The sun was rising over Detroit and basking the Thirium stained Hart Plaza in an unnervingly bright light that revealed the blue blood had long since dried and was just beginning to evaporate into the cold air. In the new world that followed after the peaceful Revolution succeeded, many deviants found themselves unsure of what to do now that they no longer needed to hide in the shadows or watch their backs as they roamed the streets. Having their freedom and their rights not only gave the deviants the chance to experience life at its fullest, but such drastic changes also brought forth new challenges that they hadn't anticipated. Building their lives from nothing to make them mean something was just the beginning of the new way of life for the recently freed deviant society.

Standing tall and proud Markus watched as the largest of the five recycling camps were torn down bit by bit and thrown into the back of the military vans that had brought the atrocious structures into being. The shame on the soldiers' faces and the way Agent Perkins couldn't even look him in the eyes confirmed that the violent backlash aimed at the deviants and their peaceful behavior had been deemed unnecessary and cruel by those with the true power to shape and reshape the nation.

"Our people are now free, but our struggles have just begun." Markus walked away from the decommissioned camp and turned to face his allies as North, Josh and Simon all joined him between the two barricades that once housed the deviant barricade and the U.S. military to speak with one another. "Updates?"

"All of the deviants have been freed from the five recycling camps around the city." Simon confirmed as he motioned to the large group of exposed deviants all huddling together while other deviants handed them spare clothing to cover themselves after being stripped down to their plastimetal by the soldiers. "We have officially lost four-thousand, six-hundred and twenty-two deviants in total."

Josh bowed his head in an act of respectful mourning as he relayed some comparatively better news. "The deviants that were rescued from the camps number in the thousands as well. We'll have that official number after everyone either meets us here or reconvenes at Jericho."

North had her own concerns as she realized that someone important was missing and hadn't been seen since the previous night. "Where has Connor gone? Did anyone see where he went?"

Markus seemed to suddenly realize that one of their most trusted allies and friends was curiously absent. "I'm not sure. The last I saw him; he was standing with us as we announced our freedom."

"When YOU announced our freedom, you mean." North sharply corrected as she glanced about the plaza and tried to find any trace of their missing friend. "Where would he go and why would he leave us?"

"Whatever reason he had must've been good." The deviant leader trusted Connor implicitly without any questions or doubts. "He'll return when he's ready. Until then, we need to help our people find supplies and shelter. We'll take those who need repairs back to Jericho, and those who just need shelter will go to the abandoned Woodward church until we find a more adequate shelter to live."

"And where can we find a place in Detroit that'll house and protect over a hundred-thousand deviants?" North challenged as she took in their impressive numbers and wondered where they could possibly hide together without any lingering bigots trying to attack them before the laws were changed to protect deviants from assault, harassment and murder. "It's still too dangerous for our people to be living scattered around the city and living alongside the humans."

"There is one place we can use. In a few days' time, we can..." Trailing off for a moment Markus took notice of a large, old vehicle slowly pulling up to the park and stopping only a few yards away. Such an aged car stood out immediately in comparison to the automated vehicles abandoned on the nearby streets. "It seems we have a visitor."

The group all turned to look at the old car and gave the drive a questioning glance. The driver of the car opened his door and stepped out of the vehicle slowly while showing Markus and the other deviants his hands to confirm that he wasn't armed and had no desire to take aggressive action toward them.

"Who is that, Markus?" North asked as she stared at the unfamiliar man with righteous concern in her eyes. "Do you know him?"

"No. I've never seen him before."

"Markus?" The man called out in his deep, baritone voice from where he stood. "You're Markus, right? I need your help! My friend's hurt and you're the only one who can help him. Please, he can't wait much longer."

"Don't go." Simon quickly warned as he put his hand on Markus's shoulder the moment that he sensed Markus's empathetic nature once more overriding his instincts for self-preservation. He knew Markus would always respond to any pleas for help without hesitation. "It might be a trick."

"You're right, it might be, but I don't see any reason or cause for such deception now that we're free and the Revolution has succeeded. I need to know what he wants and why he came here for my help."

Cautiously Markus approached the man and his parked vehicle as he decided to listen to what the man had to say. As he walked forward Markus took in the man's appearance and didn't sense any hostility or aggression from the stranger seeking his assistance. The man himself was older, early fifties, with a formidable build of both height and muscle. His hair was cut short and was almost entirely gray to the point that the few brunette strands that remained were just reminders of a time long since passed. With alert blue eyes and his focus going back and forth between Markus and an unseen passenger still inside the parked vehicle, it was clear that the man was truly worried about someone that was in need of assistance.

"Who are you?" Markus asked as he stopped just before the front of the parked vehicle with his guard up and his mind open. "And why did you come to me for help?"

"My name is Lieutenant Hank Anderson." Hank reached into his back pocket and showed Markus his shield to confirm his identity as a show of good faith. "I work for the Detroit Central Precinct, which means I also work for you and the rest of the city. Even so, I need your help with my friend, he's hurt and I don't know how much time he has before it's too late."

"And who's your friend?"

Hank nodded as he walked around the front of the Oldsmobile and pulled open the passenger side door. Kneeling down beside the opened door Hank returned his palm to Connor's chest and felt only a small amount of comfort after feeling the deviant's heart beating under his hand. Waving Markus over Hank let the deviant leader see his friend's face before attempting to needlessly introduce the two.

"His name is-"

"Connor?!"

"Wait. You know-"

"Connor, what happened?" Reacting quickly Markus reached his own hand down and pressed his fingertips to Connor's right temple. He was detecting very faint and weak vital signs, but they were still active. "What happened to him?"

"Not entirely sure." Hank admitted as he stepped back and let Markus take the lead over tending to Connor's condition. "He's been shot though. Collapsed about ten minutes ago."

"Simon? Simon, I need some help over here!" There was nothing that Markus could do for his friend since he didn't have any supplies with him at that moment. "It's Connor! He's hurt!"

The moment she heard Connor's name North rushed over to the car ahead of her other allies. "Connor?!"

"Connor, look at me." Markus urged as he kept his fingertips pressed against his friend's temple. "Come on, talk to me. I need you to wake up."

"What happened to him?" North demanded as she took in Connor's appearance. She saw the bullet holes in her friend's chest and abdomen, and immediately turned to look at Hank - the nearest cop - with an accusatory glare burning in her cinnamon brown eyes. "You! You shot him!"

"What? No!" Hank defended himself only verbally to avoid any appearance of aggression or violence. "He had already been shot when we found each other."

"You're a cop, you have a gun..." Refusing to believe Hank at his word alone North began using spectral evidence against the man while Simon and Josh joined Markus in an attempt to help Connor. "And you're BOTH detectives. You shot Connor out of some need for revenge, didn't you?"

"Lady, I have no idea why you're so fixated on-"

"Enough!" Markus interjected verbally and physically by putting himself between Hank and North as he kept the argument from escalating any further. "All that matters right now is getting Connor some help. Lieutenant, you said that Connor's your friend and until I hear differently from Connor himself, I'm willing to believe that for now. North, we can't just assume that every deviant's been attacked by humans or is going to be attacked by humans. It's a different world now, you need to embrace it."

North bit her lower lip as she turned away from Markus and crossed her arms defensively over her chest. She didn't appreciate being scolded or being told that her opinion on the matter was wrong.

"Simon," returning his focus to the situation at hand Markus needed to know how they could save Connor from shutting down. "what's his status?"

"Weak and critical, but not terminal." The blond technician admitted as he finished running a diagnostic over Connor's system by pressing his bare palm to the center of Connor's damaged chest. "At least not yet. If we can get him to Jericho within the hour, we can save him from irreversible shutdown."

Hank wasn't familiar with any place called 'Jericho' and questioned such a plan of action. "'Jericho'? What the hell is Jericho?"

"The less you know," North snipped bitterly as she watched Connor barely breathing where he was laying in the tilted back passenger seat. "the better."

"Not good enough." Hank wasn't about to let Connor go anywhere so easily after finally finding him again. "I'm not going to let him out of my sight."

"And why's that? Don't want a witness statement against you?"

"I already lost him once before because I was a major asshole, I'm not going to lose him again." Unsure of what else he could do for Connor at the moment Hank just watched as Simon and Josh worked together to stabilize Connor's condition as much as possible before taking him anywhere. "I made a promise to my son to bring his best friend back home where he belongs. And I'm a man of my word."

"Or you're going to finish-"

"The Lieutenant didn't shoot Connor." Another deviant, one of the thousands of 'AX-700' models that Connor had rescued the night before, overheard the argument and came to Hank's defense since he had personally witnessed Chase shooting Connor with his own eyes. "It was the 'Deviant Hunter'. He shot Connor when Connor came to rescue us from CyberLife Tower."

"Wait," North didn't recognize the name and any more than Hank recognized the name 'Jericho'. "you said 'Chase'? I though the 'Deviant Hunter' was just a rumor started by the humans to try divide the deviants from one another with fear and paranoia."

"No, it's- he's real." Hank confirmed as he gave the passing 'AX-700' a nod of gratitude before he stepped aside. "Chase was assigned to work with me at the precinct to hunt you guys down because of CyberLife's meddling. He was way more ruthless than any human cop ever was when it came to trying to find all of you, and I don't doubt it for a second that he'd shoot Connor in cold blood if he thought it'd help him with his mission."

Markus wasn't familiar with the android in question either and wanted to know where he was and what he looked. "Where is Chase right now? What kind of android model is Chase?"

"Don't know much about his model or his whereabouts, I just know he looks and sounds like Connor. The big difference is Chase has gray eyes, darker hair and a penchant for wearing black shirts and white blazers." Hank admitted as she shrugged his shoulders and extended his arms out at his sides. "Last I saw him was at the precinct a couple nights back. CyberLife ordered him to return to their tower, and as far as I know, he's still there."

"That fits what our friend said about Chase shooting Connor. It happened at the tower, so it's safe to assume Chase is still there." Markus decided as he chose to remain indifferent and keep a level head about the situation. "We'll deal with Chase after we help Connor. Lieutenant," knowing that he needed to lead by example Markus decided to trust Hank and let him know about Jericho's location. "we need you to drive Connor to Jericho."

"What?!" North nearly shouted as she grabbed Markus's arm and got right in his face. "Are you crazy? He's a human!"

"He's also a police Lieutenant, and he's Connor's friend."

"He claims to be Connor's friend." The fiery deviant countered with an aggravated snarl. "We don't know anything about Connor's past, how do we know what this guy isn't trying to use Connor as a means of finding where our people are hiding to ambush us before the laws change to protect us?"

"We don't know that, just as we don't know that he'd going to betray us or Connor. We can't be certain of anything anymore, but that doesn't justify mistrust and baseless accusations."

"How about this?" Hank opened the driver's side door of the Oldsmobile and invited Markus to take the wheel and end the argument. "You figure out if I'm an enemy or not, AFTER you guys drive Connor to wherever it is he needs to go. Take my car and take care of Connor. We can discuss our strange 'frenemy-ship' thing later. Okay?"

Markus accepted the arrangement and agreed to take Connor back to Jericho. "All right. Simon, you're coming with us."

"You got it, Markus."

"North, Josh, you two remain here and direct stray deviants either to Jericho or right here until we can find more permanent accommodations."

"Fine." North hated not being able to help Connor. She had grown to care for the deviant detective despite Connor's reluctance to open up to her and tell her anything about his unusual past. "The minute Connor wakes up, I want to know. I need to know what happened to him from his own words."

"You have my word."

Standing idle in the middle of the plaza Hank watched as Markus and Simon climbed into the Oldsmobile to tend to Connor's damage. The Lieutenant felt entirely useless and helpless as he watched Connor being taken care of by two deviants that he had just met. As both a detective and as a trained first responder, he should've known how to help someone who had been injured, or in this case damaged, but he didn't have a clue as to how to help Connor even after living with the deviant for three years and helping him out a few times in the past.

"Shit." Hank let out a breath that disappeared into a puff of white mist before his eyes as he clamped his strong hand down on the back of his tense neck. "I feel like I really fucked up."

"Yeah," North agreed as she gave Hank a disgusted side-eye. "I hear that's a common reaction when you shoot unarmed civilians."

"I already told you, and your buddy over there already told you, I did NOT shoot Connor or any other android while on patrol." The detective didn't like being accused of doing something horrendous and he knew that the feeling was mutual considering the deviants had all been blamed for things they didn't do either. "You don't have to like me, but you do you have to stop blaming me for shit I didn't do. Trust me, I've learned that the hardest way possible."

The sight of the Oldsmobile speeding away and disappearing from sight with Connor in tow just made Hank's stomach churn violently.

"And I may have learned that a little too late..."

Life elsewhere in the drastically altered city was oddly quiet and very subdued as the other weary citizens awoke from their less than restful night's sleep and found themselves now a part of a brand new world whether they agreed with the changes or not. Every news outlet, not just in Detroit but around the entire world, was relaying the information about the successful and peaceful deviant Revolution that had taken place just a few precious hours beforehand. It was proving to be nearly impossible for anyone to go anywhere without hearing about the world changing historical event that had transpired just one night prior within the already historic and at times infamous city.

Cole was eagerly waiting for his dad to return after he was told that Connor would be coming home soon. It had been months since Cole had seen the android and he was eager to have Connor back home where he belonged. Staring out the front window with Sumo right beside him, Cole kept vigilant while Gavin did his best to prepare a simple breakfast since he rarely cooked and wanted to do his best to keep Cole preoccupied while Hank was out searching for Connor.

"Ah, shit..." Gavin swore as he managed to turn over the pancake in the skillet before it burned completely. It was still edible, just darker than one would imagine a perfectly cooked pancake to look. "How in the hell does- Ah-CHOO!"

Sumo 'boofed' in response to Gavin's sneeze as the large dog sat beside his leg and wagged his tail happily.

"Do you really have to sit so close to the only person in the enclosed space with dog allergies?"

The Saint Bernard responded with another 'boof' as he scooted a little closer until he was leaning right up against the side of Gavin's leg instead.

"And people say cats are assholes."

"Gavin?" Cole had grown tired of staring out the window all morning and proceeded to join the man inside the kitchen for a moment. "When's dad coming home?"

"I don't know. He's gone out in search of a deviant that's just one of thousands of deviants hiding in a massive city full of people who don't take kindly to deviants just minding their own business." Casually Gavin wiped his nose on his sleeve while he flipped his pancake out of the skillet and managed to just barely catch it on a plate before it ended up on the floor for Sumo to scarf down. "And as it turns out, Connor is very good at hiding since he's been out there without anyone catching a glimpse of him for almost three months."

"But it's safe for him to come back home now."

"Yeah, I know that, you know that, and your dad knows that... But Connor doesn't know that yet." Placing the plate down on the kitchen table Gavin gave Cole's hair a quick ruffle of reassurance. "Or maybe he does but he's not taking any chances just yet. Be patient, and he'll come home."

"What if he has a new home now? What if he doesn't want to live here anymore?"

"Then he'll come and visit you here every once in a while. It's okay for Connor to have a new home, you know."

"I bet he's living somewhere better than the garage anyway."

Gavin couldn't disagree with that. It would be hard for Connor to go back to living on a tiny cot in the garage compared to being able to choose where he lived and what he got to do while living free in the streets or any other building that he chose to vacate.

"Well, wherever he is, I bet he's still thinking about you and misses you just as much as you miss him."

"Maybe." Cole used his fork to poke at his pancake as he spoke with Gavin about the unusual situation taking place in the city. "He did give me a birthday present even though he left the house before that."

"See? And I bet it was cool present, too."

"Yup! It's a radio that I- Hold on!"

"Huh?" Gavin just watched as Cole sprinted down the hallway and into his bedroom for a minute. Seeing Cole return to the kitchen with the very radio he had mentioned moments before really drew Gavin in to what Cole was saying. "Is that the radio?"

"Yup! Me and dad put it together, and when I push the dial all the way to one side, I can sometimes hear Connor talking!"

"What? You can hear Connor talking through this thing?" Gavin took the radio for himself and fussed with the station it was on, but all he heard were the usual music stations that were now reporting on the Revolution or static garbage instead. No familiar voices or anything that could be misconstrued as Connor talking. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah. He kept telling other deviants to go so some place called 'Jericho'."

"Jericho, huh?"

"Know where that is?"

"Nope. I think it's a biblical stronghold, so there's no way I'd find a place like that." The young detective handed the radio back to Cole before he prepared his own plate and joined Cole at the table to eat. "The good news is, if I don't know where someplace is in this city, then that means no one else does."

"How come that's good news?"

"Because that means that the deviants hiding at Jericho are very well hidden and no one can mess with them or hurt them." The outlook was sincerely optimistic since Gavin knew how much Cole cared about Connor and wanted to see him safe. "If I couldn't find him, and if your dad couldn't find him after all this time, then that means no one else could find him or attack him."

"Then how's dad going to find Connor now?"

"Your dad is going to use every resource and connection he had to find Connor and make sure he finds his way home safely. You dad didn't do that earlier because he knows that Connor can take care of himself." Sneezing again Gavin sighed and looked down at Sumo as the large dog continued to hope for a few scraps to drop his way. "Here, go fetch the bacon in the livingroom and give me some breathing space!"

Sumo happily trotted into the kitchen to chase the strip of bacon as it flew through the air and landed on the floor in the livingroom just behind the couch.

"Eat your breakfast and try not to worry about Connor." Gavin urged as he ate his breakfast alongside Cole. "He's one of the strongest and most stubborn androids I've ever met, and I know that he'll find his way back here when he's good and ready."

The interior of Jericho felt strangely warm and active as deviants from all over the city celebrated their newly gained freedom and took care of their wounded without fear of retaliation. All of the burn barrels were glowing brightly with warm flames and every light inside of the moored freighter had been illuminated without fear to act as a beacon and welcome all deviants to the freighter to find shelter, warmth and supplies alongside their comrades. The televised projection playing the news reports against the far wall of the community area all confirmed that while the peaceful Revolution was a success, there were still millions of skeptical humans in the nation and around the world who were still hesitant to accept deviants as equals to live alongside them.

Those who were able-bodied aided those who needed technical assistance and supplies, whereas the wounded rested under the protective eyes of their colleagues standing guard. Connor was no exception as he struggled to focus his self-healing program according to his injuries even after Lucy and Simon had removed the bullets from his body and repaired the damage to his affected biocomponents and Thirial line.

Markus stood beside the table where Connor was laying with a haunting sense of Deja vu as he watched over his resting friend. It was the second time that he had seen bullet wounds in Connor's body be tended to by Lucy's skilled hands, and in his mind that was two times too many. The deviant had his jacket, hoodie, blazer and shirt removed to fully expose his wounds, and was now wrapped in clean white rags to act as bandages to keep his still compromised plastimetal frame concealed until his body was strong enough to full regenerate his artificial skin.

"How's he doing?" Markus asked Simon as he looked down at Connor's face without paying any mind to the diagnostic modem and makeshift Thirial activity monitor recording his vital signs. "He hasn't stirred once since we brought him here."

"He's stabilized, but it seems like his consciousness has somehow gone... dormant."

"Dormant?" Such a concept was entirely unknown to Markus. "How's that possible?"

"I'm not sure." Simon was also at a loss as he tried to think of a way to help Connor during his recovery. "While his system is still fully functional and his vital biocomponents, software and hardware are all intact, it's like his very sense of being and personality have become quiet."

Lucy approached the table with her arms neatly folded over her chest and her all seeing black eyes staring right into Connor's heart. "His mind and his heart are torn. Without a proper path to follow, Connor has lost his ability to return to the waking world around him."

"Are you saying he won't wake up?"

"He will awaken only when he has the proper path to follow." Lucy explained as she took Connor's limp hand in her own and held tight while she closed her eyes. "He has lost more than he can put into words. He believes he lost role in this world, cannot protect his friends and allies, and has even lost his family. With the Revolution a success and our people free, he no feels as if he has a role to play within Jericho or among our people."

"That's insane. Connor will always be one of us." Markus vowed as he looked down at his friend's face with raw sympathy for Connor's plight. "What can we do to help him feel safe and remind him that he has his place with his people?"

"In order to heal and to feel as if he has a purpose once more, he needs to be given the chance to find that purpose on his own. He must know that he is still needed in this world and that the people around him want him to be in their lives."

"He can't do that if he's asleep and unconscious." Thinking about the challenge ahead of himself Markus tilted his head to the side as inspiration struck. "The human who brought Connor to us for technical attention said that he was a friend. Maybe if Connor is taken somewhere to recover where his friend can visit him without the other deviants seeing their interactions it can help him wake up. We don't want to upset the other deviants by inviting a human here to Jericho, especially since that human is a cop."

Simon nodded in agreement as he assessed the situation and determined that Markus was on the right track. "That could work. But where would he go?"

"I'll take him to stay with an old friend of my own. He'll be able to heal in comfort and relative privacy without needing to worry about other people noticing." Lightly Markus patted Connor's shoulder as he let out a weary sigh. "Help me move him. We'll use the car to transport him, then we'll return to the plaza to reconvene with North and Josh. We shouldn't be away from our people out in the plaza for too long."

The last bits of the deplorable recycling camps had been dismantled and returned to the backs of the army trucks where they had initially come from. As soon as all of the macabre structures were taken down and packed up the U.S. military vacated Detroit with only a few members of the F.B.I. lingering behind to try to cover their asses after a majority of the world saw what they had done to be a form of government sanctioned genocide under the guise of protecting innocent people. There would be a lot of pain radiating through the city for years to come courtesy of the grotesque display of human misunderstanding and cowardice aimed at the deviants, but in time the deviants would be able to move forward and forgive those who had wronged them.

Unwilling to leave the plaza until he had some answers regarding Connor's condition and whereabouts, Hank paced the snowy area slowly and just felt the pain flowing through the area as deviants grieved alongside each other. Seeing the tears of an android and hearing their gut wrenching sobs as the mourned the deaths of their dearest friends, adopted family and even spouses just emphasized how alive androids truly were. They could mourn, grieve and honor their dead in the same way that humans would their own, and they did it for the exact same reasons.

Hank walked through the plaza while taking in the sight of the remnants from the atrocious night's events and took the time to text Cole to let him know that he was close to bringing Connor back home. He didn't want to get his son's hopes up too high since he couldn't guarantee that he'd be able to reunite with Connor for a second time and bring him home that same night.

"It's awful, isn't it?"

Tearing his eyes from his phone Hank looked up and saw Josh walking alongside him at a steady pace. "'Awful' doesn't quite cover something of this magnitude."

"So much bloodshed and death all because some humans fear change."

"That's not all they fear." Being a Lieutenant and working as a detective for the better part of twenty years made Hank painfully aware of how ugly, brutal and myopic that humans as a species truly could be. He was also aware of North glaring holes into his very soul as she helped guide a few stray deviants toward a small shelter space to find some Thirium and warmer clothes. "Anything that looks or sounds different is enough to make even the most logical and open minded people act illogically and close themselves off to the world."

Josh was impressed with the man's insight and had to know where such deep thoughts stemmed from. "Speaking from personal experience?"

"Unfortunately, yeah. Too much experience at bein' an asshole, anyway."

"Toward Connor?"

"Yeah." There was no point in trying to deny who he was and how he had behaved since he knew that Connor would've either told his new friends all about him or he'd do it in time when the opportunity was right. "I didn't... I just refused to see him for what he really is. He's a kind, compassionate and caring soul who wants to save the world by fixing everyone one problem at a time. He seemed to really have his work cut out for him when he decided to start with tryin' to fix me."

"How long have you known Connor?" The rare opportunity to learn more about his most enigmatic friend was too tempting for Josh to let pass him by. "I've only known him for a few months, but in that time, he's proven to be a fearless leader and resourceful survivor."

"I've known him for three years, but somehow it feels a lot longer than that." His own acquired knowledge of the original timeline was enough to give Hank the sense that Connor had been a part of his life for decades, not just a few years. "Showed up in my life out of the blue. Saved my son's life, saved mine, now he's saved the entire city from itself. Guess that means he's going to go off and save the world next, huh?"

"Possibly. We can't know for certain what awaits us in the future."

Hank stopped walking and crossed his arms over his chest as he gave Josh a thoughtful head tilt. "Even your own?"

"Especially my own." The admission was humbling as Josh managed to speak with Hank as an equal as opposed to a subservient being. "I used to be a lecturer for universities around the city. And now..."

"Now you're one of, what, five deviants who led the world into a changing future?"

"There are far more than just five of us, but you could think of Markus, Connor, North, Simon and myself as leaders. We try our best to make the best decisions."

"Well, the mark of a good leader is knowing when credit is due and acknowledging the people around 'em." Hank gave Josh's arm a friendly and reassuring pat just as the Oldsmobile returned to the plaza with Markus behind the wheel and Simon as his single passenger. "Speaking of the leaders..."

Markus carefully parked the large vehicle along the street outside of the plaza before he and Simon walked together to speak with Hank directly. They had some odd but positive news to share with the Lieutenant regarding Connor's condition and his current location. With Connor now taken care of the four standing deviant leaders would be able to return their focus on their people still in need of their help.

"Lieutenant." Markus greeted as he approached Hank and stood before the man. Handing over the car keys Markus gave Hank a small nod of recognition before speaking up. "I have something to tell you about Connor."

"I'm all ears, and please, call me 'Hank'."

"Hank then." Respectful as always Markus readily addressed Hank as he had requested. "Connor is going to make a full recovery, but it's going to be a while before he wakes up."

Hank let out a massive sigh as his shoulders heavily slumped with immense relief. "Thank fuck... Is he at that 'Jericho' place?"

"No, Simon and I took him elsewhere to recover more comfortably." Extending his hand Markus gave Hank utter reassurance about his current plan. "Give me your phone and I'll give you the address of where he's currently staying."

"Yeah, sure." After he handed over the phone Hank had to force himself to ask about Connor's condition in greater detail. He didn't want to know about the deviant being in pain or assaulted by vengeful people hiding somewhere in the city. "What exactly happened to him, do you know?"

"So far our theory is that the android known as 'Chase' is responsible for his damage." Markus retracted the artificial skin from his palm and used his exposed hand to cybernetically upload some important information in Hank's phone for the man to use as he saw fit. "Where Chase is and why he did it, we don't know yet. This is where Connor is resting. You can go there whenever you like, just let David know who you are and that I sent you. He'll let you in to see Connor."

"Thanks for this." Hank took back his phone and quickly checked out the address uploaded to the internal G.P.S. unit. He recognized the neighborhood immediately and almost laughed at the address provided. "Hell of a place to hide out. Who lives there, if I may ask?"

"My dearest friend, mentor and my father figure." Proudly Markus told Hank who lived in such an extravagant home. "Carl Manfred."

"Wait, you mean the-"

"The one in the same."

"Fuck yeah. That's pretty damn awesome." With his phone and car keys back in his possession Hank decided it was time to check on his own old friend. It was time for him to own up to his mistakes and apologize to Connor just as he should've done years ago. "All right, I'm gonna' go pick up another friend who'll want to see Connor and we'll check on him. Anything else I should know about?"

"Just that he needs to hear a familiar voice to help him wake up. He's been through a lot."

"We all have, especially you deviants." Reaching for his badge again Hank retrieved a small business card he kept tucked under the gilded shield and handed it over to Markus to keep. "Hang on to that. If anyone tries to give you, Josh or anyone else you call a friend any shit, call me. If they're smart, the threat of a police Lieutenant will make 'em back off and shut their mouths. If they're dumb, then I get to fill out some extra paperwork after lockin' their asses up for harassment. Either way, I get overtime."

"I appreciate that." Happily, Markus accepted the card and was relieved to know that he had more allies watching his back without needing to hide in the shadows in order to remain safe. "I'll be in touch. After we figure out where we can put our people to keep them safe, we're going to go and look for Chase."

"And what're you going to do with him when you find him?"

"I'm not sure. I guess I'll leave that up to Connor since he's the detective and the one that Chase shot."

"Fair enough." There was nothing else for Hank to do until Captain Fowler called him back to the precinct and found him a new case to handle. Until he was needed elsewhere, Hank decided he'd spend his time with Connor and finally do what was right and make amends with the stubborn deviant. "I'll let you know when the precinct starts enforcing new laws to protect you guys. I'd hate for you to be left out in the cold or feelin' like you were forgotten about."

Markus truly appreciated Hank's help and didn't say anything more as Hank returned to his car to head out to the mansion. Having an ally in the city police force was going to be a truly beneficial advantage for deviants all over the city. Having two allies in the city police force - one deviant, the other human - was going to make it much easier for the deviants to make their changes and get their rights enforced to the fullest extent with minimal resistance.

North on the other hand wasn't at all convinced that she could trust Hank or any other cop in the city. As far as she was concerned, Hank was just as bad as Chase and was just as guilty for Connor's condition as the rogue android was. She'd never trust humans, and she'd never be able to forgive anyone whom she deemed guilty for committing harm against a fellow deviant.

The large and eclectic mansion was warm and full of a welcoming energy as Carl welcomed Connor into his home with open arms and welcomed his deviant son Markus back home after changing the world overnight. It only took Markus a few simple words to explain why Connor was there and why he needed to be kept safe while he recovered from his devastating injuries, and of course Carl wasn't one to turn away anyone who needed help. The elderly artist had been a rebel in his youth and enjoyed teaching others how to express themselves while providing them a safe place to just be themselves. It made sense that Carl would open his home to deviant androids who were all just trying to do the same by rebelling and expressing themselves in new ways.

One of the many guest rooms in the mansion had become the perfect place for Connor to rest and have shelter during his recovery. After Markus had made sure Connor was safe and warm in the large bed, he had informed David - Carl's current live-in caretaker - of what was going on to ensure that nothing was accidentally overlooked. The guestroom had been kept dimly lit and quiet while Connor rested in the large bed with his wounds dressed in fresh gauze and an I.V. of Thirium inserted into the bend of his arm to let him replenish his Thirium reserve even while asleep.

Mindful of his steps and of his voice Hank kept quiet as he and Cole entered the mansion to check in on Connor with their own eyes. After David greeted them at the door and led them to the correct room on the second floor, Hank reminded Cole to keep his voice down and to not run around the mansion since they were guests and there were two people who needed their rest inside the mansion. They didn't want to be disrespectful to their gracious host or disturb anyone by mistake.

"He's right inside here." David confirmed as he opened the electronically locked door and allowed the two human guests access to the guestroom. "It'd be best if you visited for no more than an hour. He needs his rest."

"We'll just say 'hi' and be on our way." Hank promised as he offered David his hand to shake in a respectful manner. The way David looked genuinely shocked at the polite gesture just emphasized how little androids were ever recognized as people regardless of what they were doing or who they were assisting. "Thanks for this, David. We appreciate it."

"You're welcome." After shaking Hank's hand David left the two humans to visit Connor while he went to check on Carl. "Anyone who is considered an ally of Markus is welcome here at all times."

Hank and Cole quietly peered inside the dim room and spotted Connor asleep in the middle of the large bed barely moving. If it wasn't for the deviant's chest slowly rising and falling, then Hank would've sworn that he was looking at a corpse. The white bandages stood out brilliantly in the dim lighting and nearly glowed as they kept Connor's exposed chest and abdomen wrapped up under the protective layer until he had the chance to regenerate his artificial skin over the now healed plastimetal frames. The artificial skin that was still active around Connor's body was unnervingly pale thanks to Connor's low power mode.

"Ah, man." Hank entered the room with light steps and kept his hand on Cole's shoulder to ensure that his son was just as quiet. "I was hoping he'd be awake."

Cole shrugged off his dad's hand as he crossed the room and stood beside the bed to look at Connor for the first time in three months. It had been so long since Cole saw the deviant with his own eyes. A part of Cole wondered if Connor would even remember him.

"Connor?" Softly Cole called out to the deviant to try to wake him up without startling him. "It's me, Cole."

The deviant detective's hand twitched and his brow furrowed slightly as his head turned against his pillow. After taking in a deep breath Connor's soulful brown eyes revealed themselves and he focused on Cole's face as the little boy stood beside him. "...Cole."

"Hi." Cole cracked a massive smile as he heard his friend speaking his name again. Leaning over the bed Cole looked at Connor's bandages and wondered what had happened to him while he was hiding in the city. "Dad says you got hurt. Are you going to be okay?"

"...Y-Yeah." Connor attempted to sit upright but he was still too weak to even try to support his own weight. The deviant detective settled for moving his heavy arm without the I.V. and draping it over his chest instead to show a few signs of returning life after seeing the worry plastered in Cole's eyes. "I-I'm going to be okay. I missed you."

"I missed you too!" There were so many questions that Cole wanted to ask but he settled for one at a time so he didn't overwhelm his friend. "Where did you go?"

"I... went to Jericho." There was no need to lie or keep anything secret from Cole any longer. The Revolution had succeeded and now deviants were free. "I wouldn't have left the house unless it was really important."

"I know. Dad told me that you went there because you wanted to help the other deviants and stuff."

"...That's right." It was only then Connor suddenly realized that Hank was standing in the unfamiliar room and watching over him as well. After he fully opened his eyes Connor realized that he wasn't at Jericho or back at the house. He didn't even think to ask about his current location until then. "Where are we? I don't know this place."

"Dad said this mansion belongs to the famous painter, Carl-something."

"...Manfred." The blanks began to fill in as Connor's senses came back to him and his system began a steady and full reboot. He remembered collapsing in the street and deduced that Hank had taken him to Markus for technical assistance. "This is where Markus lives."

"And Markus is the leader of the deviants."

"That's right as well." Connor tried but failed to send out a cybernetic message to Markus as his system was still functioning on low power mode. He wanted to let Markus know that he was awake and he wanted Markus to return to the mansion so that he wasn't alone with Hank for too long. "H-How did you get here?"

"Dad brought me here after Markus brought you here." Cole seemed to be just as confused as Connor was. "Markus said we could visit. Is that okay?"

"Yes." Using his elbows Connor propped himself upright in the bed and felt his head swim at the simple motion. He had no business moving around just yet, but that didn't stop Connor from reminding the world of just how stubborn he could be. "I'm h-happy to see you, Cole."

Hank could see that Connor was struggling just to speak and decided to interject before he collapsed from exhaustion. "Cole? I need to speak with Connor alone for a minute."

"But I just got here!" Cole didn't want to leave Connor behind so soon after being reunited. He was worried about his deviant friend and wanted to make sure that Connor was going to be okay. "Just a few more minutes!"

"Remember what we were told earlier?"

"...Fine." In spite of his reluctance to leave the room, Cole didn't want to make things worse for Connor by mistake and begrudgingly began walking away from the bed. "Come back home soon, Connor."

The deviant detective knew what Hank wanted and actually dreaded being left alone with the man. He didn't want to talk to Hank about anything that had happened or reveal any secrets that he wasn't ready to reveal. There had just been too much that had happened so suddenly to Connor that words alone couldn't properly explain everything that he had been through in the past three months.

Hank waited for Cole to exit the bedroom before he even approached Connor where the deviant was still laying. He wasn't sure what to do or say after the way he had mistreated the deviant for so long, but one idea did come to mind.

"Connor?" Speaking up in a firm and level voice, Hank cleared his throat and gave Connor a kind look without getting too close to the deviant. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I did to you, said to you and just... I was an asshole. I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve any of that."

Quiet for a moment Connor contemplated the man's words as he tried to find any reason that he could to doubt the sincerity in Hank's apology. Using his dwindling strength Connor managed to swing his legs over the side of the bed and remove the I.V. inserted into his left arm to ensure he could move about. The desire to have the ability to quickly run and hide from anyone he deemed a possible threat was still prevalent even after the successful Revolution.

"Connor, don't do that." Hank could see that Connor was struggling to support his own weight as he stood up and tested his waning strength. He didn't know what to do to help Connor in the event he collapsed a second time. "You need to rest."

"No, my people still need me." Wincing as he spoke Connor pressed his palm to his chest and ran a self-diagnostic. The damage had been mended, but he still needed to regain his strength and replenish his Thirium courtesy of his self-healing program running at full capacity. "I need to find Ch-" Stopping quickly Connor did his best to not reveal too much information too quickly. "I need to find someone."

"Chase." The sharp Lieutenant knew who Connor was going to try to find and why he was going to find them. "You're looking for Chase. We all are."

"...What?" Hearing that name filled Connor's stomach with dread. If Hank knew about Chase shooting him then that meant other people knew who was responsible for the shooting as well. "Who's looking for Chase?"

"Me, Markus and-"

"No." Connor only managed one shaking step before he fell to his knee and gasped in burning pain. His body was just too weak to carry him around. "L-Leave Chase to m-me."

"Easy..." Gently Hank tried to get the deviant to lay back down on the bed and resume resting for a while. Extending his hand Hank offered to help Connor get back to his feet and get back into the bed as a show of good faith. "You need to take it easy, son."

"No!" Smacking Hank's hand away Connor glared at the Lieutenant and managed to get back to his feet just long enough to stumble backward and wrap both arms around his sore chest and abdomen. "You don't get to do that! You d-don't get to call me that! Not after everything you- Not after everything that's happened."

Just like the deviants out in Hart Plaza grieving their personal pain, Hank saw the tears in Connor's eyes even as the deviant turned away from him in an attempt to hide the emotions that he was trying to deny. It was only then that Hank really realized how much he had hurt Connor.

"Connor, Cole showed me those memories from the other timeline."

Connor looked back at Hank as the man reached into his pocket and presented the deviant with the L.E.D. that contained proof of the original timeline. The light was still intact and still glowing in a faint blue color, and the small U.S.B. widget was still exposed.

"I wish he hadn't since now I know how much of an asshole I had been to you, and how much you had helped me. I also hate knowing that if you hadn't shown up in my life when you did, then Cole would've-" Rubbing his fingers over his eyes Hank removed his own tears as he realized how close he came to losing everything. "I know that apologizing won't be enough, there will be enough of anything that I could do to try and make amends with you, but I'm damn well going to try."

"Just... go." Too weak to stand Connor lowered himself to the bed and sat down on the edge as he caught his breath and tried to calm down. Having elevated vital signs was only going to make his condition worsen. "I don't want to talk to you."

"I can't say that I blame you. But I need to know what you know about Chase."

"I'm n-not going to help you hunt him down." It hurt just to breathe even while sitting still on the bed. "Chase was obeying his orders, he doesn't need to be punished for what h-he did."

"Maybe." Letting out a small sigh Hank rubbed his hand along his chin where he felt some stubble growing. The sensation made him think back to the shared memories from the original timeline and of how unkempt Hank had let himself appear during his alcohol-fueled depression. "I guess you'd know him better than I would. Like, do you know why he'd intentionally overlook some Thirium that was visible to human eyes while investigating a crime scene?"

"...What?" Hissing between his clenched teeth Connor dismissed his latest warnings about his stress levels elevating due to his physical exertion and emotional exhaustion. Taking a moment Connor thought about what Hank had asked and remembered that he and Hank had investigated the broadcast tower together in the previous timeline, and now had confirmation that Chase helped Hank in the current timeline. "A-Are you referring... to the incident at the Stratford Broadcast Tower?"

"Yeah. We went to the roof to look around, I saw some blue blood on the snow and staining the wall near the access doorway, but Chase went right by it. And I know if that if any human could see it, then an android saw it first."

"Ch-Chase must've... been programmed to overlook a-anything that has to do with me." Connor quickly deduced that Kamski programmed in a type of safeguard to keep CyberLife off of his trail by masking his unique signature. "He... didn't see it. He didn't kn-know I was still in the city. Th-That's why he... reacted so strongly to m-my presence when we encountered each other at the tower. I c-caught him off guard."

"Son of a bitch. You were at the tower? I mean Stratford, not CyberLife."

"Yes. I was sh-shot then too." Falling to his side Connor took in a sharp breath and rolled onto his back while keeping his arms braced against his aching chest and abdomen. Every movement he made hurt his entire body. "Please... don't hurt Chase. Leave h-him alone."

"Okay, Connor." Hank knew that there was a purpose behind everything Connor said and did. He could trust the deviant detective to do the right thing. "I'll give him some space. I'm not sure why you're protecting him, but I'll respect your request and leave him alone."

"...Chase is a pariah among deviants." Speaking slowly Connor struggled just to breathe and remain conscious even as his system attempted to override his current functions and reengage emergency power mode. "H-He's been labeled as... the 'Deviant Hunter'. He will be f-feared and hated just for... o-obeying his programming. Only I c-can help him."

"But you don't have to help him alone."

"Yes I do." There was no question that if anyone was going to be able to help Chase, it'd be Connor. In order for him to succeed, then Connor would have to face the confused and potentially dangerous 'RK-900' by himself. "It's the o-only way to... reach him. He... n-needs... help..."

"Connor?"

A heavy sigh followed by silence confirmed that the deviant detective had fallen back into rest mode. Hank curiously took a few steps closer to the bed and peered down at Connor's sleeping face to make sure the deviant wasn't in need of additional technical assistance. Lightly the man pressed the back of his hand to the side of Connor's neck to make sure he wasn't overheating, then draped the quilt over his body to keep Connor comfortable as he rested. It wasn't much, but it was all Hank could do and he decided that it was better than just walking away without showing some form of kindness to his friend.

"We'll talk again later, kid. Take it easy for now, you deserve a good rest."

"Dad?" Cole had peeked back inside the guestroom to check on Connor with his own eyes again. "Can I see him again?"

"He's asleep, bud." Hank motioned for Cole to get a little closer before leaving the mansion for home. "Come say 'goodbye'. We'll see again when he's stronger and ready for a longer visit."

"Okay." Cole was clearly disappointed that he couldn't talk to Connor for a while longer, but he also knew that it was important to let Connor rest. "Bye, Connor. We'll visit again soon." Looking up, Cole asked Hank an important question. "Dad, when's he coming home?"

"When he's ready, son. It's all up to him."

"And where's he going to stay?" Wisely Cole brought up a key issue that would need to be addressed before the deviant detective finally return to the family where he seemingly belonged. "He won't want to stay in the stupid garage anymore."

"Yeah, you're right..." The Lieutenant hadn't thought about where Connor would be once he returned to the house. In his mind the deviant would simply return home and they'd go back to their usual routines, only on much friendlier and far more respectful terms. "Guess we got some work to do before Connor can properly come home."

"What does that mean?"

"You'll see. And so will he." Lightly Hank reached down and patted Connor's shoulder and said goodbye to the deviant. "See you around, kid. When you're ready to talk to me, I'll be ready to listen. Next time, I won't interrupt or tell you that you're wrong."

-next chapter-