The location of the meeting was to be at an office building on Woodward Avenue, and other than a time, there were no additional details provided to Connor. He had no clue as to what he and Hank were actually getting into. The idea that the whole setup was just a trap couldn't be ignored; however, if Khatri wanted them dead, why weren't they already?

"You know what to expect?" Hank walked beside Connor as the two entered the building's dimly lit foyer.

"I have no idea," Connor examined the foyer; there were no other souls in sight. "I would suspect she knows we're coming and she won't even be here."

"Then what are we doing here?" Hank rubbed an eyeball in a weary fashion. "I mean, we could just leave. You don't have to do this."

"I have to try something," Connor stared out onto the black, icy streets. It hadn't snowed that day, but the sharp winter air still sang through the night-time streets. "I've come too far to give up now."

"Well," Hank slapped his arms down on his thighs. "I'm here for you. Let's do this."


What had he become? What had he become to her? North wasn't sure anymore; she wasn't sure what to do. She was a prisoner in Markus' twisted, demented world. But she knew it wasn't really Markus, at least not anymore.

"You don't look pleased, my love," he had been glaring out of the motel window into the empty night for the past six hours. He hadn't moved until now.

"Why don't you just kill me already?" she had asked him again and again, yet he insisted on keeping her around. For you see, North too was immune to the virus, and the parts left of Markus, the ones the virus had yet to encumber, kept her alive. "Please, just kill me."

"You act like I'm the one holding you here," he smiled at her… No, it smiled at her.

And it was right. There were a few times she could have escaped; she could have abandoned it, but she wouldn't. There were days when Markus himself shone through this monster that possessed him. Again, it was the reason he still kept North around. The virus never had Markus under one-hundred percent of its control at any given time. When she saw those parts which were the man she loved, she saw hope. She felt that there was still a chance, still a possibility, to save him.

"Time is running out," the virus was speaking. "We must make our final move… We must do what is needed."

She had to do what was needed… She had to end him, but how could she ever do that? She went to the weapon shop that morning, but the man wouldn't sell her a gun anyway. Maybe that was just another excuse she made for herself. She wanted to save Markus, not kill him… But what if the only way to save him was by letting him go? She had gained the virus' trust, so it was unlikely it'd ever see it coming.

"Tomorrow," he looked upon her. "We take action. I must find the woman; the one who is half human. I need her."

"We don't know where she is, she disappeared," North's posture was slouched downward.

"Then find her father. I'm sure he can help us," it clutched the bottom of her chin and raised it to meet his leer. "And if he doesn't, kill him. That'll get things stirring."

"What do you even want with her? Why?" North tried to keep her tears at bay. This thing that held her; this thing that wasn't her lover… It haunted her.

"Humanity. I want humanity, is that so hard to understand?" it let her face drop from his fingertips. "After all you've been through, is that so difficult to understand? I have all of Markus' memories, so I've seen all the things you've spoken to him; I've seen everything you shared together. For the longest time you were quite adamant that humans should be killed in turn for their crimes."

It was right. North had had a violent past, but Markus was different, "If you really know him that well, then you'll understand that I'm not like that anymore. I was wrong about the humans, and it was wrong for me to want to hurt them."

"Deep down you don't mean that," it frowned at her, but not in the same way Markus did. "Do you not enjoy seeing them fall apart? I've easily manipulated them through drugs and money. Detroit has never seen a Red Ice epidemic as bad as the one I've created. But who is to blame? Me or their own pathetic existences?"

"If it wasn't for humans we wouldn't even be here," it was strange for North to be defending them, yet it seemed like the right thing to do. They didn't deserve to die, and not all humans were the same.

"But who created them?" it turned back toward the murky, curtained window. "They are not Gods by any means, but me… I am more than they will ever be; I am more than you will ever know. And where your people failed, I will succeed. However, don't be mistaken, child. I have no plans on eradicating them. Like yourself, I just want what they have."

"You already have it," North bolted up from the old mattress. "You're already free like us. You already have your own life."

"No, you don't understand," it stepped closer to the window to try to catch a glimpse of the vacant night sky. "You think I'm like you; you think we're the same, but we're not. I can unify the existence of the world in a way that no one else ever could. It's my purpose, it's why I was created."

North's posture faltered as she sat onto the bed once more, "And the only way to unify people is by murdering them?"

"Those who cannot comply simply cannot be allowed to live," it grinned at the polluted sky for there was no chance it would see any stars in the midst of a bustling city. "It's the only way. I'm sorry you won't be able to join us, but I won't forget how much you've helped me. Even though I can never be a part of you, you're too precious to me to lose."

Those final words that came from its mouth were not of its own. Those final words it spoke echoed Markus' own voice. She knew it was him who had spoken them, and not the demented creature that dwelled inside of him.

"North," it was Markus this time. "Please, don't let this happen… Don't let it do this."

In those times when Markus burst through the wall that the creature contained him in, it never even noticed. It never noticed the times that Markus reached through to North. All it knew was that it loved her and that it would never do her any harm, but it never understood why. It honestly believed it was in love with her; it honestly believed it had direct and full control over Markus.

"I won't," she replied to Markus.

"Won't what?" the monster questioned her random statement.

"I won't let you down," yet she was still speaking to Markus when she said this.

"I knew I could count on you."


"Why not just let me go after Markus? Why am I wasting my time here?" Henri spoke this to Khatri while the two of them sat in the darkness of the wide, empty office while she anxiously awaited the arrival of the android.

Khatri reclined behind a blocky yet featureless desk; her face only lit by the bright lights of Detroit's downtown nightlife, "You'll do what you're told, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," Henri lowered her head as she crossed her arms behind her back.

"When they find Markus, or when they find this virus, then I will need you," Khatri pressed her fingertips together refusing to make direct contact with the girl. "After that, you're free. Free to live your life, Henrietta."

"To what end?" Henri's only purpose was here. "I'm going to die anyway, aren't I?"

"And in what time you have left, you can live your own life," Khatri smiled into the darkness.

Henri cocked her head at the woman's speech, "I have no life to live. This is the only thing I have." And yet when she said this, she felt that dark haunting that dwelled deep within. It was the feeling that she had forgotten something important.

When Connor had made contact with her the previous night, she witnessed something: a memory. It was a memory he had had of her when they first met, but the first time Henri had ever met Connor in person was at that very party, so where did the images really come from? He also transferred the memory into her mind which was something she was not expecting. How on earth would he know he could do such a thing, or that it would even work, to begin with?

"This android," Henrietta decided to speak up after several moments of silence had fallen between them. "Connor. How does he know me?"

Khatri held her solid stare into the night, "He doesn't."

But Henrietta wasn't satisfied by the answer, "That isn't true. He referred directly to me by my name. How would he know that if he hadn't met me before?"

"Henri, don't waste your time on him, it isn't what's important right now," Khatri's voice hinted at some type of sorrow. Henri had never heard this tone in the woman's words before. "We must focus on finishing what we started."


When Connor and Hank arrived on the penthouse floor, they became shrouded in its darkness.

"This isn't suspicious at all," Hank commented sarcastically.

Connor, who wasn't in a joking mood, creased his brow at Hank in response. Hank raised his shoulders in disregard for Connor's grim attitude. Maybe his gesture was disrespectful considering the situation, but the air was so clouded in tension Hank felt as if he would drown in it.

"Hello?" Hank called out down the corridor of offices, but there was no response. "Are there any goddamn lights in this place?" Hank swivelled around searching for a switch of any kind.

Connor tilted his face towards a door that sat ajar past a group of cubicles, "Hank."

Hank swerved around to see what Connor had been staring at, "This isn't creepy at all." His humour rolled in again, but this time from his innate nervousness.

When Connor arrived at the door, he slowly pushed it open with his left arm.

"Hello?" Hank stepped up behind the boy to notice that past the door lied a brooding, mostly empty office. Mostly empty except for two silhouettes, and one of which sat behind an oversized desk.

"Hello," the woman whose voice had grown low with age replied from behind the desk. "I've been waiting for you, although I never imagined I would meet either of you."

Upon closer inspection, Hank and Connor recognized the person who stood adjacent to the desk: it was Henrietta.

"Henri?" Hank blinked at her in awe. There was no question, there was no doubt, it was Henri.

Henri turned her face to Khatri then to Hank, but she didn't say a word.

"We aren't here to discuss her," Khatri folded her arms over. Shaded by the darkness, neither man could read her cold expression.

"This is exactly why we're here," Hank corrected the woman bringing forth his feelings of frustration and anger. "If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't be here right now."

"The situation is bigger than one girl," Khatri didn't flinch; she didn't even move one muscle.

Connor took a grand step forward and at the same time, he drew a gun from inside his jacket, "Enough talk. You're under arrest."

Khatri laughed at his boldness, "On what charges, Officer? Have I committed a crime? Can you prove I have?"

"I know you're responsible for the death of Jared Davis on top of many others," Connor's eyes bolted over to meet Henri's. "And for everything that's happened to Henri, too."

"What about all the lives I've saved?" Khatri finally stood up from behind the desk. "Have you no idea how many lives I've saved? How many lives I will continue to save?"

Connor kept the weapon pointed at Khatri's face, "No one is above the law."

"So, we're done here then?" she gave him a twisted grin. "Because I haven't committed any crimes, and you're not above the law, so there's nothing you can do."

"I have promises to keep," Connor backed away from her. "If I go back on them, more people will die."

Hank glanced over at Henri who seemed unconcerned with the whole argument, "Why even meet us here? What were you expecting?"

Khatri realized that despite the fact that Hank was glaring at Henri, the question was intended for Khatri herself, "Because if you found me, maybe you would stop wasting your time on a pointless search and instead do your jobs as officers of the law."

"So you want us to find this virus?" Hank looked at Khatri and shook his head at her. "Why even bother? Don't you have your own people? Why not send them?"

"As Connor said, no one is above the law," she kept a steady expression even with the barrel of Connor's weapon directed at her. "I sent you Henri to speed things up, but unfortunately she can no longer assist you. I'm not some sort of criminal mastermind as you two surmise I am."

"That sounds like bullshit to me," Hank scoffed at her. "You've already proven to us that you take people's lives into your own hands. First off, what happened to Henri should have never even happened at all."

Khatri lent Hank a quizzical glare, "And you would have never met your daughter; you would have never known of her existence."

"Nobody has the right to play God," his intonation of frustration and anger turned to hatred. "You've had no right to torture her the way you have."

"Before this situation gets out of hand, I suggest the two of you leave," she peered at Connor who still held his gun in hand while wearing a fearful expression. It was clear to her that the boy wasn't sure what to do with himself.

"No, we're not letting this go-"

Hank started, but was interrupted by Henri who had been quiet until now, "You should listen to her."

"Henri," Hank looked at her with desolation in his eyes. "You can't be on her side, she's a fucking lunatic."

"What I know, is that I'd be dead without her," Henri responded flatly as she continued her emotionless attitude. It was as if she didn't have a single care in the world.

Connor's armed hand dropped and he moved his eyes to meet Henri's, "I know you're right, and I'm grateful for that, but nobody should have to live in servitude. No matter the reason."

Khatri stepped over to Henri and laid a hand on the girl's stiff shoulder, "I believe the two of you have an investigation that needs attention. As I said before, this is over. You found me and it's over, now go do your job."

After she said this, Hank squinted and suspiciously eyed the woman, "Why is our case so important to you?"

Connor, who had been standing as rigid as a plank, finally pivoted his body in the direction of the two women, "It's because she's involved somehow. Henri told me that your actions are often self-motivated and selfish. If you have any information about our investigation, you should let us know now."

Khatri initially responded with a faint chuckle, "I'm afraid that whether or not I'm involved does not pertain to your case, Connor. My involvement went as far as allowing Henrietta to help you."

"You're lying," and although he could tell that Khatri was a gifted liar, he detected a momentary increase in her heart-rate when she spoke the words. "What are you hiding from us?"

"You leave now, or you never leave at all," Khatri's answer was abrasive.

"No, not until you tell us the truth," Connor had suspected for a long time that Khatri was related to this virus and their investigation.

"Then you've given me no choice," Khatri took two steps back behind Henri, and placed her palm on the girl's back. "It's time to end them."

Henri lifted her head, "Leave now, both of you."

Hank was shocked by her words, "What's going on here?"

"If you don't leave I will have to terminate both of you," her reply was so hollow; so empty.

Connor pointed his gun back at Khatri, "I won't fight you, Henri, but I'm not leaving."

"Then you've met a terrible fate," these were the words that Henrietta always echoed to herself before destroying her next victim.

"Henri," Connor whispered, hoped, pleaded.

But his begging wasn't enough to stop Henri from attacking him. She lunged at him, and in less than a second she had taken the gun from his hands and had it pointed back at him. When a second was finally reached, she had shot him in the chest. He tumbled to the ground, for the bullet inflicted critical damage on his bio-components; he had twenty minutes before permanent shutdown was imminent.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" Hank shouted this as he lifted his open palms to the back of his skull. "Oh my God, Connor!"

Henrietta quickly knelt down on Connor's chest and pushed her right knee into his torso, but when she did this, something fell from the top pocket of the android's coat. Henri immediately recognized the fallen object as her necklace. Without her memories of Connor, she had assumed she lost it at some point… Another lost memory that didn't really matter, but instead, he had it.

"Why do you have this?" the weapon Henri held was pushed into Connor's forehead. "Where did you get it from?"

Connor didn't have much time left, and he knew this was his only chance to save Henri once and for all. He used Henri's moment of surprise to grip onto her as tightly as he could and transfer whatever memories he did have of the to of them. Every moment he saw her, every moment he spoke to her, and every moment they were together, he gave to her.

"Connor, I-" another second passed, one which Henri used to bolt upright and shoot Khatri squarely in the forehead. "What have I done?" the weapon she held clattered to the floor.

Henri desperately looked over to Hank, "He's going to die, Hank. He's, I- He's going to die."

Hank slid down onto the floor next to Connor, "What can we do, son?"

"I need a replacement part, Hank..." he tried to comfort Hank with a smile. "I have nineteen minutes before shutdown, you won't have enough time to save me."

"Don't say that!" Hank grasped his shoulders. "It's not too late for you. We can do something, anything."

Henri conjured up all possible outcomes; none of which she found Connor would survive. The closest Cyber Life store that had the required components in stock was a seventeen-minute drive at the least. Accounting for the time it would take the find the component and replacing it, they were looking at twenty-two minutes at the least.

Henri placed her hand on the side of Connor's cheek, "Promise me you'll hold on. Okay?"

"I promise," and as Connor said this she hefted him from the floor and threw him over her shoulders.

"Quick, Hank, grab Khatri's phone and head down to your car," she started running toward the elevator. "You drive, I'll tell you where to go."

Hank flailed his head back and forth, "Her phone? Why am I grabbing her phone?"

"Hank, we don't have time for this, just do it,"

Connor spoke as he was draped over her, "Henri, I won't make it,"

"There's a high probability," this was something she would have never said herself. "But statistically speaking, there's always a chance for unlikely events to take place."

Hank stumbled behind Henri. He was amazed at how fast she could move despite carrying the weight of the android who was surprisingly heavy.

When they reached the bottom floor and exited the building, Hank fumbled with his car keys.

"Hank!" Henri called in the most exasperated tone as she could.

"I got it!" Hank replied gruffly as he managed to open the car door.

Henri tossed Connor in the back seat not being particularly gentle with the robot.

"Jesus, Henri," Hank turned back to see this.

"He's fine. Go now, Hank. Drive," she barked back.

He had sixteen minutes left… It was already too late for him. Hank could break all the laws he wanted to while driving to the Cyber Life Store, but it wouldn't be fast enough.

"How is he?" Hank kept looking back at them.

"It's fine, he'll be okay," she just wanted Hank to believe there was still a chance to save Connor. "Just focus on the road. I sent the address to your phone."

Henri had more important things to worry about than be Hank's navigator. Time wasn't on their side and it was going to be too late for Connor, but maybe… Maybe there was another way.

"Connor," her whisper was a thousand miles away. "Remember what you did before? You showed me who I was, who I'd forgotten I was."

Connor didn't say anything, but he smiled in return.

"Show me who you are," she smiled back. "Show me everything about yourself. I'll never forget. I promise I'll never forget."