"Elijah Kamski, the creator of Cyberlife, has returned to his position as CEO after multiple protests at Cyberlife institutions. He stated, and I quote, "My absence has deteriorated the state of Cyberlife and I'm disappointed in the current affairs that have recently caught my attention. Rest assured, androids will no longer need to fear Cyberlife, and we will now work towards a future where Cyberlife and androids can coexist together peacefully."

"That's bullcrap!" North shouts in anger. Connor moves his head to the side as a shoe flies over his shoulder and at the screen in front of them. Markus had turned on the news in New Jericho as everyone was filtering in for their weekly session. The current events seemed to shock every android in there. Every android, except for Connor, who had felt that Kamski had indirectly spoken to Connor when he said, 'androids will no longer need to fear Cyberlife.'

North sits behind him in a row of chairs that had been arranged carefully for the androids that were arriving. She was fuming, judging by her frustrated expression, and Markus watches her carefully through squinted eyes. He looked prepared to subdue her should her anger get the best of her.

"Cyberlife can never coexist with androids peacefully! Why else would they have refused to give us emergency supplies or to release their remaining androids?"

"Those androids work for Cyberlife - North," Simon speaks gently.

"They're probably just programmed to say that," she growls, "they're probably mistreated and not even paid! Cyberlife didn't give a crap about their androids until after they were liberated. Then they were panicking at losing their biggest money-making business!"

It was at times like these that Connor is reminded that no one in the room knew Cyberlife as well as he did. He worked under them, after all, or at least he was in servitude for a time. Cyberlife was a shifty figure at best. They were unpredictable and desperate from their last poorly executed actions. Perhaps it was a good thing that Kamski was taking the reigns of Cyberlife once more. In doing so, Connor wondered how Cyberlife would change and if Amanda would... change... because she had one primary function as an AI. She was to assist Cyberlife and those she worked for.

"North," Markus calls out sharply, "Now is not the time."

"There's no better time!" She exclaims.

"North, we talked about this," Markus warns.

North gives her husband a hard stare before clicking her tongue against her teeth in distaste.

"Fine," she relents angrily. She stands up from her chair and storms out of the room, brushing past Markus who stands near the back exit. Markus watches with a twisted worry that flashes away as soon as it had appeared. Had Connor not been made to find the unseen, he might have missed it entirely, but then there was also the fact that he knew Markus. He had spent enough time with him to catch the small parts in his expressions that he often hid away.

Markus didn't have the opportunity to chase after his wife as more and more androids began to enter. Many wished to speak with him and so Markus looks over at Connor with an unreadable expression. However, Connor gets the gist of it and nods at his friend. He stands up and follows after North's footsteps.

She sits outside on the dirty ground, cross-legged, with her chin propped up in the palm of her hand.

Connor sits beside her.

"I probably look hysterical," she scoffs, "but I was just… I'm so angry. Markus and I don't see eye to eye on a lot of things but if only he'd just… take action against Cyberlife… we have the right to do so. They put us through hell and beyond."

North stares holes into the brick wall across from her.

Connor decides to say, in hopes that North might see reason, "I'm certain that Markus would also like to take a less than pacifist route when confronting Cyberlife."

North decides the wall she was staring at is no longer interesting and turns to look at Connor with furrowed brows.

"You're kidding me, right? He would never condone violence."

"He has self-control," Connor states, "and he doesn't act on any violent urges. Violence leads to more violence. How would that look in the eyes of the public? In the eyes of the government? Markus has hundreds upon thousands watching his every move. I'm sure he's gotten angry before and wanted to hurt people."

North presses her lips together as she listens to Connor.

"But he holds himself back because he thinks of the bigger picture. He thinks of all androids, of us, and of you."

North's lips tremble.

"I can't believe I was so rash-..." she says. Her voice cracks and Connor falls respectfully silent. "It's just - all the things I've been through - it's so hard to see past the now. I've been through a lot of pain and sometimes I want others to feel that. I want them to know what it's like. Sometimes I see a human that thinks he can just spit in my face and I want to pull out a pistol and-..." she pauses and a tear falls down her cheek, "and I know I'm better than that. I'm not a killer. Violence just seems to be all I know though. That's why I have Markus. He always helps me."

She wipes the stray tear away with the back of her hand.

"I suppose I've been a bit emotional," she gives out a short, breathy, laugh, "but I'll get over it. I always do."

Connor wisely makes no sound as they both fall into thought. The silence is not an uncomfortable one but there was something in the air that Connor felt needed to be said. North was in a compromised position at the moment and she wasn't stable as of now. What could he say to give her comfort? What could he say to make her feel better? He would like to find words that would be meaningful and thoughtful. He wanted North to know that she wasn't alone in this and that she had people around her who would be able to help her.

Connor gets an idea.

"North, remember that invitation you gave me a few days ago?"

North tilts her head.

"What invitation?"

Connor says, "You told me that, if I ever needed help, I could go straight to your place."

North nods in affirmation, "Yeah, that's what I said."

"Well, I want to extend the same courtesy. If you are ever in need of any assistance or find trouble, my door will always be open to you, and I will always be willing to help."

North looks at Connor for a few seconds that seem like an eternity before she finally cracks a lopsided grin, "You're a riot, Connor."

Connor blinks in his confusion.

"Excuse me?"

North barks in laughter and punches Connor lightly on the shoulder. Connor is even more confused now but he guesses that he doesn't mind too much when North is laughing so freely. Maybe this is what she needed. Maybe she just needed to talk to someone about it, someone who wasn't as close to her as her husband, and someone who she wouldn't fear would judge her outright for what she felt.

"It's good that you're here," she says as her frame stops shaking from her laughter. "I'm glad."

She smiles warmly.