Day 1

Hank is not happy.

"It'll just be a few days," Connor explains, "Nothing more. Nothing less."

Connor had given Hank all the details. Connor wasn't sure what to expect but he thought that he was prepared for any outcome.

Hank's eyes narrow, his mouth turns into a nasty scowl, and he looks pointedly at Connor. He had a face of a father ready to scold his child and Connor was anticipating the scolding part. Connor understands that Hank had reason to be worried. Connor was going out of his way to help Kara, an android who he had pursued in his assigned deviant cases, so this could all be a ploy to get back at him. And besides that, Connor would be gone for a few days, which would be the longest he had ever been from the house. Hank seemed to like keeping an eye on Connor ever since the latest incident of the anti-android protestors attacking New Jericho.

"You can't trust her so easily-" Hank stresses, his arms are crossed tightly against his chest, "You're walking into a death trap. There's something more to this and you're going to face the music once she puts her plan into the works."

Hank's worries were well-founded. Connor thought them to be reasonable. There was no guarantee that he wasn't walking into something that was set up for him… but the way Kara had looked at him when he said he would help her… There had been a glimmering hope in her eyes. The look of someone who trusted that he would pull through for her. How could he say no? How could he turn his back on her? Kara also didn't seem to be the sort who would back-stab him. That didn't mean he could blindly trust her no matter how real her intentions seemed to be. He understood that.

"I'll be fine," Connor reassures, "I'll call you every day if it bothers you so much. If something does happen to me… well…" Connor has no idea why he's being so grave. He doubts something will happen to him but the simple thought throws him into a spiral. How would Hank cope without him? Connor wasn't restricted by the limits of emotion but Hank was human. Humans were crippled by emotion. If something happened to him - he knew Hank would fall into the depths of despair - and Connor didn't want that for his father.

"You better," Hank relents. He looks at Connor warily and reaches forward to give his hair a ruffle.

Connor would make sure he'd come back.

For himself and for Hank.

Day 2

They travel by bus.

They go as far as they can until they reach the city limits. Then Kara directs Connor to Adam Chapman. Rose's son. He was waiting for them when they hopped off the bus and had a car ready to go. It was from there that Connor was driven to Rose's home where he could begin his investigation. He felt it would be best to start at her own home. He thought that he might be able to find something that Kara and Adam haven't already found. He was made for investigative work, after all, and he was designed to find the unseen.

"This is her room," Adam gestures as he opens the door to his mother's resting place. Connor doesn't ask for an invitation. He walks in, his eyes scanning every object he comes across, even as Kara and Adam share a glance with one another.

"Did she act oddly before she left?" Connor asks.

"Um… no… not really," Adam answers, "she just said she was heading off for a few days and wouldn't be back for a while. Didn't really think much of it until she wouldn't answer my calls. Then I knew something was wrong."

Connor hums in thought.

"Did you hear any of the conversations she held with Luther?" He directs the question to both of his curious observers.

Adam pips up, "She said she found something. She didn't say what it was. All I heard was that she needed someone's help."

"And she didn't think to ask me?" Kara sounds heart-broken when she says it.

"She probably didn't want to burden you-..." Adam says carefully, "you've been through a lot already."

"Luther has been through a lot too," Kara interjects.

"Luther is not a mother," Adam states.

Kara pauses at that. Connor thinks that she might not say anything more but once more she defies his expectations. She proceeds to say, "No. Luther is a father. He is important to our family too."

Adam eyes Kara.

"When did this happen?" He asks her.

Kara clenches a fist at her side, a sign of frustration, as she replies, "He doesn't want to admit it but-..." Kara exhales loudly, the tension releasing from her shoulders, "but that's what he is. Alice looks up to him. He also helps support us. He's… he's our rock."

Adam and Kara fall in silence as Connor continues scanning the room.

Then he finds something of interest.

There's something in Rose's pillowcase. He grabs the object of interest from it's resting place and pulls it out to examine it.

"Are you aware your mother kept a journal?" Connor questions. It was an old form of keeping memories. Journals were something of the past. Typically, one would keep recordings, or journal online. Journals were a traditional way of keeping memories and rather outdated in a world filled with a constant progression of technology.

"I knew but I never looked through it," Adam admits, "she always stressed the importance of privacy. I didn't look through many of her things."

Connor looks up at Adam and away from the journal in his hands.

"May I?"

Adam nods, "I mean, it's not mine, but if you think it'll help… go ahead."

His eyes gather all the words in an instant. Already, he had every word committed to memory, until he reaches an entry that catches his attention.

He is silent on his findings.

"What's wrong?" Kara asks.

Connor looks up at the motherly android.

"She discovered something she hints to only being dangerous for the likes of androids." His eyes narrow. "That can mean nothing but trouble."

The problem was that she didn't put down what exactly the danger she was talking about. She only put down a few places she had visited that day. Connor thinks that, perhaps, she had found something during her travels around the outskirts of the city. Maybe if he retraced her steps… it wouldn't be easy… but it would be possible. He's worked with nearly nothing before. This would be a cake-walk compared to the other cases he's had to work with.

"She may be in trouble," Connor finally says, "we need to act fast. I need your full cooperation for this to work."

Adam says, quickly, "Of course!" He's eager to start. Connor can see it in the way he impatiently taps his foot on the floor. "I'm ready to find my mom and bring her home."

Kara nods in agreement, "Yes. We'll find her. Her and Luther."

Connor admires the quick answers of both Kara and Adam. They clearly care for their loved ones. At least he knew that, if he did find them, his searches would not be in vain. They had people to come back to. That was reason enough to look for them.

"We'll start at this diner-..." Connor begins planning.

Kara and Adam listen to every word.

Day 3

Their searches start at the diner and end at a bar. Rose had visited various places which were all owned by people she knew. Interviews with the owners suggest that she had been looking for something on her visits. It isn't until Connor stops at the bar that he thinks that Rose was on to something. Those that sat in the bar were a shady looking lot, but not shady enough to warrant suspicion on having to do something with Rose. Connor's databases and access to police files gave him answers to nearly every person in there. Some were criminals for some… horrid things… things that made them look at Kara with malicious eyes. There were drug dealers, people with sexual assault on their records, robbers, and car-jackers.

Needless to say, this was not a safe place for them, and it was odd how Rose would come to know the owner of such a strange establishment.

Connor looks for potential suspects as he checks the interior of the bar. Adam and Kara were following him close behind until someone slaps a hand on Adam's shoulder. The sound it made had Connor turn his head sharply and immediately run through several defensive paths to take should Adam have his life threatened. His worries seem to be meaningless with the man who had clapped Adam's shoulder says, "You're Rose's boy, right?"

Adam stares, wide-eyed. All he can do is nod.

The man who asks the question is a gruff looking one. He had a puffy brown beard and a black shirt with rips and tears on its short sleeves. It left room for a good look at his shoulder which showcased a tattoo of a knife wrapped in thorns. Connor's scan indicated that man's name was Jonathan Hawkes with a criminal record that paled in comparison to the rest of the bar's occupants. All John was guilty of was a few traffic tickets and shoplifting charges.

"Have you seen her lately? I've been trying to get a hold of her," the man says, his hand not leaving Adam's shoulder, and Adam looks increasingly uncomfortable by the second.

"We are looking for her, actually," Connor answers for everyone.

Jonathan raises a brow.

"Why is that?" He asks.

Connor glances at Kara and Adam. They don't say anything so he assumes that it is safe to explain.

"She's been missing for three weeks."

"Three weeks?" Jonathan sputters, lifting his hand from Adam's shoulder in his shock. "She hasn't contacted anyone?"

Connor nods.

"Oh no - don't tell me she went after-..." the man is muttering. Connor's interest increases immensely.

"After?" Connor urges Jonathan to complete his sentence.

Jonathan rubs his beard in thought.

"We should speak about this elsewhere. There are ears everywhere in here." Jonathan looks around the bar, and sure enough, they had caught the curiosity of many. He gives them a mean glare and they turn away to return to their business.

Jonathan escorts Kara, Adam, and Connor outside.

Kara speaks first the minute they exit through the front door, voice filled with desperation, "Do you have any clue where she could have gone?"

Jonathan looks around their surroundings to check if there was anyone in view. Once he felt the coast was clear, he says, "I'm an information broker of sorts," he coughs to clear his throat, or maybe it was to show that what he was saying wasn't something he freely told others. "Rose was asking me about a few androids that have gone missing in this area. I told her about the rumors of a circle nearby-"

Connor connects the dots.

"A trafficking circle," he realizes.

"For androids," Jonathan nods in confirmation. "If Rose pissed off the wrong people she could possibly be in danger. I told her not to go looking for it without someone to back her up."

"Luther," Kara whispers.

Adam presses his lips together in a thin line at Kara's sudden revelation.

Kara's voice is broken, "Luther is an android." She turns to Connor swiftly, "We need to save them."

Connor tells her, "I have every intention to do so. The problem is that we can't act without a plan."

Day 4

They act without a plan.

The only thing that was planned was an escape route. If something happened, Adam would be waiting in the car outside of the property they were trespassing on. They had hopped the fence of a large piece of farmland. Connor had a gun tucked in the back of his pants in case things get nasty and he had suggested Kara grab one too. (Much to Connor's distaste, she had begged him to take her with him. He complied) The woman didn't seem too happy with the idea but ended up following Connor's advice. If anything happened, she would need to protect herself, and a gun gave her power over fists. The strength of others didn't matter as long as she had a gun on her person. They could try to overmatch her with physical attributes but one shot would make a brawl end on short-notice.

Connor's first choice of investigation starts at the beaten up wooden barn on the end of the property. It was an ideal place for keeping things hidden. A group of androids to be exact.

Connor says, "You have my back, I'll have yours." He doesn't look at Kara when he says it, his eyes focusing solely on the barn in the center of his vision, but he can hear Kara grunt in reply. It was all he needed to continue forward.

They trudge through grass and mud to reach the farm. Connor's pants are dipped in mud and it reminds him that he hadn't brought a second change of clothes. He hadn't exactly thought past finding Luther.

Once they reach the barn doors they both encounter something troubling. A lock. They hadn't brought anything that might break it apart except for the bullets in their guns. However, their guns didn't have silencers, so if they used them the sound would echo loud enough to alert others of their presence. The last thing they wanted was to attract the attention of the traffickers that were in the area.

Connor puts his abilities to use and calculates various routes. He thinks of using sheer strength to tear apart the lock but he wasn't that strong. His strength was slightly better than a human because of his inability to feel a strain that humans felt in their muscles. He couldn't bend steel, as much as he wanted too, and the lock was made of just that. That's why he settles for scanning the model of the lockbox for any weak points and finds that this lock could be lock picked. Yet that required either a lockpick or a bobby pin. Two things he and Kara did not have on their person.

Connor lets out a shaky breath and decides to try to see if anyone was on the other side of the door, to begin with. Otherwise, their efforts would be in vain.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" He says. When he gets no reply he repeats the same words but in a louder tone.

Someone hears him.

"You're not Daniel…"

He stiffens.

"Daniel…?" He repeats.

"Daniel… the man… the man who visits."

The voice is strained with static. The could only mean one thing. An android.

"How many of you are in there?"

The android is silent for a few moments. It leaves Connor impatient and he looks around to make sure no one is sneaking up on them. They'd be in great trouble if anyone spotted them.

"Thirteen," the android finally answers.

"Is there a woman named Rose in there?"

Connor hears the android mumbling and then he hears a feminine voice pick up.

Rose.

"Yes?"

Kara doesn't let Connor ask anything. She's borderline desperate as she slams her fists against the farm door, "Rose?"

"Kara?" Rose sounds relieved, "You're here!"

"Is Luther there?" Kara gets straight to the point.

"They put him in some kind of dormant state. Like the rest - well - except for old Alfred here. He's an early model. Doesn't have the same functions."

"Why would they keep you here too?" Kara asks.

"I found out about their operation. I tried to rescue the androids but then they caught me. Locked me up here until they decide what to do with me. I'm thinking they're planning to kill me. Well, I hope not, but it looks like that's where my fate is steering towards to."

"We have to get you out!" Kara cries out in her worry. She grabs at the lock and tugs it. She even raises a foot against the barn door to help give her an extra push.

"You're not going to get through like that," Connor says as he watches Kara struggle.

"I can't just stand around here," Kara claims. She looks at Connor with a harsh glare.

"We're not just standing around. We just have to figure out a way to get in without drawing any attention."

"Draw all the attention you need," Rose interjects, "We haven't been visited in two days. I think they aren't here."

"We need evidence for their crimes - I need to scan them - I need to memorize their faces," Connor says. He wants to catch these people but Rose has other ideas.

"We are not going to be your bait," Rose tells him, "Rescues first. We can think about throwing these criminals in jail later. Some of these androids have already been bought. There's no telling where they'll be hauled off to. Once they're gone, they're gone, and we won't have any way to find them."

Connor hesitates as his right hand hovers over the gun tucked in his pants.

Kara rolls her eyes and acts for him. She holds out the gun and before she shoots she warns, "Step back from the door!"

The lock flies off at the pressure of the bullet hitting the chain it was connected to. Kara immediately activates the gun's safety before kicking open the doors.

When Kara sees Rose she runs to embrace her.

"Rose!" She shouts.

"Kara," Rose's hand reaches to cradle the back of Kara's head. Kara stuffs her nose in the crook of Rose's neck.

"Adam will be overjoyed-..." Kara whispers.

Connor stands watches their reunion for a few seconds before looking around the room. There were, indeed, thirteen androids. There was Alfred who was staring at him like a wide-eyed lunatic. The other androids were either laid around on the floor or slumped against the wall. Connor notices Luther immediately because of his hulking form. He's hard not to notice, especially after the few times Connor had seen him when he was attending the counseling meetings in New Jericho with his family.

He crouches down next to Luther and confirms that he is indeed in a dormant state.

He reaches up a hand and settles it on Luther's wrist. He sends a string of code through his contact and Luther wakes with a sharp gasp of breath. It was almost as if he had just been brought back from the dead. His eyes were fluttering wildly, his eyes darting around the room madly, until they land on Connor's.

"You-..." Luther moves to stand up. He wobbles on his feet and Connor is quick to help steady Luther's large frame.

Luther doesn't have much time to adjust, however, because Kara is embracing him next. Luther gets knocked a few steps back when Kara flings herself at him. Her arms are around his neck, clinging to him for her dear life, and Luther's hands hover over her back. Kara was literally hanging from his neck. Luther had to crouch down so that Kara's feet could touch the ground again. Luther didn't seem completely aware of his situation but the look on his face hints toward an understanding of the grief Kara was displaying. That's why he reaches up both arms to return Kara's eager death-hug.

"Kara," he breathes in disbelief. "Where…?"

Kara sobs into his chest, "You were gone! You didn't reply to anything I sent you and-... I was worried!"

That was an understatement.

Rose speaks up, "As much as I enjoy lovely reunions, can you wake up the others…?" Rose looks at Connor questioningly.

"Connor," he introduces himself.

"Connor." Rose smiles.

He nods his head and proceeds to wake the rest of the androids. They all have similar reactions to Luther as they move to stand up.

"Okay," Rose's shoulders straighten, "we need to get out of here."

"Everyone isn't going to fit in your house Rose," Luther observes. Kara still was hugging him for her dear life. She didn't seem to like the idea of letting him go and Luther made no move to push her away.

Rose's eyes narrow.

"Watch me."

Day 5

Rose's house was crowded.

Connor sees that after returning from the farmland they had rescued the thirteen androids previously. He had gone early in the morning, the next day, to watch for the culprits. He didn't see any of them leave or exit the farmhouse in the center of their land so he decided to search around the property for evidence that could have them convicted.

Technically, he was trespassing on private property, but there were some laws that he felt were necessary to break in order to bring proper justice to the traffickers.

It seems the evidence he needs is in the other androids.

He interviews all of them with Rose keeping an eye on him.

The older models didn't have the capabilities of recording events. However, there were a few that kept memory logs and that was all he needed. A memory probe gave him what he was looking for. (With the consent of those he interviewed. They seemed just as eager to have the traffickers arrested.)

Daniel was one of three men that operated a trafficking business. He wasn't a big fan of androids. His partners didn't seem to be big fans either. They beat and abused the androids they kidnapped. They also sold them for a profit. However, they did so secretly after new laws had come into play. It was illegal to assault androids or to enslave them.

When Connor is satisfied with everything he finds… he thinks of returning to Hank… but not before being confronted by Kara.

She looks at him, fiddling with her hands as she holds them behind her back.

"Connor?" She bites her bottom lip as she continues, "Thanks… you're not too bad. I'm sorry for misjudging you… it's just…"

Connor stops her there, "I understand." He gives her a knowing smile, "You do what you have to. Family comes first."

And he means it.

Hank and Sumo? They were his family. They came first. He'd protect them with his life.

Kara returns his smile with a small one of her own.

"Luther is important to me," she glances at the man hovering behind her. She doesn't think twice to put her hand in his. She squeezes it with loving affection. "Thank you. Thank you for finding him. Thank you for helping us to get this far."

"We were a team," Connor informs her.

"Yeah?" Kara glances at Luther who smiles down at her. "I guess we were."

Day 6

Connor turns in his findings to the police before heading home.

When he heads home he finds Hank snoozing on the couch. It was strange to see him do so. He was usually passed out on his bed.

Connor shuts the door behind him and that alone wakes Hank up. Connor wishes that he hadn't rudely woken up Hank but he finds that Hank didn't seem to mind too much. Not when he gives Connor one good look, sweeping off his couch in a single movement, tugging on one of Connor's arm to bring him into a tight hug.

Connor is taken aback.

"Hank?" He asks, softly.

"You didn't answer any of my calls-" Hank tells him. That seems to remind him of something because Hank quickly pulls back with a face of rage. "You didn't return any of my calls! I'm furious!" He growls with venom laced in his voice. "You punk!"

He whacks Connor on the back of the head. It was hard enough to send his head forward a few centimeters, but not enough to send Connor to the ground. Hank was holding back.

"Ow…" Connor rubs the spot where Hank had whacked him.

Hank gives him one hard stare, "I know that didn't hurt. Be quiet and listen-... if you do something that stupid again... you need to be in contact with me." Hank's voice lowers as he continues, "You're my son, Connor, and you worried the hell out of me. I thought something went wrong."

Hank stares at his son and brings Connor into another embrace. He had two arms around Connor's back, trapping him in his grip, but Connor finds that he doesn't mind it too much.

"I'm sorry," he whispers. It truly hurt him to think that Hank had suffered in his absence.

Hank says nothing. If anything, his grip seems to tighten as if the gesture alone was an answer to Connor's apology.

That was okay too.