November 15, 2038

Sleep had been rough.

Andy and Connor returned to Hank's home in the middle of the night, but Hank stayed up in wait. They filled him in as much as he would allow them and they listened to his rants and lectures and, finally, his advice. Through all of it, Andy felt two seconds away from absolutely breaking down. She had trespassed onto an abandoned freighter to meet with the most wanted group in all of Michigan, and she helped convert CyberLife's most advanced prototype. It was for these reasons she was not surprised that, once all was said and done, she struggled to relax long enough to sleep.

Waking on Hank's couch, the first thing she saw was a heap of fur saddled up against the android detective she'd fished out of the water. Connor's eyes were closed as he lay on the floor in front of the television, his face still and content. He was soaking wet last night, and they'd done their best to dry him off until he pushed them away and told them to get some rest. Somewhere between then and that morning, he changed into the pants and button-up of his usual uniform.

Andy was quiet as she unplugged her tablet and moved to the kitchen. She went through her morning routine, save the jog - those were on an indefinite hiatus. The coffee maker warmed as she sat at the table with a bowl of cereal and scrolled through her feed. It was article after article detailing the failed raid on Jericho, the 'recycling centers', and a recently instated statewide curfew.

There was rustling behind her, and she turned to see Connor had sat up and was stroking Sumo's back. "Morning," She said, tone soft to match the quiet atmosphere.

"Good morning." He stood after a final pat atop the dog's head, and began to approach her in the kitchen. He examined her face, no doubt noticing the dark circles and knitted brows. "Did you get enough sleep?"

She waved off the question and dismissed it with a brief, "I'm fine." Thinking to the sight of him on the floor, she asked, "Hey- were you... sleeping?"

He still stood beside the table as he explained, "I temporarily send nonessential functions to standby to pass the time and use fewer resources."

To her, it sounded like a long-winded way to say he'd been sleeping. She hummed, and then nodded. "Let's call that sleeping and leave it there."

A light beep on the coffee maker echoed in the room. She went to get a cup from the cabinet, and left her tablet on the table. Connor stared down at it, words like 'camps' and 'raid' in big, bold letters jumping out at him. He was picking the pad up as she filled a mug and turned to face him.

"It's all just one shit show after another," She muttered, using the sides of her mug to warm her palms.

At the sight of his pain, she stopped herself from commenting on her doubt. He scowled at the screen, his mind going through the obvious motions of guilt and grief. "This is my fault. I should have known CyberLife would follow me there..."

She shook her head. Maybe he was right, but she also knew it didn't matter. "We were going to find them either way. They were using a name plastered on the side of a giant ship. With Perkins' resources, it was just a matter of time," She argued.

He wasn't sure what he wanted from her, be it reassurance or blame, but he suspected neither would soothe him. Looking up at her, he spoke in a strained voice, "If I'd just listened sooner, maybe I could have done this differently."

That sort of thinking wasn't new to Andy. She'd said it herself a time or two, and heard it from other officers even more. It would get them nowhere. With pursed lips and a sharp stare, she told him, "That's true about literally everything." He started to argue, but she wouldn't allow him the chance. "We can only do what we think is right and hope for the best. Dwelling on the past won't change it."

She was right, and he knew she was. It occurred to him then that he'd never had the freedom before to let himself feel those things and be honest with himself. He had certainly felt them - regret followed him at every corner - but when he was CyberLife's deviant hunter, he had no choice but to push them aside and move on without being ready to. Now he had to cycle through them and deal with it, and that was almost more intimidating than the rebellion itself.

The tablet was flashing images of the android detainment centers CyberLife was erecting, and he realized facing his emotions would have to wait. "Recycling centers," He mumbled, scoffing, "They're just destroying us."

Andy offered a shrug and a small smile. "Maybe Markus has some big plan that'll change the world," She said, tone conveying a light optimism neither of them felt.

At the very least, Connor knew one thing. "I should be there. I need to fix this."

She nodded, and leaned off the kitchen counter. "I can take you, but I have a stop to make first."


Andy walked into the police precinct and was almost lost among the crowd of federal and SWAT agents in the bullpen. Tensions were high, orders and status updates being yelled out from one end of the station to the other. There was no sign of Perkins, but she doubted that could mean anything good. She weaved through them all, making her way to the office for Special Investigations.

Richards was leaning over his desk when she entered. She shut the door behind her, murmuring a quiet, awkward, "Hey."

He looked up and nodded in greeting. He didn't seem fazed by the surge in activity outside his office, or particularly upset with her, but she knew him well enough. He was not a loud or emotive person; it was the little things that tipped you off to his mood. For example, the tapping finger implied a headache, and the tight lips told her she was not off the hook yet.

"You want to talk about yesterday?" He asked her. It was not a real question.

"It's a long story," She started, walking to the front of the desk.

"Shorten it."

She paused at his sharp response, her shoulders tensing. Knowing there was no use delaying this, she blurted out, "I think shooting first and asking questions later is going to bite us in the ass, and maybe we should consider what Markus is saying." She took a breath, and pleaded, "I know you never cared for androids, but I really need someone to turn to, here."

He'd remained stoic through her answer, as if he wasn't even listening. They remained like this for several seconds and it was playing into her nerves until he finally quirked his brows and stood straight. "Well, you're right about that. I don't like 'em. Don't know what they're thinking, don't know how they work...," He trailed off, shaking his head, "But Connor doesn't seem half bad. Hank thinks so, so something good is there." That brought up a new thought, and he asked, "Does Hank know about this?"

She shrugged. "He has... a vague idea."

Snorting, he muttered, "Vague ideas are pretty much what all of us are running on these days."

He said nothing else so Andy assumed that, for now at least, they were good. He would give her a chance. If that was the case, she had a favor to call in. "I need to know what Perkins is planning. I won't put anyone in danger," She assured him.

"He's going door to door around the docks," He started, sitting down, "If he doesn't find anything, he's upping patrols during curfew and he'll start scouring the river tomorrow."

It seemed extreme from where Andy was standing, but it was indication of something greater. "Sounds like he's getting desperate," She said.

"More like pissed. I think his ego's bruised," He replied, a hint of amusement behind his eyes.

"Do you have a map I could use?"

"Yeah, I should," He nodded, leaning forward. He opened a drawer to his desk and reached in while asking, "So do you have some kind of strategy here?"

She thought about pulling a response from thin air - a half-baked scheme that was either vague or outlandish - but it wasn't that kind of day. "Honestly? I'm winging it and it scares the shit outta me," She confessed, relieved to finally be telling someone.

Richards pulled a map from the drawer, and held it out to her. He watched her, asking, "Well what about tomorrow? Are you coming back in to work?"

She shook her head. "I haven't thought that far ahead."

His expression was firm as he warned her, "You should. I'm not sure I can keep you from Perkins if you do."

It was yet another obstacle she wasn't sure she was ready to deal with. "Yeah," She mumbled with a long, worried sigh. "Thanks for the map." He nodded, and she headed for the door.

Leaving the station, she crossed the street and travelled a block down. Her bike was parked by the sidewalk here, still in sight of the department, but far enough to blend in. On a bench nearby sat Connor, donned in the beanie and the thick clothes Hank lent him.

She sat down beside him, and watched traffic. She didn't have to say anything for him to notice her stress, and he began to worry she was in more trouble with Richards than they predicted. "Are you all right?"

She wasn't sure how to answer that. Instead, she told him, "Richards wanted to know if I'm working tomorrow."

So she wasn't in much trouble with Richards, but that appeared to be the least of her concerns now. With Perkins taking over the case and growing more overzealous by the hour, Andy going into work only spelled disaster. "You can't," Connor panicked, "You'll have to follow Perkins or they'll suspect you."

Whatever she was going to do, she couldn't worry about it now. Sighing, she stood from the bench and said, "I'll figure something out. Let's just... get to Jericho."


Andy took a winding, unnecessary route to get to the church. She didn't believe she had aroused suspicion, but she worked with SID long enough to know she wouldn't have noticed if she had. With them and the FBI working together, nothing was out of the realm of possibility. When they arrived at the church, she made sure to park in the lot behind it, tucking her bike away in a corner.

Movement by the front door as they entered caught Markus' eye. He removed himself from the group of androids he was working with to meet them in the isle between the pews. "Connor," He greeted, nodding to them both, "I'm glad Andy managed to find you."

Connor looked over Markus' shoulder to the end of the church. The pews and the floor by the stage were full of androids, sitting in small scattered groups. A dark cloud settled in the air above each of them, leaving a tense, scared silence in the room. The androids Connor didn't see were the ones to weigh on his conscience most.

"How many are there?" He asked, already knowing he'd hate the answer.

Markus glanced back, telling him, "We've had a loss, but it could have been much worse."

Connor was beginning to spiral into his blame again, and Andy noticed it. A discreet hand went to the back of his arm and squeezed as she spoke up, "There's a statewide curfew starting tonight. They'll be patrolling the whole city, especially near the border."

"They'll be taking anyone they find to the extermination camps, I imagine," Markus spat, a faint curl to his lips.

She nodded. "FBI works fast," Holding up the rolled map Richards handed her, she added, "I have an idea of where they're looking, though."

He continued to be surprised by her willingness to help them. Gesturing to an area by the wall on his left, he said, "There's a table over here." He turned to lead them away from the doors toward an unused table, and began to explain to them his current plan. "We're going to set up in the middle of the city and protest. We'll talk to the humans."

Reaching the table, Andy unfolded her map and stretched it across the surface. She looked to Markus with doubt, asking, "The humans will be shooting at you. Are you sure you want to do that?"

He shook his head and replied, "I refuse to shed more blood for this fight. We have to do this peacefully or they'll paint us as broken machines."

It was an admirable thought, but she knew lining themselves up in front of armed law enforcement wasn't going to achieve their goal. "Well I appreciate the idea, but at this point, it's just going to be seen as cleaning up CyberLife's mess," She argued.

This gave Markus pause. He wasn't offended by her words - he knew they were a warning, and they were probably true. The problem was he couldn't see a better way. North and Simon had their own ideas about what to do next, from violent action to retreating and regrouping, and even though they supported Markus as Jericho's leader, they were pushing for their preferred extremes.

The conflict was obvious on his face, and spurred Connor on to act. This was partly his doing, and he needed to fix it. Looking out to the remaining deviants, he had an idea. "There are thousands of androids at the CyberLife assembly plant. If we could wake them up, they might join us and shift the balance of power...," He murmured.

Their reactions were adverse and swift. Andy reached out a hand to slow him down, protesting, "Whoa, whoa, wait a minute."

"You want to infiltrate the CyberLife Tower? Connor, that's suicide," Markus interjected.

It was half a plan, he would admit that much, but he also knew it was all they had. They needed the numbers to overwhelm their opposition, peaceful or not. He looked between them, explaining, "They trust me, they'll let me in. If anyone has a chance of infiltrating CyberLife, it's me."

Andy still refused to agree. "We don't know that. It's already been a day since you went rogue."

"She's right. If you go there, they will kill you," Markus added.

Narrowing his eyes at them both, Connor replied, "They'll kill us without an army, too. There aren't enough of us right now to make a stand."

Seconds passed as his words sunk in, Markus and Andy sharing a long, uncertain stare. Sighing, Andy's hands went to her hips as she told Connor, "Well you're not going anywhere without an actual plan."


Connor stood at one side of the table, gesturing as he said, "I'll get my uniform from Hank's and return to CyberLife under the impression of reporting in."

"And what if they recognize you're deviant right away?" Andy asked, leaning over the map with her jacket long removed.

Despite the severity of the question, he shrugged. "I'll tell them I've been compromised but my loyalties still stand with CyberLife."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah, easy."

Over the next few hours, the team had planned their move. Other members of Jericho would join briefly to offer suggestions or give Markus updates. Some androids who escaped the freighter were hunkering down in other areas, in abandoned homes and back alleys. Some had left altogether upon hearing about the curfew and the recycling centers.

There were disagreements, certainly, and a few budding arguments between Connor and Andy that Markus mediated, but they all recognized what needed to be done. They all had a common goal, and it kept them grounded.


Crossing her arms over her chest, Andy insisted, "Security won't let you on that elevator alone, they just won't."

"I'll disable them."

She pointed at him and ordered, "Without murder. Eden Club stranglers are one thing; you kill a guard, this is all over."

At the other end of the table, Markus nodded. "She's right. This needs to be clean."

It would be difficult, but Connor was made to overcome difficulties. As he was going through this in his mind, Andy sighed. "So you get in and free them - how do you get back out? You go five at a time up the elevator and hope no one notices?"

"There are doors to the docking bay on that floor," He answered.

"Then you need to make sure no one will be waiting for you out there."

Markus piped up, offering, "Some of us can go with you and create a distraction."

"No, I need to do this alone," Connor was quick to reply. They'd already lost at least a dozen members of Jericho to the raid, and many more to the camps. Hank and Andy risked their careers and livelihoods to get him where he was now. He refused to put anyone in the line of fire again, not after everything that happened so far. Not after everything he was trying to make up for.

It was a noble sentiment, Markus thought, but also one that complicated things. "How are you going to make sure no one's at the docking bay?"


"Are you certain you want to do this by yourself?" Markus asked.

He stood beside Connor and across from Andy, his attention on the former deviant hunter. They'd formulated a full plan by now, but the risk was great. No matter how desperate or confident anyone was, they knew this was a long shot.

But Connor wouldn't let that stop him. He began to repeat what he'd been saying all day, "I'm not going to put anyone else in danger-"

"Putting yourself in more danger than necessary isn't going to help, either," Andy interrupted, growing more tired of hearing his argument by the minute.

His eyes narrowed on her. "This is necessary," He insisted before more calmly assuring her, "I'll be okay."

It was clear she didn't like what he said, but with a faint scowl, she chose to leave it - for now. Markus spoke up, not wanting to give her time to change her mind. "Let's assume he succeeds. How long will it take to get to the protest?"

Andy turned her focus onto the map, dragging a finger across as she said, "They'll probably be blocking off these streets with SWAT vehicles. If things get rough, they'll bring in tanks from this way." She paused to perform some quick, messy math, and shrugged. "Twenty minutes, maybe?"

"Can you do that?" Markus asked, to which Connor nodded.

"I think so."

"So we keep them busy long enough for Connor to arrive, and we hope our numbers overwhelm them," Markus summarized. It was easier said than done, and the gunshot wound from their march down Woodward was nagging at him. "Granted, they have to not shoot us all down first," He muttered.

Even with Connor attempting a coup in the middle of the lion's den, what Markus was going to do was the most dangerous job. There was not a single reason Perkins wouldn't have all of Jericho killed and destroyed before Connor so much as set foot in the warehouse of CyberLife, let alone made it out to the street.

Andy had an idea, but it was just a kernel.

Heaving a large sigh, she said, "I'll take care of police response - you worry about your part."

The androids standing across from her shared a glance with each other and then to her. "What are you going to do?" Markus asked.

She was quiet a few more seconds, reassuring herself that this was for a good cause, and that she would not fail. Finally she looked up from the map and told him, "I'm going to go into work tomorrow."


Markus returned to the others to inform them of the next day's schedule. They listened to his every word, equal parts fear and hope on their faces. For Markus' part, he did his best to appear confident and soothe their nerves. It was a bittersweet moment, sunlight peaking through church windows of saviors and saints and casting a glow over an otherwise dark moment.

"There's no talking you out of this, is there?"

Lingering by the front doors in a pew furthest from the scene, Andy and Connor watched them. She sat over the back of the pew with her feet on the booth, and Connor stood at her left side. She'd spoken to him seemingly out of the blue, seeking confirmation, reassurance, or something to ease her concern.

Connor shook his head, his answer simple. "No."

"Well then, it's stupid." He looked to her in mild surprise, and she replied with a blank stare and a subtle pout. "You're stupid."

There was no real bite to her words, and it pulled a smile from him. "I get lucky," He offered, shrugging.

She rolled her eyes and waved off his comment, muttering, "Luck tends to run out once you get cocky, so maybe cool it a little."

"I appreciate your concern," He started, leaning toward her, "But I'm going to be okay."

His words did not help her - if anything, the flash of emotion on her face indicated they angered her. Expression souring, she scolded him, "You can't promise that, so don't." He had no time to regret his words and apologize before she was looking away to the other side of the church. "Just follow the plan and do what you need to do."

"I will." He watched her, trying to understand where her head was in that moment. They weren't strangers to disagreements, but this was a glimpse at a frustration he'd seen all but once. It was early on in their relationship when they found Hank on the floor of his kitchen, gun in hand. He wouldn't understand until later how harsh the fight that followed really was.

It was an odd feeling to think of himself as not a machine these humans worked with, but as another person in their lives. He always knew his actions affected them, but now he was solely accountable for those consequences. Now there was no arguing about her concern - he was not just a machine and it was not pointless. It was odd to accept her worry.

But he was not the only one to cause concern. Andy would be putting herself in the line of fire tomorrow, and without his success, she would fail. "Are you sure about you're going to do?" He asked, turning the conversation onto her.

"Nope," She popped, unaware of his mulling. "It might not even work. And I still have to get Richards on board, and he's already done more than I should ever ask of him-"

"You can back out while there's still time," He interrupted, drawing her attention back to him. "I wouldn't blame you."

They stared for a long time, perhaps letting doubt grow within themselves, or trying to let go of their fears. Finally, she mumbled, "I would."

Markus had begun to approach them, and he stood in the isle by the pews. Leaning in, he asked Andy, "May I talk to you?" Curiously, Andy nodded and slid off the pew. She met him in the isle between, and he requested, "I have a small favor to ask."

She wondered how small this favor would actually be, but shrugged, "Why not? Got nothing better to do."

With a small, grateful smile, he said, "There's somewhere I need to go. I was hoping you'd give me a ride."

"Markus-" They looked behind him to see North approach with a hand out toward his arm. "Don't. We can't trust her. She's a human with the cops. I'm surprised we're not dead already," She spat out, sending a heated glare Andy's way.

Andy wasn't a stranger to distaste for authority, but this felt a conversation not for her ears. She shifted awkwardly in place, hands sipping into her pockets and eyes drifting away to the side.

It was also a conversation that had been going for a while, and Markus walked away from it for a reason. "Which is why I think we can trust her," He started, "I need to go, North."

Her lips pursed as she stared at him, trying to think of something to say to convince him otherwise. She believed he was letting his emotions get in the way of logic, that this could wait until after they fought for their freedom, but it was a sensitive topic, and North was not very good at sensitive.

Finally, she said, "Well if you're going, I'm coming with you."

Markus paused, and they both looked to Andy. It seemed a decent compromise. Realizing they were waiting on her, she perked up, glancing between them. Still stiff, she mumbled, "I... have a bike."

North dropped her shoulders and gave a visible scoff. Andy shrugged and tried her best to appear clueless and innocent. Putting a hand on North's arm, Markus assured her, "I'm going to be okay."

North wanted to argue, but she swallowed it down and stepped back. Andy turned to see Connor still watching curiously, and she gestured to him that all was well, and to wait there. Markus walked by her to the doors, and she fell in step beside him, asking, "So where to?"


"You're going to what?"

Andy winced at the yell. She stood at the end of a snowy path, where she had wrapped up the description of her vague outline of a plan with Hank over the phone. If he got his outbursts out of his system before they returned to his home, perhaps they could enjoy their last night of quiet before all hell broke loose. Glancing back to check on Markus, she whispered, "Do you have a better idea?"

She could almost feel Hank's incredulous stare. "Gee, I don't know - don't obstruct justice?"

"It's not obstruction," She argued, offended. Trailing off, she muttered, "It's... a detour."

Silence followed.

"A detour."

Closing her eyes, she began, "I know that's stupid-"

"Yeah!"

She ignored his interjection, continuing, "-But it's the only choice I can live with."

That would simply have to be enough of a reason. It was for her, and after her last conversation with Hank, she hoped he would understand. He heaved a sigh and exclaimed, "You realize this will have to work, right? If you do this and androids fail at this revolution thing, you're not just out of a job, Andy. You're going to be seen as a domestic fuckin' terrorist!"

She shrugged. "I'm trying to not think about it."

Scoffing, he muttered, "Yeah, well, it's all I can think about. Does Connor know you're doing this?"

"He knows the gist," She replied. The question got her thinking about Connor's part in all of this; it was integral to everyone's success, and that gamble had her more nervous than anything else. "Honestly, you think my plan's bad, you should hear his."

"No, no, no, don't. I'm too sober for more bullshit," He spat.

"I'm doing this, Hank, so just..." She didn't know what to say here. It was too much to ask him to agree with her, and even if he could, she would never ask him to help. All she wanted was for him to understand. "Have my back."

He snorted, telling her, "That was a given, Andy."

It really wasn't, not to her. She smiled, mumbling, "Thanks."

Hanging up, she glanced to the time and turned around. Yards away from her, Markus stood in front of a sleek new grave covered in snow. He spoke under his breath to someone lost, and he paid respects. They needed to leave before it got dark, though, and she'd decided now was the time to approach him.

As she closed in, he spoke louder, "Carl was a good man. He didn't deserve the way things ended."

She stopped beside him and nodded. "That's usually how it goes."

"He was a father to me. He taught me so much...," He shook his head, finally pulling his eyes away from the name on the tombstone to look up at the clouds overhead. "I keep trying to imagine what he'd say to me now, but all I hear is questions and blame."

Cocking her head to the side, she repeated, "That's usually how it goes." Feeling herself fidget in her pockets, she added, "And people tell you they wouldn't blame you, and you know they're right, but it doesn't matter. You can't stop hearing your doubts in their voice."

He looked down at her, taking in her words. Carl had always pushed him to be more than his programming, to look beyond barriers and limitations and see the world for what it was capable of being. What he was doing now with Jericho was almost a natural progression from there, but it didn't change the doubt and the worry.

"Maybe that's just the burden of being left behind," He speculated, his voice soft and bittersweet, "Having to accept that we need to find our own way without them."

She huffed, but offered a weak smile. "Yeah."

He opened his mouth to speak once more, but cut himself short. His expression fell, and noticing it put Andy on guard. He was looking over her head now, staring with a cold anger that Andy usually only saw seconds before someone was shot. She turned to assess the situation, half expecting federal agents or her own colleagues.

Markus was almost towering over her, the way he stood there now facing down Leo Manfred.

She knew his face almost as well as Markus did, though for different reasons. To Markus, he was the reason his life fell apart. For Andy, he was one of Nick Weaver's regulars who stopped coming around a month prior. He hadn't even noticed Andy, returning Markus' stare with one of shock, regret, and fear.

"Let's go," Markus whispered behind Andy.

The quiet warning in his tone put her on edge more than she would have expected, but she nodded and followed behind him. She kept a hand near the gun at her hip as they moved, and a close eye on the man who still hadn't moved from his spot.

They passed by slowly, and Leo didn't dare look at either of them.


After returning Markus to his people, Andy and Connor went back to Hank's. Thanks to Andy's earlier warning giving Hank time to cool down, there had been a smaller lecture than expected that met the two of them upon return.

She sat at the kitchen table now and scrolled through news on her tablet with a half empty bottle of beer in one hand. Hank sat across from her, immersed in his own thoughts. Connor was the same, sitting on the couch and absent-mindedly petting Sumo.

A part of him wanted to stay at the church where he thought he needed to be, but another part felt his presence would make others uncomfortable. He was deviant now, yes, and he wanted to help Jericho more than anything, but in some of their eyes, he was still the deviant hunter who had made their lives dark and difficult. It was best to give them space, especially when the threat of tomorrow was hanging over them.

"What do you think our chances are?" He asked, breaking the silence.

Andy and Hank looked to him; while Hank struggled to find a way to be encouraging despite his pessimism, Andy had no such trouble. With quirked brows, she replied, "Slim to none?"

With a small snort, Hank confided, "Perkins certainly isn't going to have a change of heart."

"You did," She joked.

He leaned over the table and narrowed his eyes. "I'm not a scumbag."

This brought her a small grin. Connor hadn't said anything more after the first question, and it got Andy thinking about what was on his mind. Deciding they'd had enough of doom and dread, she called to him and asked, "What are you going to do if this does work out?"

He tuned back in to the world. It was a strange question that never occurred to him on his own. They were so stuck on yesterday and tomorrow that any time after that seemed so far away. "I hadn't considered getting there yet," He confessed, giving it the thought now. In a perfect world, regardless of anything else, he saw himself back in the DPD. "Do you think Captain Fowler would hire an android when this is over?"

Andy made a habit of not trying to predict her captain. It would never end well. She shrugged and answered, "You've got a better chance than anyone else."

Taking a sip of what was left of his beer, Hank added, "The others are mostly runaway housekeepers and laborers. Winning the first fight's only the beginning." He trailed off, letting his words sink in before asking, "You sure you're ready for that?"

They weren't ready for anything, but was anyone ever ready for a revolution? Shaking his head, Connor stated, "It doesn't matter. I'm alive and there's no turning back."

It was as good an answer as any, if not the only one. "Just gotta hope everyone else sees it," Andy murmured.

The mood had fallen again, and the new quiet lingered. With his beer finished, Hank heaved a sigh and stood from the table. "Well I'm calling it a night," He declared, moving to toss his bottle in the trash. He stopped at the corner of the kitchen on his way out, and turned to face the others. "Listen, uh...," He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'd say 'don't do anything stupid,' but, well- Good luck tomorrow."

They didn't reply right away, but Andy nodded. "Thanks, Hank." He sighed again before he retreated to his bedroom, leaving them to themselves. She would need to get some sleep soon, too, though how easily that would come was beyond her. Their chances really did seem slim to none.

She should have been a wreck over it. It should have had her a shaking mess, and she was almost there earlier that day, but something else was occupying her thoughts tonight. Tapping a finger on the side of her bottle, she spoke up, "You want to know something weird?"

It caught Connor's attention, and he asked, "What is it?"

She took a moment to get her words together. "Tomorrow we're standing up to the entire country and risking death and prison and who knows what else...," Trailing off, she shook her head. "And all I can think about right now is Leo Manfred."

He recognized the name. Not only was it was in his files at work, but he'd seen the man himself in Sam's memories. It wasn't even on the list of things he would have expected her to say. He sat up on the couch, tilting his head. "Carl Manfred's son?"

She ignored the question and let herself muse. "I knew the guy-" She waved a hand, specifying, "Leo, not Carl. He was one of Weaver's clients. Used to brag about his dad's money." Huffing into the bottle of beer, she took a sip and continued, "Stupid. If not for Sharon, Weaver would've gone for it. Broke in while Manfred was at some big event somewhere."

It was yet another version of reality he would be grateful didn't come to pass, but still he didn't understand. "Why are you thinking about him?"

She wish she knew the answer to that question. "One day he was gone. Out of nowhere. We thought maybe he OD'd or left town. Sometimes they do that - they got a warrant and they disappear for a while." Her face went blank at that point, not knowing if what she felt was sympathy, frustration, or some twisted sense of guilt. Under her breath, she muttered, "Turns out his dad just died."

Connor watched her sit in her contemplation. He still didn't understand it - and he was coming to the realization he probably never would - but it sort of amazed him. Of all the things to focus on and obsess over, for Andy, it was this. It was Leo Manfred, an addict she knew only as Victoria Palmer. It was his life and the pain he'd gone through that was settled into the forefront of her mind.

He had nothing but side commentary to offer her, for whatever that was worth. "It's interesting how grief can alter a person's entire life."

"Interesting," She repeated to herself. It's not the word she would have chosen. At least, it didn't feel very fascinating for the one going through it. That was scary and overwhelming and a bit like you were the heaviest object in the ocean, just sinking to the bottom. Her throat started tightening, but she pushed through. "Connor."

Her voice was soft now, right above a whisper, and he worried he said the wrong thing. "Yes?"

She kept her eyes on the table, and on the tablet in front of her. Recycling centers, curfews, and raids. It was all she could find, each story more sensational than the last. This was not interesting. There had been enough grief. "Promise me."

He was lost for a second, but their conversation in the church came back to him now. "But you..."

"I know." She nodded quickly, hoping he wouldn't press the issue. She couldn't explain herself, not when she didn't know how.

He didn't understand her - and he was beginning to suspect few people ever did - but she amazed him.

"I promise I'll be okay." He hoped it was sincere enough, heavy enough to resonate with her and offer her whatever comfort she was looking for.

She couldn't say if it helped or not. All the words in the world couldn't change the risks or stop the nightmare scenarios, but words and hope were all she had. It was more than what Leo Manfred had, or Markus, or Hank, and it was more than she'd ever been given before.

It would have to be enough.