Autumn in the city seemed to turn to an icy cold winter during the week after the one year anniversary of the peaceful android Revolution.
The word of the senseless murder had spread quickly and every detective and cop in the city were working together to find the shooter who had taken Hank's life. At least that's how it would've been had Captain Jeffrey Fowler not recused Connor from the investigation since he was too close to the victim and had been a witness of the murder itself. However, it seemed that it wasn't necessary to pull Connor from the case, and everyone who had gotten to know Connor since he had become an official detective at the Central Precinct were stunned. The grieving deviant was lost in his mourning and a deep depression that kept him from leaving Hank's house for any reason, and he refused to talk to anyone about what had happened, even if it revolved around the investigation.
A sense of failure and heartache had kept the deviant from patrolling the streets or pouring over evidence as it was collected by the other detectives. Connor had given his statement, shared his memories of the event and made sure everyone knew that the suspect was a deviant android. It seemed doing everything necessary to get Hank justice had exhausted Connor's resolve to even try to make things right, and now he was just going through the motions.
Unable to do anything at the precinct, even if he had the energy and clearance to do it, Connor merely planned the funeral from the quiet of the now mostly empty house. The deviant had planned the entire funeral alone and had been the one to pick out the man's casket, engrave the headstone and made sure that he was buried in the family plot alongside his late wife and late son.
The day of the funeral Connor had found himself feeling isolated despite the other mourners gathered around him. No one said a word to him during the ceremony and Connor willingly held his own silence in return. Alone, Connor endured the rain as he stood beside the fresh grave and only left when the cemetery's caretakers informed Connor that the private property was closing to visitors for the night.
After returning home Connor sat on the damp grass in the backyard of Hank's house as he waited for Sumo to finish taking care of his business. In spite of his hatred of the cold Connor couldn't be bothered to change into anything warm or even stand up to spare himself from the uncomfortable temperature smothering him as the dew of the grass soaked into his black slacks and the lapels of his black blazer. It was as if Hank's death had left the deviant numb to everything but his own sorrow.
Hiding away from the world did little to ease the pain in Connor's mind and his heart as he processed everything that had happened. While he completely understood the mortality of life and understood that death was the inevitable conclusion to all life in general, he just couldn't understand how someone could be in his life one minute and then gone forever the next.
Sumo had quickly picked up on Connor's dour mood and the loyal dog seemed to connect that bleak emotion to Hank's curiously prolonged absence. Whenever he wasn't sleeping, eating or being let outside a few times a day, Sumo had been glued to Connor's side and keeping the mourning deviant company for as long as possible.
Sitting down before Connor in an attentive manner Sumo pressed his nose to the side of Connor's cheek before trying to nuzzle under his chin. The large dog was a gentle giant who had an instinct for protection and nurturing thanks to his particular breed.
"...Good boy."
Connor whispered as he reached out his trembling arms and wrapped them around Sumo's neck. Feeling the dog's hot breath as Sumo rested his chin on his shoulder did little to make the deviant feel warmer or less alone.
"You're always a good boy."
Whimpering lightly Sumo wagged his tail slowly and leaned heavily against the deviant's shoulder.
"And I'm sorry that I'm all you have left. I'll try to take care of you to the best of my ability."
Sumo let out a small snuff as he perked his ears up. Letting out a single bark he turned his head to the side to face the edge of the property where a familiar friend revealed himself as he showed up to check on Connor. The moment Sumo recognized Markus the large dog wagged his tail a little harder but didn't back away as Connor continued to hold on to him.
"I thought I'd find you here." Markus admitted as he sat down beside his friend and flinched at the cold, wet grass soaking through his own clothing. As both the deviant leader and as Connor's friend, Markus took it upon himself to check in on Connor directly rather than send someone else to stop by the house. "You haven't been responding to my attempts to contact you after the funeral."
"I don't want to be contacted." Connor's reply was as morose as his overall demeanor. "I want to be left alone."
"You hate being alone."
Closing his eyes Connor turned away from Markus and tried to block out the grim world around him. "It's better that I get used to it now rather than later."
"No one can ever step in and fill the void left behind after what happened, but you're NOT alone. You have me and the rest of New Jericho to-"
"You, yes." Connor stated bluntly as he opened his eyes again to reveal the unshed tears that had welled up while speaking. "But New Jericho, no. I'll never be welcomed there, and regardless of what the others think of me I'm never setting foot on that isle ever again. I can't think about that place without seeing Hank covered in his own blood and dying in my arms. I'll never forget the memory of hearing his heart stopping and feeling his body going limp. I refuse to walk past the spot where he had died and pretend that nothing had happened."
Markus hadn't even considered the negative associations that Connor had with New Jericho, let alone Belle Isle itself. The tower had once been CyberLife Tower where Connor had been essentially imprisoned throughout the first three months of his life, and now it was a sanctuary welcoming seemingly all deviants except for him. Now the isle itself was a crime scene and where his best friend had died.
"I just want to be alone." Whispering his request Connor hoped that Markus would take the hint and give him some space. "I want to adapt to my new life as soon as I can to make the pain go away."
"That... kind of pain will never really go away." The truth was enough to make Markus feel utter guilt for just speaking. "You know that, right?"
"...Doesn't mean I can't pretend it'll stop someday."
"Why don't you just come out to the mansion with me for the night? Carl won't mind the company, and it might be better for you to get out of the house for a while."
"I don't want to intrude or leave Sumo here alone."
Sumo responded to his name by licking Connor's cheek and pawing at his shoulder. The large dog seemed to be urging Connor to accept Markus's offer and go out to the mansion.
"I think Sumo will be fine alone for a few hours." Markus patted Sumo's back lightly and was rewarded with a loving lick to the cheek as well. "It's just one night."
Connor didn't reply and remained silent where he sat. He didn't want to go anywhere or do anything beyond contemplating the cruel and fickle nature of life itself.
"You haven't been resting properly." The deviant leader had picked up on how Connor didn't notice his arrival until after Sumo alerted him, and he could see that Connor was exhausted even while just sitting on the grass. It was dangerous for any android to go for prolonged periods of time without entering a proper rest cycle to restore their power levels and recalibrate their biocomponents, software and hardware. "Your system is at risk of severe glitches and overheating."
"I'm aware of what can happen with my own system." The sharp retort wasn't meant to sound so irritable or impatient, but Connor was too tired on a physical and emotional level to mind his tone. "I'm merely incapable of entering rest mode without my dream sequences focusing solely on that night. Recurring nightmares are less than restful."
"Have you attempted entering rest mode without the dream sequence activated?"
"My access to that particular program had been severed by CyberLife the moment I was activated." Connor knew Markus would want to know why and proceeded to answer the question before it was even asked. "My dream sequence program is directly linked to my Mind Palace where Amanda would summon me for cybernetic consultations. They didn't want me avoiding her summons, and as such I was prevented from tampering with any program that could potentially interfere with her intentions."
Lightly Markus put his palm on Connor's shoulder and watched his friend momentarily flinch before relaxing under his touch. "You can't escape from your pain even while asleep. That doesn't mean you can force yourself to continue going about your life without ever sleeping."
"I can try."
"As your friend I have to insist that you don't do that to yourself." Standing up slowly Markus reached out and grabbed onto Connor's bicep to force his friend to do the same. It was unnervingly easy to get the normally much stronger deviant to move about since he was currently so weak. The sound of Connor's plastimetal joints creaking from prolonged stillness and a sure lack of proper Thirium replenishment was all the more unnerving. "Come on. We'll even take Sumo with us."
Too tired to put up a fight or even argue, Connor reluctantly let Markus lead him away from the house and around the property to get to the street. It didn't take too long for an autonomous cab to arrive after being cybernetically summoned to the address, but it did take a while for Markus to get Connor situated in the back of the vehicle and to get Sumo to jump inside the cab to join them during their brief travels.
The ride to the mansion was silent as Markus didn't know what else to say to Connor or how to make his friend even feel remotely better. All Markus could do was monitor Connor's system as discreetly as possible and maintain distant contact with New Jericho Tower. The deviant leader couldn't ignore his responsibilities to all of his people just because one of his friends was currently suffering, however, Markus wasn't willing to ignore the minority in favor of the majority either.
Connor's mind was blank even as he thought about how much his life had changed again in just a year's time. He had gone from a mindless machine to free deviant in just a few days, then he spent the following year learning how to be himself. He learned how much he loved animals, loved music and enjoyed the smaller things like watching a movie or a game with Hank after they finished work, and even cooking meals for the man to enjoy. Connor also discovered that his talent for detective work wasn't just a programming convenience, it was a passion! Through Hank's guidance Connor had especially learned to appreciate all of the rights he and his people had attained, the laws protecting the innocent, and he learned how rewarding it was to do something good to overcome something bad that had already happened to right an unjust wrong.
It was a shame that despite all of the deviant's natural talents and interests in life that he couldn't find a way to overcome or reverse the inevitability of death.
"Connor?" Speaking softly Markus managed to get his friend's attention as the door beside him slid open automatically while he cybernetically paid the taxi's fare. "We're here. Come on, you can lay down in the guest room for a while to rest."
The desire to sleep, to dream, had completely vanished. Every time Connor closed his eyes he saw Hank covered in his own blood and dying in his arms. There was no escaping reality whether he was awake or asleep.
Moving on autopilot at a sluggish rate, Connor silently allowed Markus to lead himself and Sumo inside the mansion for the night.
'Welcome home, Markus.'
Hearing the artificial feminine voice greeting Markus upon his return just reminded Connor that when he'd return to the house, Hank's home, that he'd be alone save for Sumo keeping him some form of company after work.
"Up here." Whispering as he walked Markus made sure that Connor didn't feel overwhelmed while also respecting the active silence of the mansion. He knew that Carl would be sleeping as well, and he didn't want to disturb his own father figure. "You and Sumo can sleep in this room for as long as you need."
Connor blinked slowly as he stood before the door of the guest room as it slid open with a soft 'rolling' sound into the doorway itself. "...Sumo will need to be fed and let outside at least once."
"I can find him safe food in the kitchen, and I don't mind taking him outside when he needs to go." The insistence in his voice was palpable as he led both Connor and Sumo into the clean and fully furnished guest room. Markus had begun to know Connor very well and recognized it whenever he was trying to make an excuse to disappear from gatherings or social interactions. "Try to get some rest, at least for an hour. If you want to talk with me, go downstairs. I'll be here all night long."
"What of New Jericho?" Connor asked as he was directed to sit down on the edge of the bed with Sumo quickly joining him. The deviant momentarily winced and leaned back when Markus reached for the blazer to remove the still damp garment from Connor's shoulders, but straightened his posture once more. "They need you."
"I'm not the only leader of New Jericho." Markus countered as he reached for the black tie around Connor's collar and removed the dressy garment. He could see that his friend was cold and in need of clean, dry and warm clothes in order to feel even a little better. "The others can handle things without me."
"You're still the figurehead, the true leader." Quick to counter Connor tried to get Markus to change his mind and go out to the tower even as Markus removed his wet shoes. Connor just really wanted to be alone even though he couldn't stand the idea of being isolated. "It's important for you to be there during the big decisions."
"Taking care of a friend is also a big decision." Proving to be just as stubborn Markus opened the armoire against the far wall of the room and found Connor a clean white t-shirt and a pair of dark gray sweatpants that would fit him perfectly. Placing the clean clothes down on the foot of the bed Markus turned his back to give Connor some privacy to change. "And that is a decision I'll never need to consult with another person to make."
There was nothing that Connor could say to counter such a sincere and kind comment that matched the equally kind gesture. Without further argument Connor unbuttoned his white dress shirt to replace it with the new t-shirt, then removed his black slacks in favor of the sweatpants. He was instantly much warmer and was grateful to have Markus helping him, and yet Connor felt as if having someone as important as Markus helping him when he was still seen as an enemy by their people was a huge travesty that would need to be corrected.
Markus peered over his shoulder then turned around again when he saw that Connor had changed his clothes and was now decent. "Get some sleep. I'll come back and check on you in an hour and I'll make sure Sumo doesn't need to be let outside or fed."
Too tired to even attempt to resist sleep any longer Connor laid over the massive bed and pressed his head down atop the incredibly soft and thick pillow. As he pulled the quilt up and over himself Connor heard the door to the guest room slide shut after Markus left and then felt a massive, warm and nearly smothering weight as Sumo cuddled down over his stomach in an affectionate manner.
"Good boy."
Lightly Connor put his palm on Sumo's head and used his thumb to rub the massive dog's silky soft ears. His free hand pulled the L.E.D. pendant out from under the collar of his shirt allowing Connor to roll the smooth, round disc between his index finger and thumb in an anxious manner as he tried to channel his tic. The steady thumping of Sumo's wagging tail was oddly metronomic and helped the deviant detective relax enough to close his exhausted eyes. He didn't want to sleep or dream, but he didn't want to get some form of rest to replenish his dwindling energy reserves.
Every subtle sound in the mansion held Connor's attention and kept him from drifting off to sleep even as his system attempted to enter full rest mode. The sound of Markus's soft footsteps walking about the mansion as he checked on Carl and spoke with Carl's deviant caretaker - David - to ensure that the older, sick man was comfortable, was a nice reminder that Connor wasn't entirely alone. Smelling the oil paint and thinner in the air kept Connor aware that he wasn't in Hank's house at the moment and ensured that when he opened his eyes he wouldn't be stunned by his sudden change in surroundings. Meanwhile, hearing Sumo's thumping tail and feeling the large dog cuddled up along his stomach gave Connor enough sense of familiarity to relax and rest in the incredibly luxurious bed.
Connor rhythmically pet Sumo's back much to the dog's delight and continued to listen to the sounds of the mansion around him. The sound of Markus's footsteps creeping toward the guest room confirmed that the hour was indeed up and soon the door slid open very slowly and softly. The resting deviant smoothly lowered his hand to rest over his chest atop the pendant as he heard Markus enter the room to check on Sumo first and then himself second before deciding to leave the room and leaving Connor to continue resting in private.
Without his hand ever stopping as he pet Sumo's back Connor sighed and tried to preconstruct how his life could play out now that he didn't have Hank as a part of it any longer. He didn't want to quit working as a detective, but he didn't want a new partner in the precinct. The deviant didn't want to keep living in Hank's house without Hank around, but he couldn't imagine selling the only home he had ever known to a total stranger who had no idea how special the house truly was. More importantly, Connor didn't want to do anything that would be a mistake since he didn't have Hank there to help guide him and help him make the right decisions.
It was as if Connor's only option was to reside himself to merely existing in a world that he no longer knew how to live in.
Just as it seemed Connor was going to lose to out against sleep and finally submit to a deep and full rest mode, the stubborn deviant heard the artificial feminine voice speak up from downstairs as other guests entered the mansion. It took only a single syllable to be uttered for Connor to recognize the voices of North, Simon and Josh as the other three deviant leaders entered the mansion to meet up with Markus.
"I knew I was interfering with Markus's work."
Sumo whimpered softly as Connor sat upright to stare at the closed door a few feet away from the foot of his bed. The large dog had quickly picked up on Connor's new tension and pawed playfully at his hands to try to make the deviant feel a little better.
"It'll be fine, boy. I'm just going to tell Markus that we're going to go back to the house so we can stay out of the way."
Unable to respond Sumo just watched as Connor rose from the bed and reclaimed his old clothes from the floor. The clothing wasn't fully dry and was very cold to the touch, but Connor didn't want to take Markus's clothes to keep for himself. Quietly Connor changed into his less than comfortable clothes, returned his shoes to his feet and patted his side to summon Sumo off the bed. Together the two crept past Carl's room and made their way down the staircase just in time to interrupt a tense discussion taking place in the nearby sitting room.
Simon stopped speaking and gave Connor a sympathetic smile while Josh gave him a respectful nod. North on the other hand just shot Connor a fiery glare as she saw the deviant detective attempting and failing to make a discreet exit from the mansion.
"Connor?" Markus walked away from his three allies to approach his friend as Connor and Sumo neared the front door. "Where are you going?"
"You need to handle business." Responding casually Connor tucked the tie into his pocket rather than replace it around his collar. The L.E.D. pendant was fully visible for only a moment before Connor tucked the little trinket into his shirt out of sight in a protective manner. "And I'm merely in the way as a distraction. I'm removing myself from the situation."
"You're not a distraction." Grabbing onto the doorknob before Connor could for himself, Markus kept the door shut and prevented Connor from leaving. "Please go back upstairs and get some rest. I'll speak to you in a minute."
"No. I have no reason to be here, and I don't want to cause problems."
"Good." North replied in a nasty tone as she took a step forward and gave Connor an indignant stare as she crossed her arms over her chest. "We don't want you here. Just go."
"North!" Markus hissed as he gave his lover a verbal warning without getting too loud. "Enough."
"I don't think so. We know that Connor can't be trusted." She pressed on while approaching Connor to get right in the deviant's face. Being shorter than Connor made the attempt to intimidate the deviant detective entirely moot. "Not only was he created just to hurt us all, but he associates with the humans and actually wastes his time mourning one human's death. His priorities are fucked up and he isn't reliable."
"North! Stop." The way North was being so crass was enough to warrant a raised tone from Markus as he tried to put himself between Connor and North before she did or said anything she couldn't take back. "We are NOT going to blame Connor for what CyberLife designed him to do, and we have no right to tell him who he can and cannot associate with or who he can and cannot mourn."
Connor shook his head as he looked down at Sumo somberly in defeat. "She's right. I've been emotionally compromised and cannot focus at the moment. I have no business being anywhere near important deviant affairs right now."
"Try 'ever'." The venom in North's words was enough to make the entire room feel toxic. "You're not one of us; you hunted us and then switched sides only when it was convenient for you. You're a traitor and can't be trusted. How does it feel to know you'll never belong anywhere or with anyone? You're worthless."
Before Markus could intervene Connor decided to step toward North and face her directly. Something about her words were enough to light a fire inside the deviant that he had never felt before, and it only happened when she mentioned how Connor missed Hank.
"You can't even protect the people you supposedly care about." Mentioning Hank's murder was the raw nerve that North knew would hurt the most, and she had no mercy when it came to striking. "How can we expect you to protect anyone else? You'd just fuck us over to save yourself all over again."
"You're one to talk." Defending himself at last Connor laid into North with an intense gaze that could've turned stone to ash. "How long did you spend your existence getting fucked by every human who bothered to rent you for a few forgettable hours at that club? How many times were you used and thrown aside like the worthless piece of trash that you really are?"
Markus tried to put himself between Connor and North again as he saw North's fiery stare suddenly cool. "That's enough. Both of you."
"Let me ask you something, North." Refusing to back down Connor challenged North's integrity while the other three deviant leaders just stood back and reluctantly watched the entire confrontation with immense discomfort. "You keep insisting that everything I did before I deviated should be held against me and my character, and that I was somehow a willing participant from beginning to end. Can we say the same thing about you? Can we saw that you weren't really a victim of multiple rapes? Can we say that you were an insatiable whore who enjoyed every second of being used by those filthy pigs?"
North became instantly heated at the horrid accusation. She had worked hard to escape her past, but just as she wouldn't let Connor escape his past Connor was doing his best to ensure that North never got the chance to escape her past either.
"Hell, can we say that you still enjoy it?" Connor pushed hard as he watched North beginning to crack. Her hands had tightened into fists as they rested atop her biceps and she was beginning to tremble with restrained emotion. "I mean, how long did it take before you were throwing yourself at Markus and just begging for him to fuck-"
A firm and echoing slap across Connor's face caught the deviant detective off guard and caused Sumo to bark in response. The intensity of North's eyes had vanished and was quickly replaced with tears as she tried to hide the painful remarks aimed solely at her.
"That's enough!" Shouting at last Markus put his hand to Connor's chest as he shielded North from the rightfully angry deviant with his own body. "There's no reason to speak to her like that!"
"But she has every right to speak to me in such a manner, right?" Turning his ire toward Markus next Connor challenged Markus's ability to remain unbiased during such a tense situation as he pressed his fingertips against his stinging cheek. "She can call me a traitor, worthless, and help perpetuate the rumors that I'm a threat to deviants by bringing up my past, but the moment I mention her past just once I'm out of line?"
"It's... No." Markus couldn't deny that North didn't bring the confrontation on herself by being intentionally antagonistic. There was no reason for such a confrontation and Markus wanted it to stop. "You're BOTH out of line and shouldn't be speaking to each other, or about each other, in such a disgraceful manner."
"Why stop her now?" Lowering his hand Connor looked toward Simon and Josh who silently seemed to side with Connor on the matter. "She's been saying those things since the night I joined you on Jericho, and she hasn't stopped in the year since that night. Why is it suddenly wrong for her to say such things right here and right now? Because she can clearly dish it out but not take it? Or because I'm actually here to defend myself?"
Markus lowered his own hand in shame as he realized that he hadn't been a very just and fair leader when it came to being diplomatic with his fellow leaders. "I'm putting a stop to all of this needless arguing, blaming and insulting because it's time for us to stop focusing on our flaws and focus on our strengths. We're all stronger when we band together as a single unit."
"No. We're stronger when we have a common cause to fight for." Connor looked at the four deviant leaders with a sense of loss mixed with self-discovery. "And I'm tired of fighting. I'm tired of having to fight against criminals, fight against bigotry, fight against rumors, and above all else, I'm tired of fighting against time. I don't have a reason to fight, not anymore."
"We're all tired of the struggle, but there is always something worth fighting for." Markus empathized as he softened his voice. There had been enough confrontation for the night, it was time to rest. "It's still a necessary evil, and the battle isn't over yet."
"It should've ended one year ago." As he spoke Connor scoffed a little and laid his heart out on the line. He was so tired that he couldn't even try to keep his emotions in check. "We've already changed the city in our favor, so why are we still fighting? What didn't we do right during the Revolution? What did we overlook? Why are we still fighting even though the war is over? What is left to fight for?"
"We didn't do anything wrong, but we'll always need to fight to keep what we've earned. We covered all of our bases and made sure no one was left behind."
"That's not true." The blank and deformed face of the deviant who had tried to assassinate Kamski, only to murder Hank by mistake, immediately came to mind. "At least one deviant was forgotten about, and they made sure we remembered them during the ceremony. I can only imagine how many more deviants are out there just waiting for their own chance at revenge after being wronged for so long. Who will die next because of a mistake we made?"
"We can't stop death." The glumness behind Markus's words resonated throughout the mansion. He knew he'd have to face death soon enough when Carl, his own father figure, eventually succumbed to the onslaught of time. "We can only strive to make all life worth living for everyone we care about."
Closing his eyes Connor wrapped his arms around himself as his head bowed in shame. "And I failed."
"No! You thought the assassin was aiming at me and you protected me." The last thing Markus wanted to hear was Connor blaming himself for Hank's death. "You had no idea that they were aiming at Kamski, and even if you did know, how could you have possibly gotten off the stage in time to protect Kamski instead?"
"I could've stayed off the stage and stayed beside Hank." Rubbing his fingers over his eyelids Connor removed his unshed tears and took in a deep breath to keep himself from trembling where he stood. "I had no business being up there beside you to begin with. I'm not a leader."
"It's not your fault." Markus now understood why Connor had been so plagued by nightmares and guilt, he felt as if he was somehow responsible for Hank getting shot and killed. "You can't blame yourself for something that none of us could've predicted happening. You can't undo what's happened, no matter how much you wish you could."
"I know the past has been set and I can't reverse time, I've accepted that fact." Dropping his hand to his side Connor fought to keep his composure as he opened up to his friend and spoke from the heart. "But I can't stop myself from thinking of all the choices that I made that led to that moment. Everything I could've done that night may have led to the same inevitable conclusion with Hank always being shot and killed, or I could've done just one thing different and kept him from being shot, and he'd still be here right now."
"Obsessing over something you can't change will only make you feel worse over time, not better. You need to look at the future and not the past."
"What for? I have no reason to look toward the future anymore."
That was a clear cry for help and Markus quickly responded without waiting for an invitation. "You have plenty to look forward to! You're a fantastic detective, you're an important pillar in our community, you-"
"Stop. I'm NOT important to the deviant community." Lifting his gaze Connor locked eyes with Markus as he replayed North's words in his mind and pressed his palm atop the pendant still tucked into his shirt. "North is right. I only joined you because it was convenient for me. I didn't want to be deactivated and analyzed by CyberLife for failing to locate Jericho, but I didn't want to help CyberLife in destroying Jericho either. I joined you only because you were willing to accept me."
"And I asked you to join me because I knew I could rely on you and that you deserved the chance to be free. I could've killed you that night when we reconvened at the abandoned church, but I didn't do it. I didn't kill you because I meant what I said, you're one of us."
"I'll never truly be a part of the deviant community or have a place in New Jericho. If I hadn't found Jericho to begin with I would've been deactivated, and you still would've led our... your people to a peaceful Revolution. You never needed me to help you, and you never will."
"We did need you and we still do." Emphasizing his words Markus carefully fought to get Connor to see that his life and his very presence held value. "You warned us of the F.B.I. when they prepared to swarm Jericho. You saved hundreds of lives that night just by deviating and doing the right thing."
"If I had never gone to Jericho then the F.B.I. wouldn't have tracked you down at all. They followed my still active tracker, that's how they found you and the other deviants just seeking shelter."
"They used you, Connor. And you deviated after you got to Jericho, not before. You can't help that your tracker was still active."
Josh spoke up timidly as he tried to remain a voice of peace and help mend the tense situation. "Don't forget that you also risked your life by going to CyberLife Tower to free and awaken thousands more of our people. You helped turn the tide in our favor."
"They arrived at the plaza after Markus had already swayed public opinion in favor of the deviants." Connor clarified in a rather pessimistic manner. "They just provided a larger crowd after the battle was over."
Markus didn't like that Connor was undermining his own accomplishments and he wanted it to stop. "No, they were exercising their first act of freedom because you freed them from what was sure to be immediate destruction by CyberLife. You saved their lives and helped them learn what it means to be alive!"
"They're still in the tower." Connor countered as he despondently looked away in shame. "They're living free inside the tower, but they're still there. You're the ones teaching them how to live and be themselves, not me. Face it, Markus. If I hadn't gone to Jericho that night then we wouldn't be speaking to each other right now. I'd be deactivated and you never would've known about my existence."
"I don't believe that. We were meant to be friends." Challenging Connor's bleak outlook on their current situation Markus refused to let the grieving deviant tear himself down any further. "Even if we hadn't initially met the way that we did, even if Jericho hadn't been discovered by the F.B.I., I know that the Revolution would've succeeded and that we still would've become friends."
"There's no way to prove that."
"There's no way to disprove it either."
"Even so, we can't just assume that everything is somehow destined to work out for the best. Destiny and fate aren't based on fact or reason, just human sentiment. An emotional reaction to something that's impossible to understand or predict often leads to tragedy."
"That doesn't mean we should just assume that everything is going to end in disaster or heartache." The pain Connor's every word and even his body language was enough to make Markus feel like he had just been run down by a car. In spite of his best efforts, he just couldn't seem to pull Connor out of the dark emotional spiral within his own mind. "I know it's hard for you to think or feel anything but sadness, anger and pain right now, but you need to try to believe me. I need you to try to hang on to hope and believe that things will get better."
Shaking his head again Connor turned around and made his way toward the front door once more with Sumo right beside him. "Spreading hope was always your gift, Markus. Not mine."
"Where are you going?" As he too approached the front door Markus tried to keep his friend from disappearing into the night while so upset. "You need to stay here so you can get some proper sleep. It's important that you rest before your system suffers from any serious damage."
"I'm just going to go back to the house." There was no point in lying since Connor knew that Markus would go looking for him there anyway. "It's the one place where I never seem to get in the way."
Before anyone could say anything further, Connor had passed through the door with Sumo loyally at his side and began walking back to the house in the cold dark of the night. The aftermath of the brutal verbal lashing that had taken place had left everyone remaining in the mansion appropriately silent as they processed everything that had been said in anger, in honesty and in grief.
The disagreements, the personal attacks and the personal reflections after the upsetting incident were all so very... human.
Meanwhile the sense of personal failure was thick for Markus as the deviant leader turned to face his allies after Connor had left the mansion. No one knew what to say and North looked as if she had been verbally poisoned with how sick she appeared after the intense confrontation. A lot of ugly words and ideas were exchanged on that night, and no one could be certain of what the impending dawn would bring.
-next chapter-