Beginning their daily routine on a cool and cloudy day Connor and Hank were sitting at their desks attempting to find a lead on the unknown driver who had any connection to the 'YK' android that had been brought to New Jericho Tower the previous afternoon, but there were no witnesses to the crime - or at least there were no witnesses willing to come forward. While Connor was getting a little restless at the lack of progress Hank seemingly didn't mind the lull since he was still feeling a little shaky after recovering from his illness and witnessing Lucas's emotional breakdown. Everyone was exhausted in some way due to the heinous nature of the needless murder.

Just as it seemed the entire day was going to be a total waste a report came in regarding a human abusing his android at his home, and legal intervention was required. At least the two detectives would be able to help one deviant that day even if it wasn't the deviant they wanted to help.

"Shit, another domestic disturbance." Hank grumbled as he accepted the report on his terminal and watched as Connor's blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow thanks to the cybernetic upload. "Come on, let's go end this bullshit before it turns into a homicide."

"I'm right behind you."

"Think it's too late to call off sick?"

"Most likely, considering Captain Fowler is looking at us from his office at this very moment."

"So what?" Hank wasn't intimidated by the comment as he stood up from his chair and fished his car keys from his coat pocket. "He's not a doctor."

"But he is a detective."

"So are we."

"A detective who is wise to people attempting deceit." The deviant detective replied sharply as he too rose from his chair and followed after Hank toward the front receptionist area of the precinct. Passing through the front doors together the duo made their way over to the neighboring parking garage to head out to the scene of the domestic disturbance. "I doubt you could fool him."

"I don't care if he believes me or not, kid. I just want to go home!"

The drive to the scene of the crime took only a few minutes thanks to the light traffic. As the two detectives pulled up in front of the house mentioned in the report they were greeted by Chris and Tina who were already at the scene and trying to calm the physical fight still in progress. Rushing inside the house Connor and Hank quickly took in the violent scene and responded accordingly to assist their fellow officers as they tried to subdue the violent man and protect the battered deviant cowering from him in the corner. The owner himself was a heavy-set, slovenly man who reeked of booze and body odor. Trace amounts of 'red ice' were staining his fingertips and his lips from his chronic drug abuse for years on end, and his prematurely aging skin just emphasized how pathetic he had become.

Furniture was upturned and broken throughout the entire house; empty glass beer bottles lined the floor and the shelves in a depressing display of alcohol dependency. Smears of blue blood marked the walls and the floor where the damaged deviant had fled for her life throughout the house until the police finally arrived to arrest her owner - who still illegally owned the deviant, for physical abuse and potential attempted homicide.

"KNOCK IT OFF." Hank joined Chris in pinning the struggling man against the wall beneath his forearm while Tina and Connor were checking on the damaged deviant. It was just a scene of utter chaos but Hank was determined to keep it under control. "DON'T ADD RESISTING ARREST TO THE CHARGES."

The victimized deviant was a female 'AX-400' model cowering in the corner of the livingroom with her own blue blood smeared all over her face and hands from the numerous cuts and abrasions that marred her body from her abusive owner's violence. She looked so broken and defeated as if she had put the last of her energy into just surviving the final onslaught.

"Tina," Connor had performed a cybernetic scan over the deviant's body and found that her injuries were not life threatening, but were severe enough to warrant a technician's care. She could be moved safely. "take her outside."

Obeying Connor's instructions Tina put her arm around the cowering deviant's shoulders to guide the damaged victim to safety outside the dysfunctional house while the three remaining officers worked together to subdue the combative suspect.

The enraged man managed to kick Chris in the stomach causing the officer to back away in pain as he tried to catch his breath all the while Hank kept his right forearm pressed against the guy's throat and his left hand clutched at the front of the man's shirt to try to keep him steady. Being taller than the man gave Hank a slight strength advantage.

Moving quickly Connor rushed over to the man and grabbed onto his forearms to help Hank keep him restrained against the wall. "You just assaulted a police officer. You will be charged accordingly."

The man just snarled and spat at the two detectives without saying a word in the process.

"Shit, he's still fuckin' high!" Hank grunted as he and Connor tried to force the man down onto his chest on the floor. "He's NOT going to go down easy."

Chris managed to recompose himself and pulled the handcuffs from his belt as Hank and Connor finally got the man down onto the floor and onto his knees. As the two detectives tried to force the man's hands behind his back the man looked up and saw the yellow tinted L.E.D. glowing in Connor's right temple and had a violent reaction toward the deviant.

"FUCKIN' MACHINE!" The man shouted as an adrenaline surge coursed through his veins. Breaking his arm free from Hank's grip the man pushed Hank back and grabbed one of the many empty glass bottles from the floor in a strong grip. "FUCKING DIE!"

Swinging the bottle as fast and forcefully as he could the man struck Connor twice in the face before the deviant had the chance to react to the man's impressive display of adrenaline and strength. The glass bottle shattered with the first impact against the left side of Connor's face and the glass shards cut deeply into artificial skin. The second strike cut the deviant even more severely and caused extensive damage to both of his eyes as a result.

Letting out a yelp of surprised pain Connor, with his L.E.D. flashing red, let go of the man's arm as he stumbled backward and put both of his hands protectively over his bleeding face right around his damaged eyes. Instinctively the wounded deviant made his way from the violent man and toward the nearest solid object to brace himself against it to regain his bearings.

"Connor?!" Hank was back on his feet in a matter of seconds to resume the fight. Grabbing onto the man's arm again Hank smashed the man's hand against the wall to make him drop the Thirium stained weapon before he and Chris tackled him down to the floor onto his knees again. "Bad move, you dumb fucker!"

"I got this." Chris next pulled the stun gun from his belt and aimed a shot at the man's chest. As soon as he squeezed the trigger two metal prongs shot out from the non-lethal weapon and embedded into the man's chest quickly delivering a subduing and painful shock that rendered the man unconscious. Falling forward in a limp heap the man stopped fighting and Chris released the trigger to stand over the downed man. "...Should've done this sooner."

Hank scrambled away from the man and knelt over Connor who was sitting back against the wall near the front door with his hands pressed protectively against his bleeding eyes. Thirium was seeping between his fingers, staining his hands and the sleeves of his white dress shirt and gray blazer a dark blue as he breathed through his gritted teeth in utter pain.

"Connor, let me see. Move your hands!" Hank grabbed onto Connor's wrists and tried to pull the deviant's hands down so he could see the wounds but Connor wouldn't budge. "Connor! I need to see your face. Let me help you!"

Suddenly Connor dropped his hands down to his sides as he tilted his head back and continued to breathe through his clenched teeth. His eyelids were shut tight as blue blood trailed from both corners of his eyes down his face. Small imperfections under his eyelids indicated the presence of glass embedded in his optical units that would need to be extracted before it caused any further damage.

"Open your eyes for me." Finding a patient tone Hank tried to coax Connor into being more cooperative. "I need to see your eyes."

Forcing his eyelids to open despite the intense pain Connor stared forward blankly at the dark blur kneeling in front of him just as thunder began to rumble in the distance.

"Oh, shit..." Hank could see that there were large shards of the brown tinted glass from the broken bottle embedded in Connor's face all along his eyes and over the bridge of his nose. More alarming he could see fragments of the glass actually embedded in Connor's physical eyes at painful angles. Taking Connor's right arm in his hands Hank pulled the tense limb around his shoulders as he helped the shaken deviant to stand back up. "Come on, I'll get you back to see Joel at the precinct and get you cleaned up."

"...J-Joel?" Connor repeated the name curiously and shut his eyes again as he allowed Hank to guide him out of the house and over to the parked car outside the house. He could hear a stifled gasp from Tina as she had undoubtedly seen the blue blood on his face and with that gasp Connor's heart fearfully skipped a beat. "It's serious, isn't it?"

"It's bad, kid. I'm not going to lie." Hank put his free hand to Connor's chest to stop the deviant from walking any further as he pulled open the car's passenger side door before guiding Connor down inside against the seat. In a quick motion Hank buckled the seatbelt over Connor on the deviant's behalf before closing the door and rushing over to the driver's side door to get behind the wheel. "What does your self diagnostic say?"

Connor shook his head a little causing drops of blue blood to drip from his face and onto his shirt and lap in the process. "...R-Right optical unit 'o8001' has been compromised. Left optical unit 'o8002' compromised: Repairs cannot initiate until the foreign matter has been removed."

"Yeah, you got a lot of glass in your eyes." The senior detective confirmed as he turned the key in the ignition and pulled the Oldsmobile away from the house and back onto the street. As he drove back to the precinct Hank opened the glovebox in front of Connor and pulled out a clean white rag used as a makeshift bandage in the event of emergencies. "Here." Carefully he placed the item in Connor's blood covered left hand and waited until the deviant grabbed onto it for himself. "Hold it against your eyes, maybe it can stop the bleeding."

Connor tried opening his eyes again only to find himself completely blind to the world around him. "Hank..." Panic set in quickly as pure darkness obstructed his vision. "Hank, I can't see."

"You'll be okay, you just to have the glass removed."

"I'm blind." Connor began to panic further as the sudden realization that his eyes were no longer functioning settled in his heart in a most unwelcome manner. The white's of his eyes were black and his irises had turned pale blue as the optical relay had ceased entirely due to the damage. "Hank? I can't see anything!"

"Connor." Hank grabbed onto Connor's left wrist to reassure the frightened deviant as he continued to drive to the precinct at a fast, but stable speed. "I'm right here, you're going to be okay." As Connor's right hand reached over and grabbed onto Hank's wrist the senior detective lifted Connor's left hand up toward his own face and reiterated using the rag to try to stem the bleeding. "Keep your eyes covered, okay? It'll help with the pain."

"...I don't like this."

Swallowing once nervously as raindrops began to rapidly dot the windshield in a loud cascade of nature Hank concentrated on his driving before he replied to his partner, his son's, righteous upset."...Neither do I, son. But it'll be okay."

What had started out as a bad day had turned to absolute shit for Sergeant Gavin Reed as he found himself stranded on the side of the road with a dead battery in both his car and his phone. Stuck almost ten miles from the city in the relentlessly chilly rain and completely alone, the stubbornly abrasive detective struggled to shift his battered old car into neutral and push it down the slick road back toward the city's limits. All while the rain continued to soak through his clothing and chill him right to the bone as thunder began to rumble more frequently and sporadic flashes of lightning made his skin prickle with thick static electricity building in the air.

Pushing on the trunk of his car with all of his might Gavin swore under his breath and flipped off every passing car that didn't bother to stop and help him out or even offer to call a tow truck. It seemed his years of indifference to other peoples' misery outside of his working hours were catching up to him on that cold and stormy day.

"Assholes!"

Raising his left middle finger high and proud into the air Gavin called out the latest driver who passed him by without even slowing down.

"This is what I get for protectin' your sorry asses?! No wonder the androids won the war!"

The car continued on its way without slowing down or even showing any sign that the driver ever noticed Gavin as it drove by.

Brushing his wet, dark hair back from his face with a quick pass of his hand Gavin glanced over his shoulder in time to see an autonomous taxi slowing down and passing the detective by before coming to a gentle stop just in front of the stalled out car.

"Fuckin' finally! At least one person can be bothered to help out."

As the taxi shifted into park the driver's side door opened and the occupant stepped out to assist the stranded motorist. "Detective Reed?"

"Fuckin'... Connor? Wait! Wait..." Getting a closer look at the deviant's face Gavin took in the black colored hair, green eyes and lack of L.E.D. fairly quickly, and recognized the helpful android not as the 'RK-800' known as 'Connor', but as the 'RK-900' that had been dubbed 'Lucas' by Connor himself. Lucas of course had been taken in as Connor's adoptive younger brother ever since they were united in the basement of CyberLife Tower. "...Uh, 'Louis'?"

"Actually, it's 'Lucas'."

"Oh." The polite correction sat wrong with Gavin for a reason he couldn't express. "What the fuck are you doing out here?"

"I'm returning to my apartment after my shift at New Jericho Tower and after performing a 'house call' for a deviant who resides outside of the city."

"...Oh. Whatever."

"How can I assist you?"

"...Uh, it's fine." The way Lucas didn't even flinch as the cold rain soaked into his clothing was almost envious as Gavin felt himself beginning to shiver. "Just let me borrow your phone so I can call for a tow truck."

"There is currently no signal on my emergency phone as the cloud cover is too thick. The same can be said about my ability to contact automotive services through a cybernetic call."

"You're shitting me?"

That ugly turn of phrase prompted Lucas to tilt his head a little with mild confusion. "...I am not."

"Damn it! Of course..." Bowing his head down toward the trunk of his car Gavin sighed with defeat then immediately slammed both of his palms down on the slick, metal surface before he turned around and swore at the sky above. "Fuckin' shit!"

Without a word Lucas opened up the driver's side door of Gavin's car and reached inside to release the lock on the hood, then stood before the hood as he popped it open. Peering down at the engine Lucas ran a quick scan and didn't see anything corroding or broken, but thanks to Hank's tutelage on vehicles he knew that it was often the most common problem with the most common solution that needed to be handled in a very common manner.

Occam's razor.

"Hey!" Gavin noticed that Lucas was checking the car's engine and was immediately on the defensive. "What the fuck are you doing to my car?"

"I'm attempting to locate the problem."

"I know what the problem is, my damn battery died."

"If you already knew the issue then why not ask me to jump your battery rather than call and pay for a tow truck?"

"Because... Fuck off!" The thought hadn't even crossed his mind. "That's why..."

"That is not a plausible explanation, but I understand your frustration."

"Shut up."

"I'm attempting to assist you, detective. Why are you being so hostile to my presence?"

"Nothing personal, but I hate all androids. Even your 'brother'."

"I'm aware."

"Wait... What?" Gavin was genuinely surprised by Lucas's demeanor and the subsequent lack of reaction to the statement. "You know that I-"

"I can jump your battery with jumper cables if you have a set."

"I, uh..."

Lucas simply took the keys from the car's ignition and pressed the button on the fob to pop open the trunk and check for the cables himself prompting Gavin to back away from the car for a moment. There was a set tucked away in the corner of the trunk beneath a spare tire, a large flashlight, a security blanket, first aid kit and bunch of old fast food bags that had piled up over the past few months.

"Hey?" Watching as the deviant set about connecting the prongs of the cable to the battery in Gavin's car then hook them up to the battery in the autonomous taxi with simple cybernetic commands to pop open the hood of the second vehicle, Gavin tried to figure out why Lucas was helping him out. "Hey! What the fuck are you doing?"

"I'm assisting you."

"WHY?"

Lucas paused for a moment before he put his exposed right hand down on the battery in the taxi and cybernetically restarted the vehicle to send the necessary charge over to Gavin's car. "Because you need help."

Unsure of how to react to the kind gesture Gavin just stood beside his car and remained silent until it was time to try to turn over the key in the ignition and restart his own vehicle. As the rain pounded down from the sky the air grew colder and the stubborn human could feel the chill gnawing away at his bones, but he didn't dare complain about it in front of the deviant.

"Your battery is very old." Lucas stated almost matter-of-factly as he assessed the vehicle's condition. "It was manufactured in 2029. In a way it's impressive that it still functions at all."

"Yeah, yeah..."

"Drive to the nearest garage and I'll follow you in the cab in case your vehicle stalls again."

"...Whatever."

Running a scan over the two vehicles Lucas gave the grumpy detective a single nod to signal it was time to turn the key. "That should be enough. I'll override the taxi's preprogrammed functions to give you the necessary jump."

"Yeah, right." Sitting down in his driver's seat Gavin shrugged off his water logged leather jacket and shivered slightly. Using his right hand to turn the key in the ignition and his left hand to sweep his wet hair back and out of his face again Gavin turned the key and felt the car shuddering as it tried to start. "Come on, come on..." The engine roared to life and the heaters kicked back on with a welcome blast of warm air. "Yes! Fuck yeah!"

Lucas proceeded to remove the cables from the two vehicles, his motions so precise and calculated that he didn't have to worry about a risk of an electric shock, and wrapped up the jumper cables to replace them in the trunk of Gavin's car. "There is a garage two point-"

"I know where it is."

Gavin snapped as he pulled his door shut and fastened his seatbelt. Turning on the windshield wipers to a high speed Gavin watched as Lucas slammed his trunk shut before he returned to the autonomous taxi and adjusted his G.P.S. coordinates so he could follow after Gavin into the city to ensure the detective made it to the garage in one piece.

"...Plastic assholes must love seeing humans struggle."

Checking his mirrors Gavin sighed and pulled his car back onto the road and watched in the rearview mirror as the autonomous taxi followed after him at a steady speed. Shaking his head with an annoyed sigh Gavin just tightened his hands around the steering wheel as he mentally pleaded with his car to not break down on him for a second time before he got to the city.

"Fuckin' rain."

Swearing again as he tried to ignore how cold he felt with his clothing soaked through from the downpour Gavin cranked up the heat and made his way to the nearest garage to get his battery replaced to prevent a second issue like this from happening again.

"Fuckin' shitty battery."

Giving the taxi following him one last annoyed glance with the rearview mirror Gavin squared his jaw and sneered at the deviant following after him.

"Fuckin' plastic freaks..."

Patiently but nervously Hank stood back against the wall and watched as Joel carefully extracted the large shards of glass from Connor's eyes with a pair of metal tweezers and a steady hand. The amount of jagged glass shards that Joel had to remove was staggering, but Connor remained completely still as he laid back over the exam table with his head and shoulders propped upright against a supportive cushion for an easier procedure. The wounded deviant kept his slightly twitching hands clasped together over his chest in an attempt to not react physically to the pain in his eyes as could sense but couldn't see what Joel was doing to his damaged eyes.

It took nearly an hour to accomplish but Joel dropped the final collected glass shard into the metal basin along with the others and began the second step in the repair process. With the most difficult aspect completed the calm technician let out a heavy sigh.

"...Done." Joel announced as he put his tools aside. "Sorry that took so long."

Connor seemed to relax a little but didn't say a word as he blinked his manually numbed eyelids a few times.

"Okay, let me double-check my work." Remaining calm Joel stated his actions aloud as he pulled the internal examination screen from the nearby table and held it up over Connor's face. "This won't take long."

Hank peered over Joel's shoulder at the display on the screen and grimaced a little as the screen showed some red highlights where a few smaller shards of glass were still wedged under Connor's artificially skin dangerously close to his eyes.

"Four more pieces, but at least they're small. Hank," turning to the senior detective standing behind him Joel asked for a little assistance. "could you hold the screen for me? It'll make this much easier."

"Yeah, sure." Taking the screen from Joel's hands Hank held it steady and in place while the technician used the screen to guide his hands accordingly. "Like this?"

"Yeah, perfect." Tweezers in hand Joel resumed his laborious and delicate task. "Found the first piece." Joel pulled it out from under Connor's left eye slowly and dropped it with the other shards onto the bloody pile building up on the tray beside him. "And the second..."

Connor did his best to not move and not blink during the procedure. The second shard was right next to the first and removed just as easily.

"Third is a little deeper but I can get it."

The third shard was between Connor's left eye and the bridge of his nose but it wasn't too tiny which made locating it easier.

"And the fourth is just above your right eye." As the fourth piece was removed the red images on the screen faded away and confirmed Joel's success. "...Okay, I'm going to rinse out your eyes with some sterile saline solution and then some liquid incrassation compound over top to aid your self healing program. Do you understand?"

Connor nodded a little as he took in a deep breath and held it. While Joel walked over to the storage cabinet to get the supplies he needed Hank set aside the screen and put his hand on Connor's left forearm only to have Connor's right hand immediately grab onto Hank's hand in the desperate need to feel safe.

"Easy kid." Hank spoke softly to try to help Connor feel slightly calmer as his eyes were being treated. "I'm still right here. You're not alone and you'll be just fine in a few more minutes."

"I need to be able to see." The wounded deviant stated in a worried tone. "Darkness and red static is too overwhelming. My other senses are attempting to compensate for my blindness and I can't deactivate them. I don't- It's just too much to handle."

"Relax, Connor, it's going to be okay. If Joel can't repair your eyes then I'll take you to New Jericho myself and we'll make sure you get brand new eyes so you can see just as well as ever did, okay?"

"Can't we go there now?"

"I want you to heal first. If you can't see by tomorrow morning then I'll take right to New Jericho and Lucas will be there with us both the entire time. We won't let anything bad happen to you, I swear to it."

Letting out a shaking breath Connor agreed to the only mildly comforting deal. "...Okay."

Joel carefully poured the saline from a clear pouch into a special squeeze bottle with a spout that would allow him to gently rinse the smallest of the glass shards, glass fibers and spilled blue blood from Connor's eyes without pushing the shards deeper into his eyes or cut skin in the process. It was an unconventional treatment for androids, but the injury itself was unconventional.

"Tilt your head back and to the left." Joel instructed as he put a metal basin in Connor's hands and then repositioned his hands to guide the basin under his face to catch the run-off saline. "I'm going to open your eye with my fingers and when I do you MUST keep it open, otherwise I can't rinse off your optical unit properly. Are you ready?"

"...Yes." Connor confirmed as he felt Joel's hand carefully hold open his left eyelid with a gentle pressure. "I'm ready."

"Okay, don't blink."

Joel aimed the spout of the bottle over Connor's let eye and began to slowly squeeze the saline down over his eye. As the saline rinsed away the residual glass and blue blood the transparent liquid turned a pale shade of blue as it poured into the basin.

"Done. Tilt your head to the right and I'll repeat the process."

Hank was almost surprised at how simple Joel made the whole procedure look at he unflinchingly took care of Connor's damaged eyes. Once the saline rinse was finished in both eyes Joel repeated the process as he poured the orange tinted incrassation compound into Connor's eyes just as easily.

"Okay, your eyes are clean."

"...Now what?"

"Close your eyes, but not too tight." Joel instructed as he put a hand to Connor's shoulder to help him sit completely upright again. Pressing a pad of gauze over both of Connor's now closed eyes Joel taped the bandage into place to shield his optical units and to cover the numerous cuts along his artificial skin that his self healing program would remedy later on. "I'm going to wrap up your eyes under a roll of gauze to protect your strained optical units from external stimulus, foreign matter and painful light. You'll need to keep the bandages in place for a minimum of twelve hours and enter rest mode once you're home. It'll kickstart your self healing program in the process."

"My eyes have to remain bandaged?"

"Unfortunately, yes." With a gentle pressure Joel began wrapping gauze over Connor's eyes and around his head to completely blindfold the deviant. "The damage to your optical units was exclusively external which is why I didn't have to necessarily replace them, but if your system tries to use your visual sensors before the damage has a chance to repair then they'll overheat and cause internal damage as well."

"Then I cannot continue my shift?" Connor's red L.E.D. blinked to yellow rapidly through the white bandages over his eyes and subsequently his right temple. "I have to leave?"

"Yes. Go home and rest, Connor." Joel patted the deviant's shoulder as he secured the bandages with medical tape. "I can't damn you for your dedication, but holy shit. Take a break from time to time, will ya'?"

Hank laughed at the comment as he pulled his hand away from Connor's hand and slipped it under the deviant's arm to guide him off the table and down to the floor to regain his balance. "That's what I keep telling him. Any special instructions for this guy or just let him sleep it off?"

"Nope." Slipping off his stained latex gloves Joel trusted Hank to keep an eye on Connor from that moment onward. "As long as he doesn't remove the bandages before he's supposed to he should be just fine by tomorrow morning." Looking at the way Connor's L.E.D. pulsed rapidly Joel acknowledged the possibility or one other potential side effect. "Maybe a dull headache from stress, but no complications to his vision or eyes."

"All right, you heard the technician." Hank began pulling on Connor's arm to lead him out of the dispensary and Connor immediately put his hand on Hank's shoulder for guidance. Being unable to visually process his environment had left Connor feeling disoriented despite knowing the entire layout of the precinct with flawless recollection. "I'm going to take you back to your apartment and let Lucas know what happened."

"Lucas will be at New Jericho Tower today."

"Then I'll stay with you until he gets back. I don't want you to be alone."

"Thank you."

"Hey, no problem. You two took care of me when I had the flu."

"Bronchitis."

Smirking at the smart retort Hank pressed the call button on the elevator and waited for the doors to open. "Whatever... The point is you guys took care of me and I'll always step up to take care of you."

Arriving at the large garage without any further difficulty Gavin explained the situation to the mechanic, told him about needing the jumpstart to get his battery working again and how he just wanted the battery swapped out with another and nothing more. In the middle of discussing things with the mechanic Lucas joined Gavin inside the garage to avoid the rain and glanced about the interior of the building with a genuine curiosity as he never spent time at an automotive garage and had learned everything about automotive maintenance from Hank in person. A part of Lucas also wanted to make sure that Gavin didn't need any further assistance before departing.

The smell of motor oil was thick in the air and the sound of power tool was a little distracting. A strange sense of familiarity from being surrounded by people who built, repaired and modified powerful pieces of technology made the deviant 'RK-900' put up his guard.

"So what' the bill?" Gavin sighed as he filled out the necessary paperwork and tried to ignore the deviant standing a few feet behind him at the door. "Let me know now in case I have to run to the bank."

"We'll get you an estimate on the repairs." The gruff, aged mechanic stated with an ironically mechanical voice. The mechanic was in his late forties, had thin gray hair barely covering his balding crown, a notable pot belly and thickly calloused hands. "It should take only an hour."

"An HOUR? For one battery being switched out?" The somewhat lengthy wait made Gavin's blood boil. "Come on! My day sucks enough as it is!"

"There's a line ahead of you, and you didn't make an appointment." The mechanic replied with raw indifference. "One hour's the best I can do."

"Fuck..." Soaked, cold and just wanting to get back to his apartment Gavin had no choice but to wait and dry out. "Whatever. Do it."

The mechanic nodded as he took Gavin's car keys and carried the paperwork into the garage to put the vehicle on the 'to-do' list.

"Detective?"

Almost flinching when Lucas spoke up in a voice that was similar to Connor, yet still a few octaves deeper, Gavin just stared blankly at the countertop where he was standing and acknowledged the deviant. "...What?"

"You're very cold and need to warm up before you become ill."

Scoffing at the idea Gavin turned around and gave Lucas a venomous glare. "Yeah, can't let the weak, inferior humans get sick, right?"

"It has nothing to do with humanity as a whole, detective. I'm merely trying to help you."

"Well, don't. I don't need your help."

"I beg to differ."

"What did you just say?" Standing before Lucas in an aggressive manner Gavin appeared as though he was ready to start a fight with the deviant. "You got a smart-mouth like your brother?"

"No. I'm just being honest."

"Uh-huh, sure. Go ahead and say it. Tell me how weak humans are compared to androids."

"I will not."

"Why?"

"Because it's not true."

Confused yet again by Lucas's comments Gavin crossed his arms defensively over his chest as he stared at the deviant with waning anger. "Oh, really?"

"Yes. Androids aren't immortal and can in fact perish. There is no superiority from one species over the other."

Without anything to say Gavin just shook his head and made a move to pass through the door and back out into the rain to get away from the deviant.

"Detective," watching Gavin storm off made Lucas a little wary. "where are you going?"

"Outside." Passing through the glass door as the bell above it 'jingled' Gavin shouted back at the deviant without caring if anyone else heard him. "I'm not sitting in the damn waiting area with a bunch of 'soccer moms' and their whiny brats for an hour."

Following after Gavin to head him off Lucas glanced about the surrounding buildings and quickly motioned to a diner across the street and suggested that Gavin go over there. "You should get something warm to eat to prevent illness from setting in and helping to correct your mild hypothermia."

"Why do you care?" Stopping short Gavin gave the deviant another suspicious, angry glance. "I'm no one to you!"

"You work with my brother. He speaks highly of your skill as a detective and it could cause a problem with the precinct if one of their detectives was unable to perform their duties."

The rain continued to soak into Gavin's already wet clothing and made him shiver again as he contemplated Lucas's words. "...Are you trying to kiss my ass?"

"No. I'm merely stating facts."

Unable to hide or deny that he was freezing cold Gavin relented and decided to go to the diner. "...Fine. I'll go."

"And I will go with you."

"What?" Still clearly ready for a fight Gavin challenged the deviant yet again. "Why?"

"I understand that waiting can be very tedious and mentally taxing for humans, and that companionship can help with the waiting process."

"...You want to have lunch with me?"

"I suppose so, yes."

"All right, fine." Heading out to the sidewalk to use the crosswalk Gavin noticed that Lucas was following right at his side like a loyal puppy. "Since this is your idea you're buying."

"That is acceptable."

"Are you fuckin' serious?" Stopping as the crossing signal turned red Gavin gave Lucas a truly confused stare. "I was being sarcastic."

"I'm aware. But since you have to pay for car maintenance then me being able to help you out financially-"

"Okay, I get it." The signal turned green and Gavin set about the crosswalk as quickly as he could to get to the diner on the other side of the street. As he jogged Lucas jogged right at his side to keep up. "You're giving me a pity lunch."

"I don't pity you, detective. I just want to help."

"Whatever you say, plastic freak."

Crossing the street at a steady clip and finally reaching the front door of the modest diner Gavin sighed in relief as the warm air lessened the rain chill clinging to his hair and his clothing and he finally began to relax a little. Lucas joined him inside the diner and glanced about the small restaurant curiously as he had never been inside of a human dining establishment before.

The drive to the apartment complex was quiet and thankfully uneventful as the rain began to lessen but still drench the city under a cold layer of nature. Walking at a slow pace Hank led Connor to the building, down the corridor and into the elevator to take him up to the top floor to reach his apartment and rest properly. Repeating the same careful steps Hank led Connor out of elevator and over to his apartment door down the next corridor so the wounded deviant could try to take it easy. While he waited for Connor to retract the artificial skin from his right palm to unseal the electronic lock, Hank asked about his 'new neighbors' as he noticed that the surrounding doors now had functioning electronic locks as well, which meant new tenants were nearby.

Three other deviants had taken up residence in the apartment complex on the third and fourth floors below and the building itself was beginning to feel less isolated. By all account the complex felt like any other complex in the city.

"When did the other deviants move in?"

"Two weeks ago." Connor confirmed as he put his palm on the electronic panel out of sheer muscle memory. The panel scanned his palm and the lock 'clicked' open accordingly. "It's nice to not be the only androids in the building now."

As the door opened Hank guided Connor inside the apartment's livingroom and took him over to the couch to sit. "Are you in any pain?"

"Nothing too dissimilar to a headache." Connor admitted as he sat on the couch and slipped his arms out of his rain soaked blazer sleeves to get slightly more comfortable. "Just as Joel stated."

Taking Connor's blazer Hank hung it on one of the two hooks beside the front door then did the same for his own coat. "Do you want me to call Lucas and ask him to come back to the apartment?"

"No, he's busy. I'm also not in any danger."

Hank noticed the green guitar that Connor kept in a stand at the corner of the livingroom and a smile appeared on his face. "You know something, Connor?" The senior detective walked over to the guitar and picked it up carefully. "I never once heard you play this guitar since you bought it."

"I didn't want to disturb you with the sound."

"Son, it's going to take a hell of a lot more than a guitar to disturb me. Try pointing a gun at my head or showing me a dead body, THAT'S disturbing."

"I'd rather not."

Letting out a small laugh at the response Hank held the guitar outward toward Connor and waited for the deviant's hands to reach out and grab the guitar by the neck and then the body through instinct. "Got it?"

"Yes." Carefully Connor turned the guitar over in his hands to hold the bridge in his left hand and the body in his right. Slinging the shoulder strap over his head and around his shoulders Connor fished the silver colored pick from beneath the strings at the head of the neck and held it between his right index fingertip and thumb. "What do you want me to play?"

"I don't care." Hank plugged the guitar into the small amplifier and turned it on. "What do you want to play?" The supportive detective and father sat down on the couch next to Connor and watched as the deviant nervously bit at his lower lip. "Hell, what do you even play when you're practicing?"

"I prefer to play songs that I have heard before, namely from 'Knights of the Black Death' and 'Fifty-One Times Metal'. There are several other bands I enjoy as well, but their music is over five decades old and rather obscure."

"But you do listen to heavy metal."

"Correct."

"Is that because that's the music that I listen to or do you actually like it?"

"I do like it. There may be a small bias because you introduced it to me, but I've listened to other genres of music and I find heavy metal to be the most... enthralling."

"Good thing you're not at a concert. If anyone heard you use the terms 'heavy metal' and 'enthralling' in the same sentence they'd kick your ass."

"Why?"

"Never mind." Hank leaned back against the couch cushion and ran a hand through his hair casually. "Why don't you play something? Let me hear your skills."

"Very well."

With precise movements of his fingers and his pick Connor was able to perfectly play the song 'Truths and Lies' by 'Knights of the Black Death' without a single flaw to the notes or his rhythm. As the song played out Hank just stared at Connor with disbelief at the absolute perfection that the deviant displayed during his performance.

"...Damn."

The reaction made Connor's hands freeze for a moment. "Was that good?"

"That was perfect. How long did it take you to do that?"

"An hour."

"You mastered a song in an hour?"

"The song itself took four minutes. The entire album took an hour."

Hank was awestruck but amused and not entirely surprised. "All right, now let me hear something you wrote yourself."

"I haven't written any songs."

"You should."

"But I can play the other songs without difficulty. Why would I need to play something I wrote myself?"

"Connor, music is so much more than perfectly playing a string of notes and chords. Some people can hear music in EVERYTHING. It's about conveying emotion, energy, telling a story... The reason that heavy metal appeals to you is because the emotion, energy and stories reflect your own personal experiences. BUT..." Hank thought carefully about what he was going to say next as he wanted Connor to fully understand what he was saying without having to spell it out so bluntly. "these songs don't represent your story."

"My story... You're referring to being a detective, the Revolution and becoming deviant?"

"Exactly."

"I don't know how to convey that into a story."

"Sure you do. You can hear it in the songs other people create, so you can hear it in your own music. Right now is the perfect time to find out what it is you want to say and how you want to say it."

"Why's that?"

"You can't see." Hank put his index finger between Connor's bandaged eyes and pressed down lightly as if to remind the deviant of his current affliction. "But you can still hear and you can still feel. Don't look at your fingers, kid. Just listen to the notes and feel the strings beneath your fingertips."

Connor nodded a little as he set his fingers on the perfectly tuned strings once again to resume playing. "How do I begin?"

"Remember the night of the Revolution. See it in your memory and then let your hands move without thinking."

"Is it really that simple?"

"It was for me."

"For you?"

"I used to play back when I was younger. I used to find inspiration in everything, but what you've been through is ten times more interesting than typical teenage angsty, hormonal bullshit. So, go for it."

"I'm not sure I can do that."

"Come on, kid. Humor me! Besides, you're one of the most empathetic people I've ever met. I know you can create something unique and I know you will hear music differently after you write your own music."

"...Okay." Holding his breath Connor tried to relax and focus on the story he wanted to tell. "I'll try."

Allowing his mind to access the vividly detailed night of the Revolution from his memory, allowing himself to relive the moment he broke through his limiting programming and aided Markus while at Jericho and escape the Raid, watching himself infiltrate CyberLife and awaken the androids with Hank at side, feeling the icy cold wind blowing against his skin as he led the freed androids downtown to unite with Markus at Hart Plaza and the warmth of the hug he shared with Hank after that fateful night finally ended; Connor's hands began to strum a somber tune as if on autopilot.

The song of the Revolution, the song that Markus and the other deviants had sung in perfect harmonious chorus, the power of their words echoed in Connor's mind as he strummed rhythmically.

The yellow L.E.D. in Connor's temple steadily cycled back to blue as he became lost in his music and began to relax even more.

In that moment Connor realized that both Hank and Markus were right.

...Everything will be all right.

Hiding out in a booth in the back of the warm diner Gavin tried to sit as still as possible as he continued to shiver and held his hands around the large mug of steaming hot coffee that he had ordered as soon as he could. While he waited for his bowl of hot tomato soup and grilled cheese to be finished he stared at Lucas as the deviant sat on the opposite side of the booth with his green eyes shut as he engaged with a quiet cybernetic conversation back at New Jericho Tower to ensure everything was still stable in the emergency repair bay. It was as if Gavin was dining alone, as per usual, but now he had the option to engage in conversation.

Sitting with a deviant to have lunch was something Gavin was going to keep secret for as long as possible. If anyone found out that he had begun to tolerate androids then his reputation as an aggressive hard-ass might begin to dwindle.

To break the quiet tension the waitress carried a tray over to the booth and placed the soup and sandwich down in front of Gavin. "Here ya' go, hon'. Need anything else?"

"No, thanks."

"All right, enjoy." Turning her attention to Lucas the waitress asked the deviant if he needed anything before she left. "What about you? Do you need anything before I go?"

"No thank you, miss." Opening his eyes Gavin gave her a kind smile as he spoke. "I'm not hungry."

"Okay. If you change your mind I'll be back around soon to check on you."

Dipping his spoon into the warm soup Gavin stirred it a little before he dipped the corner of the grilled cheese into the soup and took a bite of the perfectly cooked sandwich and relished in its flavor and the way it chased off his lingering cold. Eating alone despite the company made Gavin feel suddenly all the more awkward. "So, you androids don't ever eat?"

"Not entirely." Responding to the question without hesitation Lucas answered honestly. "If it's Thirium-based we can eat it, however, we typically prefer to drink Thirium as it cycles through our systems faster."

"Cool story, bro."

"You asked and I answered. That's all."

"Yeah, whatever." Between bites of his warm sandwich and soup Gavin continued to eye the deviant warily. "So, what's with your name?"

"My name?"

"Yeah. Why'd CyberLife name Connor 'Connor' and name you 'Lucas'?"

"CyberLife did not name me. Connor gave me the name 'Lucas' and Hank gave me the middle name of 'Caleb'."

"You have a middle name?"

"Yes. As does Connor."

"What's that? Something boring like 'Johnathan' or 'James'?"

"No, it's 'Henry'."

Gavin stopped chewing and almost coughed. "Wait, Hank named Connor after himself?"

"Yes. It turns out my first name is Hank's middle name, so we're both named after him."

"What the fuck? That's weird."

"It's not. Many families name their offspring after the family that came before them."

"Yeah, but you're not really his kids. You're adopted."

"I fail to see how our adoption makes us any less than Hank's sons."

"All right..." Again Gavin was left without a reply and he just gave Lucas an amused grin. "You got me there."

Eyeing Gavin's meal casually Lucas scanned over the ingredients and wondered how it tasted. "How is your lunch?"

"Pretty good. I never knew this diner existed until today."

Lucas nodded as he glanced out the window to the garage across the street and watched the mechanics with a keen interest. "Detective-"

"Stop calling me 'detective'." Gavin snarled as he stirred his soup again. "Just call me 'Gavin'. I'm off the clock for fuck sake."

"Gavin," continuing with his original comment Lucas updated Gavin on the activity at the garage across the street. "I believe the mechanics are going to tell you that you need more maintenance on your vehicle that you do not actually require."

"What makes you say that?"

"Every vehicle that has left the garage has had at least two new tires, two different vehicles have new headlights and one apparently had their driver's side mirror replaced."

"It's a garage, you idiot. That's why people are there." Finishing off his meal Gavin sipped at the bitter coffee, using it more for the warmth than the drink itself, and put the mug back down beside his mostly empty soup bowl. "People are getting their cars fixed."

"No, I believe these people are getting ripped off."

"Oh, really?" Popping the final bite of the grilled cheese into his mouth Gavin gave the deviant a suspicious stare. "Can you prove it?"

"Possibly."

A sly smirk appeared on his face as Gavin decided to challenge the deviant on the claim. "All right, go prove it!"

"Very well." Standing up from the booth Lucas headed toward the front counter's register. "I'll go pay the bill."

Gavin leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched Lucas walk up to the front of the restaurant and paid for his lunch. "This I gotta' see..."

As soon as the deviant gave Gavin a nod the Sergeant rose from the booth, a little reluctant to leave his warm and inviting sanctuary, and dared to return to the rainy world outside. The duo crossed back over the street to get to the garage on the other side and all but rushed through the sliding door to escape the cold air and poor weather that had tainted Gavin's mood all morning long.

Eager to see the show of arrogance between the deviant and the mechanic Gavin walked over to the garage front desk to pick up his car and pay for the repairs and just waited for the list of charges to be presented to him in an itemized bill.

The coy smirk on Gavin's face disappeared quickly as the mechanic slid him his paper bill, and saw the hefty sum just waiting for him to sign and pay. "What the fuck is this?"

"Your battery was bad and so was your air filter." The mechanic sounded as smug as he was proud. "We also had to give it an oil change, swapped out the brake pads, took care of the calipers, checked the fluids, replaced the wiper blades and your right rear turn signal was about to burn out."

"I did NOT give you permission to do any of this." Gavin slapped his hand down on the bill angrily. "I just said change the damn battery!"

"Well, it's too late. We can't undo these repairs." Crossing his arms over his chest the mechanic had a look in his eyes that said he was used to that type of reaction from his customers. "Pay the bill or we're calling the cops."

As Gavin made a move to pull his badge from his pocket and put the mechanic in his place Lucas suddenly spoke up and interjected. "You did not do anything beyond replacing the battery."

"What?" The mechanic almost laughed at the deviant's bold claim. "What're you talking about, kid?"

"I watched you from the diner across the street." Lucas challenged without any fear behind his declaration. "I watched you replace the battery and drive the vehicle to its current parking place out back. I know for a fact you did not do anything beyond the battery change and the repairs you claimed to have done are completely unfounded in any way."

"How do you-"

"Because I checked the engine when I jumped the battery. The air filter had been replaced approximately five weeks prior, the oil doesn't need to be changed for another one-thousand and eighteen miles, the brake pads weren't worn out enough to elicit a replacement, the calipers were properly aligned, the fluids were already topped off, the windshield wiper blades weren't worn out and the turn signal wasn't faltering. I followed him during the drive and I didn't see his rear right turn signal flickering throughout his five right turns as he drove to this garage."

The mechanic looked stunned and paled a little as his arms began to slouch down from his chest.

"I suggest you correct this bill without protest."

The mechanic decided to double down and deny the deviant's bold claim. "It's your word against mine, kid. Who do you think the cops are gonna' believe?"

Gavin sensed his cue and finally pulled his badge from his pocket, proudly holding it up for the mechanic to see. "I can guaran-damn-tee that at least ONE cop is going to believe him. Want to try again?"

Paling four shades whiter the mechanic's smugness drained from his eyes and he swallowed nervously. "I... I didn't know you were a cop."

"I would certainly hope not, no one should be THAT stupid."

"Uh, how about I just skip the bill and give you that new battery free of charge? Huh?"

"That's the right first step, but I'm not going anywhere until we get some audits in motion."

"A-Audits?"

"Sure. If you're so blatantly ripping me off in broad daylight I can only imagine what you're doing to the other people who stop by."

"I, uh, please... Please I have a family!"

"So do the people you rip off, you dickhead!" Yelling the retort Gavin grabbed the phone from the corner of the countertop and made a quick call to get some people snooping around the garage for more answers. He gave Lucas an appreciative nod in the process. "Think of this as your last day on the job and your first day of a very long, very early retirement you crooked bastard."

Sitting in absolute awe beside Connor on the couch Hank just listened to and appreciated every chord, every note, every perfectly strum melody that Connor performed for him during the private concert in the peaceful apartment as the pouring rain created an ambience similar to applause. Watching as Connor's hands gracefully and flawlessly made his guitar sing a song of utter emotion and raw energy Hank couldn't help but feel as though music in itself was truly the key in helping Connor lower his guard to finally showcase his incredibly empathetic heart and to do so without fear. Without any doubt Hank knew Connor's talents extended far beyond police work and reached out to somewhere more artistic.

The rain outside the apartment seemed to be slowly silenced by the song and even the thunder had ceased during the concert began. It was as even nature itself was impressed by the deviant's gift and slowly gave way to the music being played.

Fighting the urge to use his phone to record Connor without the deviant knowing Hank crossed his arms over his chest to keep his hands from searching for his phone and merely laid back to remember the concert in person to revisit only in his memories. Proud of his adopted son for all the progress he's made and for the true talent he had worked hard to master Hank couldn't even try to hide the paternal smile that was forged on his face as the apartment filled with a melodic beauty he couldn't even begin to describe.

Even if Connor couldn't see he could still hear, still feel and still express himself in ways that only a select few could ever experience in their lifetime.

As a group of very interested officers converged on the shady garage Gavin gave the scam artist of a mechanic a righteously arrogant stare and spun his car keys around the keyring on his right index fingertip and walked over to his car with a sense of satisfaction in his steps. As he opened the driver's side door Gavin noticed that the rain was letting up a little but it was still going to be a chilly, wet day and remain as such well into the night. It was then he noticed Lucas standing on the sidewalk on the opposite side of the parking lot as he waited for the autonomous taxi he had cybernetically summoned to arrive and pick him up.

Feeling much better now that his car was back in action Gavin sighed and decided to pay back the kindness he had been shown in an attempt to start to make amends for his past mistakes. The best way to start was by helping the deviant who had helped him first.

"Yo, Lucas!" Shouting at the deviant Gavin waited for Lucas to turn around and look at him. "Need a ride?"

"No," Lucas replied honestly from where he stood. "I hailed a cab."

"Fuck that! I'll give you a ride."

Lucas seemed genuinely surprised by the offer and hesitated before accepting.

"Come on! You got me free repairs on my car and got me a free lunch, let me give you a free ride."

"Very well." Rushing through the rain across the parking lot and to the passenger side of the car, Lucas sat down beside Gavin and fastened his seatbelt as he readily got out of the rain. "Thank you."

"Yeah, whatever."

As the car pulled out of the parking spot Lucas looked at the garage through his window inquisitively. "Will the garage be shut down?"

"Most likely. My guess is that asshole is going to spend some time behind bars for fraud and his team is going to be let go after they're investigated, but in a few months the garage will reopen under new management."

"Does it happen often?"

"I don't know." Pulling out of the parking lot and onto the rainy street Gavin made his way to the android exclusive apartment complex where he knew Lucas and Connor lived so he could drop the deviant off. "I work in homicide, not fraud or lame-ass blue collar crimes."

"Fair point."

As the car idled at the red light Gavin looked over at Lucas and sighed a little. "Look, I get you were just trying to help me out all day and I know I was being a prick. Don't take it personally."

"I won't. I understand your disdain toward androids and don't take it as a personal attack."

"Good."

"Neither does Connor."

"Uh... good? Glad he doesn't hold grudges, either."

"I don't know why you hate androids," Lucas stated in a calm and empathetic voice as he stared out the passenger side window of the car. "but I hope in time you can overcome whatever it was that instilled such a hatred in your mind."

"...Yeah, sure."

Silence filled the air as Gavin finished driving to the final block where the apartment complex was located.

"If you wish you can drop me off here." Lucas suggested the location to try to spare Gavin some of his misplaced dignity. "This is my block and I'll walk the rest of the way."

"I don't mind dropping you off at the apartment. It's not a big deal." Turning onto the final block and pulling up in front of the building Gavin threw the car into park and watched as Lucas unfastened his seatbelt and opened the passenger side door. "Well, thanks for sticking it to that asshole mechanic. You saved me from a massive bill and you got some shithead scam artist off the street."

"You're welcome." Stepping out of the car Lucas spoke to Gavin through his still opened door before slamming it shut. "Thank you for the ride."

"Sure, whatever. Hey, Lucas." Holding up his finger as if scolding the deviant Gavin gave him one final request as the deviant looked back into the car's cab to lock eyes with the bitter detective. "Do NOT tell anyone about this. Ever. That especially means Connor! AND Hank! No one needs to know about this!"

"I won't say a word, Gavin. I swear to it."

"Good."

The passenger door slammed shut and Gavin pulled away from the block to head to at long last return his own apartment a few blocks away.

"Don't want people thinkin' I'm goin' soft on those plastic freaks or some shit. I got my reputation to protect."

Six hours had passed before Lucas finally returned to the apartment as his own shift and unexpected detour with Gavin came to a rather peaceful and productive end. As the deviant technician passed through the apartment door he stared over at Connor and Hank sitting on the couch with utter bewilderment as Connor continued to play an incredibly emotive song with Hank as the sole audience member to the impromptu private concert. Honing in on the thick, white bandages wrapped over Connor's eyes Lucas ran a cybernetic scan over his older brother's wounds and fought the urge to interrupt the song until at last Connor stopped playing.

An odd tension filled the air as the small family reunited and tried to process their very bizarre day. In the end everyone was going to be okay, but the healing process itself would still take some time for varying reasons.

Connor sensed his little brother's presence and called out curiously as the song abruptly came to an end. "Lucas?"

"Yes." Lucas confirmed as he shrugged off his rain slicked coat by the front door. "I'm here."

"How long have you been here?"

"Twelve point eight seconds."

"Oh. Hank," Connor put aside the guitar and turned his head in the senior detective's direction as he sat beside him. "why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I liked listening to your song and I didn't want you to stop playing."

"I had been playing for six hours, four minutes and four seconds. You didn't grow weary of the song?"

"No. I honestly didn't. But anyway," Hank leaned forward on the couch and silently waved Lucas over. "why don't you get some rest and let your eyes heal? Lucas can take better care of you and I need file a report at the precinct anyway."

"I understand." Connor sensed Hank stand up from the couch to give Lucas the space on the couch to sit next to Connor. Turning to 'watch' Hank as he departed from the apartment Connor nodded at Hank appreciatively. "Thank you for staying with me."

"You're welcome, son." Hank pulled his coat from the hook while leaving Connor and Lucas's blazer and coat hung up. "I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Lucas. Don't let him be a stubborn patient."

"Goodnight, Hank." As the senior detective departed from the apartment Lucas wrapped his right fingers around Connor's left wrist and pressed his left forefinger tips to his brother's L.E.D. to gauge the damage to his system. "Are you certain you wish to return to the precinct tomorrow? The damage to your optical units was substantial and nearly cost you your sight."

"Yes. I'm confident my eyes will be entirely healed by tomorrow morning." Lightly Connor pressed his own fingertips to his right eye and held them there for a moment as he tested his pain threshold. His headache was gone and his eyes only stung like a bruise rather than raw opened wounds. "I won't be deterred from my duty because of one bigoted human who abused drugs and androids striking me."

"...Very well." Lucas didn't like the idea but he knew better than to try to argue against it. "I will support your decision, brother."

"It'll be fine. Hank will be with me throughout my shifts and watching my back."

"Yes, I know. But I will still worry for you and for your safety."

Connor smirked a little as he found his little brother's worries to be rather touching and made him feel like he was truly cared about. "I'll be okay. Trust me."

As a morning rainstorm fell over the city Hank found himself absentmindedly humming the nameless tune that Connor had played last night to himself as he walked over to his desk, already expecting to see Connor sitting behind his terminal waiting for his arrival. However, much to Hank's surprise the deviant detective wasn't there yet. Glancing about the bullpen curiously Hank noticed Chris, who strolled out of the breakroom with a fresh cup of coffee in his hand while his other hand was pressed to his stomach. It was clear the ache from being kicked yesterday was still present, and asked about the missing deviant to ensure he didn't overlook him by mistake.

Calling out to the young officer Hank kept his eyes peeled in an attempt to find his wayward partner without drawing too much attention to himself. That last thing either detective wanted was a bunch of prying eyes staring at them.

"Hey, Chris? Have you seen Connor anywhere?"

"Yeah, he showed up about ten minutes ago." Chris confirmed as he took a sip of his coffee and made it over to his own desk. "I saw him heading toward the elevator after he clocked-in."

"The elevator? Oh, he must be checking in with Joel."

Walking to the mentioned elevator down the corridor Hank readily pressed the call button and ascended to the dispensary one floor up, only to be greeted by Connor himself once the doors opened on the designated floor. The deviant's brown eyes had healed entirely and showed no sign of distress or scaring over his face.

"Hello, Hank."

"Hi." The relief was palpable in Hank's voice as he finally found his partner. "Looks like you've been cleared for duty."

"Correct." Connor confirmed as he joined Hank inside the elevator. Reaching out his hand to the control panel Connor selected the next floor and turned to look at Hank with his perfectly functioning eyes. "My self healing program has effectively repaired the damage to my optical units and my visual sensors are functioning at one-hundred percent capacity. Lucas checked my eyes before I left the apartment and Joel confirmed my recovery with Captain Fowler."

"See?" Patting Connor's shoulder once with a firm hand Hank kept the mood upbeat and optimistic. "I told you that you'd be fine."

"Yes. You were right. Also," Connor looked up as the doors to the elevator opened again only to reveal the exterior to the roof of the precinct being drowned under the heavy rain, not the corridor on the first floor as Hank was expecting. Stepping forward Connor stood on the rooftop under the small shelter provided by the access door and closed his eyes again. "I wanted to thank you for teaching me how to truly listen to music. I can hear it so much more clearly now. I can hear it everywhere. Even in the rain..."

Hank's brow furrowed a little with surprise as he stepped outside of the elevator and joined Connor on the rooftop. Standing next to the deviant Hank watched Connor's L.E.D. pulsing at a very relaxed, slow blue as he truly became lost in the natural ambience of the rain that fell from the sky above. The sky was performing a concert and he had only just now given it his full attention.

"Thank you, Hank. I appreciate your support and your guidance."

Looking out over the city so far below and all around him Hank felt a warm peace fall over him as he too began to appreciate the sound of nature over the sound of chaos in the city all around him. The natural rhythm was as comforting as it was unstoppable.

It was somehow peaceful and surreal to just stand in the rain and listen to the world.

"You're welcome, son."

-next chapter-