The chilly day became even colder as an early season winter storm settled over Detroit. Even for Michigan, suffering from a snowstorm in mid-October was rare and not something that the people who lived in the area particularly enjoy whenever it does happen from time to time. A few weather alerts had been issued for Wayne County as well as the surrounding counties for the next forty-eight hours, and as such several people had gone out shopping to pick up some groceries and emergency supplies in the event of a significant storm causing power outages and unsafe roads to travel. The dense traffic was the last thing the city needed to endure as the storm neared at a steady but only mildly predictable pace.
Freezing rain had begun to slowly coat everything it touched under a crystalline layer of ice. After only a few minutes most surfaces that had been affected by the freezing rain became uncomfortably slick and unstable to just stand on, let alone walk, run, or drive over. Numerous warnings regarding treacherous weather and road conditions were echoed throughout the county prompting many people to remain indoors while autonomous snowplows and salt trucks began treating the main streets to prevent as many accidents as possible.
The intensity of the freezing rain had begun to completely soak Connor down to his plastimetal frames as he ran from Belle Isle to Ferndale. The faster the deviant ran the colder he felt as the large drops of icy cold rain and tiny daggers of falling ice pierced his very being relentlessly. It seemed accurate to compare being out in the freezing rain as being pelted with frozen birdshot. Despite the pain and his decreasing core temperature Connor was determined to find Hank and Cole before they got in their car to head for home.
There was a brief pause in the rain and in return Connor had some reprieve from the foul weather. Shivering violently Connor struggled to focus on his task and let his internal G.P.S. guide him during his self-imposed journey to locate a friend in need. Ignoring the numerous warnings regarding his staggering vital signs due to the external cold seeping through his body and toward his internal biocomponents, Connor remained focused on locating the correct place where Hank and Cole were spending what could be their final day together as father and son.
"They have to be close. I still have time to stop the accident from happening."
Connor stopped running and took momentary shelter under the hood of a local bus stop. Breathing slowly Connor noted his breaths were practically invisible since his ventilation system was cold and no longer necessary in keeping his core temperature from elevating while being physically active. Such a lackluster motion confirmed that the deviant detective was risking severe hypothermia due to his prolonged exposure to the freezing rain.
The current location in the city wasn't one Connor was exceptionally familiar with, but his G.P.S. was able to point him in the right direction.
Crossing over one more block Connor located the building that housed the escape room where Hank and Cole were currently enjoying their game together with no idea that a deviant android from the near future was acting as their secretive guardian angel in that moment. The moment that Connor reached the parking lot outside the escape room the resourceful deviant began to scan over the license plates on the rears of each parked vehicle and soon found the autonomous van that was registered to Hank Anderson.
"They're both still here, that's good. I have time to stall them in some way."
Thinking quickly Connor glanced about the van and noted that the vehicle was in great condition despite being a slightly older model of vehicle. It wasn't nearly as old as the appropriately named Oldsmobile still undoubtedly parked back at the house, but it was still showing its age along the undersides of the metal body where small patches of rust were beginning to form. The brakes were brand new and in perfect shape, the vehicle was properly aligned, the battery had a full charge and all of the tires were appropriately balanced.
However, mysterious leaks happened to tires all the time.
Moving swiftly Connor knelt beside the driver's side rear tire and removed the cap from the stem valve. Applying a consistent pressure to the stem Connor was able to steadily let out a stream of air until the tire began to deflate. Once the tire was noticeably flat and the van began to tilt to one side Connor placed the cap back on the valve loosely to make it appear as if the leak had been caused by the cap becoming loose as opposed to any outside forces acting intentionally to create a low tire.
"That should prevent Hank from leaving the parking lot for at least another hour. Plenty of time to ensure that the other driver isn't on the same road as Hank when he and Cole are heading for home."
Backing away from the van Connor scanned the immediate area surrounding the escape room and detected only a few people around due to the increasingly foul weather. Wanting to remain discreet the deviant decided it'd be best to get out of the freezing rain and wait for Hank and Cole to emerge from the escape room later. The surrounding buildings that were open to the public would provide Connor some shelter from the nasty weather and give him the chance to watch the parking lot without being too obvious about his peculiar behavior.
Choosing a large novelty shop as his personal escape Connor did his best to remain discreet despite being soaked by the freezing rain, and he kept his eye on the parking lot of the escape room just next door through the windows. The warmth of the store helped Connor to feel a little better, but until he had the chance to remove his wet clothing he'd remain cold and at risk of severe hypothermia.
As he kept his eye on the van Connor pretended to casually browse through the overpriced items on the shelves with a feigned interest. He never understood the human desire to own such trivial items and adorn their personal homes with useless items just for the sake of owning them. Seeing the abundance in what he personally considered to be useless and pointless items for sale only made the deviant seem all the more inquisitive about purchasing the items to the other customers and employees of the store who walked past him, and in return he was able to put up a more convincing air of discretion.
Nearly ten minutes passed before Connor noticed Hank and a little boy he recognized as Cole exiting the escape room together. Seeing Hank with his hair cut short and his unruly beard groomed into a more respectable goatee were very strange for Connor. The only images he had seen of Hank in such a way were from the past before his horrible depression and alcoholism nearly overruled and then stole his life.
However, seeing Cole alive and well was even more of a shock. The little boy hadn't been in Hank's life when Connor met him, and now Connor could see a healthy, happy child skipping about while he held his dad's hand.
As Hank approached his van the man quickly took notice of the flat tire and put his hands to his hips. The protective father wisely put Cole inside the van to keep warm while he used his phone to presumably call for roadside assistance. Unaware of the deviant detective watching him through the window Hank crouched down beside the flattened tire to inspect the wheel and try to find a way to resolve his current issue.
After giving the employees behind the counter a gracious nod of his head Connor exited the novelty shop and began heading toward the sabotaged van. Moving casually and without any impression of being violent or looking to attack Hank while he was seemingly entirely vulnerable, Connor made his way to the van to offer the stranded man and his son some help.
"Do you require any assistance?" Connor asked almost too innocently as he watched Hank straighten up and give him a suspicious glance. "I noticed that you seem to be suffering from a flat tire."
"I got help coming." Hank replied indifferently as he took a step toward Connor as if trying to size the stranger up. Due to his non-existent depression Hank was still taking care of himself and was fairly well built physically. The police Lieutenant could undoubtedly hold his own in a physical struggle and wouldn't hesitate to muscle Connor to the ground if he thought the stranger was a threat to Cole in any way. "Thanks, it's fine."
"There is a local garage just-"
"Yeah, that's who I called." Not at all interested in what Connor had to say Hank did his best to get the stranger to back off and leave the area. "It's taken care of. I'm a cop and I know how to handle this kind of issue."
"I apologize if I offended you." It hurt to be seen as a stranger in Hank's eyes, but Connor kept his composure. "I just wanted to help."
"Yeah, I get that, but it's fine. You need to go back to... wherever it is you came from."
That command felt uncomfortably antagonistic and made Connor's eyes widen for a moment. "...Pardon?"
"You're drenched and you're freezing." The police Lieutenant clarified as he motioned to Connor's soaked white scrubs. "Get inside and stay out of the rain before it-"
A few cold and heavy raindrops began falling from the cloudy sky confirming that the freezing rain wasn't done soaking Detroit just yet.
"Nevermind. But get outta' here anyway, kid." As he opened the driver's side door of the van Hank didn't notice the way Connor reacted positively to being called 'kid' as opposed to anything else. "You'll get sick if you stay out in this weather."
For whatever reason Connor couldn't stop himself from confessing a little bit of his unusual truth to the man despite having no reason to do so. "I... have nowhere to go. I can't get out of this storm."
Hank was quiet for a moment as he stared at Connor with an inquisitive gaze. After studying the stranger looking increasingly pathetic standing out in the icy rain, the police Lieutenant reached for something sitting on the floor of the backseat of the van and then tossed it over to Connor to catch. "Use that then."
Reacting quickly Connor accepted the tossed item and recognized it as an umbrella. Popping the black umbrella open with a simple press of a button Connor took shelter under the offered umbrella and felt only marginally warmer where he stood. It was keeping the freezing rain off his body, but the chill in the air was still persistent and hard to ignore.
"What's your deal, son?"
Looking over at Hank again as the man called him 'son' without any prompting had caused Connor to jump in place. He hadn't expected to hear that from the man again, and hearing it right then was enough to bring tears to his eyes.
"You look pretty young." Hank whispered something inaudible to Cole before closing the driver's side door and approaching Connor curiously. "Runaway?"
The astute comment made Connor's grip on the umbrella handle tighten. "Something like that."
"You're a little too old to still be in high school." Looking at Connor's white scrubs and youthful demeanor reminded Hank of medical school. "College student?"
"No. If I could afford college then I could afford some form of shelter."
"Well, being dressed like that means you're either in medical school or you just got out of the hospital."
Connor winced at the way Hank was able to see through him and pick up on his attempts to lie. "...Something like that."
"Who did it?" As both a detective and as a father Hank could tell that Connor was trying to escape a very abusive situation and was afraid for his life. Reaching for his badge in his back pocket Hank decided it was time to properly introduce himself to the young stranger. "Look, I'm a detective. Lieutenant Hank Anderson with the Detroit Central Police Precinct. If someone's hurting you or already has hurt you, then you can tell me and I'll help."
"...I know you could help me, but it's not that simple."
"There are shelters you can go to. They'll help you out without any questions."
"I cannot go to a shelter." Connor admitted in such a low tone that it was like he was ashamed of his very existence. "They... can't help someone like me."
"Sounds like you're in some serious trouble there, kid."
"It only sounds serious. It isn't anything that I can't handle."
"Really? Is that why you're out here in the freezing rain with nowhere to go, and talking to a total stranger that just so happens to be a detective?" Too sharp to be fooled Hank knew that Connor was holding something back. "Why do I get the feeling that you were hoping to find me out here?"
"I... I don't know."
"I think you do. Look, I'm not going to have you arrested or anything like that, but I can't help you if you don't level with me." Hank was keeping a safe distance between Connor and himself as he watched and assessed Connor's body language very closely. He saw that Connor was tense but by all account he wasn't going to do anything foolish. "Who are you, and why do you need my help?"
"Dad?" Cole had unbuckled himself from his booster seat and slid open the van door to lean out. The curious six-year-old didn't know who his dad was talking to or why they were standing out in the middle of the freezing rain. "What's happening?"
"It's okay, Cole. Close the door and sit back, I'll be there in a minute." Hank waited for Cole to close the door before speaking to Connor again. "Come on, son. At least tell me your name."
"...Connor." Connor replied honestly as he looked Hank in the eyes and tried to not blurt out the entire truth about their partnership and how they had become friends over the year since their initial meeting. "My name is Connor."
"Connor what?"
"I... don't have a surname."
"Did you escape from a cult or something?" The lack of name and mysterious background told Hank that Connor was wrapped up in something rather serious. "That'd also explain all the white."
"No. But I did escape from a place that would've harmed me if I remained where I had been."
As the icy rain became all the more intense Hank caught sight of the roadside assistance truck pulling into the parking lot to help with the flat tire. "Uh, look, I want to help you, but I need to get my van fixed up first. Please," stepping back Hank made his way over to the truck as it pulled up alongside the van. "don't go anywhere."
Connor just nodded as he tightened his grip around the umbrella over his head in a nearly crushing manner. He didn't want to be cold, but he didn't want to leave the parking lot just yet. From where he stood the deviant detective watched as Hank instructed Cole to step out of the van so that the mechanic could lift up the vehicle without worrying about a sudden shift in weight if the little boy moved around too much. Hank then told Cole to stay back and away from the road while keeping the hood of his coat pulled up and over his head.
It didn't take long for the energetic and happy little boy to find a few choice puddles of water to jump in, and as he jumped about the puddles Cole just smiled and laughed without a care in the world. The fact that Cole had no idea that the very stranger that his dad was speaking with had spared them both from a horrible car accident and a premature death a blissful gift that Connor could only envy.
Instinctively Connor kept an eye on Cole without it being too obvious. The deviant had never known the little boy beyond Hank's memories. Seeing Cole alive, well and happy seemed as surreal as it was reassuring that Connor could do something positive and change the world for the better. Perhaps being sent back four years in the past wouldn't be as emotionally difficult as Connor had initially feared.
While Hank took care of the flattened tire alongside the roadside assistance mechanic, Connor quietly and discreetly watched Cole while simultaneously monitoring the local news for any noted changes. Any reports on the weather, car accidents or missing androids were of utmost importance at the moment. While he stood back and silently watched and monitored everything happening around him Connor suddenly detected an oncoming vehicle and noted that it was approaching the parking lot at a high rate of speed.
Glancing out at the icy, slick road that connected to the parking lot Connor's scanner detected an oncoming vehicle exceeding fifty miles per hour and preconstructed its current trajectory. The vehicle, despite the driver's attempts to correct its current route, was going to enter the parking lot and be unable to stop the vehicle before it collided with a solid surface, or worse, a person.
Reacting quickly and choosing his only option to prevent tragedy from taking place in an entirely new way, Connor tossed the umbrella aside and rushed toward Cole as the little boy continued to splash about the rain puddles completely unaware of the danger that he was currently in.
Hank and the mechanic heard the speeding vehicle and its horn blaring as the large black truck entered the parking lot at a dangerous speed. Seeing and hearing the truck skidding out of control on a sheet of ice left Hank confused and nearly paralyzed with fear as he saw Cole in danger of being struck by the vehicle.
In milliseconds Hank felt his heart grow cold and his stomach drop as he watched his only child remain an open target for the speeding truck. "COLE?!"
The little boy looked up at as his dad with confusion as the bright yellow headlights of the truck shone over him. Turning his attention to the speeding truck Cole also panicked and remained frozen in place as his innocent mind could just barely register that he was in danger.
Just as the truck's front bumper became unnervingly close to Cole's body, a rush of motion from his side had managed to push the little boy well out of harm's way and onto a relatively soft decorative flowerbed that lined the perimeter of the parking lot. Landing with an audible grunt Cole began to cry tears of fear, confusion and pain at the same time a sickening 'crunch' of metal and plastimetal echoed through the rain and ice covered parking lot.
The truck managed to finally stop after it skidded into a second section of the flowerbed after it had struck Connor when the deviant detective pushed Cole to safety. As for Connor himself, he ended up taking the full impact of the truck's front bumper to his right side before rolling up and over the hood, then slid off the windshield to land on the unforgiving parking lot just a few feet behind the truck after it stopped.
"Cole?! Cole!" Hank shouted as he rushed over to his son and scooped him up from the cold, wet ground to hold him in a tight embrace. They were both shaking from fear and adrenaline after realizing how close they had been to certain tragedy. "It's all right, you're all right. Dad's here..."
There was a small groan of pain as Connor managed to push himself somewhat upright from the ground by shifting all of his weight to his knees and his left arm as he planted his palm flat down against the icy surface beneath his body. The taste of Thirium was thick on Connor's tongue as numerous red warnings filled his vision regarding the damage he had just suffered to the right side of his body.
The mechanic had rushed over to check on the driver of the truck while Hank slowly approached Connor with Cole still crying against his shoulder. The little boy had wrapped his arms around Hank's neck and buried his face against his shoulder as he wept in fear and confusion.
"Connor?" Kneeling down beside the wounded deviant with no idea of how the young man was still conscious, Hank lightly put one hand to Connor's shoulder as he tried to assess the hero who had saved his son. "Can you hear me?"
"Y-Yes..." As he spoke Connor heard the static in his voice and knew that his cover was blown. The electronic reverb was a glitch exclusive to androids. "How is Cole?"
"He's... okay." Hank watched as Connor turned his head to look at him and noticed a red glow against the man's right temple. The surgical cap over Connor's hair had been loosened by the impact and revealed the L.E.D. that had once been hidden. A trickle of Thirium began to ooze from the corner of Connor's mouth as his internal bleeding steadily became external as the deviant struggled to stabilize himself. "Thanks to you."
Both the driver of the truck and the mechanic ran over to check on Connor as well, but when they realized that they were looking at an android and not a human they seemed to instantly breathe sighs of relief. Their worries faded away as the two men saw Connor as a replaceable machine and not a feeling, thinking person.
"Oh, thank fuck!" The driver blurted as he saw Hank holding Cole and checking over the damaged android resting on the ground. "I thought I hit your little boy! Good thing it was just this machine instead."
"What happened?" Hank practically barked as he got to his feet and shot the driver a nasty glare. "Why in the fuck were you driving like that?!"
"M-My brakes went out on me!" Putting his hands in the air the driver practically surrendered to Hank after hearing his deep voice. "I swear, I wasn't trying to be an ass or hurt anyone!"
"Uh-huh." Using his free hand Hank revealed his badge to the driver and made sure he wasn't going to just look the other way on the accident. "And you skidded how far and fast into a parking lot from the road?"
"I swear! It was the brakes!"
The mechanic, wanting to be of some help, spoke up and volunteered to check the truck to determine the cause of failure. "I can take a look at those brakes if you want me to, Lieutenant."
"No, I'll handle this." Hank pulled open the passenger side door of the truck and reached inside to remove the keys from the ignition. After pocketing the keys Hank pulled out his phone and requested additional officers to the scene. "And we're going to get impartial investigators out here to sort this mess out. You're both going to wait right here and give statements."
The driver couldn't deny that he had made a serious mistake and failed to properly maintain a vehicle, but he didn't care at all that he had struck Connor since he was just a machine. The mechanic also seemed more concerned about the truck than Connor despite watching the deviant android practically sacrifice himself to save Cole's life.
After Hank had placed his phone call, he walked back around the side of the truck to check on Connor again, only to see that the android had managed to get to his feet and limp away from the accident. The police Lieutenant just caught a faint glimpse of Connor - his white scrubs now stained black, brown and blue from the impact of the truck, the parking lot and his own Thirium - as the deviant android crossed the street and disappeared into an alleyway just out of sight.
"Holy shit." Grabbing the dropped umbrella Hank held it up and open over his and Cole's head to avoid the rain for a moment longer. "Who knew that androids could be so tough?"
Cole lifted his head and looked at the alley as well. Wiping his coat sleeve under his nose Cole leaned his cheek against Hank's shoulders and wondered what had happened to the android who saved his life. "Where's he going, dad?"
"I don't know." The admission almost sounded like it broke Hank's heart. "Wherever he does go, I hope it's someplace safe and somewhere he can get some help."
The icy rain had made the city unbearably cold and difficult to navigate whether you were on foot or inside of a warm vehicle. The slick surfaces of the streets, the sidewalks and even the walls of the surrounding buildings made navigating the city cumbersome and needlessly difficult. As the freezing rain continued to pelt the city with icy drops that froze to any surface they touched within milliseconds of contact, the temperature continued to drop and storm alerts regarding the increasingly dangerous conditions were spread to everyone in the Detroit area. For anyone who had the misfortune of being injured or ill, the intensely nasty weather was assuredly making their current condition feel all the worse.
While a majority of the city's population had taken shelter to avoid the ongoing storm, a staggering number of those with nowhere to go had to endure the storm with minimal provisions. One such person was the very deviant android who had just saved a life not once, but twice, that day! By preventing the car accident and by pushing Cole out of the way of a second speeding vehicle, Connor altered events in time even further and allowed Cole the chance to live the life he had been denied in the alternate timeline.
With nowhere to go and no one to turn to Connor found himself incredibly alone in the city as he stumbled down alleyways in search of shelter. The damage to the right side of his body had slowed him down considerably, but stubbornness was something that kept Connor alive and kept him moving even as the intense cold numbed his extremities and caused his fractured plastimetal frames to ache.
Unable to stop or ask for assistance had given Connor a strange instinct for self-preservation that he hadn't felt since the night of the Raid and the peaceful Revolution. Using his hands to guide himself along the narrow alleyway walls had given Connor the chance to examine each building he passed by until he found one that was vacant. The building wasn't in the greatest of shape, but it wasn't teetering on condemnation either. With the windows blocked off by wooden boards and the doors barred shut with thick metal chains and padlocks, the building was oddly secure despite being neglected.
Wincing as he put both hands against the thick and heavy padlock keeping the rear doors of the building chained shut, Connor braced himself for the necessary strength needed to break the lock. Such physical exertion hurt the deviant's aching right side, arm and leg even more than it had been, and he could barely withstand the pressure needed to break the lock and loosen the chain.
A loud 'crunch' of destroyed metal echoed through the alleyway as the lock collapsed inward on itself from beneath Connor's hands, and soon the chains fell loose from the door's metal handles. Slowly the unchains unwound themself from the door handles and pooled on the ground at Connor's feet like a pile of dropped laundry.
"This... should keep me... out of the storm."
Connor muttered to himself as he pushed the doors open with an audible 'creak'. It was a struggle just to remain upright on his feet, but the deviant detective managed to maintain his balance as he awkwardly shuffled inside the vacant and mostly empty building.
The smell of dust was potent and the hundreds of cobwebs lining each corner of the building were full of debris and long dead bugs. Grime coated everything within Connor's reach and the empty shelves that lined the massive stretch of floor in even rows confirmed that the building had once been a public library that had been left to rot after being relocated to another part of the city. A large front window overlooking the street had been boarded up and only allowed small slivers of natural light to pierce through the faint slits between each board. Small puffs of dust drifted through the beams of light and created a dirty fog that filled the open air with a sense of eerie foreboding.
"It's quiet. That's... good."
Looking down at his left hand after lifting it up and away from his aching right side, Connor noted the amount of fresh Thirium staining his palm and winced as he realized the severity of his damage could cause further hindrance to his ability to move around or defend himself. Rest was crucial for his self-healing program to engage fully, and being previously sleep deprived made the idea of curling up in a ball and shutting out the world for a few hours to drift off into a deep rest mode seem completely irresistible.
"N-Need to rest. Have... to heal."
The damaged deviant had to practically drag his right leg as he stepped deeper into the old library to escape the cold and any potential prying eyes who may have noticed his arrival to the neighborhood. Moving around so much after being injured had resulted in a temporary limp that proved to be as painful as it was detrimental to Connor's ability to walk or run. It was crucial to let his body heal before he attempted to do anything regarding further attempts to befriend Hank.
As he limped toward the center of the library to find the warmest and most insulated area of the abandoned building, Connor's G.P.S. gave him an update on his current location and helped him gain his bearings after escaping the storm. The old library was next door to a small dry-cleaning business, a family owned diner and it was across the street from an active elementary school. The neighborhood was relatively quiet and had a low crime rate, which ensured that Connor was in a relatively safe place. Being somewhere somewhat discreet and secretive would give the recovering deviant enough time and space to let his body heal as he carefully preconstructed his next move in private.
Lowering himself down to the dusty floor, his left hand supporting his right side with every motion he made, Connor managed to kneel down and take down in a deep, slow breath. Even the simple motion of breathing pained the deviant as basic ventilation caused his fractured chest paneling to move about and destabilize the damage that his self-healing program was struggling to mend. The impact from the speeding truck had caused considerable internal damage that was going to get worse before it began to improve.
Closing his eyes Connor ran a full self-diagnostic and winced at the information being displayed in red digits solely before his eyes.
...SELF-DIAGNOSTIC: ENGAGED]
-CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS... ERROR]
-CHECKING BIOSENSORS... OK]
-CHECKING AI ENGINE... OK]
-MEMORY STATUS... OK]
READY...
WARNING:
[...Thirium Volume - 82%]
[...Thirium Pressure - 110/70]
[...Thirium Pump Rate - 78 B.P.M.]
[...Ventilation Rate - 04 V.P.M.]
[...Core Temperature - 95.7 Degrees Fahrenheit]
WARNING:
-STRESS LEVEL: ^36%
-DAMAGE TO DEXTRAL CHEST PLATING: 84.3% Structural Integrity]
-DAMAGE TO RIGHT VENTILATION BIOCOMPONENT - v8002: 77.6% Functionality]
WARNING:
-INTERNAL THIRIUM LEAK
-CORE TEMPERATURE LOW
[...Seek Immediate Technical Assistance]
-SYSTEM READY... OK]
"Damn it. N-Need Thirium to... heal."
Unable to get up or even try to get up again due to his physical weakness, Connor remained curled up on the floor on his left side as he tried to rest through as much of his pain as possible. It wasn't an easy feat to accomplish considering he was suffering both inside and out. Exhaustion was the deviant detective's only companion on that cold and lonely night, and for once Connor was grateful to have it hanging over his head.
He wouldn't be able to feel his pain if he was in rest mode.
"Hank and C-Cole... are safe, that's what's... imp-portant right... now. I'll try t-to find... Hank again... a-after I heal."
Muttering to himself as he gave way to fatigue, closed his eyes and remained curled around himself on the floor, Connor tried to focus on the positive changes he had managed to implement during his first day back in the past and ignore his aching damage. It'd take time, perhaps days, for his body to heal after being struck by the truck, but as Connor had quickly learned time could be as generous as it could be cruel.
"I... can st-still protect him. Hank and Cole."
Alone and injured Connor remained quiet in his makeshift sanctuary with no idea of what the following morning would bring.
-next chapter-