The five precincts throughout the city were actively on high alert as patrols swept over the streets as reports of a new and dangerously addictive narcotic had been brought to their attention by a several local bystanders and witnesses. It seemed that the dealers of this newly created and very potent product had moved on from targeting solely humans to selling to the deviant community. The unfortunate deviants who had sampled the narcotic out of curiosity had been affected in a very negative and tragically damaging manner. Most of the deviants who had sampled the narcotic had found the drug to be so addictive that they ended up overdosing within hours of their first hit, and those who had survived their first dose ended up enduring brutal withdrawal symptoms.

Considering that the nature of the newest problem flooding Detroit's streets involved around deviants and narcotics Hank was put in charge of the investigation. The Lieutenant's experience and expertise in such matters made him the ideal detective to take charge of the situation and try to get things under control. After consulting with Connor as his deviant partner, Joel as the resident precinct technician and Markus as the deviant leader, Hank was certain that he found a way to trace the source of the narcotics to have the destructive dealer to justice.

"Patrol followed the anonymous tip to the abandoned building downtown." Hank confirmed the details of his phone call as Connor, Gavin and Chris remained gathered around Hank and Connor's conjoined desks. Based on his tone alone it was clear that the result wasn't what he was hoping for. "Didn't find the dealer, but they did find three more overdose deviants. It doesn't look like they're going to make it."

Connor stared blankly at the little cherry blossom bonsai sitting on the corner of his desk as he mentally tallied up the reported deviant overdoses and shutdowns on that grim day. "We have a total of forty-seven overdoses with forty-two confirmed shutdowns, with a potential additional three shutdowns to add to the list of victims."

Chris had been unfortunate enough to find seven of the overdose victims himself and knew how ugly the situation was in the most effective manner. "The victims are being treated at the Alpha, Beta, Zeta and Delta facilities right now. The Epsilon Facility just opened up a few days ago and are taking on the overflow victims despite not being fully staffed just yet. There's still a chance to save these victims and get their statements once they sober up."

"Abby's been keeping me in the loop between her patients." Gavin chimed in as well as he read over his most recent text message from his wife. Even with Joel being a technician actively working in the precinct Gavin still went to Abby first whenever he had any cases revolving around deviants. "She's said that each of the victims have one thing in common; that weird corrosive shit that was found on that murdered deviant a while back. Guess that cold case isn't going to stay cold for long."

Looking up at Gavin beside him Connor gave the detective a curious glance. "Dr. Grayson's been able to verify that it's the same unknown substance?"

"Yeah. She said it's been located in the mouths and stomachs of her patients, and that none of the filter biocomponents can get that shit out of their bodies before it causes any permanent damage."

"Does she still have a sample that can be tested further?"

"I can check." Another text was sent out while the investigating detectives tried to find a way to resolve their current investigation before any more victims were subjected to the dangerous narcotic. "Think you can find a way to track the source of this shit?"

"Possibly." Connor decided he needed to take the initiative to protect his people from the destructive drug. There was no one else who could take charge or have the property authority to do so, which meant the burden of his people's fate was resting squarely on his shoulders. "If I can at least break down the chemical composition of the narcotic we can begin searching the areas where those chemicals are sold, stored and used in the city."

"Considering all the old plants and factories that-" A reply to his text caught Gavin's attention and drew his eyes back to his phone's screen. "Abby says that she has a sample ready for you to check out at the facility when you're ready."

"Very well."

Hank watched as Connor rose to his feet and smoothed out his gray blazer. The man was still wary of Connor returning to work, let alone handling such a stressful case after everything he had gone through. Aside from Connor's lingering frustration from being unable to solve the murder of the deviant from a few weeks prior, Hank was worried that Connor was still suffering from the effects of his dangerously high fever from just two nights prior. Even with Lucas to help him take care of Connor and get the deviant back on his feet, Hank couldn't help but worry that Connor was still pushing himself to get back to work far too soon.

"Hold up." Hank pushed his chair back from his desk as he pulled his car keys from his pocket. "I'll drive ya' to the facility. We can check out the other facilities in the area and see if they found anything useful too."

Connor didn't object to Hank accompanying him, but he did question the logic behind the decision. "Shouldn't you remain here to keep patrols coordinated?"

"Everyone already knows what they need to do, and if something does happen they'll report it to dispatch." With a firm pat to Connor's shoulder Hank encouraged Connor to head out and speak with Abby at the Zeta Facility. "We're just covering more ground in person and not driving ourselves crazy waiting for an update to come our way. That'll keep us from going stir-crazy while trying to figure this shit out."

The overdose victims of the new narcotic had shaken New Jericho as fear and confusion swept through the sanctuary. There was no name for the narcotic or why deviants were willingly experimenting with the narcotic, but there was still plenty of side effects that were being felt by nearly everyone. Learning that friends and family were being found dead all around the city from a dangerous new drug had created a horrifically painful reality. The deviants had wanted to be seen as equals alongside the humans, and now that they were falling prey to addictive substances, overdosing and being found dead in the streets, many deviants began to see the cons of the equal playing field. The only silver lining was the new common ground to be shared among those grieving the deaths of their loved ones all because of someone knowingly selling a lethal substance to make a quick buck.

Markus had taken it upon himself to address the situation to his people with compassion and to not allow rumors or misinformation to spread the fear and grief any further. He had been fortunate enough to be invited to the Central Precinct to work alongside Connor for a moment to ensure that there were no misgivings regarding the current crisis. With that knowledge came a sense of control and confidence that allowed Markus to stand tall and confident as a leader.

"Connor's going to try to find the source of the substance and find the person or persons who are selling this drug in the streets." The private office allowed Markus to speak to his fellow leaders without any of the other deviants eavesdropping and causing mass panic through misinterpretation of what was being discussed. "We still don't know what to call this narcotic, but we do know that it's NOT to be experimented with. No one is to use this narcotic, and no one is to bring any onto the isle for any reason."

Simon was quick to agree with the plan as he had already seen the horrific destruction that the narcotic had on the deviant body. "We'll keep sure to screen every deviant who enters the tower and check them for contraband."

Josh hated that invasion of privacy and voiced his concerns for such an act. "Many deviants will object to have their person searched and personal items investigated. It makes it appear as if we don't trust our own people."

"Our people will be fine and will always welcome here." Markus rebutted as he noticed that North was uncharacteristically quiet where she sat. He had noticed that she hadn't spoken up very much in the past two days after her aggressive interaction with Lucas being had been quelled by Connor. "It's the narcotic and those who are selling the narcotic that we don't trust. However, anyone who is discovered to be associated with the narcotic creator and dealer will be banned from the tower as a safety precaution."

"That seems harsh, but understandable." Passive as ever Josh hated the idea of any confrontation or excluding someone from a sanctuary. "We'll have to take the initiative and redirect these offenders away from the tower and toward another place to ensure that they have adequate shelter."

"The facilities." Simon tagged on as he knew exactly where they'd send offenders if it became necessary. "Deviants will be safe in any of the city's facilities regardless of who they are and what they may have done in the past."

"Until we have a handle on this crisis," Markus continued as he decided to do something constructive for his people despite his limited options. "we'll keep our doors open and offer help to anyone who may need it. Josh, set up a group therapy session for the deviants who've lost their loved one to this drug to ensure they don't do anything drastic. Simon, remotely work alongside the city technicians to find a way to treat deviants who may be suffering from withdrawal symptoms."

Simon and Josh quietly accepted their orders and went about their business while Markus hung back in the office alongside North. They were unaware of what had happened between North, Lucas and Connor, and had no idea of the second issue taking place right under their noses.

"North?" Speaking up again only when the office door slid shut behind Simon and Josh as they left, Markus approached his friend and tried to get her to open up about what had happened. "Are you all right? You've been very quiet lately."

Sitting alone on the couch next to the large window had given North some space as she somberly stared out the window and replayed what had happened over and over again in her mind. She he had been so cruel and nasty to Lucas without even considering how Connor or any other deviant saw and felt about Lucas from their own experiences. To make things worse, she knew that she had permanently damaged her already fragile relationship with Connor to the brink of being beyond any form of salvage.

"Please talk to me. As your friend, I'm worried."

Slowly North turned her attention from the window and to Markus while she remained seated on the couch. "It's better when I'm quiet. It keeps me from saying horrible things and pushing the people I care about away from me."

"When I spoke with Connor earlier, he didn't mention anything about what happened."

"Of course he wouldn't." North was racked with guilt and even Markus joining her on the couch to sit with her still made her feel like she had pushed everyone away and was now alone. "He's not like me, he doesn't say anything stupid or would do anything to hurt his friends or reputation."

"You were trying to protect our people and Connor was protecting his brother. Two opposing forces that end up colliding often have catastrophic results."

"But he managed to do something good while I made a fool out of myself. There's no way that Connor would ever forgive me or see me as anyone but a cold and heartless bitch that tried to make his own brother feel like he wasn't worthy of setting foot in a sanctuary open to all deviants no matter who they are or who they used to be."

"You're NOT a bitch, you're just guarded and cautious." Softly Markus took hold of North's hand to provide her with a sense of comfort and companionship. "You're still friends too. One fight isn't going to destroy your friendship with Connor."

"A friendship that'll never blossom into anything further or more meaningful." North managed to discreetly wipe away a tear without Markus noticing as she had a pretty interesting revelation. "It's funny. I told Lucas that he looks and sounds like Connor but won't ever be him, and yet whenever I look at Connor that's the only person I saw. I saw Connor for Connor and not as a lookalike to Lucas. Why can't I see Lucas for Lucas without comparing him to Connor?"

"Because you know Connor as a person and as a friend, but you don't know Lucas as anyone but his past reputation. You never gave yourself the chance to get to know Lucas before you cast judgement on him."

"And now my own horrible reputation is going to follow me around just as I already decided Lucas's reputation was going to follow him."

"That doesn't mean you have to live with it. You can change your reputation if you want to." Markus's hand tightened around North's hand without him even realizing what he was doing. "I'll support you in any way that I can if you'll let me."

"Right now, I just want to focus on helping our people and getting my own error taken care of." Leaning against Markus's side North began to reflect on her attitude and decisions with deep thought. "Let's just handle things one problem at time, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." As he wrapped his arm around North's shoulders Markus just felt like everything was going to be all right. "We'll figure this out together."

The Zeta Facility had an air of dread hanging overhead long before Connor and Hank had arrived to continue their investigation. While Abby had done everything that she could to help the victims recover from their exposure to the caustic and destructive narcotic, she still couldn't save everyone. Due to the abundance of affected deviants flooding into the facilities throughout all of Detroit all available technicians were working together and were on the verge of just wanting to give up due to the seemingly hopeless nature of what was happening all around them. The number of deviants being affected, suffering and outright shutting down would be enough to make anyone lose heart and begin to doubt their skills.

Out of desperate for some help and progress on their investigation Connor had invited Lucas to join Hank and himself once again. The sight of the 'RK-900' working alongside Abby to treat their incapacitated while being protective of Abby to ensure she didn't stress herself out seemed strangely enough familiar. It was almost as if Lucas belonged in such a caring and protective role from the very beginning.

"These are the samples that Dr. Grayson has left for us to try and analyze." Connor held the glass vial with the corrosive dark blue substance up into the air to let the overhead lights shine through the surface. "It's identical to the substance that was found around the mouth of our murdered deviant from three weeks prior."

"That's what I assessed as well." Lucas agreed with Connor while keeping an eye on Abby despite Hank making sure the pregnant woman was sitting down and getting off her feet for a minute. He couldn't seem to stop worrying about people and he wasn't sure why he was so concerned about his friends and family. "If we can't analyze this substance ourselves Bruno might be able to at least track down one of the chemicals used in its composition."

At hearing his name Bruno wagged his tail and revealed himself from the corner where he had been laying and watching everything for himself. 'Bruno will help.'

Only Lucas and Connor could hear Bruno speaking, but it didn't matter. Everyone knew that a K-9 unit could be as stubborn and dedicated as any other detective.

"How're you two gonna' analyze that nasty shit?" Hank asked as he sat alongside Abby at a table in the corner and finished placing her a take-out order on his phone considering she had been working almost nonstop and was now six months into her pregnancy. "Neither of you could figure that stuff out last time, what's going to be different about analyzing that crud this time?"

"This time it's been refined." Lowering the vial from above his head Connor removed the rubber cork at the opening of the vial to press his fingertip down into the substance to get a small sample to test. The substance was thicker than Thirium but was still undoubtedly a liquid that could flow easily into someone's system minutes after ingestion. "I just need a small amount to-"

"Whoa, hold it." Lucas grabbed onto Connor's wrist to keep his brother from progressing any further. "Connor, we may not know what that substance is on its molecular and chemical levels, but we do know that it's highly addictive and destructive. Do you really want to risk harming yourself over this?"

"We have no choice. Our people are already suffering." As Lucas let go of his wrist Connor eyed the substance on his fingertip with disdain and lamented what he needed to do in order to solve his current case. "We need to find a way to locate this vile substance and have it permanently removed from the city."

"Son, isn't there any other way for you analyze that stuff?" Hank was on Lucas's side and didn't want to see Connor put himself in danger for any reason. "I know that the precinct's own tech department isn't as advanced as you two are, but they gotta' be better than you putting that stuff in your body."

"If they were unable to properly analyze the original substance in the past three weeks, then they won't be able to analyze this refined substance any quicker. This is the only way to determine what this substance is and why it's so caustic and addictive."

Lucas glanced about the exam room and zeroed in on a metal emesis basis on the nearby countertop and handed it over to Connor to hold. "Then at the very least engage your emergency expulsion program to rid the substance from your system before it has the chance to circulate and do any serious internal damage."

"That won't be a problem, I assure you."

"I hope you're right."

Putting the basin aside for a moment Connor concentrated on his analysis program and hesitantly pressed the narcotic sample to his tongue. The moment the nasty substance made contact with his tongue Connor's analysis program began reading the chemical composition that went into the substances design. A red warning also appeared in Connor's visual processor confirming that substance was indeed as dangerous as its reputation had become.

-SAMPLE ACCEPTED:

-ANALYSIS INITIATED:

[...analysis complete]

WARNING:

[...Concentrated Sodium Bicarbonate - 44%]

[...Concentrated Hydrofluoric Acid - 24%]

[...Concentrated Ammonium Hydroxide - 12%]

[...Concentrated Oxalic Acid - 08%]

[...Concentrated Sodium Nitrate - 08%]

[...Traces of Pseudoephedrine - 04%]

WARNING:

[...Acidic corrosion detected in main air intake line]

[...Corrosion increasing: 97.8% Structural Integrity]

...SEEK IMMEDIATE TECHINICAL ASSISTANCE

...Engage Emergency Expulsion Program: [Y/N]?

The second Connor finished with the analysis he grabbed the basin and threw-up the horrific substance in an undignified but controlled manner. As he gagged and coughed up the meager sample from his tongue, as well as some of his Thirium to ensure that the corrosive substance was washed out of his throat in the process in a torrent of dark blue and black fluid, he turned to look at the sink at the far wall and tried to stumble over there while he being sick.

"What did your analysis tell you?" Lucas asked as he supported Connor and helped him to carry the basin over to the sink to ensure that everything was rinsed away into the sewers where it belonged. Instinctively Lucas patted Connor's shoulders in a comforting manner as his big brother was sick by his own will. "Can we track down these chemicals and find a way to rid the streets of this narcotic?"

"Y-Yes." Spitting the lingering foulness from his mouth Connor confirmed that he had the data that they needed. Holding out his hand Connor let Lucas take hold to share with him the information he had collected in a very crude yet effective manner. "We can... W-We can stop this."

Lucas uploaded the information and turned to give Hank a nod while keeping his focus on Connor. "The last chemical, pseudoephedrine, that's an addictive ingredient in many human medications. It affects the dopamine center of the brain delivering a sense of extreme pleasure, even euphoria, in those who ingest it in large quantities or when it's used in the creation of other illegal narcotics. It must have a similar effect in the emotional center for deviants, which is why so many deviants have overdosed so readily."

"I agree." Connor turned on the faucet in the sink that he was leaning against and caught some water in his cupped hands to quickly gulp and then spit out to ensure his mouth was entirely clean of the foul substance. "It's... I feel... My b-body feels awful, but my mind feels... good. I-I know it's the... s-substance and that it's d-dangerous, and yet I... I feel l-like I need... more."

At that Hank had heard enough and decided to take the initiative. "Okay, you've done your part in the investigation, we're going home."

"Wh-What?" Connor didn't understand what Hank was saying or why he was saying it. "We f-finally got a lead, and can-"

"Son, you took just a tiny sample of that shit and by your own admission you feel hooked. You CAN'T go anywhere near that shit until that feeling is one-hundred percent gone from your system and out of your mind."

"I can resist-"

"Connor, just listen to me on this. Part of the reason I was put in charge of cracking down on 'red ice' is because I was around during the big Fentanyl endemic that hit the country during the late tens and early twenties." Hank had horrible memories of seeing his fellow officers getting affected by the potent painkiller just by handling the packaging without realizing that there were traces of the drugs on the outside. "I saw too many good cops get taken down or fall into respiratory arrest just from being near that shit. I don't want to see the same thing happen to you."

Before he could even attempt to continue to argue Connor's stomach started to hurt and the deviant couldn't stop himself from wrapping his arms protectively around his suddenly churning stomach. "...Am I g-going to be okay?"

"I promise I'll get you through this." Hank wrapped his arm around Connor's upper back and guided him over to the empty exam table to lay down for a minute. "Take it easy and let Abby look you over. After that, I'll take you home to sleep this shit off."

Lucas attempted to step up and help again but Hank gave him a casual wave and he knew to let the Lieutenant keep control over the odd situation. Instead, he chose to help Abby to back to her feet and walk her over to the exam table.

Sighing loudly Abby looked down at Connor and put her palm down on Connor's chest as she used her opposite hand to support her aching back. She could feel his Thirium pump beating faster than usual, and she could feel him beginning to overheat. "Connor, you're going to be my last patient today. After everything that's gone down and how much my ankles have swollen up, I'm officially taking my maternity leave the second I clock-out."

"A-Are you feeling all right?" Connor tried to run a biometric scan over Abby's vitals but his system failed to initiate the scan. "We d-didn't meant to cause you undo st-stress."

"I assure you that you're in no way responsible for how exhausted I feel." Abby didn't want Connor blaming himself for something that wasn't his responsibility. "I'm going to check your vitals and make sure none of that stuff is in your air intake line or got down into your artificial stomach and vents."

"O-Okay."

Hank gave Connor's shoulder a small shake as he turned to look at Lucas still waiting for something to do. "Lucas, I want you and Bruno to track down the source of the chemicals that Connor identified. Tell Detective Reed that you're working with him and that he's taking my place until Connor's back on his feet."

"You... want me to work on the case?" Such a role was one that Lucas thought he'd never get the fulfill. "But I'm only a consulting detective and-"

"I want you to finish what Connor's started. You can do this, and I know that you'll close this case for us."

The pride in Lucas's green eyes was the perfect reflection of how he felt after being told by Hank that the man had faith in his ability to handle the case. "All right. We won't let you or Connor down."

"We know you won't."

Connor turned his head and looked at Lucas while Abby unbuttoned his dress shirt to attach wireless leads to his chest for proper vital sign monitoring. "G-Go, Lucas. You w-were always... a good d-detective, now you'll show e-everyone that you're one o-of the best."

Lucas felt like he finally found his place in the world and was ready to do everything right by everyone. "We will. Come on, Bruno." Taking the vial that contained the rest of the sample Lucas knelt on the floor and let the K-9 unit take in its scent without it accidentally getting on or in his nose. "Get the scents. There are six unique chemicals in this substance that we need to track down in order to find the culprit."

'Bruno will find the trail.' Wagging his tail and taking in the scent, Bruno's L.E.D. cycled in yellow as he assessed the information and began checking for any trails of the chemicals outside of the facility and away from the overdose victims. 'Bruno has the scents.'

"Good boy. Let's get to work."

As she assessed Connor's condition Abby watched from the corner of her eye as Lucas proudly took his leave of the exam room with Bruno walking right at his legs as they headed out to go and begin their search for the source of the narcotics. It was so fascinating to see how alike yet different the two deviants were, and now she understood why Connor and Lucas referred to each other as brothers. They had unique personalities, unique interests, behaviors and quirks, yet they fully supported each other without any doubts.

"You're a good brother." Abby stated sweetly as she checked over Connor's vital signs and watched the way the deviant detective took in a deep breath to try and calm his steadily racing heartbeat. "If Gavin and I decide to have another child, I hope that my future daughter will be as supportive as their hypothetical sibling as you are to Lucas and Cole."

"I'm... I'm trying." Letting out a sudden huff of heated breath Connor felt himself started to shiver and he didn't understand why it was happening. His system was thrown into a major loop because of the substance he had sampled, and even though the sample was small it was somehow proving to be extremely potent. "I-I'm unsure of wh-what's happening... to me."

"Withdrawal." Hank stated somberly as he stayed beside the exam table and put his palm on the top of Connor's head. The man lightly rubbed his thumn back and forth through Connor's hair just as he did with Cole whenever his youngest son didn't feel well. "You got hooked in that shit, now your body is freaking out because it wants you to put more inside of it."

"I j-just had... a s-small sample!"

"And look at all the overdosed victims we've had to deal with. If everyone overdosed and died after their first hit of any drug then we wouldn't have to worry about drug addiction; everyone would be gone. It's only after someone gets addicted that we have to start worrying." Hank hated the way Connor was already struggling with what happened to him. "You're hooked after just a drop hit your tongue, I can only imagine how potent and addictive this shit it."

Abby used her audioscope to listen to Connor's heart and shook her head somberly. "I'll let the other facilities know exactly how addictive this drug is to deviants. I'll also let them know that the emergency expulsion program does seem to help rid the substance from the affected's system."

"Good idea. How's his throat?"

"Not the greatest." As she peered inside Connor's mouth and down his throat with her penlight to shine the way, Abby saw what looked like pure acidic corrosion to the flexible plastic and rubber tubing that went into the structural design of the standard android air intake line. "But his self-healing program will be able to mend the damage over time. He's going to have a sore throat for a couple of days though."

"Don't worry, son." Staying calm and in control was one of Hank's strongest traits and seemingly a gift. "You're going to feel like shit for a couple of days, but I'm going to help you get through it."

The story of the nameless narcotic poisoning and shutting down countless deviants around the city was on the lips of every news anchor in Detroit. It was strange to hear actual worry and sympathy going out to the deviants from the humans during their current plight, yet it was very welcome and reassuring to know that the humans understood the pain of losing a loved one to addiction. Potential tips regarding the drug deals happening in the street as well as offers to counsel the survivors of the issues were beginning to flood in as compassion and empathy began to replace lingering bitterness, resentment and apathy in a warm and sincere show of love for the affected deviant community.

After the analysis of the substance had been identified by Connor all five precincts in the city banded together to begin tracking down any and all locations that produced or sold the six unique chemicals in an attempt to locate the person or persons responsible for the new narcotic. Numerous textiles plants, the few cleaning companies, healthcare facilities and the handful of laboratories in the city were searched from top to bottom, but seemingly there was no connection or way to track down the culprit behind the lethal narcotic.

"I don't think I can take any more dead ends." Gavin grumbled as he and Lucas exited the textile plant and returned to their patrol car. The way Gavin had no issues with working alongside Lucas was a fantastic sign that he had absolutely no lingering anti-android bigotry in his mind or heart. "Where's left to look?"

"As of the moment, nowhere."

"Fuckin' great... Back to square one."

"Not necessarily." Casually Lucas held up his palm and created a holographic display of the names that had been listed as personnel or customers who've bought any one of the six chemicals used in the narcotic. "We now have a complete list of names that can lead us to the culprit."

"Hate to break it to ya', but criminals aren't exactly all that honest." As he and Lucas returned to the car to sit down Gavin reminded Lucas that dishonesty and deception go hand-in-hand with criminal activity. "I guarantee that at least half of the names on those sheets are fake."

"Not possible." Lucas began cybernetically cross examining the names on the dozens upon dozens of lists and was able to find a few repeats. He then cybernetically compared the signatures to ensure that all of the names were written by the same person each time. "A person must show a proper form of photo identification, a matching thumbprint and they must pay for their purchases on a credit card or debit card to ensure there's a paper trail to be followed. Anyone's who name doesn't match their I.D. or their thumbprint will be automatically rejected and reported to the police."

"Fake I.D.'s are pretty damn good these days." Remaining cautiously pessimistic Gavin tried to keep Lucas from getting his hopes up too high. Having Bruno in the backseat and listening in on everything was a little unusual but Gavin was willing to roll with it. "And people have even gone to extreme lengths to butcher their fingerprints to avoid being busted by the cops."

"That may be true, but even with a fake name and altered fingerprints, one thing cannot be changed." As he highlighted a few interesting names Lucas cybernetically tapped into the security footage from every single location that had provided the list of names that spanned back as far as two years to amplify the efficiency of his search. "Faces."

"Again, prosthetics, make-up and even a few refractory pieces of clothing can-"

"Only to the human eye." Lucas confirmed as he finished his own analysis and found a promising potential lead. "I have a name."

"Wait... How do you- What're you talking about?"

"I compared every name on these lists and found only one name that purchased each of the chemicals used in the creation of the narcotic. I also checked the security camera footage at each location and found that the name and the face are perfect matches." Shifting his holographic display from the listed names to the person of interest allowed Lucas to show Gavin the face of who he believed what the culprit. "The man's name is Stanley Fordon."

"Fordon... Never heard of him." Gavin took in the man's appearance and began typing in his name on the squad car's built-in profile database. The results didn't show any history of crime, but Fordon did have a few black marks on his name for being fired from CyberLife due to having a hot temper and disregard for authority. "He's a former technician! Son of a bitch!"

"I'll drive and cybernetically request a warrant to search Fordon's property, you report it to dispatch to ensure we have back-up."

"Already on it!" Gavin was ready to bust the narcotic ring wide open and finally stop the senseless deaths of countless deviants. "You just get us to that asshole's place so we can destroy his shit and lock his ass away for good."

It was as if Hank was reliving a nightmare from his past as he took care of Connor and helped the deviant fight off the lingering craving for the horrible narcotic. The Lieutenant had helped far too many good cops and detectives in the past battle their own issues with addiction - alcohol and painkillers being the most common - but it never got any easier to see or handle. The way a person's body looked so weak, sick and frail on top of the excruciating headaches, nausea, chills, fever and at times violent mood swings just reminded Hank to never try to numb his own pain with drugs or alcohol. Hank didn't ever want to risk his own health for the sake of his family and his own sanity.

As Connor threw-up again despite having nothing to actual throw-up in his stomach, Hank kept his palm on the deviant's trembling back and made sure that Connor felt supported at all times. Anyone looking at Connor would've sworn he had a nasty flu or bout of food poisoning thanks to his unusually paled complexion courtesy of losing so much Thirium. Fortunately, the only people who knew of his condition were his family and trusted colleagues.

"That's it, let it out." Hank encouraged as he flushed away the sickness and helped Connor to lay on his side on the cool linoleum floor of the bathroom. After tucking a folded up towel beneath Connor's head Hank placed a washcloth in the cool tap in the sink to resume overheating control. "Your gut has gotta' be hurtin' after all of that."

"I-" Connor remained on his side and wrapped his arms around himself as he shuddered and struggled to speak clearly. Even with the oversized hoodie and sweatpants to keep him covered Connor was still shivering as if he was freezing cold. "It f-feels like... I was p-punched in my stomach."

"I know that feeling. Here, this'll help keep your fever down."

Connor closed his eyes as Hank gently draped the cool, damp washcloth over his far too warm forehead. It was a soothing sensation that left Connor feeling only marginally better as his stomach continued to churn and his head ached with every beat of his heart.

"Need anything else?"

"C-Could you... No, it's fine."

"What?" Kneeling down again Hank put his hand on Connor's shoulder to let the deviant know he was still right beside him. "What do you need?"

"I just... d-don't want to be alone."

"I understand." Casually Hank sat down on the floor beside Connor with his back pressed against the shower. It wasn't the first time he spent the night in the bathroom alongside a sick person either. "I remember how Barb would lay on the bathroom floor when her morning sickness got too bad, and Cole will still camp out in the bathroom when he doesn't feel good."

"This i-is normal?"

"Well, it's a normal response to not feeling good, as for an android going through narcotic withdrawal... That'll never be normal!"

"That's a-actually reassuring."

"Yeah, I bet."

As Connor contemplated his current predicament and everything that led to him being sick and miserable again, a strange thought popped into his mind. The last time he was sick was when he had his damaged memories restored by Kamski and ended up with a fever due to an overtaxed, overheating memorybank. While he was with Kamski he was told to ask Hank about something very specific, and now it seemed like Connor could use the distraction by asking about something unusual and confusing without understanding the importance.

"Hank?" Turning his head slightly Connor opened one eye to peer at the Lieutenant sitting on the floor just behind him. "D-Do you know anything a-about... a car accident? One th-that happened... in Grand Rapids two y-years ago?"

Hank's face suddenly paled to the same sickly hue as Connor's face as he heard the question and knew that the answer wasn't an easy one to give. "Yeah, son. I know what you're talking about."

"Why... is it s-so important?" Returning his head to where he had just been laying Connor resisted the urge to fall into rest mode and escape his current misery. "Why did K-Kamski tell... me to a-ask you about it?"

Sighing to himself Hank put his palm gently on Connor's shoulder as he decided it was time to tell him about what happened in that city that tragic day two years ago, and to give Connor some details that he otherwise would've never known. It wasn't fair to hide the truth from Connor or expect him to just stumble across the information by chance some day.

What better way to earn back Connor's trust than by telling him a strange truth and being supportive from start to finish, even when it was painful to talk about?

Using the collected information to their advantage Lucas homed-in on the correct address regarding the location of Stanely Fordon. He and Gavin visually checked out the area before ever leaving the squad car that was now parked along the street across from Fordon's house. The street was expectedly quiet and there was no surrounding traffic. The long driveway leading from the street to the house on the private property was crumbling from aged neglect as if no one had been to the house in years. However, Lucas keenly noticed that there was a single vehicle parked out in front of the house indicating that someone was home and trying to maintain a low profile by keeping the exterior of the residence looking rundown.

The house itself was a large two story, red brick mansion that had sprawling ivy growing on one side of the house. There were no lights on upstairs but there were lights glowing through the windows on the first floor indicating where the lone occupant could be residing.

"All right," Gavin double-checked the address on the house and the information in the precinct's profile database. "looks like this is the right place."

Stepping out of the car together Gavin made a discreet text to Captain Fowler regarding the address and requested him to send out available back-up to the area. "I'll get this guy cuffed and then you can find a way to destroy this creepy's chemical collection."

"Gladly." Patting the side of his leg Lucas summoned Bruno out of the car to assist with the warrant. "Bruno, can you detect the chemicals in the area?"

The K-9 unit's L.E.D. cycled to yellow as he sniffed the air and grumbled while pointing his nose and ears forward toward the house at the end of the driveway. 'Yes!'

"Good dog. After Fordon's arrested you can show us to his chemical stockpile to ensure that they're all destroyed properly."

Approaching the property warily, keeping an eye out for any possible security cameras that could give away their position or trigger a silent alarm, Gavin, Lucas and Bruno made their way up the long driveway to the brick mansion at the end. Crouching down by the front windows Gavin peered inside the glass between the mostly drawn dark curtains and saw a figure moving about in the dim lighting of the room.

Lucas crouched down on the other side of the door with Bruno beside him as he ran a scan over the interior of the house. There was no mistaking that they were in the right area and were about to arrest the right suspect. It was Stanley Fordon himself.

Gavin hovered his hand over the gun on his holster as he prepared to arm himself if it became necessary. "Got you now, asshole..." Focusing on the front door Gavin tested the knob and found that it was unlocked and immediately sensed a trap in the air. "Fucker is waiting for someone to come inside."

"I agree, this is too easy."

"Are you armed?"

"No." Lucas refused to ever use a gun courtesy of his past actions leading him to shoot and nearly kill Connor by mistake. "I don't carry firearms."

"But you got a vest, right?"

"Yes." The consultant detective lifted up the hem of his white turtleneck to reveal the black Kevlar vest beneath. "That was part of the agreement with Captain Fowler for me to work in the field."

"All right, then you stay behind me and keep your dog from giving away our position by mistake."

"Yes, of course."

Gavin took in a deep breath as he drew his holstered gun from his hip and held it before himself protectively. Turning the knob on the door slowly Gavin pushed it open quietly and stepped inside the house with a cautiously silent gait. With Lucas and Bruno right behind him Hank entered the house and glanced about the neighboring room where he saw Fordon's back facing him as the man focused on something on a table in front of him.

"Stanley Fordon," Gavin shouted in anger as he neared the possibly dangerous man warily. "put your hands where I can see 'em, NOW."

Fordon didn't even turn to look at Gavin as the two detectives walked up to him with every intention of arresting him. "Can't you see that I'm busy?"

"Does it look like I give a fuck? Turn around and put your hands up, or I WILL fire!"

Sighing arrogantly Fordon turned around and eyed the trio who had entered his home without an invitation. Fordon just stared at the three unwelcomed guests with his hollow gray eyes and a blank face as he remained completely silent as his laptop, glass beakers and active Bunsen burner remained on full display behind him.

"Keep your hands where I can see 'em." Gavin ordered as he approached the man and forcefully pulled the man's arms behind his back to cuff his wrists together to ensure he couldn't try anything. "You're under arrest for utilizing dangerous chemicals to make and sell illegal narcotics."

Fordon eyed Lucas and knew that he was looking at an android even with Lucas being of a unique design and no longer sporting any android specific clothing or his L.E.D. to give away his exact species. The sight of Lucas just made Fordon sneer wickedly.

"Lucas, we got a warrant to search the place." Gavin noted as he patted Fordon down to ensure that he wasn't armed. "Start searching."

"Right. Bruno?" Lucas gave the K-9 unit his next order before he walked over to the table where Fordon's laptop was sitting. "Search! Find the chemicals."

Bruno's blue L.E.D. turned red as he sniffed the air again and promptly tracked down the chemicals in the basement of the old house. The loyal dog barked twice and pawed at the closed basement door as he trailed the scent to the storage room. 'Here! Bruno found the source!'

"Good dog." Lucas turned off the flame of the Bunsen burner before he opened the door to the basement. It was then he and immediately detected the acrid aroma of the concentrated chemicals in the air. "We're going to need hazmat here for a proper recording and then disposal of the chemicals. It's unwise for any organic lifeforms to be in such close proximity."

Gavin acknowledged the warning and trusted Lucas to keep the scene from being contaminated. "Then I'll take Fordon outside while you tap into his laptop."

"Will do."

"Move it, ass-wipe." Gavin shoved Fordon's shoulder and forced the man to walk toward the opened front door. "You have a lot to answer for. Why'd you even do this shit? What's in it for you?"

"The proof that machines aren't superior to people." Fordon hissed as he was marched out of his own home to be arrested for everyone to see. "They cannot be trusted, they will destroy themselves in search of what they think is 'joy' and in the end they will destroy this city."

"Them?! What about you!" Snapping angrily Gavin forced Fordon outside while Lucas accessed the man's laptop to begin searching through the files. "You're the one trying to wipe an entire race of beings from the city! Fuckin' genocidal freak..."

Lucas finished his cybernetic search through Fordon's laptop and found all the information that they needed to undoubtedly link Fordon to the chemicals that were purchased and then used to create the addictive narcotic. There were some research notes from Fordon's time in CyberLife and proved that the man was intentionally trying to create something addictive, destructive and lethal only to androids and only harmful to humans if improperly handled. Receipts, times, dates and addresses all put Fordon at the scene when the chemicals were initially purchased, and there was even a map on the laptop that had widely deviant populated areas highlighted for maximum impact by spreading the narcotic in the densest of deviant areas.

"This is loathsome. Stanley Fordon has been planning on harming androids for almost seven years, but it wasn't until four years ago that he decided to make this poison. It looks like he was planning on tainting a massive batch of Thirium at CyberLife to make the poison spread as quickly as possible, but he had been fired before he could carry out his plan."

Bruno was still sitting outside the basement door and had heard everything Lucas has stated. 'Why did Fordon make the poison now?'

"It seems as if the spread of deviancy beginning over two years made him alter his plans. He changed the chemical make-up of his poisonous narcotic to ensure that deviants would willingly ingest it as opposed to trying to get humans to risk buying the tainted Thirium and giving it to their androids by chance."

'Fordon is a bad person.'

"Yes, he is. It's all right though, he won't be able... to..."

Bruno grumbled in confusion as Lucas suddenly trailed off while searching through the laptop.

"Fordon has files on all the android models that have ever been created by CyberLife. Including Connor."

'Is that bad?'

"Connor's design, and subsequently my own, were never meant to be known by anyone who didn't have top level clearance in CyberLife, and Connor was designed just three years prior. That means Fordon had stolen the files from CyberLife remotely, and he's been making his poison as potent as possible and that it'd affect every deviant who ingests it."

'Fordon is a very bad person!'

"And he knows something about Connor that I don't think even Connor knows about. Something strangely... human."

Unwilling to leave the data behind Lucas uploaded all the information about Connor while leaving the other android files untouched. The evidence would still be intact when the police arrived to chronicle it and build their case, but at least Connor's privacy would remain fully secret. There were some things, even the police, didn't need to know.

The worst of the withdrawal symptoms were seemingly over. After another two rounds of being sick Connor had finally stopped vomiting and was able to ingest fresh Thirium and keep it down. By ingesting chilled Thirium he was able to restore his low Thirium reserves while also cooling down his core at a steady and safe rate. The sooner he was able to get his system physically stabilized, the sooner Connor could be able to function without the temptation of the narcotic hanging over his head to taunt him and distract him. Being sidelined and expected to sit back was a concept that Connor just refused to learn or accept as something that everyone needed to do every once in a while.

While Connor's body recovered slowly, his mind and his emotions were still struggling. The information given to Connor from Hank had only managed to answer a few questions while creating even more questions that would need to be answered. He now knew where his design had come from and why his name was chosen, but he didn't understand why Kamski allowed CyberLife to use the design - even after Connor changed the timeline and was activated in CyberLife barely one year before the accident even occurred.

From the opened doorway of the bedroom Hank watched as Connor laid on his back with his eyes shut and the cool washcloth over his forehead. He knew that the deviant was recovering but he didn't know what Connor was thinking. He barely knew what to think about learning of Connor's origins even though he too knew of the two timelines. It was if the deviant was always destined to become the Connor that he knew and become a part of Hank's life.

It was strange to see Connor so sick without Sumo protectively watching over him. Then again, Hank had shooed the large dog away since Sumo's thick fur and large body would only make Connor overheat again. Hank also knew that Connor would make things up to Sumo by taking him for a nice long walk as soon as he was back on his feet. That was one of Connor's most endearing qualities; empathy, even for animals big and small.

"I think dinner's done, dad." Cole appeared in the doorway as well and looked in on Connor resting on his bed. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he was worried all the same. "How's Connor?"

"He'll be okay in a day or two. Don't worry about him."

"What happened to him anyway?"

"Remember the summer before we met Connor, and I ended up getting food poisoning because I ate some bad leftovers?" Hank watched Cole nod in response as the little boy did remember his dad getting sick that summer. "Same thing. Connor accidentally got something in his system that's making him sick."

"Bad Thirium?"

"Yeah, very bad." Hank didn't want to scare Cole with the idea of android specific drugs being out on the streets. "But he's gotten it out of his system, and now he just needs to sleep to recover his strength and energy."

"What about Lucas?"

"Lucas didn't get sick. He's actually working with Gavin right now, and he's going to help us find the jerk who put the bad Thirium out on the streets."

"Wait, do you mean someone wanted to make deviants sick on purpose?"

"Yeah, there are still some pretty bad people trying to hurt good people, but that's why I go to work." Hank promised as he put his palm on Cole's hair and couldn't believe his son was already tall enough to reach his chest. It's like Cole was going through a record-breaking growth spurt as he prepared to finish the fourth grade and head into the fifth grade after summer vacation ended. "I'm going to get as many of those bad people off the streets as possible, and once Connor's better he'll do the same. Lucas does that too from his own office downtown."

The front door opened up as Lucas and Bruno returned to the house to check on Connor and give Hank an update on the case. Lucas wasn't quite sure how to broach the subject of Connor's file being found on Fordon's laptop, especially since the file was recent and contained information that only Kamski should've known. As he ascended the staircase alone Lucas noticed Cole smiling at him and returned the warm greeting with a smile of his own.

"We found the culprit who was targeting deviants." Lucas stated quickly as he entered Connor's bedroom and discreetly put his palm down on Connor's chest to check his vital signs for himself. It was easy enough for him to check on Connor without disturbing his rest. "He was a terminated CyberLife technician with a vendetta against deviants."

"Will the charges stick?"

"Yes. Not only were the chemicals in his basement," stepping back from the bed Lucas faced Hank directly while he spoke. "his laptop had plenty of damning evidence connecting him to the chemicals being used to create his poisonous substance. He'll be charged accordingly and will undoubtedly spend his life behind bars."

"Good work, son. I knew you could do it." There was a noted worry in Lucas's eyes that immediately held Hank's attention. "What's wrong?"

"There's just something important I need to tell Connor, but it'll have to wait." Turning his head Lucas looked back at Connor and knew that his brother needed more time to recover after what he had gone through. Knowing that his brother was willing to risk himself just to solve a case only made Lucas worry about a potentially reckless reaction to what he was going to have to tell him. "I just don't quite know how he'll respond."

"I get the feeling that we're in the same boat right now. Come on, dinner's ready and I want to hear all about your case." Hank put his hand on Lucas's shoulder and urged the deviant join Cole and himself downstairs in the kitchen. "In fact, I think there's a lot we should talk about and make sure there aren't any secrets being hidden from anyone anymore."

-next chapter-