1554 Park Avenue: August 15th, 2038 - 08:29pm

A tragic incident that Connor was unable to prevent in the three years he had been given after altering his personal timeline had come to fruition. A horrendous misunderstanding prompted a 'PL-600' android named Daniel to deviate from its original programming effectively causing it to become a deviant and emotionally unbalanced. Panicking at the prospect of possibly being replaced within what he perceived to be his own family, and then later shutdown, Daniel located the gun of the now late John Phillips and shot the former family patriarch in his misplaced anger and jealousy. Once Caroline Phillips took notice of her husband's murder in the livingroom, she too panicked and called the police to arrest Daniel. In turn, Daniel needlessly took Emma Phillips, John and Caroline's only young daughter, as his hostage on the rooftop of the towering apartment complex where they lived. From there a hostage negotiator would need to be brought to the scene by the responding S.W.A.T. team to bring the event to a hopefully peaceful conclusion.

The incident had made the news and despite Connor's best attempts to keep the story from gaining Hank's attention, the police Lieutenant was called to the scene and had been assigned to cordon off the perimeter of the situation from the streets below. In the time since Connor had traveled into the past and secretly altered the future in an attempt to prevent Hank's murder, the secretive deviant had succeeded in earning Cole's love and trust but hadn't succeeded in forging a friendship with Hank. As a result, Connor was conflicted when he made his decision to leave the house and disappear into the dark of the night.

The peaceful Deviant Revolution was only a few months away. Whether it succeeded in the new timeline all depended on Connor and his final decisions.

"Don't go!" Cole pleaded as he watched Connor enter the small space in the garage that he had called his own and grabbed all of the extra pouches of Thirium at his disposal while fidgeting with his coin. The deviant was gathering his supplies while cybernetically keeping track of the news. "I don't want you to go!"

"I have to do this." The way the little boy had grown up so much in three years gave Connor a strange sense of pride in knowing that he had given the innocent child the chance to live his life after being deprived in another timeline. "It's important."

"But why? Where are you going?"

Freezing for a moment Connor peered at Cole over his shoulder and felt immense guilt at seeing the tears in the young boy's eyes. "I wish I could tell you, but it's important that it remains a secret. At least for now."

"Is this because dad's been mean to you? He said he's sorry!"

"It's not that simple." Moving quickly Connor grabbed the storage compartment and gathered his special clothing that he had purchased in secret. The deviant slipped the hoodie on overtop of his gray uniform blazer to hide the android markings and switched from his gray boots into the tan work boots instead. "And this is much more serious than anything that your dad has said to me."

"What's going on?" The little boy was thoroughly confused and just couldn't comprehend why Connor was leaving or what was happening. "Are you in trouble?"

"I will be if I remain here. I'll explain everything to you as soon as it's safe for me to do so."

Cole watched as Connor slipped his boots into the interior of the leather jacket and tucked the Thirium pouches inside the jacket for safekeeping. "Will you ever come back here?"

"It's possible, but not for a while." The notion of returning to a place where someone who didn't care about his existence seemed completely illogical. What had once been a personal sanctuary was now a prison with death row just waiting for Connor to make a single mistake in Hank's eyes. "Not until it's safe for me to come back."

"But how can you know if it's safe to come home if you stay away?"

Hearing Cole refer to the house as Connor's 'home' was enough to make the deviant pause for a moment. "...I guess I'll need you to tell me when it's safe."

"I will!" That was all it took for Cole to perk up and jump at the chance to help Connor in any way that he could. "How do I tell you when it's okay to come back home?"

Connor thought about the question for only a moment before inspiration struck. Tracing his fingertip over his blue glowing L.E.D. in his right temple, Connor knew what he needed to do and who he needed to trust when he thought he was entirely alone.

"Just a moment."

Exiting the garage at a swift pace Connor returned to the main house and made his way to the bathroom just down the short hallway. Closing the door behind himself Connor pocketed his coin as he stared at his reflection on the mirror and turned his face just enough to see the glowing L.E.D. more directly. The little light had been modified in Connor's body by Kamski himself before Connor had awoken in the alternate timeline and still contained the memories that Connor refused to let fade away or be forgotten. Just as it had been in the previous timeline, the L.E.D. had been redesigned into a small metallic medallion that doubled as a U.S.B. drive filled with Connor's memories.

Once the L.E.D. was removed anyone could access the memories with a simple U.S.B. port and know all of Connor's secrets and of the alternate timeline from when he came.

Lightly Connor pressed his fingertip against the blue glowing light and remembered how he had specifically recorded a special video and uploaded it into the original L.E.D. in the original timeline in the event he had been destroyed, then had all of the memories and the recordings sent back into the past alongside the other important and meaningful messages. Through Kamski's curiously meddling the L.E.D. now contained visual and audio documentation of the original timeline, as well as the special recording that Connor had made before traversing through time and into a different yet identical body to be shared with only those who needed to know of the full truth of the deviant's journey and self-appointed mission.

The L.E.D. was the only proof that the deviant had of the alternate timeline of the changes he had made by traversing through time itself.

"This should make things a little easier for Cole to understand when the time is right. I never anticipated it being Cole who would be given this L.E.D., but I know that Cole won't let me down. He's too determined to keep me a part of his life."

Pressing his palm to the side of the mirror Connor eyed his L.E.D. for a minute longer before pulling on the mirror and revealing the medicine cabinet beneath. Inside the cabinet Connor located a small grooming kit and retrieved a pair of long and incredibly sharp scissors trucked within to use for his rather crude task. It wasn't something that he had been looking forward to completing, but there was no turning back now.

Connor closed the cabinet as he held the scissors in his right hand. Using the mirror as a guide Connor turned his head once more to put the L.E.D. front and center of his reflection, then took in a deep breath. Lifting the scissors toward his L.E.D., Connor opened the dual bladed tool and aimed the sharpest point toward the center of the L.E.D. itself.

"I need to do this. It's the only way to keep the timeline from being further altered."

Using precise strength Connor pierced the L.E.D. onto the sharp tip of the scissor's blade and gave it a small twist. The artificial skin around the L.E.D. faded and revealed the white plastimetal frame beneath as a single drop of Thirium oozed down Connor's temple from beneath the punctured L.E.D. as it remained firmly pierced onto the razor sharp tip. As Connor lowered the scissors from his temple the L.E.D. continued to glow and pulse at a steady beat despite being detached from the deviant android's body.

Almost entranced by the continued light Connor stared at the L.E.D. with fascination before taking hold of the little disc and freeing it from the scissors. Connor held the little light between his index fingertip and thumb and stared at it momentarily before taking notice of his reflection once more. The artificial skin regenerated fully over his temple and completely concealed the area where the L.E.D. had once been.

"Kamski must've given the L.E.D. its own power source to ensure none of the recorded memories risk corruption. A wise precaution."

Returning the scissors to the grooming kit and keeping the L.E.D. in his grip, Connor exited the bathroom calmly and walked back into the garage. Cole was still waiting for him and was sitting on the edge of the cot with Sumo now keeping him company.

"Cole? I have something for you." Kneeling down in front of the little boy Connor gently took Cole's hand in his own and placed the L.E.D. onto the child's opened palm. The recognition of the L.E.D. was evident in Cole's wide and shocked eyes. "This is my L.E.D., and it's important that you keep it safe. Don't let anyone else see it or even know that it exists."

The sight of the L.E.D. in his palm and the blank space along Connor's right temple were quite a shocking pair. "You cut this out of your head?!"

"It didn't hurt, I promise." Keeping his touch light Connor wrapped his hands around Cole's hand until the child's finger curled around the L.E.D. protectively. "I want you to keep this safe for me. I'll come back for it as soon as it's safe for me to return to the house."

"Why'd you cut this out?" Cole didn't fully understand that androids could take bits and pieces away from their bodies without pain or permanent harm. Holding a piece of Connor's body in his palm was very surreal and unusual. "It's a part of you."

"You're right, it is. I removed it because it contains a big and valuable secret." Connor explained as simplistically as possible. "It has copies of all of my memories. I want you to keep it safe and secret until I can come back here and see you again. And please, do not tell your dad that you have it."

"You want me to keep a secret from dad?"

"No, I want you to keep a promise to me." Connor clarified with full honesty behind his motivations. Locking eyes with Cole as he spoke Connor helped the little boy to understand the severity of the situation at hand. "Promise me that you'll keep this safe. That way when I come back here I can have it again."

Cole nodded as tightened his grip around the light until only a faint blue glow could be faintly seen between his fingers. "I promise."

"Thank you. I also need you to promise me that you will only let your dad know about having this under very specific circumstances."

As an innocent child Cole couldn't even fathom what could've meant, and the confusion plastered on his face confirmed as much. "Like what?"

"This coming November, there's a very good chance that things for androids are going to improve for us. If your dad becomes involved with the androids, and he seems like he can't decide if he wants to help us or not, then give him this L.E.D. and let him know where it came from and why you kept it safe. He'll know what to do with it."

"What if he doesn't listen to me again?" Cole was becoming frightened as he still couldn't fully understand what was happening or why it was happening to begin with. The world around him was changing in ways he couldn't see or control. "I'll need your help with getting dad to listen to me."

"No you don't. You're a lot stronger and far more determined than you realize." Standing up slowly Connor let Cole keep the L.E.D. as he finished packing up his supplies within his leather jacket. It was the best way to keep everything together while he went out on the hunt for an adequate shelter. "You can do this Cole. I know you won't let me down."

"I won't- Please don't go!" Begging again Cole shot to his feet and wrapped his arms around Connor's leg and buried his face against the deviant android's side in the strongest hug he could muster. "You're my big brother! I need you!"

"We'll always be friends, maybe even family, but you don't need me to be beside you every second of your life." Connor promised as he put his palm to the back of Cole's hair in a gentle and soothing manner. That was something he had learned to do after years of observing the way Hank interacted with his young son. "You can continue on and have a happy, fulfilling life without me a part of it. But you can't have a happy, fulfilling life without your dad there to support you."

Cole looked up at Connor and gave the android a truly sorrowful stare as he tried to accept what Connor was telling him. "I still want you to be here. I can hide you in my room and keep you safe if you want. Dad will never know!"

"I'm sorry, but that won't work, and I don't want you to get into trouble for helping me."

Leaving the house was a necessity despite Connor not wanting to leave Cole behind in a confusing and changing world that no innocent child should have to deal with seemingly alone. Reaching his arm down Connor gave the little boy a firm and comforting hug and didn't dare to let go until Cole began to let go of his leg. The sound of the Oldsmobile approaching the driveway of the house at a rapid pace confirmed that it was time to go, and Connor couldn't wait a second longer to make his escape into the night.

"Your dad is home." Connor noted and looked down at Cole once more. "I need to go. Don't tell your dad when I left or how I left. Please, it's important that no one is able to follow me or know about the L.E.D. I have given you."

"I won't say a word." Despite his young age Cole understood the value of a promise and knew how important trust was between two people. "Just promise that we'll see each other again!"

"I give you my word as your big brother that I will see you again." Tightening his grip around his supplies tucked under his arm Connor took in a deep breath and approached the side door connecting the garage to the laundry room and the entryway into the kitchen. The kitchen gave Connor access to the backdoor and the chance to vanish from sight before Hank got too close. "Stay strong, Cole. I'll come back as soon as it's safe."

Cole just nodded and wiped the tears from his eyes as the large garage door was forced open from the outside and Hank rushed inside with his gun drawn before himself. The sight of his dad charging into the garage and looking about the area suspiciously only added to the little boy's mounting confusion. Seeing the gun made Cole freeze since he had never seen his dad with his gun inside the house before.

"Cole, are you all right?" Hank asked as he rushed over to his young son and wrapped his arm protectively around Cole's shoulders. "Where is it? Where is Connor?"

"Connor's gone." Cole admitted truthfully as he tried to figure out why his dad just burst into the garage while armed. He knew that his dad took gun safety very seriously and would always leave his gun secured at the precinct to avoid accidents at home. "He left."

"When?" Lowering his gun Hank secured it to the holster on his hip and planted both palms down on Cole's shoulders to look his son in the eyes. "Where did he go?"

"He just left." Remaining honest Cole discreetly slipped the gifted L.E.D. into his jean pocket out of sight without his dad noticing. "I don't know where he went, he wouldn't tell me."

"Come with me."

Pulling Cole along at his side Hank passed through the side doors leading into the house and smelled the fresh air passing through the still opened backdoor. Peering over at the door Hank took notice of Sumo standing in the opened doorway looking out into the backyard as his tail slowly wagged back and forth. Seeing Sumo not on guard and not barking didn't give Hank the sense of relief that he had been hoping for.

"Stay here for a minute."

Cole remained in place after Hank finally let go of his shoulders and approached the opened backdoor with his hand hovering warily over the holstered gun. It was then that Cole finally began to see why Connor wanted to leave the house and do so in secret. The way Hank was being so defensive, and the way Connor was trying to avoid Hank, made it clear that something serious was in fact happening.

"Cole, try to think." Hank pulled Sumo back by his collar and proceeded to close and lock the backdoor before returning to the garage to check the place out for any signs of Connor or a clue as to where he might've gone. The large dog remained by the door as if expecting to see Connor come back home. "When exactly did Connor leave?"

"When you came home."

"Shit, he heard the car."

"Dad, what's going on?" Cole trailed after his dad into the garage again with Sumo now glued at his side as the large dog was also curious about what was happening in the house. "Why did you make Connor run off?"

"What do you-" Pausing for a moment after lowering and securing the main garage door, Hank turned to look at Cole over his shoulder with a sense of eureka flashing over his blue eyes. "Is that what Connor told you? That I'm the reason it ran off?"

"No." Swiftly Cole corrected his dad's egregious assumption. "He said that it wasn't safe for him to be here anymore."

"So why do you think I'm the reason it left?"

"You came home with your gun, and you want to find him. You never do bring your gun home!" Cole was proving to be a sharp and observant young man as he watched his dad checking through the garage all around Connor's cot and inside every storage compartment in the area. It seemed every trace of Connor's presence had been wiped clean. "He didn't do anything wrong! Leave him alone!"

"Cole, this is very complicated." Getting down on his hands and knees Hank checked the underside of the thin cot but still failed to find any traces of the android or any clues as to where Connor might've gone. "And it's important that I find it."

"So you can be mean to him some more?" Defiant in challenging his dad's reasons for finding Connor and why he had his gun, Cole knew exactly how to bait his dad into admitting his true intentions. "You're the reason he left!"

"Listen to me." Rocking back Hank rested on his knees and gave his son a very uncomfortable look. It was hard for Hank to resist raising his voice, and in return he squared his jaw firmly to keep his tone under control. "There's a problem with some androids right now, and they are possibly dangerous to us humans."

"Not Connor!"

"Yes, even Connor can be dangerous." Hank patted the underside of the cot as if looking for contraband in a prison cell, but he still failed to find anything that could help him locate the now runaway android. "That's why I want to find it."

Cole's eyes widened with fear as he looked at the gun on Hank's hip with utter disappointment and fear. "You're going to shoot him. You're going to kill him!"

"No, I'm not going-"

"Yes you are!" Shouting in protest Cole refused to listen to anything else his dad was saying. Turning around quickly Cole ran out of the garage and back into the house to hide out in his bedroom to get away from his dad. "You're going to kill Connor! I won't let you!"

"Cole, stop!"

Hank managed to get back to his feet rather quickly, but he still couldn't keep Cole from locking the bedroom door in his face to keep him away. The man felt torn between trying to explain the seriousness of the situation to Cole while also trying to preserve his son's innocence. As a father he wanted to keep his son safe, and as a detective he wanted to keep the rest of the city safe. It was proving to be increasingly difficult to find the right balance between his family and the city, especially now that androids were beginning to show free thought, freewill and the ability to fight back against prejudices that he and the rest of the cops had willingly ignored for several months.

"Please just listen to me." Hank took in a deep breath to calm himself down and proceeded to speak to Cole through the locked door. "I want to find Connor because something is happening to the androids throughout the city. They aren't behaving like they should, and just tonight an android downtown hurt people with a gun. The android did something very bad and I just want to make sure that Connor isn't acting the same way that the other android had been acting."

"You have a gun too!" Cole countered as if trying to call out Hank's perceived hypocrisy. "You'll hurt Connor with your gun because of what someone else did! It's not fair!"

"I'm not going to hurt Connor."

"Yes you are! You brought your gun home and tried to find him! You're going to shoot him!"

"I..." With his hands to his hips Hank looked down at the floor and tried to get Cole to calm down for a moment. "Look, I brought my gun home with me because I just came from a crime scene where that android had hurt the people that had let it into their family. I was worried that Connor would do the same thing to you."

"Connor's not the one who'd hurt people. Bullies are the ones who hurt people, and you bully Connor."

Hearing such a basic interpretation of what was happening had such a drastic impact on Hank only because it was coming from his own son. It was hard to dispute how him charging through the garage with his gun drawn easily appeared to be an act of offense rather than defense. Hank had been so focused on making sure that Cole was safe from what was only a potential threat, not a guaranteed threat, that he didn't even think of how it would appear in the eyes of an innocent child.

"I know you really like spending time with Connor and that you think of it as a friend, but Connor is just an android, son." Hank was trying to sympathize with Cole's emotional reactions, but he was too indifferent to Connor's life to even feign an honest attempt. "It doesn't care about you in the way that you think it does."

"That's not true!" Cole refused to believe that Connor had been lying to him for the past three years, and he was going to make his dad see it for himself one way or another. "Connor said we'd always be friends and that he's my big brother!"

"Connor is NOT your brother. It's a machine that's suffering from a damn malfunction." Hank was losing his patience and it was getting harder to hide. "It only THINKS it's your friend, and it only thinks that it can feel emotions."

"Stop it! Stop lying about him!"

"Cole, this is serious and so am I." The lack of information on androids behaving erratically was effectively wearing out Hank's patience and making it increasingly difficult to get his son to see things from his perspective. "Connor and the other androids are dangerous. You can't let it trick you into letting it get close to you."

Bitterly Cole opened his door and shot his dad a pained look with raw tears in his eyes. "Don't worry about him coming home. Connor said he was going to stay away from us because it wasn't safe for him to be here. And he's right!"

"Son, I'm sorry that this is hurting you." Kneeling down Hank put his hand under Cole's chin and tried to get Cole to look at him even when the little boy crossed his arms over his chest angrily and turned his gaze away. "There's a big problem happening in the city, and it revolves around ALL the androids. This isn't just me singling out Connor to be mean to it or to drive it away. I know you love to hang out with it and that you-"

"Stop calling him 'it'." Mumbling as he spoke Cole stepped back and away from his dad's touch as he glared at the man kneeling before him. "Connor has a name and he's a person, not a thing!"

"Connor is NOT a person, damn it!" The moment he shouted Hank saw the shock flood his son's eyes and the fear tremble through his body. The last thing that Hank ever wanted to do was give his any reason to fear or resent him, and shouting at the boy and telling him that he was wrong was the worst thing he could've done in that situation. "Cole, I'm sorry for yelling, but it's true. It's an android, a machine that only LOOKS and SOUNDS human, but it's not. You have to understand that what I'm telling you isn't because I want to be mean to Connor, it's because I want you to recognize the difference between reality and fantasy."

"But Connor IS real." Wiping his hand over his teary eyes Cole fought to keep himself from shouting at his dad in anger. He didn't like shouting and he didn't want to keep yelling or hear his dad yell again. "He isn't my imaginary friend. He's real!"

"Look, I'm not going to argue with you on this. Right now, there are to be NO androids around this house, and I don't want you to be around androids in general until this situation is under control. Okay?"

Quiet for a moment Cole dared to ask exactly why his dad was being so protective and even paranoid. "...Why are the androids dangerous?"

"We don't know for sure just yet, but by all account there is some major programming bug, a glitch, or even a virus going around that is making the androids behave in dangerous, unpredictable ways."

Using his thumb Hank gently wiped away Cole's remaining tears and reached out his arms to give his son a reassuring hug. The clicking of Sumo's nails over the hardwood floor confirmed that the large dog had kept some distance because of the tension and shouting but had sensed that everything was beginning to calm back down. At least it was for now. Having the loyal dog beside him helped remind Hank that even as a single parent he wasn't entirely alone in keeping Cole safe, and if he asked he knew that his friends from the precinct would help out in any way that they could.

"Come on, son." Picking Cole up for a moment Hank grunted and then sighed as he realized that soon his only son was going to be too big to carry painfully soon, and that someday he was going to put Cole down and never pick him up again. It was a cruel reminder of how they were both getting older and that the world was actively changing around them. "We both need a minute to calm down and decompress. It's been a weird day for everyone. I'm sorry for yelling."

"Me too." Cole agreed and didn't protest when his dad picked him and then placed him down on the couch. After he was sat down on the thick cushion beside his dad Cole looked up at Hank and sniffled once as he dried his tears on the hem of his t-shirt. "I think today was the weirdest for Connor."

"Well, I won't say that you're wrong." Hank admitted as he patted his leg and invited Sumo over to cuddle up and help Cole feel better. Being enveloped in thick dog fur and a wagging tail was as reassuring as it was smothering. "Let's just hope things feel a little more normal tomorrow morning."

Just as it seemed everything was calming down Hank's phone began to 'buzz' and ring from his back pocket effectively ruining the moment of respite. Letting out an annoyed sigh Hank pulled his phone from his pocket and felt his mouth go dry when he recognized the caller I.D. as that of S.W.A.T. team leader Captain Allen.

"Shit. This jerk better not try to rip my head off for leaving the scene to check on my son's safety." Pressing the phone to his ear Hank answered the call and braced for the worst due to the nature of the incident he had been in charge of and then relinquished. "Yeah, this is Anderson."

'Hostage secured.' Captain Allen replied in a monotonous yet gruff tone as he updated the Lieutenant of the hostage situation downtown. There was no greeting or any other pleasantries, just business. 'No civilian casualties. One cop dead, one cop wounded and one of my men... I'll have to make a very unwanted phone call to his husband tonight.'

"Shit. I guess considering the little girl lived that's the best news I could've heard tonight." Sinking back against the couch cushion Hank patted Cole's shoulder to let his son know what he was getting a positive update on his case. "What about the android? Where is it?"

'Taken down by force.'

"You just said no casul-"

'You cannot kill a machine, Lieutenant.' The clarification was as cold as ice and without any hint of remorse for the android's destruction. 'The negotiator managed to talk the android into letting the girl go, then my team took out the android.'

"And the negotiator? I left before they got to the scene."

'Some piece of plastic sent to us by CyberLife.'

"Wait... CyberLife sent an android to negotiate an android hostage situation?" That type of response seemed almost counterproductive to their problem. "What the fuck are they doing now?"

'Don't know, don't care. As long as they manage to get this android menace under control, they can send us as many disposable negotiators as they like.'

"By chance, what did the negotiator look like?" Sensing that something was amiss Hank began asking about the mysterious negotiator that successfully contained the scene that he had surrendered to Captain Allen mere seconds after learning that a deranged android was responsible for the violence. "Got a name to go with that piece of plastic?"

'Yeah, something called the "RK-900"; a brand new model of android designed specifically to work with the police. It was tall, had dark hair, gray eyes and a pale looking complexion. Wore a weird black and white uniform and went by the name "Chase".'

"The negotiator was a new model of android?" Hearing the model number being so close to Connor's model drew righteous suspicion from the detective. He didn't believe in coincidences and began to suspect that Connor knew about the hostage situation taking place before even the police knew. "Don't we feel special."

'It got the job done and then went back to CyberLife like the good little robot it was. Still, the situation wasn't something that one of my men or yours couldn't handle.'

"As long as that little girl is safe, I don't care who gets the credit." Trying to push aside the dark cloud hanging over his head Hank focused on the positive aspects of the situation first and foremost. "Need me for anything before you head back, Captain?"

'No, we got this. I just figured you'd appreciate an update after you took off to protect your boy.'

"Yeah, I do. And my son's safe."

'Good to hear. Take care, Lieutenant. Hopefully we never have to work together again.'

"I'll drink to that. Good work, Captain. I'll file my report in the morning." Putting his phone aside Hank glanced over at Cole and watched as his young son patted Sumo's side while just waiting for something new to happen. Knowing that two children were safe from the blossoming android menace was a win that Hank was going to accept for the night. "You know what I could for right now? Pizza."

Cole turned toward Hank and gave him a quick nod of approval. "Yeah, me too."

"Pepperoni, green olives and mushroom, right?"

"EXTRA olives!"

"All right, extra olives for you. I'm going to get my own pizza and some garlic knots on the side."

"Can we share the garlic knots?"

"Absolutely. Root beer or orange soda?"

"Grape!"

"That sounds good." Reclaiming his phone Hank used his favorite app to place the order and requested a human delivery driver instead of a drone. It'd take a little longer to arrive, but it also came with a sense of security knowing that no androids or drones were going to be stopping by the house. "I'll order the pizza; you go take a quick shower and change into your p.j.'s so we can watch a movie without you stinkin' up the place."

"It's you who stinks, not me!"

"Not a chance!" Hank smirked as Cole managed to get off the couch even with Sumo smothering his lap to head to the bathroom. "I smell like cupcakes and victory."

"More like old socks and ugly shirts!"

"Hey! My shirts never stink!" Getting a small laugh out of Cole helped ease the remaining tension in the air and bring about a peaceful atmosphere. "Just for that, I'm going to wear the black and white pin stripe suit from 'Beetlejuice' to your next parent-teacher conference!"

"Would not!"

"Wanna' bet?"

Cole thought about it for only a second and knew that his dad was pretty fearless when it came to proving a point. "Not really."

"Smart move." Approving on the answer Hank showed Cole his phone before he placed the order. "Go on, go take your shower. Pizza should be here by the time you're all cleaned up."

"I'm going! Find a movie to watch too!"

"You got it, kiddo."

Chuckling a little Hank began placing the order on his phone and then turned on the television to check the news before his movie search. The man kept the volume low even with the shower running and drowning out most sounds to ensure that Cole couldn't hear anything being reported about the androids in case the information was upsetting. As expected, the report of the android taking the little girl hostage was the top story being discussed on every local news channel.

'The hostage situation has ended with the hostage being rescued and reunited with her terrified mother after a tense standoff with the police.' News reporter Rosanna Cartland was trying to sound entirely calm and unbiased, but the fear in her eyes was unmistakable. The woman was unsure of the story she was expected to share and didn't know how she should feel about the apparent android threat looming over Detroit. 'At this time the investigating authorities are unsure of what led to the family's android becoming violent, and CyberLife has declined to answer any questions regarding android stability at this time.'

"Shouldn't be shocked that a place like CyberLife is keeping secrets. It's no wonder Connor ran off-" At that particular memory Hank suddenly felt a fleeting moment of empathy toward the vanished android. "...The son of a bitch knew something about CyberLife that was too dangerous for it know. That has to be the reason it ran off all those years ago."

'There have been three confirmed casualties at the scene.' As she spoke Rosanna looked steadily more and more uneasy about the entire situation. 'John Phillips was the hostage's father and the first victim of the android's rampage. The other casualties have been confirmed as K-9 Officer Antony Deckart and a S.W.A.T. Officer whose name is being withheld until his family has been notified of his tragic passing.'

"Shit... Gavin and Antony were friends in the academy." Hank lamented how the younger detective was going to handle the news of his old friend being killed at the hostage situation that night. The senior detective had never worked with Antony, but he heard many positive things about the man from those who had. "Wonder what'll happen to his dog?"

'One additional officer was wounded at the scene and is expected to make a full recovery. Officer Maurice Wilson had been shot during the hostage situation and had been reportedly aided by the hostage negotiator at the scene.' The grim details being interrupted by the sporadic hopeful information did little to put the city at ease as Rosanna continued to relay the report. 'We've been informed that the negotiator is also an android, and one sent by CyberLife specifically to end this standoff as peacefully as possible. We'll be keeping you apprised of this situation as more information comes forward, right here at K.N.C. News.'

"Yeah, good job. Tag that little android detail on right at the end. That way you can say you did your best to keep people from panicking while also knowing that people are tuning out the last bits of your report to check message boards and forums to help spread conspiracy theories and misinformation."

Turning off the television for a moment Hank looked over at Sumo still laying over the couch and rubbed the loyal dog's silky soft ears. Sumo loved the attention and happily thumped his tail in a rhythmic manner.

"You're lucky that you don't have to deal with keeping this city safe or keeping your own kid safe from the world around 'em."

Sumo snuffled a little and offered Hank his paw as if trying to console the man and ease his worries, to which Hank happily accepted.

"Good boy."

Hank heard the shower turn off and knew that Cole would be rejoining him soon. As a loving father Hank knew that his son was going to be asking more questions about Connor and the androids in general, and he tried to mentally prepare himself for what could possibly become a rather uncomfortable discussion.

"I wonder if the androids have any idea of what's going on, or if they're just blindly following orders right into oblivion. They can just march right into the Detroit River and sink for all I care."

As he spoke about the androids with such anger and indifference Hank wondered if he had potentially done something to Connor in the past that would cause the android to come after him in the same way that Daniel had done to its own family. Such a vengeful thought was incredibly disturbing and made the man actually glad he brought his gun home with him that night and had secured the house years prior.

"Let's just get this crazy city through the rest of the year in one piece. After that, maybe I'll try to find Connor and figure out the real reason it conveniently showed up into my life. I know that Connor sought me out on purpose, I just don't know why it did it."

-next chapter-