The snow had begun to melt after the unusual blizzard struck earlier than expected and slowly the city began to thaw as the morning sun rose. Those who dared to venture out of their warm homes and into the streets were bundled up from head to toe to avoid any chill in the air, and most of the streets had been properly plowed and salted to allow safe travel. The weather report confirmed more seasonal autumnal days without snow, ice and extreme temperature drops for the next few weeks, and in return those who held personal disdain toward the cold weather were prompted to prepare for the impending winter and go about their usual business before another snowfall kept them barred within their own homes.

Staring out at the city as he stood on the recently swept balcony Connor decided that he and Lucas should go spend the day outside their apartment before heading over to Hank's home to spend the evening with their adoptive father. With the Central Precinct still out of commission due to the mass outbreak of food poisoning Connor and Hank would have a few days off to do whatever they wanted, and as it turned out Connor wanted to spend more time with his family.

"The streets are clear and we can head out to Hank's house without any problem." Stepping back into the livingroom Connor secured the sliding glass door behind him and watched as Lucas set up a blank white canvas on his paint stained wooden easel. By all account Lucas was settling in to begin working on something in private and had no interest in the leaving the apartment. "We should explore the neighborhood before we meet with Hank."

"Explore?" Checking through his tubes of oil paint curiously Lucas noted which colors he was running low on and the particular shades of his preferred colors he'd need to purchase again to finish his projects. "Why would we need to explore the neighborhood? We've already determined that this apartment is ideal for our needs and have moved in."

"Yes, we know the apartment is ideal but we haven't seen any of the stores and Thirium stalls along the block."

"We have enough Thirium to last us through the month." Putting his paint aside Lucas gave Connor his full attention and sensed that his older brother was trying to hint at something without outright stating what he wanted. "Is there something you wish to do?"

"Yes. I'd like to spend the day with you so we can get to know each other better as brothers, not just roommates."

"Oh. I see." A little embarrassed by his inability to see the obvious Lucas turned away from Connor and shook his head a little. "I appreciate the offer, but I don't think we'd have a very interesting day together."

Curious about the odd reaction Connor's blue L.E.D. shifted to yellow for a beat. "And why's that?"

"You've been able to see the city and experience it firsthand. I just know New Jericho Tower and this apartment." Picking up his paintbrushes Lucas began to nervously wring his hands over the silky soft bristles under his touch. "I feel content here and I don't want to return to the tower. I'd prefer to keep work and my personal time separate."

"Lucas, you won't be able to overcome your discomfort of the city unless you try to find a way to feel more comfortable. You had shown no difficulty when you accompanied me on Sumo's walks and you were comfortable enough to visit Hank whenever it was necessary."

"That's because I knew I could... I could return to the tower and be safe." Lowering his gaze to the beige carpeting beneath his socked feet Lucas admitted his hesitations in leaving his personal sanctuaries. "After what I had done to you and what you had to do to me in return, I have been left physically weaker than what I had been intentionally programmed to be."

The dark memory of physically fighting with Lucas when the 'RK-900' was reactivated well over two years ago was still fresh in Connor's mind. Seeing Lucas take multiple gunshots and keep walking and seeing Lucas drop to his knees after being electrically subdued was haunting to say the least. In the aftermath Lucas had been left with drastically weakened plastimetal frames all over his body and he had greatly reduced combative programming all thanks to the physical damage he had sustained and somehow survived.

"You're stronger than you give yourself credit for, brother." Connor did his best to encourage Lucas to take his first bold steps forward. "Strength comes from more than just the body, it comes from the heart and the mind. That's what I've learned from my time with humans."

"Being weaker than I once was still frightens me."

"You can return here and be safe whenever you want without argument. Please?" Putting his hand on Lucas's nervously fidgeting hands Connor tried to quell his little brother's fears and help him feel more confident. "Just an hour in the city is all I ask. We'll go to the places that only you wish to visit and then we'll go visit Hank to watch the hockey game."

"You're certain you want to spend the day with me?" Lifting his eyes slowly Lucas saw the sincerity in Connor's entire being and hesitated to accept Connor's generous offer. "I'm sure you'd have a more interesting day with Hank."

"I'm sure." Giving Lucas a kind smile Connor reiterated that he wanted to hang out with him throughout the morning and the afternoon. "I want to spend the day with my little brother."

A little coaxing and a lot of patience finally prompted Lucas to leave the apartment and spend the day with Connor instead of hiding away inside the apartment just waiting to go handle his assigned shifts at New Jericho Tower. Keeping warm against the chilly weather by wearing identical hoodies save for the color - Connor was wearing black while Lucas was wearing white, the two brothers ventured out of their apartment and walked down the block to check out the nearby stores and Thirium-based treats being created to mimic more humanoid food and drinks. Strolling down the sidewalk side by side the brothers found a Thirium food stand and decided to begin their day off with a hearty Thirium replenishment.

Selecting their drinks the two brothers compared the two Thirium flavors and determined that being able to taste something beyond metal was far more favorable than the generic Thirium they purchased in bulk from android exclusive stores. Connor had selected what equated to a vanilla flavored smoothie while Lucas had selected chocolate. The contrast in their appearance and their drink choices was amusing as it only emphasized that the brothers had their own personalities and weren't true copies of one another.

"We should purchase Thirium in new flavors when we need to restock." Lucas noted with surprising enthusiasm as he quickly downed his drink. "There were thirty-eight additional flavors for us to sample beyond what we have chosen."

"Of course. However, I think we should skip over the black licorice flavor as that one seems to be rather potent."

"What about the dill pickle flavor?"

"I have no objection to trying that flavor. It seems more palatable than black licorice."

Finishing off his Thirium rather quickly Lucas placed his now empty cup in the nearby recycling bin and took notice of an antique shop full of curious items that humans have long since forgotten about. The prospect of exploring the interests that once enticed his human peers gave Lucas a keen intrigue that was undoubtedly triggering his dormant forensics software into motion.

Following his brother's gaze Connor eyed the store curiously and nodded as he too finished off his drink and recycled the empty cup. "Let's go inside and explore the store. I imagine we'll find something of interest."

"It's full of items designed for humans."

"The items were designed by humans, that doesn't mean androids cannot make some use of them as well."

"I suppose that's true." Pulling on the collar of his white hoodie Lucas admitted that Connor had a fair point. "Our clothing is proof enough of that."

Leading the way into the store Connor glanced about the aged items with a curious eye that caused his scanner to work into overdrive to identify each object's age, material and original purpose. It didn't take long for Lucas to have the same reaction and begin checking over the hundreds of shelves inside of the massive store and begin chronicling the thousands of different items from different eras of time that had been in the hands of countless different people.

Being drawn to the large glass case containing ancient coins from a bygone era Connor found the various forms of currency collected from around the world to be quite fascinating. While the deviant detective examined the coins Lucas found himself drawn to the old paintings, posters and sculptures created by the hands of artists who had long since passed away.

"It's unfortunate that I cannot afford to claim at least one of these coins as my own." Lamenting the hefty sum for each antique coin Connor joined Lucas at the far wall and scanned over the mounted paintings for himself. The images were of nature that had been left untouched by technology and expressed a world that was nearing extinction. "Have you found something you wish to purchase?"

"I'm not sure." Being drawn to the image of a massive field of colorful flowers Lucas couldn't explain his desire to keep staring at the blooms while reminding himself that it was far more logical to budget his funds instead of spending them on something unnecessary. "I like this image but I don't need it."

"You don't need to have something in order to purchase it. We didn't need any new Thirium today, but we wanted to try the new flavors." Checking on the painting's price tag Connor grimaced at the quadruple digit price but didn't want to discourage Lucas from seeking new experiences he wanted to try. "If you want to buy this then you should buy this."

Lucas stared at the painting for a while longer and then took a step back from it as if needing to gain some space. "No. I think I'd rather paint an image similar to this one instead of buying it."

"You need more paint, don't you?"

"I do. I'm running low on sea foam green and burnt umber."

"There's a paint store four blocks from here."

"'Bellini Paints'." Lucas knew the store well and gave Connor a small nod. "I order all of my paint supplies from there."

"Really? How do you know of the place?"

"Markus told me about it when he encouraged me to try expressing my emotions throughout painting. Apparently Mr. Carl Manfred relied on the same store to restock his own paints and Markus frequently picked up his orders on Mr. Manfred's behalf."

"Interesting."

"How so?"

"You're willing to trust another person's suggestions and find out more about yourself. You took Markus's advice and began painting and now you're willing to trust me to venture deeper into the city. I'm glad you're taking those chances and pushing yourself outside your comfort zone."

"I can't stay locked away in New Jericho Tower or the apartment forever." Turning away from the painting Lucas focused on other things and continued to learn more about the humans who live all around him. "Even though we haven't really done anything extraordinary today I'm glad you coaxed me into leaving the apartment. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Wandering down the long aisles and peering up at the wooden shelves filled with random items Lucas kept his hands locked behind his back as he admired the small statuettes, the old glasses and plates, small bits of jewelry, aged books in various forms of wear and decay, toys, puzzles and board games. Wanting to touch and truly examine each item Lucas resisted the urge and continued down the aisle until he reached the end where he spotted a large chessboard with its pieces already in place.

The chess set had pieces composed of marble and mahogany. All of the pieces were in pristine condition and the board itself was polished to a fine luster. With its own large price tag keeping convention shoppers at bay Lucas couldn't help but consider purchasing the chess set for himself as its overall aesthetic was as enticing as it was beautiful.

"Do you know how to play chess?" Turning his focus to Connor as his older brother began checking through a large selection of vinyl albums behind him, Lucas invited Connor over to view the board alongside him. "Playing chess was another activity that Markus would enjoy alongside Mr. Manfred."

"I know how to play, yes." Returning the albums to where he had originally found them Connor walked over to the chess set and picked up one of the black pawns from the board to admire the craftsmanship for himself. "But I have not played the game since I escaped the Zen Garden within my Mind Palace."

"I never had the chance to play. The prospect of the game seems very intriguing."

"Then we should play." Returning the piece to the board Connor stood behind the black pieces and motioned for Lucas to stand behind the white pieces. "If anything it'll give us something else to bond over."

"Very well."

The brothers stood at both ends of the chessboard and quickly downloaded numerous techniques and strategies in regard to triumphant chess games from the past. With nothing at stake the duo decided to simply play for the sake of playing and not worry about who won and who lost.

A swift game of chess ended in a draw once, twice and then three times with the two brothers genuinely surprised by how closely their minds responded to situations despite their very different personalities. Finding the entire situation as interesting as it was humorous the brothers decided it'd be best to call the game after their fourth round ended in a draw as well and to move on from the chessboard.

"Maybe we should play chess more often and not use strategies to guide our moves?" Connor suggested as he and Lucas returned their respective pieces to their places on the board to respect how they found the game initially set-up when they arrived. "Or we could play against Hank. I suspect Hank would be able to best us at least once."

"Perhaps." Returning the board to exactly how it had been before they arrived Lucas took a step back and returned his hands to his military position behind his back to ensure he didn't touch anything as he resumed exploring the store. "I do believe a human mind will result in something beyond a typical stalemate."

Watching the way Lucas carefully walked about as if afraid to touch anything in case he might damage something Connor knew he needed to do something else to help his little brother feel more secure. Cybernetically Connor honed in on a special place and decided to extend the offer out to Lucas to see how he reacted. "We should go and visit the Detroit Institute of Arts."

Hearing the suggestion made Lucas's green eye light up for a moment as he turned around to look at Connor with a hopeful glance. "You'd like to go there?"

"I would."

Checking the hours of operation with a cybernetic link Lucas nodded and seemed to finally perk up. "The institute is open for another six hours and twenty-two minutes. We can finish exploring this store and then walk over to the institute."

"That'll work for me. We'll leave whenever you're ready."

An afternoon of exploring Detroit had done wonders for both Connor and Lucas. Neither deviant had a childhood that would give them fond memories to look back on while growing up, but at least they would be able to remember fond experiences of spending the day together and bonding closer as brothers. The new Thirium flavors, roaming around the antique shop, playing chess and then wandering about the famous art institute had helped Lucas to slowly come out of his shell and speak as if his thoughts, feelings and desires truly mattered. As for Connor, being able to aid his little brother's emotional growth and help him find his footing in the strange world was enough to make the young deviant feel proud of himself.

Walking over to Hank's house after making a special trip out to the paint store so Lucas could restock on his supplies, Connor and Lucas entered the house through the front door just in time to be smothered by Sumo's love and see the large amounts of take-out that Hank had ordered. Since the evening was supposed to be spent just as a small family and not a large party the two deviants were very perplexed by Hank's excessive orders.

"Hey, boys." Hank greeted from the kitchen as he watched Sumo paw at Lucas's hands and lick the side of Connor's face as the large Saint Bernard stood on his hind legs to welcome the two deviants into the home. "Good timing. I just got everything ready for the game tonight."

"We've noticed." Quipping about Hank's large feast on the kitchen table Connor closed the door behind Lucas and himself with his foot. "Isn't that a little excessive for just one person?"

"This isn't ALL for me, son. Some of it's for me and the rest of it is for you two." Pointing to a box labeled as 'Thirium' next to his order of buffalo wings, his pizza and his bottles of soda, Hank made it clear he had something for everyone. "I know you two are good at keeping track of your Thirium, but I thought you two might like to try something new tonight."

Unsure if they should mention that they had already experimented with two new Thirium flavors or not, the brothers decided to just show gratitude and meet with Hank in the kitchen while Sumo trailed after them with his tail wagging happily. Eyeing the special food that Hank ordered for them to try Connor and Lucas silently exchanged skeptical glances as they scanned over the provided Thirium.

"It's supposed to be Thirium-based pizza, but I don't know." Opening the lid on the box Hank showed the two deviants the blue tinted meal and grimaced a little at the unusual sight. "There's a blue cheese joke here somewhere, but I can't find it."

"We understand." Connor confirmed as he and Lucas helped carry everything into the livingroom. Setting the food down on the coffee table Connor looked over at Lucas and watched the way his little brother seemed to be more comfortable and eager to enjoy the evening with his family. "What did you do during your day off, Hank?"

"Oh, not much. Literally." Dropping down onto the couch with a heavy flop Hank turned on the television and picked up his buffalo wings to begin eating just as the hockey game began. "I slept-in, had a nice long shower, took care of some online bills and then splurged on a nice sports-feast." Taking a bite of the first wing from his take-out order Hank sank back against the couch cushion and savored the spicy flavor on his tongue. "So what did you two do today?"

"We explored our neighborhood." Picking up the first slice of pizza from the second box of take-out Connor answered the question and decided that while he was appreciative of Hank for ordering the special Thirium for him and Lucas to try he simply wasn't ready to eat Thirium as opposed to drinking it. Handing the pizza over to his brother to try instead Connor opened up his palms and welcomed Sumo over for some much wanted ear rubs as he sat down in the middle of the couch next to Hank. "There are new Thirium food stands in our neighborhood as well as an interesting antique shop."

"Find anything good in the store?"

"A few old coins, paintings, records and a very nice chess set."

"Seems about right."

Lucas boldly tried the pizza and decided that he liked the way it tasted despite it's questionable look. "Our chess matches resulted in four stalemates." Adding onto the story Lucas sat down next to Connor and looked over at Hank and noted that the senior detective was in a good mood. "We theorize you'd be the first one to beat us since Connor and I play in such similar methods."

"Now that'd be an interesting game." Admitting that he was intrigued by the idea Hank used a napkin to wipe the sauce from his fingers before reaching for his large bottle of cola. "I haven't played chess in years but I still know a move or two."

"Have you ever been to the Detroit Institute of Arts?"

"Not since I was in middle school. It was a field trip and mandatory for art class."

"Didn't you enjoy it?"

"To be honest, I enjoyed being out of school all afternoon but I didn't really care about the paintings. Now that I'm an adult, who knows? Maybe I'll be able to appreciate art a little more." Glancing back at the television screen as the game started Hank wondered where such a question came from. "Did you want to go and see the art institute?"

"I already did. Connor and I visited the institute before coming over here."

"Got anything related to or created by androids on display yet?"

"There was a twenty-four foot by twenty-four foot tapestry woven in cotton strands soaked with Thirium depicting an android shedding its skin. I believe it's meant to express the freedom deviants felt when we were acknowledged as living beings and not tools for mankind."

"I'll take your word for it. I'm not an art expert whatsoever." Seeing the way Lucas was in a good mood and being talkative made Hank grin. "Sounds like you two had a good day out today."

"We did. I enjoyed it." Finishing off his slice of pizza Lucas too wiped the grease off of his fingers onto a napkin and then began petting Sumo's ears. "It was a nice day and a very enjoyable experience all around."

Hearing that made Connor smirk as he felt as if he had officially done something right by his little brother and was being a supportive figure and role model that any sibling could ever want. "I'm glad you had a good day. It's not often we'll have the opportunity to spend time together."

"And I'm glad you encouraged me to leave the apartment. Not only did I find our exploration thoroughly enjoyable but I have new inspiration to use when I resume my painting. Until then, I'll just try to understand the concept of hockey and why so many humans find it to be interesting."

Discreetly Hank patted Connor's shoulder in silent approval to let the deviant know that he was proud of his actions. The way Connor stepped up to help out his little brother without needing any prompting or hints gave Hank a true sense of paternal pride toward his adoptive sons finding their way through the very unusual and ever changing world together.

As the game started off with a small fight on the ice resulting in one of the player's being sent to the penalty box, Hank chuckled to himself and looked over at the two brothers beside him as a sly grin appeared on his face. "You two maybe masters of chess, but how are ya' at predicting final scores?"

Curious about the question Connor and Lucas both looked at the television and noted the penalized team seemed to be at a disadvantage even though the game had just begun. With one team being down a valued player for an extended period of time could prove to be a deciding factor in the overall game at the very end.

"Interesting..." Connor's L.E.D. flickered in yellow repeatedly as he began preconstructing the potential final score and made his decision. "I believe the Red Wings will win the game by two points."

Lucas had been preconstructing the game as well and had his own opinion. "I disagree. I believe the Blackhawks will win by one point after going into sudden death."

Hank was impressed by how quickly the two deviants picked up on the sport and decided he'd need to put down some money. "All right, I say that the Red Wings are going to win by a whopping four goals and it won't even be close. What do ya' think of that?"

"That's a very hopeful prediction." Connor noted as he watched Hank reach for his wallet and put down a twenty-dollar bill on the center of the coffee table to confirm his wager. "Twenty dollars?"

"Yup. Unless you want to up the ante..."

"No, that's fair." Pulling the same note from his own wallet Connor added it to the pot. "I'm confident in my prediction."

Lucas placed his own bill on the table and gave his brother a knowing look. "As am I."

"Done. No take-backs, either." Picking up his box of wings again Hank just laughed and turned up the volume on the television as the game resumed. "Okay, boys. Let's see who gets to walk away sixty bucks richer and earns bragging rights for the rest of the season."

-next chapter-