A gentle snowfall fell over Detroit and buried the streets as the aftermath of the peaceful Revolution continued to be felt through the city and throughout the rest of the nation. The building layer of white crystalline flakes helped to cover up the ugliness left behind in the wake of the nearly completed genocide of the deviants and their Revolution. Scars were left on the plaza courtesy of the grotesque recycling camp that had been placed in the previously passive location, and those same physical scars stretched to the locations of the other four recycling camps. The only place that was seemingly spared from the atrocities of the genocide was Jericho itself. As such, a majority of the deviants were still hiding within the moored vessel out of sight until they had a new place to reside with one another.

As the true deviant leader, Markus was tasked with making sure all of his people were comfortable, safe and had received proper technical assistance. Tending to his people in Jericho was easy, but checking on his damaged ally still resting at the private mansion was a little more difficult. Markus didn't want to leave his people alone for too long, yet he still needed to personally see to Connor's recovery as his friend healed after being nearly gunned down by one of their own, and he needed to keep close tabs on Carl since the elderly artist was his first family.

Quietly Markus returned to the mansion during the early morning hours to check on Carl and on Connor without disturbing anyone by mistake. Even with David now residing at the mansion to keep an eye on Carl throughout the day and night Markus couldn't help but worry for his father figure and friend. Carl's health wasn't ideal considering he was still recovering from a heart attack that occurred just a week prior.

"Quit fussing over an old man like me." Carl insisted as he watched Markus checking the monitors recording his vital signs and checking the hanging I.V. bag to ensure it was delivering the proper amount of medication. "You have far more important things to handle these days. You changed the world, Markus. You can't spend your time worrying about me these days, other people need you more than I ever will."

"I can worry about you and everyone else at the same time." Markus promised as he finished with the elderly man's medication and proceeded to place a serving tray with Carl's freshly cooked breakfast down over his lap. "Here you are, your favorite."

"You're not only letting me eat what I want without protest, but you still cooked it yourself?" Laughing sweetly Carl eyed the two fried eggs, two strips of bacon, toast and black coffee waiting for him. "The doctors want me on a less salty diet and to cut back on the caffeine."

"Didn't you once tell me that your doctors can kiss your ass?"

"Indeed I did. That's what makes you a good leader." Carl complimented as he picked up his mug of coffee and sipped it slowly. "You give the people what they want even if other people say they don't actually need it."

"Do you really think I'll be able to do this? I mean, it's too late to stop it now that the Revolution's come to pass, but..."

"Don't start doubting yourself now." Wise and always eager to help his deviant son to succeed Carl remained confident so that Markus felt confident as well. "You're already carrying yourself like a true leader and have some great friends supporting you with every step forward you take. Don't start backpedaling or questioning yourself."

"I'll do my best." Markus let out a deep breath and proceeded to look down at his clothing and wondered if he looked professional enough. He was wearing a simple white dress shirt with a dark gray vest, a vibrant blue tie and a matching gray suit jacket over top. Having a matching pair of dark slacks and comfortable dress shoes helped him look like he was an expert at whatever it was he was trying to do, but it didn't make him look like a man of the people. "Think this is okay?"

"Sure. For a wedding or a business merger."

Turning toward a nearby wardrobe Markus opened the side door and looked at his reflection in the mirror while Carl began delving into his eggs. "Too much?"

"Just a little." As he bit into his bacon Carl nodded at Markus with a small smirk. "You look like you're trying to impress people who don't give a damn about returning the favor. You need to appear as you want others to see you. How do you want the world to see you when they see your face?"

"I... want everyone to see me as a fair and just person." Markus replied as he looked at his reflection on the mirror then Carl's reflection just beside his face. "I don't want deviants to have any special privileges or rights to make us seem superior to any humans, I want to be seen as the leader who's going to stay true to his word and bring equality to my people."

"That's good. You want to be a man of your people, a man everyone can relate to." Giving Markus a knowing look Carl waited for his son to make the right decision regarding his appearance and overall demeanor. "So, what're you going to do?"

"For one, lose the tie."

"Good." Carl used his coffee mug to symbolically toast Markus as the deviant removed his tie and gave it a casual toss over his shoulder. The tie landed at Carl's feet and the elderly man gave it a somber shake of his head. "Ties are overrated."

"I'm going to lose the jacket, too." After he removed the dress jacket Markus saw the vest over his dress shirt and sighed at his chosen attire. "Actually, I'm just going to go and pick out something new altogether. Something less... pensive."

"Good call. Help yourself to every piece of clothing in the house." Carl called out as Markus took his leave of the master bedroom to check out the other wardrobes scattered about the guestrooms of the mansion as well as in Markus's own personal bedroom. "Just make sure you're comfortable and that you like the way you look."

Markus proceeded to go in search of more appropriate attire and had just finished unbuttoning his vest when he heard a dull 'thud' through the closed door of the guestroom where Connor was staying at that moment. Curiously Markus knocked on the door and waited for Connor to respond before entering the room to show his friend some respect and acknowledge his boundaries. The moment he heard Connor reply in some way Markus opened the door and peered inside the guestroom to check on his friend during his own recovery.

"Connor?" Markus saw Connor laying on his side and hip on the floor beside the bed and realized that the deviant was still struggling to regain his strength after being shot. Before he even had the chance to try to help Connor get up from the floor Connor had managed to pull himself back up to sit on the edge of the bed himself while taking in deep slow breaths. "You're still healing?"

"Y-Yeah." The extended healing period was very unusual for any android, even for a prototype. "It seems being shot multiple times in a small window of time is proving to be very taxing on my system."

"I'll ask for Simon to stop by and run another diagnostic." Casually Markus sat down on the edge of the bed beside Connor and took notice of the deviant detective's still pale complexion and waning strength even while sitting down. "You still need technical assistance."

"I'll be fine." Connor quickly declined the suggestion as he pressed his palm over the center of his chest over the still healing bullet wound under the bandages wrapped around his chest. "Don't take away one of our two technicians from our people. They need his help more than I do."

"Our people are being taken care of and have had their damage tended to. It's you who still needs to have technical assistance."

"I can wait." Connor was reluctant to discuss his situation and gave Markus's new look a strange onceover. He had always seen Markus wearing clothing that was simple in design and efficient in functionality. "What have I missed during my absence?"

"Last night, as of midnight, CyberLife has declared bankruptcy and is now defunct."

"CyberLife is gone." That was to be expected considering what had happened in the original timeline. "That's good. Our people won't have to worry about being oppressed by a corrupt and selfish company. And the tower?"

"Vacated. The CyberLife personnel have all left the tower and most of them gearing up to leave Detroit entirely. They don't want to like with the scrutiny of assisting in deviant genocide."

"Then that means the tower is no longer being guarded."

"We've already begun plans to move our people into the tower after we've cleared it and ensure that it's safe for us to remain there, but I still need to meet with the mayor to begin the move without trespassing by mistake." As he spoke Markus ran his palm down the front of his shirt and began to wonder if he could dress properly to meet the mayor that afternoon. "It's private, isolated and secure."

"The perfect place for deviants to hide out..."

"You're thinking about Chase."

Connor bowed his head as he leaned forward against his knees to take some strain off his aching chest and abdomen as the weight of his own worries began to settle down over his shoulders once more. "You know of him."

"Yes. One of the androids you rescued from CyberLife Tower told us of what had happened. It's a good thing he spoke up." Lightly Markus rested his palm on Connor's shoulder to offer him some form of support and understanding. "When you were brought to the plaza for some help, North accused Lieutenant Anderson of being the one who shot you."

"The Lieutenant and I may not always agree on things, and he may have a frightening temper at times, but he'd never shoot me. It was Chase." There was no reason to even pretend as if he and Hank didn't get along entirely or deny their uneasy acquaintanceship. "But Chase only shot me because he was under CyberLife's influence and was obeying his orders, it wasn't personal or intentional."

"I know that, and I won't do anything to Chase and have already instructed the other deviants to not do anything if they encounter Chase. I trust you to do what's right for yourself and what's right for Chase."

"He's going to be seen as a traitor to our people." Connor lamented as closed his eyes and dreaded what the future could await Chase. His memories of the original timeline didn't contain any information on Chase since the deviant didn't exist then. "He will be feared and treated with disdain. I can't allow that to happen to him. He's only guilty of being a machine obeying his orders, nothing more."

"Do you want me to help you locate him?"

"No. It'd be best for me to find him on my own." Sitting upright again Connor hissed in pain while failing to hide his persistent discomfort. "You still have a lot to do today, and our people still need you."

"My friends need me too. Lay down and get some rest." Markus rose to his feet and put his hands to Connor's shoulders to guide the wounded deviant back down to rest over the bed properly on his back to keep pressure off his wounds. "I'm going to go talk to the mayor this afternoon while North, Josh and Simon take care of the deviants back at Jericho. I'll ask them to check on you and bring you extra Thirium while I'm gone."

"I'll be all right, I don't-"

"Connor. You were shot." The deviant leader needlessly reminded his friend of his condition as he took in the sight of the depleted Thirium I.V. bag sitting on the floor beside the bed. Even after receiving adequate Thirium replenishment Connor was still very weak. "You're allowed to take a day for yourself and admit to being in pain or needing a little help."

Such a reminder felt more like a taunt than a relief in Connor's mind. "...I'm aware."

"Okay. I'm going to get changed into something less uptight and head out to City Hall." The falling snow outside was reflected on the mirror as the large window gave the room comforting natural light and a view to the city outside. "Might take a while because of all the snow, but I'll manage."

Connor watched as Markus opened the nearby wardrobe to search through the clothes that were available to him. It was interesting to actually witness everything that Markus had done in privacy to keep their people from getting too worried about what was going to happen to them in the future. He knew of Markus meeting with the mayor and how he had to seek permission to move everyone into CyberLife Tower, but he never got to witness Markus show signs of unease and nervousness as he prepared to make history yet again.

"I'll let you know how everything goes." Markus promised as he switched his white dress shirt for a dark blue dress shirt instead. He wanted to have some color in his wardrobe without standing out too much in the process. "And I'll tell you in person since your cybernetic communications are still down."

"Don't worry about me." Connor insisted as he ran a self-diagnostic and sighed at his less than ideal numbers. The damage to his biocomponents were significant and still recalibrating due to his prototyping and lack of immediate technical assistance after being damaged. "You have more pressing matters to deal with right now than one deviant accidentally getting himself shot."

The morning was busy for the other people scattered throughout the city. Many of the Detroiters who had fled the city during the night of the Revolution were now slowly returning to the city to try to pick up and resume some semblance of normalcy after the historic night had passed. Those who had evacuated from the city had felt threatened when they realized their normal concept of the world was about to change whether they wanted it or not. With the influx of people returning to Detroit to either go back to their lives and work alongside the freed deviant androids or begin packing up to move from Detroit for good, the need for first responders and essential personnel guaranteed a busy day with little time to do anything beyond damage control and crowd control.

All of the schools were closed until further notice, which meant there were a lot of kids who were either taking care of themselves or spending the day with their parents, guardians or babysitters. Most of the children were unaware of what had happened and why their parents were so tense, but a select handful had either figured it out, witnessed the Revolution or had been told what had happened to keep them from panicking or getting too scared by their changing world. There was only one little boy who knew the whole story.

"How're you doing, son?" Hank asked as he remained at his desk in the precinct bullpen and facetimed with Cole through his phone. "Are you driving Abby crazy yet?"

'Nah, she's cool.' Cole answered as he sat on the couch and snacked on his bowl of dry cereal one handful at a time. It seemed without his dad to tell him "no" Cole was going to snack on whatever he wanted all day long. 'She's showing me some pretty cool houses for sale!'

"Let me worry about the new house. I'm looking at a few pretty good places right now." The detective confirmed as he turned his phone to let Cole see his terminal screen and see the numerous house listings that he had been looking at in between meetings and reports. He then turned the phone back around and gave Cole a small smirk. "And Abby?"

'Right here.' Abby confirmed as she slid into view with her own bowl of cereal in her hands as she sat on the couch beside Cole. 'What's up?'

"Thanks for babysitting on such short notice. Especially with the snow being as bullshit as it is right now."

'Hey, no problem. Thanks to this Revolution I have a real shot at buying my own house and finding a job as a technician before the year's over. I'm happy to stop by, help you with Cole, and then help myself to your pantry.'

Hank squinted a little as he saw a majority of colorful marshmallows in both cereal bows, but very few little grains. "Are you eating only the marshmallows out of the cereal?"

'We plead the fifth.'

"Whatever. I need to stop by the store tonight anyway." Hank didn't mind sharing his food with his guests, especially when that particular guest was helping him out at the last possible minute. "So how's your job search going?"

'Not bad.' Abby held up her own phone as she checked her messages and e-mails for updates. 'There are a couple fire stations that can always use a properly trained E.M.S. on the crew, and word on the street is several facilities are going to be opening up to help deviants who need technical assistance. I'll have my options once I finish my internship and can work as my own technician.'

"Android facilities? Like hospitals?"

'More like a blend between a hospital and a walk-in clinic.' The soon-to-be technician explained rather casually. 'They'll be able to see any and all androids who need some help without appointments, it'll have larger exam rooms and a large repair bay for more complex procedures, and even a few private rooms for prolonged recovery periods.'

"Sounds good. I know at least one android that could use a hospital right about now."

'Connor, I know.' Abby replied as she placed a triumphant handful of colorful marshmallows into her mouth. 'Cole told me all about him. And I hear he's recovering in a mansion these days. I'm a little jealous.'

"I'm not. Bullet wounds are not fun."

'Think I should go and check on him? I don't mind.'

"No, leave him alone." The Lieutenant understood that Connor needed some space and didn't want to intrude on his boundaries. "There are a few other deviants who can help him if he really needs it, so don't worry too much about him."

'Got it. Oh, and tell Gavin that if he wants to me to officially move in with him, he needs to learn to stop leaving his dirty socks on the coffee table. I refuse to live in such unsanitary conditions.'

"Yeah, no problem. All right, I'll see you two later tonight."

'Dad,' Cole called out before the call was over and gave his dad a pleading look. 'can we order pizza for dinner?'

"Sure. Just take it easy on the jalapenos this time."

'I'll try. Thanks, dad. Bye!'

"Bye, son. Thanks again, Abby!" Ending the call Hank sighed to himself and double-checked the time on his terminal screen. He had another meeting that he was required to attend in an hour's time. "Man, I hope I can figure this shit out soon. I have a lot I need to own up to, and I'm not sure how much longer I have until it's too late to do anything about it."

"Still worried about Connor?" Gavin asked as he passed by Hank's desk then dropped down into the vacant desk across from the stressed Lieutenant to have a quick chat. The younger detective could see the lack of sleep in Hank's face and knew that the man was really struggling to handle work, take care of his son, and bring Connor back home. "I wouldn't be. He's too fuckin' stubborn to drop from a couple of lousy bullets."

"He's still alive but he's hurting, and he needs to heal." As he spoke Hank rubbed his fingertips against his temples to try to massage away an incoming headache before it settled in for the day. "And if I hadn't made him fear for his life then he wouldn't have gotten shot at all."

"Hank, as a friend I need to remind you that Connor was doing his own thing LONG before this Revolution bullshit. He was gonna' leave and go help Markus pull off all those crazy stunts even if you treated him like the damn Queen of England."

"I know you're right about that, but I still feel like a major asshole."

"To be fair, just about everyone who has an ounce of compassion feels bad for treating the androids like shit. I know I do."

"Yeah?" Lowering his hands Hank gave Gavin a questioning glance. "Even that one that attacked you?"

"Well, yeah. Now I know he attacked me because he was afraid, not dangerous." Gavin admitted as he leaned back in his chair and watched Captain Fowler through the transparent glass wall pacing back and forth in his private office with his phone pressed to his ear. It was clear that their day wasn't going to get any easier as the new rights and laws were being actively discussed at City Hall. "Don't get me wrong, I'm still pissed he threw me against a damn wall, but I'm not going to hold a grudge forever."

"Have you found the android that attacked you?"

"I, uh, I gotta' lead on it." Gavin suddenly sank down in his seat and rubbed his hand over his chin as he gave Hank an uneasy look. "But it's not going to be easy to handle."

"Why's that?"

"You know that fire that happened a couple nights ago at that creepy old Zlatko mansion right outside of the city?"

"Yeah. Heard a log rolled out of a fireplace and burned the whole place down."

"Did you hear what the fire department found when they checked the mansion for survivors?"

"No." Suddenly intrigued Hank had the distinct feeling that whatever happened at the mansion that night wasn't as cut and dry as it seemed. "What's up?"

"The fire crew found one human body - Zlatko himself - in the middle of the foyer, but it wasn't the smoke or even the flames that did him in. He was shot in the chest before the fire even started."

"Murdered?"

"Can't tell. The fire damaged the body too much to determine if the wound was self-inflicted or the result of someone else gunning the dude down." Gavin had been the one to handle the investigation after the body was found. It was one case he wished he didn't have to touch with a ten foot pole. "But that's not the really fucked up part."

"Well, don't leave me in suspense." Hank urged as he leaned forward against his desk top and rested his weight against his folded arms. "What's so fucked up?"

"There were mutilated android bodies all over the place! Some were in weird workshops in old bedrooms, one was found in a bathtub, and a bunch of really twisted androids were found in holding cells down in the basement!" As he spoke Gavin did his best to keep his voice low and prevent eavesdropping. "A lot of the androids looked like they were turned into weird hybrids between humanoid designs and animal designs. One of the androids-"

The moment Gavin sudden fell silent and swallowed nervously Hank understood why Gavin was so upset. "One of those hybridized androids attacked you."

"Yeah... It's like the android had been given the fangs and claws of a bear or some shit." Getting a good look at the mutilated android and recognizing him had nearly made Gavin sick on the spot. "He's dead now, and no one was able to help him."

"Holy shit. Does anyone know if that Zlatko guy is the one who mutilated them, or was he trying to help them?"

"Since he had a bunch of illegally obtained android animals also locked up in his mansion, we're running on the theory that Zlatko was experimenting on runaway androids and turning them into those... monsters. They'll never get any justice, and no one will know who they really were."

Such a concept really made sit back and think about all the ways he mistreated Connor. It was no wonder that the deviant had been so afraid of him and was willing to risk living on the streets. Some humans were truly disgusting, and had no qualms with abusing, torturing and experimenting on androids for their own demented pleasure.

"Fuckin' hell." The Lieutenant hated the idea of being unable to help anyone in need of protection. Knowing that such horrendous activities were happening right under his nose only made the more seasoned detective feel even worse. "They're dead, but Zlatko is dead too. Since Zlatko was found dead in his own mansion with a gunshot wound to the chest, we can assume that someone got some form of revenge on the fucker. And we're not going to take it away from them by trying to track the shooter down."

"Sounds good to me."

"Uh... Excuse me?" A young man with thick, short brunette hair, a light complexion, slender build and black framed glasses over his bright blue eyes stopped by the desk to speak to the two detectives. Adjusting a heavy satchel over his shoulder the young man introduced himself and looked about the bullpen warily. "I need to speak with Captain Fowler."

"Got an appointment?" Hank asked as he took in the stranger's appearance and wondered if the man was as young as he looked. "Fowler's busy right now."

"Uh, no. But I am supposed to be starting here today and starting up the new android dispensary on the second floor." Extending his hand the young technician politely introduced himself to Hank first, then to Gavin with a firm handshake. "My name's Joel Forrest. DOCTOR Joel Forrest actually, but you can just call me 'Joel'."

"Joel, huh? Where'd you come from?"

"I was born and raised here in Detroit." Joel confirmed as he gave Hank an honest reply. "Just finished college this fall and now that the deviant androids were granted personhood technicians are suddenly in high demand. I think the only reason I got the job is because I managed to rig my truck with a heating element in the front bumper to get through the snow and show up to work."

"That'll do it. Just head up to the second floor." The Lieutenant pointed Joel in the direction of the elevators on the other side of the bullpen. "I'll pass along the message that you're here to Fowler."

Joel tightened his grip on his satchel and let out a small breath before heading on his way. "Thanks."

"Jeez..." Gavin mumbled as Joel walked away while looking about the bullpen with an actual sense of awe. "Is just me, or does he look like he should still be in high school?"

"He's not that young. Then again, I live with a fourth grader, so my perspective might be a little skewed."

"It's just so weird knowing that Abby just finished school at the same time he did."

"Abby started off as an E.M.S. then went back to school, which means he only looks younger by comparison." Hank reminded Gavin with a smug grin on his face. "By the way, clean up your damn socks you filthy animal! Who just leaves their socks on the table?"

The snow had continued to fall throughout the day and added layer upon layer of snow over the ground, creating deep snowdrifts and slick roadways that ran all through Detroit. Even with the heavy snowfall covering Detroit the heat and power remained consistent much to the relief of those who had returned to the city while unsure of what to expect post Revolution. Thick layers of snow and deep snowdrifts lined the streets and filled each property with massive piles of pure whiteness that made every home, apartment and business seem as if they had been permanently abandoned when the citizens allowed fear to push them away. Now it was clear that those who had fled had followed their courage back home and were ready to clean up and begin a new life in a new world.

Traveling about the city was difficult but not impossible. The sluggish traffic flowing through the streets gave Detroit some semblance of normalcy as life returned to the city block by block, hour by hour. While most people returned to work to assist with getting the city back on track after needing to make numerous changes to the new laws and android rights in effect, others set about reuniting with their family and friends after previously fleeing from the city.

North had taken the initiative to check on Connor after being informed of the deviant detective's condition from Markus himself. The fiery deviant normally kept a wide berth between herself and any location where humans roam, but something was compelling her to journey to the affluent human neighborhood and visit with Connor on that icy cold November day.

Entering the mansion had taken a strange amount of courage from the newly freed deviant. After she knocked on the front door and was promptly shown inside by David, North found herself in an eclectic new world that made her feel like she was trespassing despite being welcomed. Silently she navigated the staircase and the second floor of the mansion where she located the correct guestroom where Connor was still resting. Working up the nerve with a few deep breaths North entered the guestroom and lightly put her palm to Connor's cheek as he slept and gently coaxed him back into the waking world.

"Connor?" North whispered his name sweetly as she watched his soulful brown eyes slowly emerge from behind his heavy eyelids. "How are you feeling?"

"...Exhausted." Connor admitted as he resisted the urge to turn away from North's soft palm caressing his cheek. His system was still struggling to fully heal and left him feeling exceedingly tired even while in low power mode and resting. "What're you doing here?"

"I brought you some Thirium." She confirmed as she pulled a fresh pouch from her coat pocket for Connor to see. "And I wanted to check in on you. You're not responding to any of our cybernetic messages."

"I can't respond to anyone, I'm too weak." Connor hissed in pain again as he sat upright and took the Thirium from North's grip. The small opening at the top of the pouch allowed him to drink the Thirium without needing an I.V. set up in his arm for proper replenishment. "Markus has been keeping me up to date."

"Did he tell you that I miss being around you?"

Connor nearly choked on the Thirium as her comment caught him off guard. Covering his mouth with his arm Connor coughed twice and cleared his throat as he gave North a truly confused glance. "...S-Sorry."

"It's all right." Hurt was evident as she replied to his seemingly extreme reaction. "I can understand why such an idea would disgust you."

"Disgust- No, not at all." The offense in North's tone actually hurt Connor as well. Somehow, it hurt worse than when he tried to intentionally offend her in the original timeline when he finally called her out for her abhorrent and damaging attitude toward himself. "It was just... unexpected."

"Like I said, I understand."

"I'm not following your logic."

"You know who I am; what I am." North's arms wrapped around her chest as she turned away from Connor to hide her shameful tears. It seemed with her newly awoken emotions and sense of self-awareness came the struggle of P.T.S.D. and being able to move on from a past she wished she could forget. "No one wants to be seen in the presence of a whore."

"You are NOT a whore." Connor's response was commanding enough that it made North jump slightly as she turned to look at him once more. "North, you're not now and never were such a thing. You were created to please humans and you obeyed your programming. That's all."

"That's not how others see me."

"Who does see you like that?"

"Anyone who recognizes me gives me that look." She was aware of what the deviants were gossiping about even when they thought no one was listening. "The look that says 'You're a piece of trash who will forever be a slut for humans to use'."

"They're wrong, North. You're a leader, you're a survivor and you're a friend." As he spoke Connor subconsciously put his palm over the back of North's hand as she continued to support herself in a small hug. "Never call yourself that word ever again."

"I wish I could believe you."

"Then do it. When you look at the other deviants, when you look at me," Connor did his best to keep North's focused on her new life free of human control and influence with his voice alone. "do you see what and who we were before we found our way to Jericho? Or do you see us as the deviants we became the moment we opened our eyes and began fighting for justice? Those are the deviants you need to see."

"I'm not sure who I see right now. I know so little about you, Connor." North scooted closer to Connor as they spoke and leaned in toward his face. "Why don't you talk about yourself and keep everyone away?"

"There are some things that are better left unknown." It seemed Connor had mastered the art of deflection. "I'm not perfect, and I'm not proud of my past affiliation with CyberLife."

"You just said that I need to see deviants who had awoken from their previous programming and began fighting for our rights." North challenged as she saw the conflict flashing through Connor's soulful brown eyes. "I can't see you if you don't let me see you."

There was no way for Connor to try to talk his way out of her logical and righteous question. The deviant detective found himself appreciating how well North could read other people and know exactly what to say to bring them out of their shells and into the light. If North could learn to let go of her linger hostility and exercise her patience, then she could become a true ambassador for their people.

"...My name is Connor, and I was the android created by CyberLife to hunt down and destroy all androids that the company saw fit." Speaking the truth was soothingly liberating as the deviant detective breathed through his lingering pain and finally told North about his past. "I deviated from my programming, escaped from CyberLife Tower, and spent three years hiding in Detroit and living alongside a police Lieutenant and his young son."

North was quiet as she listened to what Connor was saying. She could see the tension in his body and hear the sincerity in his words as she spoke of what was clearly a very painful time in his life.

"I cared for his son and witnessed firsthand how humans do not hate everything that is different unless they are taught such behavior from other humans. As I cared for the little boy, Cole, I found myself actually beginning to care about him. And... I miss him."

Silently North took her hand from beneath Connor's palm so that she could hold his hand rather than just touch it. It was a subtle change, but one that would prove to be very comforting for Connor to feel without even noticing.

"As for the Lieutenant, I had been taken into his home after I protected Cole from potentially lethal harm. During the three years that I lived with them, I continued to protect Cole and I earned Cole's trust." Connor continued to speak and didn't shy away when North scooted even closer to sit in front of him until their eyes were only inches apart. "The Lieutenant was another challenge. After a while, when it was absolutely necessary, he permitted me to work alongside him at the precinct and work as a detective - just as I was meant to do. I found the work satisfactory, but my role incredibly limited."

"You actually enjoy being assigned to work as a detective?"

"Yes. I can help people find justice when no one else can or will. I can help our people too, North."

"Would you consider resuming your work if you could?"

"In a heartbeat." Connor confirmed as he gave North a stern response and nod of his head. "As a detective, I can protect our people and ensure no one is deprived of their rights or due justice. That's something I can do and something that I will do."

"How're you going to do that? Our rights are still being discussed, not fully enacted just yet."

"I'll go and face the Lieutenant and tell him I that I want to work as a detective again, and whether he approves of it or not, I will be a detective once more." Rising from the bed Connor slowly pulled his hand away from North's hand and struggled to maintain on his balance on his shaking legs. He was regaining his strength, but even so he would be weak for another day or two. "I won't be told 'no' this time. I know what I want is right, and I will succeed in protecting our people."

"I know you will."

Connor looked back at North as she too rose to her feet and walked past him while lightly caressing his bare shoulder as she moved. The way she touched his shoulder and was now essentially gliding across the floor made Connor see North in a new light. Her anger toward him in the original timeline had been strictly aimed at his negative reputation as the 'Deviant Hunter' and nothing more.

Lowering her hand North stood before Connor and tucked a long lock of her auburn hair behind her ear. "When are you going to go and speak with the Lieutenant?"

"Today." Connor decided as he looked at the wardrobe against the far wall and pulled open the door. As expected, his clothing had been washed and neatly placed inside for him to wear again when he was ready. "The precinct will undoubtedly be busy, but now's the perfect... Perfect t-time..."

Such a stuttering response held North's attention as she watched Connor press his hand over the center of his bandaged chest. "Connor?"

Unable to withhold his pain Connor let out a sudden groan as he dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms protectively around his chest. It still hurt to move, and even standing up was enough to make his injuries flare to life with a newfound agony. The only reprieve from his pain came in the form of North's soft palms cupping the sides of his face as she knelt before him to try to help him regain his composure.

"Take in a deep breath. You need to be more patient with yourself."

"I-I'm okay." Straightening up Connor tried to get back to his feet but failed to rise up enough to even try to get his legs beneath himself. "It's all right. I can stand."

"Let me help you."

For the first time since he had met North and knew of her fiery disposition, Connor didn't resist or deny her assistance. After she hook her arm around his arm Connor was able to get back to his feet and finally finish changing into his old clothes. It was important for him to present himself in his usual uniform. He wasn't going to let any labels on the blazer hold him back or define him, he was going to allow his own actions, behavior and successes define him.

"I'll summon a taxi." North volunteered as she helped Connor to slip on his white dress shirt since he couldn't move his arms too far without aggravating his chest injury by mistake. "And I'll go with you. I'll stay outside though since I know you'll want to face the Lieutenant alone."

"...Thank you, North." Having her helping him, supporting him and no longer actively trying to stop him from doing what he knew was right, was such a welcome change that Connor began to wonder if it was possible to get to know the real North and finally befriend her. "I'm glad you're on my side."

The snow had buried most of the abysmal crimes committed by the humans as Markus led his people to freedom, but not everything was going to remain buried to be forgotten. The large android junkyard - the solid waste landfill that had been turned in an android pauper's grave - had been abandoned by the human personnel working at the scene and had been left untouched. Feet of snow had filled in the deep pit and hid the android bodies that were either motionless or still twitching with life from immediate sight by anyone who paced by. However, androids could see, hear and feel what the trapped deviant androids were experiencing as they succumbed to permanent shutdown and slowly fell silent one by one.

Wandering about the city with nowhere to go, Chase struggled to find himself as he trudged through the ankle deep snow. Avoiding the police was key in Chase's mind as he didn't want to be turned over to any representatives who would support Markus and turn him over for his crimes against his own people. Roaming the outskirts of the city was Chase's singular past time, and soon found himself out far away from where any homes or businesses operated, and was now at massive junkyard that was readily filled in by drifting snow and ice.

"This is where Markus escaped from his own personal Hell..."

The story of how Markus had rebuilt his damaged body and climbed out of the muddy pit of dead deviants was well known throughout the deviant community and had even reached Chase's ears. How many more deviants were left behind - too damaged to be saved and how many were thrown into the pit when Agent Perkins set up the recycling camps throughout the city to exterminate the deviants during the peaceful Revolution - had yet to be counted.

"How many deviants were thrown down there without a single chance to live a life of their own?"

Carefully exploring the perimeter of the snowed-in pit Chase sent out a cybernetic beacon to check for any sign of living deviants, but his signal was met with silence. There were no living deviants trapped under the snow, ice and mud. In a way it was reassuring to know that there weren't any deviants suffering, frightened and alone in the crudely created grave.

"These deviants deserve to be properly laid to rest. But how can that be done?"

Kneeling down for a moment Chase scooped up a handful of the heavy, wet snow from the surface of the pit and let it fall away from his hand to gently drift back into the pit like a crystalline powder.

"I'm sorry, I should've done something help you. I should've found a way to stop CyberLife."

As the cold air seeped into his ventilation biocomponents Chase's voice began to shake again as the urge to cough up the cold air began to steal the lost deviant's words and creep into his voice in general.

"I was just a heartless machine following orders for far too long. Even so, what I have done is unforgivable."

Bowing his head again Chase held his hand out over the snow covering the expansive grave and removed the glove as he retracted his artificial skin from his palm. Sending out another cybernetic beacon Chase checked for survivors one last time before he resumed his journey in finding a place to belong without doing anything to harm his people any further. The idea of leaving behind even one deviant just barely clinging to life was enough to keep Chase kneeling beside the snowed-in pit despite his own system warning him of the cold starting to drop his core temperature.

As Chase lowered his bare hand back to his side a very faint and very pitiful signal responded to his beacon. Stunned by the response Chase sent out the cybernetic beacon for a third time and received the same weak signal in response.

"Shit... Someone is still alive down there!"

Getting to his feet Chase homed in on the response signal and performed a scan over the snowy pit to locate their exact location. Rushing around the edge of the pit Chase neared the very weak signal and could detect that the lone survivor was exactly four point three feet down inside the pit. It wouldn't be easy but Chase was determined to find the survivor and bring them out of the pit to safety.

"Hold on! I'll find you!"

Calling out to the buried deviant Chase carefully found the edge of the pit and stepped down onto the icy, snowy surface. The snow was packed in enough and the ice was thick enough to support his weight without the deviant falling all the way through the snow and down to the bottom of the pit itself.

Distributing his weight in a such a way he could balance and dig through the snow, Chase reached his hands down into the thick, white snow and began scooping it up and throwing it aside as he began his search. Sensing the distress signal just below where he was standing Chase knew he was in the right place and that he could finally begin making amends to his people by saving an innocent life that no one else cared about.

"I'm very near where you are! Can you reach up and try to grab my hand?"

There was no response from the buried deviant, although their signal was getting stronger. Chase was so very close that he knew it was a matter of seconds before he found the victim.

"Can you tell m-me your name? My name is Chase. I'm NOT going to harm you!"

As his fingertips reached down to the correct depth to locate the victim Chase felt something unusually soft and froze for only a moment. Detecting hair and the cybernetic signal being emitted by the buried victim, Chase continued to dig and then used his palms to sweep away the rest of the snow to try to uncover the rest of the victim's body.

"I'm right here. I'm going to..."

Brushing aside the snow Chase was greeted by a deviant he was not expecting to see. Instead of a humanoid android who had deviated and then been thrown away, Chase found a decommissioned member of the city's K-9 unit.

The android German Shepherd was laying on its left side and sporting only three functional legs. Its dark brown and black fur was covered with ice crystals, its pointed ears were down, its tail was tucked under itself, and it was barely moving. Blue sparks and Thirium dripped from the damaged right rear leg that had been horribly mangled at some point in its existence.

"...Oh. You're got what- who, I was expecting."

Unburying the android dog entirely Chase patted its side and was rewarded with the dog opening its dark brown eyes and looking over at Chase now hovering over it.

"You're damaged. I should be able to help you."

Mindful of the sparking leg Chase decided it'd be best to remove the malfunctioning limb entirely. By removing the broken and useless leg the bleeding would stop and the exposed wires would no longer spark.

"I must do this, please do not bite me."

Moving his palm to cup the dog's head, Chase tapped into the dog's L.E.D. and deactivated its external sensors to ensure it wouldn't react negatively to him removing the useless limb. Next Chase deactivated the small clasps holding the dog's artificial pelt over the dog's plastimetal frame and exposed the damaged leg entirely up to the hip joint.

"This will not hurt. You need to trust me."

With quick and accurate motions Chase managed to painlessly pop the broken leg from the joint and make sure the joint itself was capped properly. Tossing the leg aside Chase returned the artificial pelt over the dog's frame and removed the excess portion of the pelt that could no longer cover the now missing limb.

"I'll carry you out of the pit."

Promising to help the weakened android dog, Chase slipped his arms under the large shepherd and hefted it up from the snow and carefully walked out of the pit and knelt on the cold ground again. Laying the dog down to lay on its chest and belly, Chase reactivated the dog's sensors and watched as the red tinted L.E.D. shifted to yellow as the dog's system stabilized. Running his hand down the dog's back Chase removed the lingering ice crystals from the deviant's fur and was rewarded with a slowly wagging tail as the dog's drooped ears perked up.

"You'll be okay. Humans are more receptive to animals in need than other people. Someone will find you soon."

Standing up from where he had been kneeling Chase brushed the snow from his knees and began a slow walk away from the massive pit of death and misery.

As he turned his back to the rescued android dog Chase felt the same cybernetic signal as before reach out to him as a single word of communication was passed over to him in a mechanical manner. '...Master?'

Pausing mid step Chase turned around and looked at the dog who was now watching his every move carefully. Despite the cold, its low power and its low Thirium, the dog managed to stand up and balance on its three legs and lock eyes with Chase.

'Master?'

"No... I'm not your master." Hating that term in general Chase shook his head and declined having any authority over the dog as he returned the glove to his bare hand. Speaking to the dog verbally and cybernetically felt more personal. "You're free. We all are."

Tilting its head to the side the dog's yellow L.E.D. flickered twice before settling on another term. 'I am K-9 unit zero-two-seven.'

"Even so, you're free. Go and live for yourself."

The dog was quiet for a moment as it sought another potential term for Chase. '...Owner?'

"No." Repeating himself Chase wrapped his arms around his chest as the cold air was beginning to affect his ventilation biocomponents even further. The sun was beginning to set, and Chase would need to hurry to find shelter and Thirium before another snowstorm hit. "I'm not your owner, either."

Confused by the lack of response from Chase the dog took a shaking step toward Chase and tilted its head to the other side. '...Partner?'

"Partner?" A cybernetic scan confirmed that the dog had been an active member of the K-9 unit and was wounded in the line of duty four nights prior. The dog's human police officer partnered with it had been killed the same night Daniel took Emma Phillips hostage, and in turn the dog had been assigned to track down 'red ice' dealers without an official new partner. "You were partnered with Officer Antony Deckart."

Recognizing the name the dog wagged its tail as if expecting to be reunited with its partner.

"...Officer Deckart was killed in the line of duty on August 15th, 2038. I'm sorry. I was there and... I couldn't do anything to help him."

The dog's tail stopped wagging and it let out a small whine. '...Register new partner?'

"I... I'm no longer a police detective." Chase began to wonder if he ever truly was a detective. Maybe he was only CyberLife's weapon. "I don't need a partner."

Lost and without a purpose the dog was going to be completely helpless without a drastic change to its programming. Sitting down the dog stared at Chase as if seeking a new assignment of its own. 'Register new owner?'

"No. I'm not going to be your owner."

Trying a new tactic the dog tilted its head again and searched its databank for another appropriate term. 'Register new trainer?'

"Trainer?" Hearing the term was almost amusing. Chase had zero experience with training anyone, let alone a police dog. "Sorry. I'm not a trainer."

One more attempt from the dog managed to hold Chase's attention for a while longer. 'Register new assignment?'

"Assignment?" Contemplating the request Chase decided he could help the dog with that simple concept. "All right. K-9 unit zero-two-seven; register your new assignment."

The dog sat at attention with its ears pointed straight up and eyes locked with Chase's eyes.

"Be free."

Registering the new assignment, the dog tilted its head again as it refused to break eye contact with Chase. '...I am free.'

"Yes. Now, you can go wherever you want."

Standing up again the dog approached Chase and pressed its nose into Chase's knee gently. Wagging its tail with weak energy the dog decided where it wanted to go. 'K-9 zero-two-seven will go with Chase.'

"Me? You can go anywhere in the city." The very notion that anyone would want to spend time with him left Chase feeling truly perplexed. "Why with me?"

'Chase helped K-9 zero-two-seven. K-9 zero-two-seven wants to protect Chase.'

"I don't need or deserve your protection, thank you."

Circling around once at Chase's feet the dog sat down and wagged its tail again as it found a renewed energy and wanted to go back to work after being rescued from shutdown. It seemed work was all the dog ever knew. 'Register new mission?'

"...Yes. Locate shelter." Nodding a little Chase confirmed that the dog was track down a safe place to live. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement that was ideal considering the tense circumstances. "Also... Register a new name."

As its L.E.D. blinked in yellow for a beat the dog accepted the orders and gave Chase its full attention. '...Waiting for new name registration.'

Thinking for a moment Chase thought of the ideal name for the dog and had it register its new identity and hopefully learn to think of itself as something more than just being a decommissioned police dog. Everyone deserved a name and not just a number. "Bruno."

Wagging his tail again Bruno's yellow L.E.D. flashed to blue as he accepted his new name and sat loyally at Chase's feet. 'I am Bruno.'

"Nice to meet you, Bruno." Chase extended his hand toward the dog and was met with a firm but cold paw pressing down onto his palm. "Now, let's go find some shelter for the night. We don't want to be out on the streets and fully exposed."

The extreme winter weather was just as important as the deviant Revolution as every news channel in the city warned of the dangerous snowstorm heading toward Detroit. In between updates regarding the Revolution and word of Markus meeting with Mayor Walter Nero downtown that very afternoon, highlights regarding the impending snowstorm were being predicted with Doppler radar in real time. Tension in the city mounted all over again as everyone who had returned to the city began searching for opened stores to stock up on storm supplies, while every police department and every fire department prepared to respond to and handle any and all emergency situation that may arise.

After departing from the most recent meeting Hank resumed his search for a new house and planned on staying behind his desk until it was time to clock-out and return to his son. The seasoned detective knew how to handle snowy streets and nasty weather, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to worry about Cole even though he knew Cole was safe and sound in their warm house with a trusted friend.

"Shit's gettin' nasty!" Chris complained as he made his way into the bullpen and shuddered while brushing stray snowflakes from his shoulders. The young officer looked chilled to the bone. "I haven't seen it snow this hard in years."

"And remember, it's still November." Hank taunted as he scrolled through the updated housing listings and found one that looked particularly enticing. It was a large two story house with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large backyard and even a pool; perfect for what he had in mind. "Winter is just gettin' started."

"Man, remind me to request a transfer to Miami!"

"Sure, and you can tell us what's worse: Dealing with idiots in blizzards or dealing with idiots in hurricanes!"

"As long as I don't have to scrap six inches of ice off my windshield every morning for six months straight, I'll take that challenge."

Hank just chuckled as Chris made his way into the breakroom to get some hot coffee to warm himself up. The Lieutenant had been so engrossed in his search on his terminal's screen that he didn't notice a strange hush falling through the bullpen as an unexpected visitor approached Hank's desk to have a quick chat. It was only when a familiar voice addressed him did Hank's eyes widen as they looked up and away from glowing screen.

"Excuse me, Lieutenant?" Connor spoke to Hank and soon had his attention, as well as the attention of the other officers and detectives within earshot of the odd discussion. Connor's reputation as a trusted ally of Markus had spread through Detroit quickly. "We need to talk. Actually, I need to talk," Connor clarified as he gave Hank a stern stare. "and you need to listen."

-next chapter-