As expected the following day was a little better as the damning heat finally eased up, and Connor was allowed to return to the house to recovery. To ensure that his system was healing properly and that there were no leaks in his lines Abby scheduled Connor for a check-up for the next day, and promptly threatened to withhold granting his technical clearance from the precinct if he didn't cooperate. Despite being very reluctant to return to the facility for any follow-up appointment Connor agreed to go, and didn't protest when Lucas pushed him in his wheelchair over to the Oldsmobile to go back to the house. Too exhausted to argue and feeling rundown from his head to his toes Connor was almost frighteningly docile.

Allowing Lucas to carry him into his bedroom by letting his little brother take half of his weight at his side, Connor all but collapsed onto his bed as his still aching abdomen protested at the movement even after having a full day to heal. Laying flat on his back Connor turned his head to watch Baron swimming about the small aquarium on the nightstand beside his bed, and let out a soft sigh.

"You seem to be in pain, brother." Lucas had noticed Connor's discomfort and had performed a scan over the healing deviant's body. Connor's pump rate was elevated and his stress levels were hovering at thirty percent. "Perhaps you should mention to Abby that your external sensors seem to be malfunctioning and registering pain despite your damage being mended."

"It'll be fine."

"...I suppose you're right."

Hank walked into the bedroom with Sumo right at his side. As the senior detective stood just inside the doorway Sumo hopped up onto the bed and circled around once at Connor's ankles before laying down over Connor's legs to keep him company. "Damn dog was more excited to see you than a his food bowl being filled up. I think you succeeded in becoming his favorite, kid."

"That wasn't my intention."

"Don't worry about it." Watching as Connor placed his right palm down over Sumo's ears Hank just smirked. "I'd rather have him run at you than me after a busy day at work."

Lucas also gave Sumo's ears a gentle rub after he made sure Connor was truly going to be okay. "I wonder how Sumo would react to meeting a kitten."

"Not going to find out." Giving Lucas a stern glance Hank refused to let another pet enter the house. "I don't want to risk Sumo being too rough with a helpless kitten, and I don't want a kitten to think that Baron is a tasty snack."

"Understandable."

"Thanks for all your help, Lucas." Patting the deviant's shoulder Hank gave him a subtle hint to back off for a while and let Connor be alone. "Why don't you go back to your apartment and actually salvage your day off and rest?"

"Yes, that might be the wise decision. I also suspect Aaron would like a break from tending to the kittens and get some sleep."

"Why am I not surprised that you're the type of person to put a friend and a litter of kittens about your own exhaustion?"

"I suppose I learned to respect other people and love animals from Connor."

"Good lesson to learn. Go on, go back to your apartment, relax and play with some kittens."

"Very well. If you need me to-"

"Son, we know." Giving Lucas's shoulder a small shake Hank coaxed him to take his leave. "We'll call ya' if we need some help. Now go relax and get some rest yourself. You're exhausted."

"Okay." Turning to look at his brother laying on the bed Lucas offered him a kind smile before leaving. "I will see you later, Connor. Feel better."

Stepping aside to give Lucas the space he needed to pass through the doorway Hank stood beside Connor's bed and looked down at the miserable deviant laying atop the covers with only pale blue scrubs from the facility to wear. The white dress shirt and jeans that Connor had been wearing the day before were completely ruined, and no one thought to bring Connor clean clothes to wear when he was discharged from the facility. Through the thin material of the disposable top Hank could see the thick white bandages wrapped around Connor's torso and tried to not think about how barely twenty-four hours prior the deviant had his entire abdomen torn open to repair extensive internal damage.

Needing to say something to end the tense silence Hank did his best to make casual conversation. "Your appointment is at ten tomorrow morning, right?"

"Correct. It's unnecessary but it's the only way to get technically cleared for work."

"Unnecessary, huh? Why's that?"

"I'm healing normally and do not require a follow-up appointment. Unlike humans, androids cannot develop any type of infections, and android do not require any post-repair assessment once the procedure has been completed."

"Can't hurt to get a double-check after everything you've been through."

"It's a waste of time and resources."

Crossing his arms over his chest Hank gave Connor a knowing glance and a good dose of reality. "You sound like I do whenever I have to deal with doctors and shit. Do you really want to start acting like me when it comes to your health?"

"...That may become problematic."

"That's what I thought." Walking over to Connor's closet Hank slid open the door and grabbed the night clothes Connor normally wore from the top shelf. The neatly folded garments had been left untouched for two consecutive nights and were undoubtedly clean. "Here." Putting the clothing down on the bed beside Connor to take Hank stepped out of the bedroom to give the deviant some privacy. "I'm gonna' go make myself something to eat then go to bed. Need anything before I go down for a few hours?"

"No, I'll be okay." Picking up the black t-shirt Connor glanced at his bedroom window where he could see the sun already setting and sighed. "Thank you."

Having spent the entire day at the facility to meet the twenty-four hour observation time limit had left Connor feeling as though he wasted the entire day. It was a necessary evil despite being an annoying inconvenience.

Pulling off the scrub top in favor of the black t-shirt and then doing the same for the bottoms in favor of his gray sweatpants Connor endured another ache in his abdomen that prompted him to press both hands over his sore stomach. Through the gauze bandages Connor could feel the uneven marring of his plastimetal frame due to the physical damage to the panels courtesy of the diamond bladed knife. The plastimetal had mended itself and closed the gouges created by the knife, but the mended plastimetal was unable to even itself out with the surrounding plates, creating noticeable raised lines along Connor's torso where he had been assaulted.

Pressing his fingertips over the uneven lines Connor winced a little and laid back over his bed to try to relax as much as possible and continue to rest. Unable to pull his hand away from the healing damage the deviant detective listened to the sound of Hank rummaging through the kitchen and stared at Baron as the small blue fish gracefully swam about in his aquarium.

"...Is this what it feels like to have a scar?"

Despite being exhausted himself Lucas took his turn in tending to the kitten who had been rejected, and let Gavin show him the proper way to hold the tiny helpless creature and how to properly feed it. After feeding the kitten for the first time Lucas felt a warm pride spread through his chest as the tiny kitten squirmed about in its new clean towel, and sought warmth from Lucas's own body as it settled down for a nap. Sitting in the recliner with the tiny kitten bundled up in the towel and his arms Lucas watched as Gavin sat on the couch and typed away frantically on his laptop, using both hands, and knew that he was checking in on Tina while also handling casework remotely.

Glancing at the laundry basket where Lucky was nursing her other three kittens while she also napped, Lucas was glad that everyone seemed to be doing just fine despite all the chaos everyone had just endured. Connor was healing, Tina was healing, Gavin was healing and the little kitten was thriving.

"It's a shame that Lucky rejected this kitten." Lucas stated in a calm tone as he monitored the kitten's vital signs. "He is quite strong, and the malformed leg isn't a lethal condition. It may need to be amputated, but he can live a normal life with only three legs."

"Well, that's nature for ya'. Wait," looking away from his laptop screen Gavin stared at the kitten and nodded in its direction. "did you say 'he'?"

"Yes. This kitten is a male."

"Glad you can tell that while he's so young. It'll make it easier to find homes for the kittens when you can tell people their genders."

"To make things simpler the other three kittens are all females."

"Yeah, that's simpler." Finishing the last of his self appointed tasks Gavin closed the laptop and rubbed his right hand over his tired eyes. "I need to get something to eat and the shower off. Fuckin' early hours always suck..."

Lucas's blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow with curiosity at the comment. "Early hours?"

"I'm going back tomorrow. Fowler's giving me the clearance since both Tina and your brother are down for the count. It's desk duty only." Rising from the couch Gavin trudged into the kitchen and opened up the refrigerator to look at the leftover pasta dish that Aaron had made for him the night before. "At this point I'd rather ride a desk instead of a couch."

"What about Tina?"

"Her mom and her sister are hanging with her at the hospital all day and all night." Putting a helping of the pasta in a smaller bowl and then into the microwave Gavin leaned against the kitchen counter as he spoke to his deviant roommate. "And she's getting frequent visits from everyone else at the precinct. She knows what's happening and has been hailed a hero since she's the one that found the damning evidence in the case."

"Her keen eye is truly an asset. I'll be sure to put in a good word with my Captain to give to Captain Fowler, and ensure she gets proper recognition for her efforts."

"Cool. That'll make it worth the sick-leave to know there's a nice promotion waiting for her around the corner." The microwave finished warming up the meal and Gavin quickly grabbed the heated pasta with a ravenous motion. Taking a big bite of the food Gavin practically fell over to the kitchen table to eat. "Damn Aaron is a good cook! Too bad you can't try this."

"I've been sampling enough Thirium-based food with either Tina or Noreen over time. I think I prefer sweeter items over spicier items."

"Sensitive stomach?"

"Apparently so."

"Seriously?" Genuinely amused by the admission Gavin gave him a smug look. "YOU?"

"Yes, why does that surprise you?"

"Because you were designed to be the best of the best with androids. Seems like you'd be able to handle a bowl of spicy ramen."

"It's precisely because I was built with the best and most advanced programs that resulted in my 'sensitive stomach'. My analysis program is very sensitive and since that particular function is built into my tongue, I taste every molecule that is used in creating Thirium-based foods."

Slurping up a sauce covered noodle Gavin just stared at Lucas for a moment before responding in his usual eloquent manner. "That sucks."

"Indeed." Readjusting his arms to hold the kitten close to his body to keep him warm Lucas found that he truly enjoyed playing 'mother'.

"Since I'm going back to work tomorrow and Aaron's got a twenty-four hour shift tomorrow morning," taking another bite Gavin spoke around the food in his mouth as he pointed his now empty fork at the kitten. "how're we going to handle the little guy?"

"I called off today to take care of Connor, but tomorrow is already my scheduled day off. I will be able to handle the kitten, Hank will be able to handle Connor."

"Even better. Make sure to send Tina live feed of the kittens every now and then." Quickly devouring his pasta Gavin placed the now used bowl in the sink and ran some hot water over it before washing it up. "And give me an update on my break after I clock-in tomorrow."

"I will do so."

"Cool. I'm going to shower off, talk to Aaron for a while and then hopefully pass out."

"You should set two alarms." Receiving an odd look from Gavin as he walked out of the kitchen Lucas just shrugged his shoulders casually. "Just in case you oversleep."

"Yeah, sure. Don't wake me up before five-thirty! I always get up after six and never before..."

"That won't be a problem. Have a good night."

"Yeah, thanks. Oh," stopping himself before he got too far down the hallway Gavin pointed at the napping kitten once again as he spoke. "and if you need to order extra formula make sure you stick to the same brand we already have for the little guy. The sudden switch might upset his stomach."

"Noted."

Giving the little kitten his full attention Lucas watched the tiny bundle of fuzz napping peacefully in the warmth of the towel, and listened to the sound of the shower in the bathroom warming up. Very gently Lucas ran his left index fingertip over the kitten's head to pet him without accidentally waking him up in the process.

"I believe it's safe to say that your birth helped to save Gavin's life. You gave him something to focus on and helped him to see how much the people in his life care about him as he gave his energy to help you. We'll be sure to return the favor and give you a life full of love as well."

The new day was bright and beautiful as the sun rose over the sleepy city. Standing before the large window in his bedroom Markus watched as the run rose in the horizon and took in a deep breath as he felt North's left hand grab onto his right hand. Having earned back North's trust and renewed respect after his actions against the hunters who assaulted her in the forest, Markus was able to coax North into finally leaving the tower and getting some rest in the privacy of the mansion. Sharing the same bedroom as a way of keeping a sense of security over the residence Markus found himself truly enjoying their quiet mornings together before he went to the tower to assist in New Jericho's responsibilities.

North was beginning to heal from the assault and her paranoia was waning away. Choosing to alter her hairstyle to let it grow out to a shoulder length, and darkening its brunette shade to a more chocolate color as opposed to cinnamon, North was slowly returning to the person she had once been prior to being assaulted. A new look was her way of separating herself from the night of the brutal assault.

"It's a beautiful morning." Markus stated as he tightened his grip around North's hand in a comforting manner. "And the 'Shadow Blade' is behind bars. No one else will be harmed by a single deranged person with a knife stalking the streets."

"That's why you were hiding out in the mansion so much, isn't it?"

"Huh?" Looking at North as she stood at his side Markus didn't understand what she was talking about. "What do you mean?"

"You heard about the unknown person attacking people with a knife and your first thought went back to the monsters in the forest." Knowing Markus too well North could see right into his heart. "You were worried that one of them was trying to get revenge by attacking innocent people because of what they went through in the forest."

"...Yeah." Turning back to the window Markus let out a shameful sigh as he admitted that North was completely right. There was no point in even trying to deny what he was feeling. "I was worried. The idea of other people suffering because of what I chose to do... It scared me to my core."

"Do you regret doing what you did?"

"I only regret that I didn't find a better way to channel my anger." Strong in his words and his beliefs Markus had found peace in his actions. "Despite those hunters being abominations to life itself I had no right to decide their punishment, let alone carry out the sentence. They deserved to be punished and suffer, but it wasn't my place to make that decision."

"That may be so, but if that corrupt mayor was just going to protect them, then what you did might've been the only way any of us would've been given our justice."

"Maybe." Rubbing his thumb over the side of her hand Markus shared what he was thinking with the deviant he loved. "I think it's safe to say I'm not cut out for police work or law enforcement in any way."

"No, you're definitely not a cop. But you are a damn good leader and an even better friend."

"Thanks, North."

Standing side by side the duo watched as the sun rose even higher in the sky and bathed the city under the warm amber rays of the perpetually burning star shining from billions of miles away. The warmth of the natural light seemed to melt the cold regret threatening to freeze over Markus's heart as he accepted that his actions and behavior in the past wasn't infallible.

There was still many mistakes that Markus needed to answer for and make amends, but in time the deviant leader would be able to cleanse his soul, free his heart and clear his conscience.

Despite his reluctance and resentment toward the very idea of needing a check-up Connor let Hank help him out to the car and into the facility to await for his scheduled appointment. After checking in with Barry at the receptionist desk Connor limped to the exam room to await Abby's arrival, but instead of the familiar technician coming to greet him, a new and younger face peered at Connor after she entered the exam room with an electronic chart in her hands. Clearly a new intern and apprenticing technician, the young trainee gave Connor a wary glance as she read and then reread the notes in the chart to make sure she had every critical detail correct.

Studying her body language closely Connor deduced that the apprenticing technician had already graduated from college and was now working on her first year as an intern before being officially certified as a technician. Wearing the same scrubs as the other technicians, but missing the white lab coat in favor of wearing a badge to be identified as a trainee, the new technician was obviously nervous about working alone.

"Hello, my name is Lily Banner." Introducing herself kindly Lily tried to give Connor a confident smile. Pale, shaking and struggling to keep her short blonde hair out of her face due to her nervous sweat Lily read over Connor's chart yet again and adjusted her red rimmed glasses over her dark blue eyes. "I'm going to be running your physical today as Dr. Grayson is handling an emergency case as of this moment."

Almost disappointed to not see Abby that morning Connor didn't protest at the change of responding technician, and remained cooperative. "I see."

"Connor J. Wolf. RK-800: 313 248 317 - 52." Reviewing the name Lily's eyes widened at the rest of the details on the chart. "You're a detective who had been assaulted forty-eight hours prior, and suffered numerous forms of internal trauma to your biocomponents and Thirium lines from a... diamond bladed knife."

"Yes." Everything in his chart was correct and he wanted to sway Lily's doubts. "This is all true."

"W-Wow." Blushing as she realized her demeanor wasn't exactly professional Lily apologized profusely. "S-Sorry! That was inappropriate, please forgive me!"

"There is no offense taken by your reaction."

"Th-Thank you! I don't want to give you the wrong impression!"

"It's fine, Ms. Banner. Can we please begin the examination?"

"Yes, absolutely!" Clearing her throat nervously Lily put aside the chart and opened a nearby supply cabinet against the wall to retrieve an audioscope to use during said exam. "Please lay back and lift up your shirt." Picking up a pair of sharp surgical scissors from the cabinet Lily nodded at Connor's torso. "I need to check on your abdomen."

Silently Connor leaned back until he was laying flat over the exam table and pulled up his navy blue t-shirt to expose his bandaged up abdomen as requested. Laying still as Lily used the scissors to cut away the white bandages along his side, the young technician was a little shocked to see that Connor's artificial skin hadn't fully regenerated over his abdomen and that she could see physical scarring. Ignoring the reaction Connor let the intern lightly press her fingers along his pained abdomen and didn't try to push her away as her very touch made his sore stomach ache even worse.

"It seems you have some tenderness in your abdominal region." Astutely watching Connor during the exam Lily sought additional details. "Can you describe it to me?"

"...It's a persistent ache, not critical damage. It'll dissipate in time when my self healing program recalibrates."

"Without your artificial skin activated you shouldn't be feeling any pain whatsoever."

"I'm a prototype with advanced sensory input and output signals. I've also undergone the most recent sensory update that has amplified my sense of touch. This is actually normal for me."

"...Oh. R-Right." Blushing again Lily muttered a little under her breath. "That was in your charge, I should've known."

"Do not blame yourself for a mild oversight."

"Thanks." As she continued to press along Connor's abdomen Lily noted that Connor was reacting in a rather extreme, albeit contained, manner to her contact, and decided she needed a closer look. "Uh, please unlock the plastimetal panels over your torso so I can examine your abdominal cavity."

Giving Lily a slightly skeptical glance Connor obediently gave her access to his abdominal cavity as requested. Unsure of what to expect Connor watched as Lily slipped on a pair of purple latex gloves and began a visual assessment of the biocomponents that were now accessible in his torso.

"By all account your pain is connected to the still compromised plastimetal plating." She stated calmly as she used her fingertips to trace over the blue glowing biocomponents to check on the structural integrity. The biocomponents themselves did not contain any external sensors - only internal, and Connor couldn't feel her hands touching them during the examination. "All of the biocomponents and Thirium lines are seemingly intact."

The chosen term didn't escape Connor's attention. "'Seemingly'?"

"I need to take a closer look at the lines beneath the biocomponents to be sure."

"Is that really necessary?"

"Dr. Grayson's instructions were very clear. I need to do a full visual assessment on all repaired biocomponents and Thirium lines."

Annoyed by the procedure itself Connor let out an unheard sigh as he relented to the exam. "Very well."

"This will only take a moment, I know you don't want to be here."

Not saying a word Connor just watched as Lily rolled a tray of technician's tools over to the exam table to resume the exam. Grateful that his biocomponents were incapable of registering pain unless they were compromised Connor just stared at the ceiling above him, while Lily used the sharp and delicate metal tools to gently move the biocomponents to the side so she could check the lines underneath.

"No sign of leaking or weakened couplings..." Speaking out loud Lily was seeing only positive outcomes after the lifesaving procedure. "All of the biocomponents are a healthy blue color as well. Does your self diagnostic detect any abnormalities?"

"No."

"Then all I need to do is check the branching Thirial line and you can go."

"How long will it take?"

"About ten minutes. I need to move a lot of the biocomponents aside without disconnecting them by accident in order to see what I need to see."

As much as he wanted to leave the exam room and go about his business Connor knew it wasn't wise to rush such a delicate procedure. "...Take your time."

Having already spoken with Captain Fowler when he arrived at the precinct at seven o'clock right on the dot, Gavin busied himself at his old desk to catch up on his work, help cover the bullpen with both Tina and Connor down for the count, and to prove that he wasn't ready to stop being a detective. Ignoring the odd stares and whispers directed toward him due to the visible bionic arm attached to the former android-bigot, Gavin easily filed through every case under his responsibility and began typing up a new report. The abrasive detective had gotten used to being whispered about over the years and easily tuned out the gossip without batting an eye.

Typing just as quickly as he had been able to do in the past Gavin easily caught up on his work within the four hours since he clocked-in. Sipping at his bitter coffee to keep alert and energized Gavin didn't even notice that Ben had discreetly placed down a small napkin with red apple slices on his desk, and only seemed to be aware of the kind gesture after he absentmindedly bit into one of the slices.

"I knew these assholes couldn't do anything without my help." Finishing off the apple slice Gavin felt a swelling of pride fill his heart as he finished the first report and began the second. "They should consider themselves lucky."

"Reed." Captain Fowler's voice echoed through the bullpen as the commanding officer opened up the door of his private office to address the detective from afar. "My office."

"Now what?"

Popping another apple slice into his mouth Gavin turned off his terminal screen and made his way over to the office with his head held high. Entering the office and sitting down in the vacant chair across from Captain Fowler's desk Gavin gave his commanding officer a somewhat annoyed look, as he was more focused on keeping his cases under control and less interested in dealing with trivial paperwork.

"I got an update from Internal Affairs and all the jackasses up at the top." Speaking in a way that Gavin would appreciate Captain Fowler gave the returned detective a rather confident grin. "You're clear for return to the precinct."

"I kinda' figured as much since you didn't say anything over the past four hours I've been working."

"The catch is you're going to be stuck behind your desk until you can go out into the range and pass your firearms exam again."

"Again?"

Pointing at the bionic left arm hanging from Gavin's shoulder Captain Fowler was as honest as he was blunt. "You have to prove you can still handle a weapon when in the field."

"Yeah, yeah..." Rubbing his right palm along his left bicep where the bionic arm met the organic arm Gavin sighed and reminded himself that he still had a way to go before he'd be back to where he had been before the car accident. "I know."

"Keep doing what you're doing. By the time Tina's back you'll be able to go out to the range and get recertified. I know you'll pass easily, but we still have to follow protocol down to the letter."

"As long as I don't have jump through a bunch of hoops to do my job after I ace that exam, then fine!"

"All right. Keep up the good work and clock-out at your usual time."

"Always do."

Exiting the office as quickly as he entered Gavin returned to the bullpen and caught a rookie officer in the breakroom whispering about him to another rookie. The rookie was trying to discreetly motion to the white plastimetal left hand exposed at the cuff of Gavin's long sleeved purple shirt as he whispered. Entering the breakroom himself Gavin pretended to not notice the conversation as he poured himself some of the now lukewarm coffee, and stirred in a large amount of sugar until the dark brew was pale brown and more sugar than drink.

Hearing the comments regarding his arm: 'Crippled asshole', 'crazy freak' and even 'psycho', Gavin casually walked over to the two rookies and side eyed the camera know they were standing out of the camera's range. The two new officers quickly took notice of Gavin and fell silent as they gave him their full attention.

"You're new, right?" Pretending to sip the coffee Gavin gauged the younger man's reaction carefully. "Working patrol?"

"Uh, yeah." The rookie looked like he was just busted by the principal passing notes in class. With his blond hair slicked back, his cleanly shaven baby-face and military perfect posture, the new officer looked he was trying to pass uniform inspection. "Just started a week ago."

"Uh-huh. Name?"

"...I'm Lyle Portland."

"And you?" Turning to look at the second rookie Gavin was going to give her the benefit of the doubt in regard to precinct gossip. "Name."

"I'm Courtney Gardener." Her long blonde hair had been tied back in a neat bun and her posture was just as military perfect. "Today's my first day."

"As a detective who's been here for sixteen years now, let me give you some advice." Keeping the coffee cup gripped tightly in his right hand Gavin glared at Lyle but kept his tone even as he spoke to Courtney. "Never gossip about other cops, especially ones you don't even know."

Lyle immediately paled when he realized he had been busted in the act.

"If he's talkin' shit about me, a guy he's never met before, then you know he's the type to throw his fellow officer under the bus just to advance his career. As the resident 'crippled asshole, crazy freak, psycho," using Lyle's own words against him Gavin knew he had the rookie already on the ropes. "I can assure you that those who talk shit are worth shit."

Trying to save face Lyle poorly excused his words. "I-I meant no disrespect, sir!"

"Oh, no. Of course not... How could I possibly misconstrue such 'high praise' as anything but complimentary and respectful?"

As Lyle nervously swallowed his own words Gavin gave him an annoyed sneer.

"For the record, this 'crippled asshole' was wounded in the line of duty. I lost my arm after my patrol car got smashed in by a damn drunk driver, and a fellow detective saved my life in exchange for the loss on my arm. That very detective is recovering after being stabbed by a real psycho in the walls of this very precinct, and the only reason he got stabbed was because he was looking out for my partner who met a similar fate. Do you know who I'm talking about?"

"I... I do not."

"Oh. You don't them and you don't know me, but you feel like it's okay to talk shit about me? Trying to impress Officer Gardener here because she's cute and you think high school politics are going to cut it in the real world? You do know interoffice relationships are greatly frowned up, doncha'? Even if she were interested in you, and trust me, she is WAY out of your league, I'd have to report this to Fowler."

"S-Sir, I give you my word-"

"Your word means absolutely nothing to me, or anyone else in this entire fuckin' precinct." Growling in response Gavin made it clear that Lyle had already screwed up big time. "You want people to trust you? Accept your word? Believe you in any capacity? Then start by earning their trust and knowing your place."

"Y-Yes, sir."

Taking one more faux sip of the coffee Gavin gave Lyle a disappointed glance before he threw the lukewarm and super sugary beverage all over the front of Lyle's uniform, then dropped the mug on the floor causing it to shatter. "Clean that shit up!"

Within seconds Lyle recovered from shock and promptly gathered some paper towels to clean up the mess while Courtney wisely returned to her own desk to await her next assignment. The air in the bullpen was silent and tense as the unseen confrontation was felt by everyone in the building.

Leaving the breakroom feeling smug and angry Gavin returned to his desk, sat down and gave Ben a casual shrug of his shoulders when the senior officer took notice of the shattering mug. "New guy made a mess, now he's cleaning it up."

Shaking his head a little Ben had an idea of what had happened, but unless someone filed a complaint against Gavin or caught anything on the cameras, no one would be able to do a damn thing about Gavin's behavior. "Welcome back, Gavin. We all missed you in our own weird little ways."

Receiving a clean bill of health after his appointment Connor tried to go about his business at the house, while Hank took advantage of their day off to catch up on some reading. Sitting in the recliner in the livingroom with his legs kicked up, a well worn copy of 'The Sign of Four' in his hands, and a glass of ice cold lemonade beside him, Hank was entirely relaxed and eager to finish the story for what felt like the hundredth time. Listening to the sound of Connor messing around with his new motorcycle in the garage was surprisingly effective white noise, and far less distracting than Sumo's loud snoring as the massive dog laid sprawled out over the couch.

Sipping at the lemonade Hank marked the finished chapter in his book and set it aside for a moment. Even though the heat was finally beginning to break it was still dangerously hot outside, and the senior detective didn't want Connor to accidentally overheat while working on the motorcycle.

"Sumo?" Standing up the recliner Hank called to the sleeping dog and waited for a response. "Need to go outside?"

The Saint Bernard never awoke from his nap even as the enticing word was uttered.

"Guess not. Good."

Walking past the couch Hank walked into the kitchen and listened to the sound of tools being 'clanged' around just on the other side of the two doors separating the garage from the kitchen via laundry room in between. Opening up the backdoor Hank took a look at his vibrant tomato plant practically exploding with bright ruby red tomatoes hanging from thick green vines as it sat in its pot on the back brick patio. Deciding that the plant was ready for harvesting Hank grabbed five of the largest of the tomatoes from the vines and carried them back inside the kitchen to be washed off.

"Damn, tomatoes this big would cost almost twenty bucks at the store!"

Placing each of the tomatoes down in the kitchen sink Hank ran cool water over the vegetables and then used a paper towel to carefully clean the red skin before placing them down on the countertop to be used later that evening.

"Those are going to make one hell of a sauce tonight."

Drying off his hands Hank opened up the door to the laundry room and then the second door leading to the garage. Peering inside the somewhat cool storage area Hank saw Connor kneeling down on the right side of the motorcycle as the deviant carefully took the vehicle apart piece by piece to get it ready for modification.

Connor had black oil and grease on his hands and a determined stare in his soulful brown eyes. The yellow glowing L.E.D. created a bright amber light against his right temple, and the steeled gaze was virtually unbreakable.

"Need some help, kid?"

"No, but thank you." Connor gave Hank a respectful nod as he carefully removed yet another piece of the motorcycle from the body. "As of the moment I'm taking it apart to be cleaned and the parts inventoried. Afterward I will begin ordering the new parts to ensure the motorcycle performs as I want."

"Sounds good. I'm going to make a tomato sauce with those ridiculously overgrown tomatoes from the backyard. Want to help?"

Setting aside the tools after neatly placing each removed part from the motorcycle down on a white sheet behind him Connor gave Hank a curious glance from where he knelt. "Help?"

"You're a damn good cook, kid. Let's see how good you really are."

"Very well. I planned on working on the motorcycle through the winter to have it ready by next spring. I have plenty of time to work on it."

"Cool."

Standing upright Connor let out a sudden wince and nearly curled around himself as the motion pulled on his abdomen.

Watching the deviant wrap his arms protectively around his middle while also displaying a red flashing L.E.D. made Hank react quickly. "Son? What's wrong?"

"...N-Nothing. Minor error." Straightening back up Connor forced himself to drop his arms and walk toward the side door. "It has corrected itself."

"Are you sure?" Stepping back into the laundry room Hank watched the deviant's every move like a hawk as they set foot inside the kitchen. "That seemed pretty damn painful for a 'minor error'."

"I assure you it's fine. What I experienced equates to a human suffering a muscle cramp, nothing more."

"All right, if you say so."

"This very morning I returned from an unwanted check-up." Washing off his greasy hands in the kitchen sink Connor gave Hank a somewhat stern stare before staring at the juicy tomatoes beside the sink. "If there was something wrong with me it would've been discovered."

"Maybe. Didn't you tell me that instead of Abby you had a newbie intern giving you the exam?"

"Correct. But it was a routine physical, nothing as invasive as repairs."

"True, but does that newbie know what to look for in regard to complications after repairs?"

Turning off the water Connor didn't have a ready answer to be given. "...That has yet to be seen."

"Ha! Gotcha' with your own logic. If the newbie can't be certain then neither can you."

Drying off his hands Connor took a single step away from the sink and let out a sudden hiss of pain as he slowly fell to his knees onto the linoleum floor. Wrapping his arms around his torso for the second time that afternoon Connor ran a self diagnostic as he closed his eyes tight, and his L.E.D. cycled in an angry red in response to the returned pain.

"Connor, what's wrong?" Kneeling down in front of the deviant Hank put his hands on Connor's shoulders to help support him as he knelt on the floor in horrible pain. "What hurts?"

"...S-Stomach."

"Your stomach? Describe the pain for me."

"...H-Hurts. Burning."

"Burning? That doesn't make any sense."

Lifting his head up Connor opened his eyes and let out a breath through his clenched teeth. "...Sick."

"You're going to be sick?" As Connor nodded in confirmation Hank grabbed onto Connor's right arm and slung the limb around his own shoulders. Helping Connor to get up to his feet Hank escorted the suddenly ill deviant toward the bathroom down the hallway and managed to get him in front of the toilet just as the deviant's emergency expulsion program kicked on. "Let it out..."

Kneeling before the basin Connor threw-up in painful retches that covered the interior of the bowl a deep blue color. As his self diagnostic failed to pinpoint the cause of his illness Connor slumped forward heavily, and didn't resist when Hank's left palm pressed against his forehead and Hank's right palm rested in the middle of his back.

"Shit, you feel like you're starting to run a fever. I think you should go back to the facility."

"N-No." Spitting the blue blood from his mouth Connor dragged the back of his left hand over his blue stained lower lip with understandable disgust. "It was just a minor error."

"Kid, I know you hate facilities, and I know it sounds super hypocritical coming from me, but you should go back. I'm worried about you."

The way Hank was speaking in a patient tone of pure understanding managed to get through to Connor even as he threw-up a second time. Waiting for the expulsion program to cease Connor fell to his left side on the floor and took a moment to breathe through his lingering discomfort while Hank flushed away the sickness, then put a clean white washcloth under the tap in the sink.

"How about this?" Wringing out the excess warm water Hank handed the washcloth to Connor and watched as the deviant used it to clean up his lips and his chin after being unexpectedly sick. "You go lay down on the couch for an hour or so and if you feel better I'll let you alone, but if you get sick again or you're still in pain, I'll take you back to the facility."

"...Sounds reasonable."

"Yeah?"

"Yes."

"All right then." Taking back the used washcloth Hank rinsed it out in the warm water again to get the blue out of it. Extending his right hand down toward Connor to take Hank helped the shaking deviant back up to his feet, then helped walk him from the bathroom and into the livingroom. "Let's get you down on the couch to rest and see how you feel in an hour."

Enthralled with the kittens and the way they behaved Lucas laid on his back next to the laundry basket and kept the rejected kitten bundled up on the towel as it napped on his warm chest. Turning his head Lucas watched Lucky and her other three kittens through the little holes that lined the basket, and grinned as the little trio of kittens climbed all over Lucky in search of milk and warmth. The way Lucky just purred and allowed her offspring to paw all over her body was indicative of love, and that in turn confused Lucas since she so readily rejected the fourth kitten that he, Gavin and Aaron were all actively working together to keep alive.

Running a scan over the kitten on his chest and then a scan over the three kittens in the basket Lucas confirmed that all four had the same healthy vital signs, all four were showing the same healthy and steady growth. The only real difference was the rejected kitten was born with a deformed front right leg.

"I wish I understood why you rejected your own offspring, Lucky."

Speaking to the cat as if she could somehow understand him Lucas watched the new mother washing her paw and then using the same paw to wash her ear.

"It's so strange to know you're tending three of your kittens but not the fourth. Then again, humans endure nine months of gestation only to give up their offspring for adoption. Is that what happened to you?"

Watching as Lucky next groomed her three kittens now that her ear was clean Lucas began to contemplate his role in the rejected kitten's life.

"Did you let us adopt your kitten? Were you unable to tend to four kittens and only wanted three?"

Receiving no answer from the mother cat Lucas sighed and put his hand over the towel to check and make sure the napping fourth kitten wasn't too warm. By all account the tiny kitten was thriving just fine and there was no reason for it to have been rejected by Lucky.

"Even though he was born with only three functioning legs this kitten can still have an active life and survive quite well on his own once he's grown."

Remembering Gavin's request to send feed of the kittens to Tina as she recovered in the hospital Lucas slowly sat upright and continued to hold the towel and kitten to his chest to ensure the little guy was kept warm and fully supported. Leaning over the basket Lucas promptly set up a live feed through a cybernetic connection and made sure Tina, Gavin, Aaron and even Noreen could all see the kittens moving about on their wobbly legs and squeaking loudly through his own eyes.

"Perhaps in time we'll all stop isolating people for being born differently than us, and learn to come together in a loving manner."

The prospect of overcoming challenges and finding common ground always seemed to be in the back of Lucas's mind. Having such a drive to find a peaceful life and being able to grow as an individual was Lucas's strongest and most noble trait as a person.

Watching over Connor as the strangely ill deviant threw-up for a third time into an empty mop bucket clutched between his hands, Hank knew that whatever was making Connor sick wasn't a simple error or a passing stomachache. The deviant needed to see a trusted technician and have the real cause of his odd condition properly diagnosed. Taking the partially filled bucket away once Connor was finished with being sick, Hank put his left palm to Connor's right shoulder and slowly pushed the deviant until he was laying on his left side over the length of the couch to rest a little. Every time Connor threw-up his already sore abdomen ached violently and slowly sapped away his strength.

"I'm going to toss this out." Hank stated as he carried the bucket into the bathroom down the hallway. "And then we're going to the facility."

Too miserable to protest Connor just laid still and closed his eyes as his self diagnostic came back once again inconclusive. Barely reacting to Sumo as the large dog pressed his cold, wet nose against the side of his neck, Connor rested his right hand on the back of Sumo's neck. "...Good boy."

Carrying the washed out bucket with him back into the livingroom Hank opened the front door of the house and headed over to the car for a moment, then returned to get Connor. "I put the bucket in the car just in case you get sick again."

"...I'm certain I'll be fine without technical assistance."

"If you weren't still wrapped up in bandages I might find that statement to be more convincing. You're going to the facility and you're going now."

Limply Connor let Hank pull on his right arm to help him sit upright on the couch, then found the strength to stand up just long enough to walk out of the house and to the car parked in the driveway. Leaning heavily at Hank's left side Connor was barely aware of being sat down in the front passenger seat of the car or of the seatbelt being fastened over his chest and waist.

Closing his eyes again Connor let out a small groan as the pain in his stomach suddenly got worse and his core temperature began to slowly rise.

"Hold on, son." Speaking calmly Hank turned over the car's engine and cranked up the air conditioner before backing down the driveway. "We'll figure this out soon."

Everything was a blur as the pain overwhelmed Connor's senses and his system still failed to locate any potential error resulting in his strange and abrupt sickness. Pressing his palms over his bandaged abdomen Connor hissed in pain as the weight against the odd scars in the plastimetal made the burning sensation in his stomach flare with a horrible surge of sharp pressure.

The sensation of the car coming to a stop went completely unnoticed by Connor until the passenger side door opened from the outside, and Hank reached in to remove the seatbelt from over top the ill deviant. Too weak and frazzled to even try to resist Connor let Hank pull him out of the car and sit him down in the wheelchair that Barry quickly wheeled out into the parking lot after being told by Hank of the incoming potential emergency. Still dazed and unsure of what was happening Connor stayed silent as he was wheeled into the facility through the front entrance, and taken directly into an exam room for analysis.

Feeling absolutely miserable Connor nearly jumped when he felt a cool palm press against his right cheek and a kind voice speaking to the people around him.

"Get him on the table." Abby instructed as she pulled back her hand. "I can't be sure until I take his vitals, but it looks like he's suffering from insipid shock."

Strong hands wrapped around his chest and a second pair of hands grabbed his legs below the knees. Unable to do anything Connor just let the two people lift him up from the wheelchair and lay him down over the exam table as Abby had instructed.

"How long has he been like this, Hank?" Asking questions Abby lifted up Connor's eyelids one at a time to check his pupils with her penlight, then immediately pulled up Connor's navy blue t-shirt to examine his re-bandaged abdomen carefully. "What're his symptoms?"

"He's been in pain, he said it feels like it's a burning sensation, and then he's thrown-up three times. I think he's overheating a little, too."

"Strange. According to Ms. Banner's notes in Connor's chart he was completely healthy during his check-up just five hours ago."

"I know." Hank stayed beside the table while Barry left the exam room with the wheelchair to give Abby more space to work. "The pain just hit him all of a sudden when he stood up, then again when he turned around while walking and got nauseous. He threw-up twice after that, and then the third time he was just laying on his side on the couch."

After promptly checking Connor's vitals Abby saw no sign of a glitch or external trauma, but she knew something was indeed wrong. "Shit. I'm willing to bet we're dealing with an internal problem."

"Internal?" Nervous on Connor's behalf Hank placed his right hand to Connor's left shoulder and held it there in a supportive manner. "Is he bleeding?"

"That is a very real possibility." Palpating Connor's abdomen Abby watched as Connor flinched and tried to roll onto his side to get away from her hands. "I'm sorry, Connor. I don't want to hurt you."

"Can you do anything about his pain?"

"Not without his consent." Reminding Hank of the same rights and privileges that androids had been given after deviancy was legally recognized, Abby grabbed onto the internal viewing screen left to charge up its power in the storage cabinet, then held it over Connor's abdomen. "He's too confused to properly answer such a question."

Curiously Hank watched as the screen gave Abby and himself a clear internal view of Connor's abdominal cavity, and tried to figure out what the hell was normal and what was abnormal in regard to biocomponents and Thirium lines. The images reminded Hank of the black and white display of an active ultrasound and was even fascinated by the visible heartbeat that showed up on the screen as Abby moved it up higher over Connor's abdomen near his chest.

"Wait... Hold on." Abby suddenly stopped moving the screen and honed in on Connor's artificial stomach. "Shit! Connor, I need to open your abdomen."

Hank could only watch as the technician cut away the fresh white bandages and expose Connor's abdomen directly. The missing artificial skin and warped plastimetal was enough to make Hank's own stomach hurt just by looking at it. "What's going on?"

"A mistake that never should've happened." Waiting for Connor to unlock the panels over his abdominal cavity Abby slipped on a pair of purple latex gloves and slid open the panels to get a look at the biocomponents inside Connor's torso. Moving her hands to where she saw the anomaly on the screen Abby felt something sharp and metallic pressing up against the left side of Connor's artificial stomach and swore again. "Damn it!"

"Abby, what's wrong with him?"

"...Interns being unsupervised." Taking hold of the offensive object with a firm grip Abby lifted the metal pair of forceps out of Connor's torso, the deviant letting out a pained gasp in the process, and held them into the shining light overhead. "This is a tool used to move aside biocomponents to view the Thirium lines running underneath. They're strong but small, and can easily get lost inside the android body when the person using such a tool doesn't pay attention to their inventory."

"Whoa... Connor had a tool left inside his body?"

"Unfortunately, yes." Dropping the Thirium stained object down on the countertop behind herself Abby sighed and removed her blue blood stained gloves before opening the supply cabinet again. Pulling out a tray loaded up with technician's tools Abby confirmed that a pair of the forceps were not accounted for, and had a sneaking suspicion she just found it inside one of her patients. "This is inexcusable. I'm so sorry, Connor!"

Feeling suddenly much better Connor glanced down at his opened torso and took in a deep breath. "...The pain's gone. Thank you."

Returning to Connor's side with additional supplies in her hands Abby proceeded to clean up Connor's abdomen and sterilize it before closing the panels. "The forceps were slowly piercing into your artificial stomach. That caused the pain and that's why your emergency expulsion program activated. You were collecting blood in your stomach."

"...Do I need additional repairs?"

"No, your self healing program can mend the simple puncture wound and after eight hours you can drink Thirium to replenish what you lost."

"That's good. Thank you for your help."

"I'll be sure Ms. Banner is made aware of her mistake and receives proper discipline. She knows the routine and she knows protocol. NEVER close any panels until AFTER all of your tools are accounted for!"

"Do not be too harsh on her, Abby." Stifling a gasp as the cold orange incrassation compound was poured into his abdomen Connor's L.E.D. cycled to yellow and then finally blue as his system stabilized. "Mistakes happen and she is still learning."

"...I know. But she still needs to have a little scare in order to fully understand that she made a mistake, and to ensure she doesn't repeat it. I won't make her run out of the building crying though. It's hard to find interns willing to work morning hours."

"Good."

"I'll get you bandaged up again and let you go home to rest. You're going to be sore for a day, maybe two since you suffered all those repairs. Other than that you'll be feeling like your usual self again soon."

Letting out a quiet sigh of relief Hank patted Connor's shoulder and offered the deviant a reassuring grin. "Well then, I guess that means you can still help me in the kitchen. You helped grow those tomatoes so you're going to help me cook 'em up, too."

"That is an acceptable arrangement." With his abdomen sterilized and closed Connor sat upright slowly and let Abby wrap up his torso under the new fresh white bandages to keep his abdomen clean until his artificial skin finally regenerated. "But since I cannot eat human food it's only fair that you wash every dish you use after the meal is finished."

"I'm familiar with the 'you cook, I clean' arrangement, kid." Truly relieved to see Connor regain his strength and lose the pain Hank was willing to take on a new challenge just for the fun of it. "Just you wait until I figure out how to cook Thirium, you're going to end up with dishpan hands by the time I'm through with you."

The moderately quiet ambience of the bullpen was suddenly disturbed when three men all wearing bandanas over their foreheads marched into the precinct demanding to speak to a cop. In order to silence the intrusive men Captain Fowler spoke to them himself and requested that they go into interview rooms with him to speak in private, and figure out what was going on. The trio were screaming about wanting justice and that they knew the mayor, and even had the gall to threaten Captain Fowler's job if the seasoned detective failed to get them the justice they were demanding. As expected no one was impressed with the rude and callous behavior.

Due to the loud and ostentatious display Gavin's curiosity was piqued and he wanted in on one of the interrogations. Taking one of the three men to interview room 'C' - room 'A' was still locked off, and Captain Fowler took one of the men into 'B' while Ben took the third man to 'D', Gavin was eager to figure out why the trio were raising such a fuss, and what brought them into the precinct on that day.

"All right Mr. Syracuse." Sitting down across from the angry man Gavin introduced himself and placed a tablet down on the table and pressed 'record' to begin recording the sure to be unusual interview. "What crime are you here to report?"

With an enraged voice Irwin Syracuse went into great detail about he and his friends, Chase Froth and Dugal Karrar, were needlessly attacked in the forest three weeks prior, and that they were threatened to keep quiet by the people who attacked them. The reason they were coming forward on that day was because they read about the arrest of the infamous 'Shadow Blade' and were convinced Donovan Saxon, and an unknown accomplice, were responsible for their supposedly unwarranted assaults.

"So let me get this straight..." Knowing that Syracuse wasn't being entirely honest Gavin began pushing for more details. "You and your buddies were out in the forest hunting some hogs when two masked men infiltrated your camp, drugged you, tried you up, beat you, conveniently injected you with some kind of destructive chemical and then trashed your camp... all for no reason?"

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's true!" Syracuse was losing his short temper as Gavin stared at him skeptically. "We didn't do anything and that sick fucker with the knife came after us!"

"How do you know it was the 'Shadow Blade' who attacked you? I thought your attackers were both wearing masks."

"They were!" Shouting in anger Syracuse slammed his fists down on the table in a failed attempt to intimidate Gavin. "But I know it was that Saxon asshole who attacked us!"

"How do you know that? What's your proof?"

"That asshole was knifing people in the city!"

Not following Syracuse's logic, and entirely unimpressed with his attitude, Gavin just gave him a dismissive response. "...And?"

"AND?! And what?!"

"What does the knife have to do with what happened to you guys?"

Suddenly silent Syracuse's right fingertips brushed against the blue bandana wrapped around his forehead. "...The dude knifed up our tent and stuff. That's how I know it was him."

"And that's it? You think the psycho stabbing people in the city decided to walk out in the middle of the forest in the dead of night to stab your tent just for shits and giggles?"

"Look at this, man!" Pulling his phone from his pocket Syracuse showed Gavin photos he took of the destroyed campsite and practically slammed the screen in Gavin's face. "See our tent? That's not from the wind, that's from a damn knife!"

"Uh-huh..." Still unimpressed Gavin took the phone and began checking through the other photos and zooming in on the images. "You know what this looks like to me?" Honing in on the numerous crumpled up beer cans and hunting knives strewn about Gavin handed the phone back to Syracuse to take. "A night of too much drinking and regrets."

"WHAT?!" Snatching back the phone Syracuse gave Gavin a death glare. "Why the fuck would I come here to report this shit if it was just a night of too many beers?!"

"Insurance."

"I-Insurance?!"

"Sure. You guys destroyed a lot of nice hunting equipment, some of it illegal, and wasted some valuable stuff. You want to file a report with the police, claim assault and destruction of property on some high-profile maniac filling up the tabloids, and then you walk away with a nice fat check and bullshit story to tell to all your buddies at the bar."

"That's bullshit! Why go through all this trouble over a damn insurance payout?"

"Why did you wait three whole weeks to come to the police after being supposedly assaulted?"

Losing his temper Syracuse's face began turning red and his hands clenched into white knuckle fists on the table. "Because we didn't know that this freak was responsible for our assault! We JUST learned of his arrest!"

"That doesn't explain the three week delay. Even if you weren't able to identify your supposed attackers, one or both of them, you should've come right to the police that same day you took the photos of your ruined campsite, and let the cops handle shit from the beginning."

"So you're saying no one's going to believe us or take this case?"

"Not likely. Without hard evidence to give us a motivation behind the attack no one's going to touch this case. We got more important shit to clean up. No motivation, no case."

"What do you mean motivation?! That lunatic was just stabbing random people left and right, and my campsite got knifed up, too!"

"Yeah, and the man you claimed to have attacked you NEVER left the city during his little knifing spree. For him to supposedly go ALL the way out to the forest with a buddy, despite us already having proof he acted alone, managing to find you three in the middle of nowhere, drug you, tie you up and then use the knife on your TENT makes no sense! Look," leaning forward a little Gavin gave Syracuse a smug and condescending stare. "we've all had nights where we've had a little too much to drink and did something stupid. It's not a big deal to admit you drank too much, but it is a big deal to try file false police reports."

"I'm not lying!" On the verge of a full blown tantrum Syracuse looked like he was about to throw a punch Gavin's way. "Two assholes attacked me and my buddies in the woods!"

"WHY? You keep saying you're the victims of assault, but what's the motivation? Were you robbed? Were you raped? We-"

"HEY!" Defensive and angry Syracuse got right in Gavin's face as he refuted the suggestion. "No one touched ME like that you little fa-"

"CHOOSE YOUR NEXT WORDS VERY CAREFULLY." Raising his voice and glaring a hole in Syracuse's face Gavin made it clear he wasn't going to put up with that type of language or behavior. "Remember, I'm a cop and I'm always armed. Now, chill the fuck out and answer my question. What was their motivation?"

"What does it matter?!"

"Because if there's no motivation behind this crime we can't possibly connect your attackers to the attack, you dip-shit! What you're saying and what you're showing me doesn't make any damn sense! You want us to help you? Then you need to be honest with us! Why were you targeted and attacked?"

"...You really want to know?"

Extending his arms out at his sides dramatically Gavin rolled his eyes and gave Syracuse a glare that screamed "Fucking duh!" as he awaited the answer.

"Fine! I'll show you!" Grabbing onto the bandana covering his forehead Syracuse revealed the ugly word carved into his flesh that was still angry and red as it healed. Leaning back in his chair Syracuse pointed at the word and snarled at Gavin. "This! The fucker carved this in my face!"

"...'Rapist', huh?" Sensing he was on to something that Syracuse was trying to keep hidden Gavin began asking a new line of questions. "Now why, of all the words in our bastardized version of the English language, would he choose that one?"

Syracuse's brow knit slightly causing the the 'P' and the 'I' in the word to pinch closer together. "What do you mean?"

"Ah, come on! Don't act dumb." Leaning forward Gavin folded his hands together the white bionic hand going unnoticed by Syracuse's blinding rage, and leaned atop the table as he gave Syracuse a studious glance. "There's a reason you were branded like that, and you know what it was. Tell me."

"Why does it matter what it says? It's proof I was attacked with a knife!"

"It's proof all right. Proof that you're trying to hide something from the police." Not backing down Gavin pressed a small button on the corner of the tablet requesting another officer to stand guard outside the interview room door. "Based on the way you reacted when I suggested that you and your buddies might've been sexually assaulted makes me think that you being branded a rapist has a very interesting story behind it. A true story at that."

"I didn't do anything wrong!"

"But you did do something. Let me think now... You and your buddies are avid hunters, right? And out in the middle of the forest there's really no one there to enforce the laws, right? Did some unfortunate soul wander into your camp and you and your buddies decide to have a little 'fun'?"

"Hey! We didn't do anything wrong!"

"And what was this 'not wrong' thing you guys did? If it's not a big deal then you should have no problem telling me, riiiiight?" Seeing the way Syracuse was tensing up Gavin decided to poke the very raw nerve regarding the motivation for his assault. "Did some woman have the nerve to reject you? Did she hurt your pride when she said 'no' and confirmed she had standards beyond some douchebag using a gun to kill animals to make himself feel more like a man?"

"Those plastic whores were DESIGNED to be fucked, all right?" Slamming his hands down on the table Syracuse got right in Gavin's face again and blew his rank breath all over Gavin's face. "We were just reminding them of their place!"

"THEY? So... More than one?"

Realizing what he just confessed to Syracuse slunk back in his seat and quickly paled at his own stupidity.

"You have a history of abusing the 'Tracis' from the 'Eden Club'. I was there once before to investigate a murder. Frankly, after everything I've seen when it comes to how fucked up people can be, and how alive deviants truly are, I don't blame that one 'Traci' for killing the sick bastard abusing her. You managed to walk away from the 'Eden Club' with only a fine and some blue balls after you killed one a few years back. What happened?"

"Hey, I paid my money! That bitch didn't do what I said, so I showed her who's boss!"

"You paid the club, and a rental, not for her as a form of property. And if she deviated then that means she had gained sentience and thus the right to say 'no'. Are you too disgusting to seduce someone, or are you too much of a pussy to ask for a refund?"

"What's your problem, asshole!?"

"My problem is a piece of shit like you admitting to assaulting, raping and killing deviants comin' in here and crying about needing justice after you walked away from your own crimes scot-free!"

"You HAVE to help me! It's your job to serve and protect, so fuckin' serve me!"

"I don't have to do jackshit, ass-wipe. There is zero evidence that you were attacked in your campsite beyond you being branded as the fucked up freak you are, but even so that doesn't connect your assault to anyone else!"

"Maybe those plastic bitches hired him to do it! They wanted payback, so they hired that knife-freak to come after us!"

"Well, if that's the case then I'm going to need to find the deviants you raped, ask them questions, get their statements against you and your friends, and go from there. Their testimony AGAINST you would be the only evidence to support your claim of assault out in the forest." Chuckling a little Gavin gave Syracuse a wicked grin and leaned back in his chair. "In a way it's beautiful. What better way to provide justice than by making sure you rot in jail for your crimes, after you point the finger at whoever got justice for those victims? Do you really want to stand in front of camera with 'rapist' cut into your forehead and try to claim to be a 'victim'?"

Scoffing arrogantly Syracuse tried once again to intimidate Gavin. "I know the mayor!"

"So do I! Guess what? Not impressed."

Syracuse began slumping down in his chair as he realized no one was going to help him. "...You're going to regret this."

"Regret what?"

"Not helping me!" Standing up Syracuse went to leave the room as he continued to insult Gavin. "I'm going to make sure you-" The door slid open and Chris was already standing there blocking the way. "Move it!"

Gavin stood up, grabbed onto Syracuse's shoulder and pulled him back to his seat at the table. "Hey, dumbass. You just confessed to multiple accounts of rape. You're not going ANYWHERE."

"You can't prove it!"

"Sure I can." Looking past Syracuse and toward Chris in the doorway Gavin motioned to the officer with a happy hand. "Chris?"

Holding up a tablet screen of his own Chris replayed the confession that Gavin recorded on the tablet sitting on the desk beside him. "Sounds like proof to me."

Swallowing nervously Syracuse turned to face Gavin and got right in his face. "You can't-"

"I can and I will. Sit your ass down until one of the interrogation rooms are free." Stepping outside of the room while Chris stepped inside to keep an eye on Syracuse for a while Gavin gave the demented man a coy smirk. "You should also keep your big mouth shut and ask your buddy the mayor to get you a good lawyer. You're going to need one!"

Sitting at the kitchen table looking exhausted and morose Connor watched as Hank finished spicing up the sauce from his homegrown tomatoes with a distant gaze in his soulful brown eyes. Without any further complications from his repairs or the following check-up Connor's stomach was healing normally, and his strength was returning, but his energy was still low. As the senior detective finished stirring the sauce on the stove and wiping down the counters Connor ran another self diagnostic to confirm that his system was healing properly, and refused to look up at Hank and look him in the eyes as he sat down at the table across from him.

"How ya' feeling, kid?"

"...Nominal."

"You know there's nothing wrong with suffering from a complication after a major procedure like that, right?"

"Yes. I'm aware."

"Then why do you look like you're somehow at fault for getting a little sick? Shit happens."

"I know we've discussed this numerous times before, but I was designed to be flawless and shouldn't be affected by something as trivial as an intern's oversight. I shouldn't have been stabbed to begin with, I never should've been so distracted by Tina that I failed to detect the assailant still inside the room behind me."

"You know that perfection is completely impossible to achieve. Hell, that fact that Lucas, who was designed to be your superior, even exists, is proof that CyberLife knew that you could never be perfect. Don't blame yourself for getting attacked from behind by a fucking coward."

"I also should've known that-"

"Nope. You, me, Noreen and Lucas were ALL working on that case and none of us figured out it was Saxon. It all makes sense, too. Saxon would know about the downed surveillance cameras in the city, he knew about the stakeout which is why it failed to bust him, and he refused to help anyone else work on the case making it all the more difficult to solve. Occam's razor..."

Shaking his head a little Connor drummed his right fingertips over the kitchen table as if nervous. Everything that had happened had been nearly overwhelming and Connor was still struggling with the guilt of his own actions from the past.

"Oh!" Seeing Connor's nervous tic reminded Hank of something very important. Reaching in his jean pocket he presented Connor with the antique coin he had been given as a gift the day before being attacked. "Here, I managed to get your wallet and coin out of your ruined clothes before they were tossed out."

"Thank you." Accepting first the coin and then his wallet Connor graciously took back the items. Having his uniform cut off his bleeding body had numerous drawbacks, one of such being the potential loss of personal items. "I'll bring the clock back here after I return to work. I imagine things are going to be hectic due to Tina's absence alongside Gavin."

"Actually, Gavin went back to work today."

Arching his brow Connor gave Hank a truly stunned look. "...How did he get the clearance?"

"From what Ben told me," not ashamed to admit that he and Ben would gossip via texts, Hank gave the deviant a little update. "Gavin is actually using that bionic arm you and Lucas got from Kamski, and is picking up the slack to help out Tina. After a few weeks he'll go and take his exam at the range and once he passes he'll be permitted clearance to work in the field again."

"Gavin has returned to work. That is... good. People are healing."

"AND, get this..." Glancing back at the sauce simmering on the stove top behind him Hank got back up to stir it a little to prevent it from scorching. "Today three assholes entered the precinct shouting for justice and screaming about how they knew the mayor. Sound familiar?"

Eyes widening Connor looked up at Hank as his heart began to race and his blue L.E.D. settled on yellow. "...The hunters?"

"Yup." Calm and completely unafraid Hank tasted the sauce and added a touch of garlic salt before stirring it again. "The dumb assholes went to the precinct claiming that it was Saxon and a nonexistent partner that randomly found them in the woods, and beat the shit out of 'em, and they didn't say nothing about it because they were threatened to keep quiet. They saw Saxon's name in the news and decided it must've been him who attacked them and decided it'd be smart to go to the cops and point the finger at him."

"...But Saxon didn't attack them, and the attack pattern doesn't fit with Saxon's modus operandi."

"Bingo. Fowler, Ben and even Gavin all knew that and called out the three idiots on their claims. Gavin even got one of 'em to confess to the rapes and got it recorded as evidence against him. Dumb fuckers went in to the precinct to report the assault and ended up confessing to their own crime instead."

Slowly Connor's L.E.D. returned to blue as he contemplated what that meant. "...The three hunters are in custody?"

"Yeah. Fowler made sure to keep their asses locked up and away from one another, and is even making it difficult for the mayor himself to try to explain away the trio having 'rapist' carved into their foreheads."

"They are still in the city, but they cannot harm anyone now that they are in custody."

"That's right. They'll actually be held accountable for their crimes thanks to one of them opening his big mouth and getting it recorded in a damn police precinct."

Staring at the coin in its protective case as he held it between his right index fingertip and thumb, Connor slipped the coin into his palm and curled his fingers around it in a protective grip. "Then the deviant victims can walk the streets without fear."

"Yeah, you got it. You're also off the hook." Returning to the kitchen table Hank gave the deviant an almost proud smile. "Those assholes busted themselves and now no one will listen to a word they say about being attacked in the woods. You made the scene look like a drunken night gone wrong and it worked."

"...I know this is good news for the victims, but I still feel bad." Putting the coin down flat on the table under his palm Connor's shoulders slumped heavily as his eyes darkened with regret. "I never should've accepted the invitation to seek revenge. It was wrong. I was wrong."

"Remember what I said about you having a heart and that's why you felt bad despite those assholes being a destructive monsters preying on the innocent? The way you can admit you made a mistake and can see that letting anger guide your decisions can be just as bad as the crime itself, is just further proof that you do have a heart, and that you are in fact alive."

"How do I overcome this guilt? I can't apologize to the men, not they'd deserve it, and I can't undo my previous act."

"That's a little hard to explain. Uh, since you only did what you did because you wanted to protect innocent people, I think the best way for you to overcome your guilt would be by getting justice the proper way without ever caving into the temptation of revenge ever again. Stay as you are, a good cop who handles cases cleanly, and you'll find peace with yourself."

"That sounds incredibly simple."

"Simplicity doesn't mean it won't work, kid. It's emotions that are complicated, not solutions."

"I suppose that's true."

"You've had a weird day. You should go shower off and make sure your bandages are still clean. After that we'll find another cheesy detective movie to solve, or better yet, find a lame-ass movie to make fun of for a while. There's plenty of shitty stuff ready to be streamed and mocked."

"...That sounds like it'd be an adequate distraction for the night."

"I figured you'd like that. Go relax in a hot shower then push Sumo aside so you can sit on the couch, too. After everything you've been through you deserve a night chillin' in front of the T.V. without worrying about a fucked up case."

"Right. Thanks for the advice."

"Sure."

Picking up his coin Connor rose from the kitchen table and walked down the hallway to put the coin in the nightstand beside the bed for safekeeping. As he pulled the drawer open Connor watched the small cylindrical container of fish flakes roll against the beaded friendship bracelet that he had been given from the little girl named Amanda, and had a sudden flash of guilt. The bracelet said he was a hero, but in that moment he felt like a failure and a villain.

"...I'm not a hero. I'm a dangerous weapon just as CyberLife wanted me to become."

Placing the coin inside the nightstand Connor pushed the drawer shut and grabbed his clean night clothes from his closet before heading into the bathroom. Closing the door behind himself Connor put his clothes down on the sink and turned on the shower to let the water warm up for a moment before stepping inside.

As he pulled his navy blue t-shirt off and over his head Connor stared at his white gauze bandages over his abdomen with digust. Tracing his right fingertips over the scars under the gauze he winced as the imperfections stung under the applied contact.

"...I've been physically scarred by a knife after I used a knife to scar three other people."

Pulling his hand back Connor proceeded to unwrap his torso and stared at the malformed plastimetal plating that was visible through the patches of missing artificial skin. The scars lined up perfectly with the four stab wounds, and unless the plates were replaced entirely the scars would be a part of Connor's body for the rest of his life.

Dropping the gauze into the waste basket under the sink Connor removed the rest of his clothing and stepped into the shower to try to relax under the warm water pouring from the shower head above him. The heated water washed away the lingering grime from Connor's body and made the exposed scars sting under the drops of clean water. Not taking any steps to avoid the hot water harming his body Connor closed his eyes and let out a despondent sigh as his mind raced with guilt and his heart became weighted by shame.

"...I deserve this pain. I'm not a hero and I deserve to be punished."

-next chapter-