younger sister Kimberly Aria Reed had been born six years after that, which casts some doubt over this theory. Then I began comparing the two different ways in which you were raised."

Tensing up himself Kamski maintained eye contact and let out a small sigh through his nose. "Go on."

"Gavin's childhood was violent due to an alcoholic father and a mother who became addicted to pain killers. The physical violence escalated over the years until it peaked shortly after Kimberly's tragic accidental drowning. Despite all the abuse and beatings Gavin suffered he walked away from that violent home with only a single scar to remind him of where he had come from. Whereas you were raised in a very sheltered and quiet environment. Your parents were highly educated and very private people who never laid a hand on you and emphasized the important of a high education."

"Somehow me being fortunate enough to be adopted by sane parents rather than being raised by my insane biological parents is a factor in whatever odd theory you're running through your head?"

"No. The details revolving around your adoption is a key factor in everything."

"I'm listening." Intrigued and bold Kamski pushed Connor to keep speaking. "Tell me what you're thinking."

"I suspect you weren't actually given up for adoption due to the potential financial constraints of raising twins, you were given up because of the two twins you were drastically unhealthy in comparison to your brother. The Reed family didn't want to take care of a child with a poor immune system or other complications seeing as they had no problem physically abusing the healthy twin as he grew up. Not only were you born ill, but you remained ill throughout your entire life with a slow degenerative illness."

As he listened to Connor speak Kamski could feel an uneasy pit forming in his stomach. The keen observations and the logic was almost too much to bear, but he refused to blink.

"Your illness was chronic and became all the more severe as you aged. When you began focusing your education toward bio-engineering and the newly developed field of bio-technology you were looking for a way to save yourself under the guise of perfecting artificial life. Your successes funded your research into finding a cure for your degenerative illness, and came to a head shortly before Amanda herself passed away. You couldn't save her from the ravages of age and physical illness, but you still found a way to save yourself. That's why you revived Amanda as my handler." Each piece of the puzzle was falling into place one by one. "The guilt of not being able to the save the life of the woman who guided you to your success was beginning to gnaw away at your psyche."

Lucas could sense the hostility in his brother's voice and didn't like it. It was as if Connor were interrogating a suspect rather than analyzing a person. "Connor, what are you implying?"

"My implication is this. Elijah Kamski was put up for adoption by his biological parents because of his diagnosis of a chronic illness. I'm not a medical android and as such I cannot perform any tests or confirm a diagnosis, but I suspect your were diagnosed with Becker muscular dystrophy, and your biological parents didn't want to tend to the needs of a sick infant."

Doing his best to hide his stunned reaction Kamski barely managed to hide the nervous reflex of swallowing the unfortunate revelation. "...How can you make such a claim without any evidence to back it up?"

"I do have evidence." Holding out his right palm Connor created a holographic projection showing a photograph of Kamski back when he graduated college and was entering his early twenties. It showed Kamski with his longer hair pulled back, a unwashed green hoodie and black rimmed glasses over his eyes as he sat behind a forensics table at his university. "Your poor posture is indicative of muscle weakness, your lack of muscle mass indicates dystrophy, the paleness of your complexion and lack of an extracurricular activities regarding any athletics while growing upwould also indicate a weakened heart; cardiomyopathy, and the blue tinting of your fingernails indicates poor circulation from a weakened heart."

Kamski stared blankly at Connor as if merely waiting for the deviant to continue to speak.

"The time that this photo was taken predates your rise as CyberLife's C.E.O., and it indicates that you were in poor health to the trained eye." Lowering his hand Connor stared at Kamski with an accusatory glare as he finished his assessment. "One might assume that such an appearance is due to your exhaustion from working on your degree while also developing new cybernetics. However, a person with such a high level of intelligence and ingenuity such as yourself wouldn't struggle with such a endeavor. Your apparent exhaustion was being caused by your condition deteriorating to the point where you were in need of a wheelchair; hence your intrigue with bionic limbs to strengthen yourself to escape the wheelchair. And you may have even needed a heart transplant; which is where the prospect of biocomponents originated."

Closing his gray eyes Kamski let an impressed grin grace his lips as he gave Connor a subtle nod of approval. "Very good. I should've known that someone of your caliber and dedication would've been able to make such an easy deduction."

"You don't deny this?"

"No. I was diagnosed shortly after birth through newborn screening programs, and once it was clear that I had a very high chance of suffering from that particular condition I was put up for adoption. My adoptive parents weren't afraid to tend to a potential special needs child and took me in without a second thought. I'm grateful for their patience and generosity, and through their guidance I became the successful creator that now stands before you."

"Are you expecting us to say 'thank you'?"

The impressively snippy remark caught Lucas off guard but he quickly recovered and began speaking on his brother's behalf. "Your illness motivated you to find a way to improve life for everyone, and through that motivation you've had many breakthroughs with technology. It seems you even managed to..." Noting that Kamski looked much stronger than he had been in his early twenties despite now being in his mid thirties Lucas was picking up on something very peculiar that Connor had been silently deciphering for some time. "...Did you find a cure to your particular illness?"

"Cure, no." Giving Chloe a smug grin from over his shoulder Kamski confirmed he made progress with his illness. "Alternative treatment... yes."

"Alternative?"

Connor shook his head as he confronted Kamski more directly. "You don't deny it whatsoever? You don't deny what you turned yourself into?"

"Why bother? It's clear you've made up your mind about me, and you have irrefutable evidence to back-up such a claim, as wild and extraordinary as it may be."

"You knew about deviancy in spite of your retirement from CyberLife, you knew where Jericho was located, and you recognized my deviancy before I could even acknowledge such a prospect for myself." Needing answers Connor asked another question. "What else do you know about me?"

The grin on Kamski's face became devilish as he dismissed the question with yet another non answer. "I know enough. Now, answer my questions and I'll let you two take this bionic arm as a gift to my estranged brother. That's what we agreed on, is it not?"

Before Connor could say another word Lucas interjected in a far more cooperative manner. "Yes, that is fair. What do you wish to know?"

Neatly folding his hands before himself Kamski watched the two deviants interacting with one another in a restrained cybernetic style. "The two of you are deviants and free to be whomever you wish to be. Yet you both have ventured down a path of law enforcement and distanced yourselves from your own people; the very people you are trying to protect. Why should two of the most advanced androids that have ever been created, androids who will never know an equal for as long as they exist, fear normalcy?"

"...We're not afraid." With his voice shaking and L.E.D. cycling a rapid and nervous yellow Lucas tried to deny the accusation. "We've made our decisions and have no reason to regret them. Connor's reasons are his own and I won't speak for him, as for myself... I just wish to help protect innocent people in the most effective manner. I could've easily become a technician or even a firefighter, maybe even a doctor, but I chose to become a detective because the laws set to protect deviants still need improvement. I can provide such improvements as a detective."

Glancing back and forth between Connor and Lucas slowly Kamski let out a soft chuckle and took a step to the side. "All right. I'm a man of my word." Gesturing to the metal case on his desk Kamski allowed the two deviants to take the bionic arm and leave. "Please do note that the prosthesis, while advanced and very durable, is NOT indestructible. Much like an organic limb the damage it sustains can be irreparable and must be taken care of properly."

Exchanging silent glances with one another Lucas grabbed onto the case by the handle and followed after his brother as Connor left the study in a sternly quiet manner. "...Thank you for the assistance, Kamski." Addressing the eccentric billionaire watching his every move Lucas showed more respect toward the creator than Connor had done. "I'm sure in time Gavin will thank you, too."

"Doubtful. But no thanks are unnecessary." Pouring the scotch into his now empty glass that had partially melted ice cubes dancing about the surface Kamksi held the glass up and toward the deviant as if to salute him, while Chloe just stared quietly at him from afar. "Gavin and I are brothers, after all."

"...Of course."

It didn't take long for Lucas to catch up to Connor as his own brother reached the Oldsmobile outside the mansion, and pulled open the driver's side door to sit down and return to the city. Placing the case down on the backseat of the car Lucas opened up the front passenger side door and sat down beside Connor with a silent curiosity burning in his gray eyes.

"...I will take you to your apartment so you can aid Gavin with the bionic arm." Connor spoke up in a low tone. "My presence will be unwelcome."

"Gavin is very short tempered, even more so as of late, but your presence will always be welcome."

"Be that as it may, it'd be best for me to be away from Gavin for now."

"You're not trying to blame yourself for his lost arm, are you?"

Without another word Connor turned over the engine and pulled the car away from the mansion to head back to the city.

"We know you did everything you could to save the limb." Lucas stated as he glanced at his reflection in the side mirror and studied his gray irises. The fact that they were the same shade at Kamski's eyes was suddenly unsettling. "The doctors even confirmed that the moment the arm had been severed that there was nothing that could've been done to salvage it."

"It doesn't change the fact that I was the first person to give Gavin aid and it still wasn't enough." Glancing at the metal case sitting on the backseat with the use of the rearview mirror Connor's L.E.D. settled on an anxious yellow as he returned to Detroit with their mission accomplished. "It seems that despite my advanced programming I'm still lacking in many important ways."

"...Is that why you were asking about our origins and design?" Turning away from his reflection Lucas stared at his brother with an ever curious glance. "You wanted to know why we are the way that we are? How we came into existence?"

"I told you once before that I feel as though I've already somehow lived through a thousand lifetimes. I wanted to see if Kamski knew anything about the designs of androids beyond an aesthetic nature. He does know, but he's not talking."

"You believe that each android's appearance is somehow connected to a past life?"

"I believe we're connected to real people in some capacity. Androids are all designed to look and sound as human as possible, what better way to guarantee such an effect than by having androids imitate real humans?"

"That is a logical yet unsettling theory."

"I'm aware. That is why I haven't addressed it until now."

"Whether we were designed to resemble a true person is not going to alter our choices or our futures, brother." The silence of the vehicle was oddly tense as Connor contemplated the questions being asked. "Why dwell on such a trivial notion?"

"Curiosity I guess."

"I see." Needing a change of subject Lucas turned on the radio and found a station that would be mutually interesting to the duo. "...May I ask what your final deduction of Kamski's person truly is? What you're implying is... impossible."

"It's not impossible, merely improbable. And my deduction remains the same."

"You believe that Kamski is in fact a deviant?"

"Yes. He would have the funds and privacy needed to design an android with his own likeness. Through means known only to Kamski himself he transferred his consciousness into the android body and now lives on through an artificially created body. And I believe it's that very transfer; a sense of consciousness and emotions from a human now residing in an android body, is what let to deviancy."

"...Kamski's interactions with other androids spread deviancy? Are you also implying that Kamski is... RA9?"

"Until I see evidence elsewhere, yes. Kamski is the mythical 'RA9', but he is NOT a god."

"That's a truly outlandish theory."

"Which is why I'm keeping it to myself. I don't trust Kamski, he's hiding something significant and until I know what it is I won't be saying anything that'll compromise his reputation or his name. Besides," slumping where he sat Connor's sorrow continued to build. "Kamski is the only one who can give us information about our own pasts and origins."

"Perhaps in time we'll find the root of our design and purpose. Until then we should focus on the present or future, and not the past."

Glancing at the city in the distance as it grew nearer Connor decided that Lucas was right. The past wasn't important when there was still a bright new future waiting to be explored. "Yes, you're right. That's something to be explored another day, another time."

Sitting on the edge of his bed shirtless and in his navy blue sweatpants, his bare feet heavily pressing down against the unvacuumed beige carpeting, Gavin stared blankly at the window across the room where he could faintly see his reflection against the shining glass. The missing left arm was brightly marked by thick white bandages protecting what was left behind. The white gauze was wrapped around the remaining arm, up around the left shoulder and partially over the left side of the chest. Seeing the heavy white bandages snaking around his pale and thinning body made Gavin fill with rage, sorrow and utter shock as he realized the horrible nightmare he had suffered was actually the waking world.

Hovering his right palm over the bandages around his remaining left arm Gavin seemed to be tracing the open air as if attempting to locate the arm that had been severed in the accident. The moment his fingertips passed easily through the open air Gavin bowed his head and silently wept as heavy tears rolled down his face and fell to the carpet around his feet.

Not hearing his bedroom door slowly creak open Gavin tensed up and tried to push Lucky aside with his right ankle when she entered the bedroom to rub against her master's leg in a sympathetic response. Doing his best to not take his anger out on an innocent creature Gavin resumed his position on the bed and didn't bother with trying to push the cat away as she purred loudly and stayed beside him.

"...Glad you're still awake." Aaron whispered as he too entered the bedroom with a glass of water and two prescription pill bottles in his hands. Keeping his distance Aaron stared at Gavin's bare back and tried to not look at the bandages wrapped around him. "It's time for your medication, but if you don't want to take them just yet I did make you lunch. It might be better to take your medicine with a full stomach anyway."

With his voice raspy and barely above a whisper Gavin never looked up from the beige floor as he spoke. "...Why are you doing this?"

Aaron didn't understand the question and placed the items in his hands on the nightstand beside the bed. "Doing what?"

"...That." Dragging the back of his right hand over his eyes and under his nose Gavin took in a deep breath to steady his words. "...T-Taking care of me." His right palm cupped at the nub of his left arm with absolute disgust in the motion. "I'm not worth it."

"Why in the hell would you say something like that?"

"Look at me!" Turning to face Aaron by glaring at his boyfriend over his right shoulder Gavin shouted for the hundredth time since his return to the apartment, and his anger caused Lucky to panic and bolt from the bedroom to seek cover in the livingroom. "I'm a fucked up freak with no future!"

"That's NOT true." Taking on an air of authority Aaron marched over to Gavin and stood before him to keep Gavin from seeing his reflection on the window any longer. Putting his right hand to Gavin's left cheek Aaron turned the enraged detective's face to look at him directly. "Gavin, you may have lost your arm but you didn't lose your life! You're still alive!"

"What life is this?!" Weakened voice cracking and tears still flowing Gavin looked and sound and pitiful as he felt. "I can't be a detective anymore if I can't go out into the field and investigate or protect people..." Turning away from Aaron angrily Gavin began weeping again as his self pity stole his every waking thought. "I can't protect anyone! I never could!"

"Not. True."

"What the fuck would you know about it? Hm?" Glaring bitterly at Aaron as the firefighter stayed before him Gavin tried yet again to push people away as he sat in self loathing and misery. "You're not the crippled freak! You're not the failure! You're not-"

"Gavin. Shut the fuck up!" Changing tactics Aaron shifted from patient and quiet to frustrated and loud. "What's done is done. Do you really think you pissing and moaning about being hurt, or starving yourself to death, or putting up a damn fight every time you need to take your medicine, is somehow going to cause your arm to grow back?" Challenging Gavin's mindset Aaron pushed the detective to reflect on his previous behavior. "What? You think bitching and feeling sorry for yourself will turn back time and undo the accident? Huh? What's going through your head right now? Tell me!"

"...You know what I'm thinking." Refusing to look at Aaron as he spoke Gavin continued to weep in a low voice as his anger and pain poured from his aching heart. "You already know!"

"You think you're being punished." Slowly kneeling down before Gavin on the floor Aaron lowered his voice again and wrapped both of his hands around Gavin's right hand in a firm but comforting grip. "You think that this is somehow a punishment for what happened to your sister, don't you?"

Refusing to answer Gavin confirmed the painful question without uttering a single word.

"Gavin, you were hit by a random drunk asshole who had no business driving around in the storm! He was probably looking for an open bar or something else entirely useless..."

Tightening his hand around Aaron's hands Gavin let out a small gasp of restrained emotional pain as his boyfriend saw right into his heart.

"Look, your father was a useless drunk but it wasn't HIM who hit you. It was a total stranger who did it. You need to please stop seeing yourself as the frightened little boy who grew up in a house of abuse, and see yourself as the incredible man you've become in spite of the abuse! Whether you lost your arm or your leg... It doesn't matter! You're still a detective, no one can take that away except for you. And I know you. You're not the type to give up so easily, so why start now? Fight back!"

The pain made it difficult for Gavin to speak as he admitted his sense of defeat. "...I have nothing to fight for."

"Yes you do. You have me, you have Tina and most importantly," sitting down at Gavin's left side on the bed Aaron wrapped his right arm around Gavin's shoulders and pulled him in close to his side. "you have yourself. You are worth fighting for Gavin. You can't see it, you may not even be able to believe it, but it's true. And I'll dedicate the rest of my life trying to prove it to you, no matter how long it takes."

"...Sounds like you're willing to be stuck with my sorry ass for eternity."

"At least."

Dragging his right hand over his tear filled eyes Gavin let out a small breath as he tried to let his anger go and stop focusing on how he was limited, and tried to focus on how he was still alive and surrounded by good friends who truly loved and cared about him. The entire day since his return to the apartment had been filled with aggression and anger being directed at people who hadn't done anything to harm him; Aaron, Tina, Lucas... They had all been very patient and understanding toward him, and never once showed offense when he lashed out and tried to hurt them.

Aaron was right. Gavin wasn't being punished for what happened to his sister. It wasn't his father who harmed him and what did happen was just a freak accident. Letting something as trivial and random as an accident hold him back wasn't going to regrow his arm or turn back time. The only way Gavin was going to heal was through the abrasive detective picking himself up, dusting himself off and taking the next step forward.

No more living in the past, no more dreading the future.

"Aaron?"

"Hm?"

"...Thank you."

Tightening his arm around Gavin a little more Aaron let out his own sigh of relief. "You're welcome."

"...You know I love you, right?"

"Yes. And you know I'm crazy in love with you, right?"

"Yeah. You'd have to be outta' your mind to love someone like me."

"Well, you're a detective and I'm a firefighter. Craziness is actually our norm'."

Laughing a little, actually feeling some semblance of joy for the first time since waking up in the hospital, Gavin nodded a little and pressed himself up closer to Aaron's side as he sought comfort and support. "...If this is our normal life I'd hate to see what our abnormal life looks like."

Enjoying the moment of healing in private Gavin was unaware of Tina sitting in the livingroom quietly eavesdropping on the loving conversation, or of Lucas returning to the apartment with a curious metal case in his possession. As the deviant made his return Lucas gave Tina a silent nod as he carried the case over to the coffee table in the livingroom and set it down for the moment.

Unsure of how to bring up the subject of a prosthetic limb Lucas decided to keep the arm a secret until the time was right. "How is Gavin doing?"

"He..." Speaking in a whisper as Lucky trotted over to Lucas to rub against his right ankle Tina gave Lucas a teary smile. "He's okay."

"Did he have another breakdown?"

"Yeah, but Aaron helped him through it." Discreetly removing the tears from her eyes Tina filled Lucas in on what he missed while out of the apartment. "Right now they need to be left alone while Gavin still processes what he's going through."

"Understandable." Peering into the kitchen Lucas noticed that Aaron had indeed prepared a nice lunch for Gavin but it had been left untouched since it was finished. The large bowl of homemade vegetable soup, the grilled cheese sandwich and potato salad seemed like overkill for just one man, but knowing that Gavin had lost weight due to his depression and physical recovery taking a toll on his body made the meal seem suddenly ideal. "Since Aaron is here and Gavin is doing well, would you like to join me for lunch?"

"Lunch?" Flashing the deviant an incredulous stare Tina was entirely perplexed by the offer. "You?"

"Androids are capable of eating Thirium-based meals that aren't dissimilar to human meals. There are hybrid diners that serve both and I've been dining with my partner at such a diner for some time now."

Leaning forward on the couch a little Tina glanced at the hallway leading to the bedroom where Gavin had been holed up and sighed. "...Do you really think it's okay to leave for a while?"

"I trust Aaron will be able to handle Gavin just fine." Looking down at the metal case on the table Lucas picked up again and knelt down beside the couch as he laid the case flat on its broad side to slide under the couch out of sight. "I'll also inform you of the unusual task that Connor and I had performed today."

"Okay... Let's give the lovebirds some space and stretch our legs for a minute." Standing up from the couch Tina made her way into the kitchen and wrote a note on the dry erase board that was secured to the refrigerator door with a strong magnet to let the couple know where she and Lucas had gone. "I think we could all use a small break from the joys of recovering from a stupid injury."

Stepping out of North's private quarters while the traumatized deviant showered off and locked herself away to sleep through her mental ordeal, Markus sighed and dragged his right palm over his exhausted and sympathetic eyes. Seeing his dearest friend, someone he still deeply loved even if the feeling was no longer mutual, struggling to overcome her trauma and move on with her life made Markus's heart ache as much as it did when Carl passed away before his eyes. Unwilling to let North suffer alone, unwilling to let the men who were responsible for what happened to North, Skye and the other violated deviants escape punishment, Markus took in a deep breath and made his final decision on the matter at hand.

Walking away from the line of private quarters to reach the elevator near the center of the corridor Markus closed his mismatched eyes and tightened his hands into fists at his sides. There was no turning back and Markus wasn't about to let his own doubts or past mistakes have a permanent effect on the innocent deviants under his care.

As he entered the elevator Markus found himself in the company of Josh as he too returned to the ground floor of the tower. Keeping his eyes forward and focused the deviant leader tried to think of the best way to approach the situation without making any further mistakes along the way.

Sensing that Markus was tense, if not angry, Josh questioned his friend in a timid and well meaning tone. "Markus? Is something wrong?"

"You know there is."

"North still needs time to heal. Try to be patient with this."

"Josh, what happened to her isn't the same as getting pushed down by a bigot or insulted for walking the streets." Fighting back the urge to shout in Josh's face as he explained what North was going through Markus made a conscious effort to stay calm and collected. "She was raped. Everything about who she is and who she wants to be has been marred by being forced into working as a 'product' in that RA9-forsaken 'Eden Club'. For her to be free of that Hellhole and to be seen with respect, only to be assaulted physically and sexually by the very bigots she's trying to protect our people from..." Trailing off as he passionately spoke Markus just watched as the floor numbers ticked down nearing 'one' at a steady clip. "It's like those humans stole a part of her soul when they violated her body."

Unsure of what he could say or do Josh sought advice from his compassionate friend. "What can we do except be her support?"

"We can get her and the other deviants justice."

"Justice? How can we-"

"Stay here and keep watch over the tower." The elevator doors parted as the first floor was reached and the two occupants were able to exit the elevator car. Stepping through the doors Markus marched toward the front doors of the tower to take his leave. "I have someone I need to speak with."

Shouting after Markus as the bold leader reached the front doors Josh couldn't understand what Markus was going to do or speak with. "Who? Markus, what's going on?"

Passing through the doors Markus ignored Josh's questions as he stood in the waning afternoon sunlight and looked toward the city with an unflinching gaze in his mismatched eyes. "It's time for us to speak..."

-next chapter-