Perplexed and absolutely astonished by what he had just been told, Hank stood before the two deviant brothers sitting on the couch side by side with a transfixed stare of pure awe reflected in his blue eyes. Connor was still healing from the injuries he sustained to his legs while rescuing the trapped occupants from the car accident, but now had his long lost 'big brother' to look after him as he recovered. To be more precise, Connor now had his resurrected 'big brother' to look after him as he recovered in the comfort of his home. It was a family reunion that no one could have expected and yet everyone welcome all the same in the Anderson clan.

Taking a moment to process the unexpected, if not impossible, revelation of who the rescued android seemingly was, Hank finally sat down in the recliner adjacent to the couch and addressed the two deviants in a steady voice. It had taken him hours to try to process what was happening and Hank was just finding his voice again.

"...So, you're Lucas," Hank started in a small tone. "but you're NOT Lucas at the same time?"

"Yes." The newly awoken deviant confirmed with a sincere smile. "I have the memories of the original Lucas inside of my processor and through that I have developed into a deviant that is similar to his own personality. So while I'm not the original Lucas as you knew him, I am carrying apart of him inside of me. His memories, consciousness and experiences have filled in the blanks of my processor to give me a true sense of being and awareness."

"Uh, do we still call you 'Lucas' or what?"

"I don't know." The deviant dubbed 'Miami' replied honestly. "I don't feel like I'm truly Lucas, but I am not an entirely separate being either."

"All right," shrugging his shoulders a little Hank offered a compromise on the name. "how about we just call you 'Luke' instead? That's a much better name than 'Miami' anyway."

"'Luke' is acceptable." The deviant agreed with his same sincere smile never leaving his face. "I am now 'Luke'."

Connor noted the distinct similarities between Lucas and Luke; how Luke shared the same interest in technical assistance and how he was able to so quickly adapt to humanity to become deviant within a matter of hours without enduring so many experiences that influenced his mind. The deviant part of Lucas had managed to override any of the preprogrammed CyberLife initiatives of the microprocessor and allowed 'Luke' to become free the moment he rebooted and gained any form of sentience.

Addressing the confused human in a soft tone Connor tried to explain things a little more clearly. "When I cybernetically connected to Luke in order to wake him up the portion of my intracranial processor that contained Lucas's memories had been transferred. Now through Luke a piece of Lucas will truly live on."

Hank ran his hand over his bearded chin as he sighed with tired understanding. "Okay. So you're 'Luke' now, and you're literally carrying Lucas's memories. And since Lucas was Connor's brother, then that means you're his brother, too."

Smirking a little broader Luke nodded. "I would like to think so, yes."

"Well, you're welcome here just as Lucas was."

"Thank you, Hank."

"But right now," he glanced at Connor with a wary glance. "we have one other issue we need to take care of."

"What's that?"

"New Jericho."

"...Oh." Connor's soulful brown eyes dulled a little as if disappointed. "Right."

"Markus needs to know that Luke can be trusted and that in a way Lucas is back with us."

Connor agreed entirely with the statement although he wasn't eager to return to the tower or speak to any of the leaders at the moment. "New Jericho needs to be made aware of Luke and of his positive influence for the community, but I doubt Markus would be so willing to listen after surviving an assassination attempt in such a small frame of time."

"That's what I figured, too." Hank agreed with a surprisingly sympathetic lilt to his words. "I think he's going to be a little paranoid for a while."

Luke's right went up to his right temple and fidgeted with the L.E.D. that was glowing a steady blue. "...I would prefer to remain outside of New Jericho Tower. I don't have the exact reasons as Lucas, but I do know that being kept inside the tower to be observed is less than comfortable. That is why Lucas had lived with Connor in the apartment complex. He wanted to escape prying eyes and to feel free. Really free."

"That's correct." Connor confirmed with a subtle nod of the head. "But it did not end well. Do you know where you'd like to go?"

"I believe I'd prefer staying in Skye Tower to act as the tower's permanently on-call emergency technician."

"You could live inside the tower, too, if you'd wish." Connor stated with kind voice. "The concealed room where I had taken you can easily be converted into a form of private quarters to give you some comfort and isolation when you need the space. And you are free to roam about the tower or explore the city under your own volition. You won't need anyone's permission."

"Thank you, Connor." Turning to look at his now little brother Luke happily accepted the offer. "I would greatly prefer living in Skye Tower over New Jericho Tower."

Hank interjected with a deep clear of his throat. "But first thing's first. You two need to go speak with Markus. I took you both out of the tower yesterday because of the way Markus was acting, but that only left a loose end that needs to be tied up. So you two need to go speak with Markus, in person, and explain things to him. I'll go with you for moral support but I won't say anything."

"Hank's correct." Despite his improved mood Connor's voice was less than optimistic yet he was still determined. "We need to address this situation as soon as possible to ensure there are no hard feelings or riffs between us."

That particular phrasing caught Hank's attention and made his brow arch a little. "You're worried about 'hard feelings', huh? How very 'human' of you."

"Deviant." Connor replied sharply as he gave the senior detective a stern glance. "No matter what happens I'll never be fully human, only deviant."

"I'll take 'deviant' over 'human' any day of the week, son." Standing up from the recliner Hank made his way to the bookshelf at the far wall of the livingroom to grab on to his car keys again. "All right, let's get out there so we can get back. I'm not a fan of long waits and I really hate getting involved in android-politics."

The four leaders of New Jericho Tower had regathered in the main office on the ground floor of the android sanctuary to discuss the possible future of 'Luke', without even knowing his true name, and of his possible future at the tower. The quartet of leaders were always wary of any new deviant who ventured to the tower seeking shelter or a place to belong, but a deviant with such close ties to CyberLife and originating from a place unknown to everyone made his presence all the more unnerving. They had been stabbed in the back by deviants with former ties to CyberLife before, (Eddie, George and even Chloe) and those wounds were still raw and painful to endure.

Markus sat on the edge of the desk in the middle of the room with his arms crossed over his chest as he looked over his three closest companions. The tension in the air was thick and needed to be broken quickly if any work was to be completed on that odd day.

The deviant leader softly spoke up gave voice to the unspoken worries weighing heavily in the air. "This new deviant is the very first of the 'Connor' model series." Markus's mismatched eyes were full of conflicting fears and doubts that contrasted sharply against his normally confident facade. "We all know who Connor is, where he came from and how he came to be an ally to us all. But this original 'Connor', a model that our Connor never even knew existed until he happened across him in Miami just a few weeks back, has no past to speak of."

North shook her head as she too crossed her arms defensively over her chest while she crossed her right leg over her left from where she sat across from Markus on the black leather sofa against the wall. "This android has no past beyond CyberLife, so why should we give it a future with us at New Jericho?"

"Because he's still one of us." Josh stated firmly as he squeezed Simon's hand. The two deviants were sitting side be side on the second couch against the far wall of the office opposite from North by the window, and were both eyeing Markus and North cautiously. "We can't just turn our backs on this new deviant because of what CyberLife may or may not have done to him."

"Or WITH it." North's rebuttal was as venomous as it was logical. "We don't know if this other android was just the finished design for the rest of the 'Connor' line or if it was a tool; maybe even a weapon, to be used against deviants."

"No, I don't think so." The calmness of Josh's voice was somewhat reassuring. "If this other android was a tool for CyberLife he would've been either kept under lock and key in a more secured facility instead of a warehouse or would've been here in Detroit with a mission to hunt us all down. I don't think this android is a threat to anyone."

Simon's hand tightened around Josh's hand as he nodded in agreement with his lover. "I think Josh is right. We haven't had the time to really speak to him and ask him any questions, and if Connor trusts him-"

"Connor is just like it." North snapped bitterly as she interrupted the discussion. "Of course he's going to have a bias in favor of it. Besides, Connor had also kept it a secret for almost two months before saying anything. Why keep it a secret?"

Simon's eyes narrowed a little as he locked his gaze with North. "Maybe he knew that the android would be condemned and locked up before he could prove himself worthy of a chance." Turning his head toward Josh as he spoke Simon winced slightly and pressed his free hand to the side of his head. "Connor is trying to protect him just as we're trying to protect everyone else. Who's to say which of us has more rights than the other?"

Markus had heard enough and put a stop to the debate. "All right, enough. Both sides made valid points, let's not argue." Turning his head toward the closed office door Markus motioned with his hand and stood up from the desk. "Connor is here. And he brought the android with him."

Josh stood up from the couch with Simon's hand still clutched in his own. "You both know where we stand. We think the deviant needs to be given the benefit of the doubt. It's up to you two to decide whether or not you'll let him be free to walk among us or be locked up below us."

As the two deviants took their leave of the office, still hand in hand, North remained steadfast in her decision and stared at Markus with a firm and embittered glare. "Don't let your friendship with Connor affect your decision."

"What about my love for you?" Markus replied in a sharp tone. "Should I let that affect my decision instead?"

"Don't do that to me. You know how I feel."

"I do. And I know how everyone else feels. I just need to speak to-"

There was a subtle chime on the door as it slid open to reveal Connor standing beside his big brother, Luke. Waiting for the invitation before stepping forward Connor locked on to Markus's face and waited for the deviant leader to say something, anything, to him.

"I'm glad you two came back. Please," waving the two deviants inside the officer Markus remained calm and indifferent to their presence. "come inside so we can talk."

Connor turned his head a little and nodded at Luke to follow after him as he limped slowly into the room. Standing before Markus with a defensive posture and keeping his shoulders squared, Connor was ready to argue on Luke's behalf to keep his newly discovered and revived brother safe and free. "Markus." The deviant detective spoke with a level voice and nodded at North to acknowledge her as well. "North."

"Connor." Noting the pained limp in Connor's steps Markus dared to ask about the injury. "Are you damaged?"

"I was injured assisting two humans trapped in their burning vehicle during an accident that happened this morning." Nodding to Luke standing at his side Connor put some authority into his voice. "If it wasn't for him I wouldn't have been able to get to safety and would have perished in the fire."

"...He saved you." Bowing his head slightly Markus contemplated the 'evidence' now working in Luke's favor. "I'm glad you're still with us."

Connor refused to soften his tone as he remained focused on the conversation at hand. "I presume you've already discussed the fate of Luke during our absence."

"Luke?" Markus was genuinely confused by the chosen name and looked past Connor to the blue eyed deviant standing behind him. "...Can I ask why he's named 'Luke'?"

"Because a piece of Lucas is now a part of his consciousness." Proudly announcing his brother's return Connor let that information sink in like a lead weight. "He is essentially Lucas reborn."

Markus's mismatched eyes widened and narrowed at the same time as he gave Luke a strange stare. "How's that even... possible?"

"Before Luke woke up or had even rebooted his mind was completely blank aside from our most basic software and programming functions. When I cybernetically connected my mind to his mind, the piece of Lucas I had been carrying had been transferred through the connection. What was once blank had become filled by everything that was once Lucas and now he lives on as Luke."

Unsure of how to respond Markus looked away from Luke and over to North briefly. She was visibly unimpressed and didn't seem to give a damn about the revelation that someone she had once considered a friend had been resurrected. Returning his gaze to the deviant in question a faint smirk appeared on Markus's face. "...Lucas?"

"Just 'Luke'." Extending his hand to politely shake, Luke confirmed his identity with his L.E.D. cycling a calm blue throughout the entire exchange. "And I remember you through Lucas. You helped Lucas discover his artistic side with painting."

"...That's right." Motioning to the painting hanging on the wall neighboring the couch with North, the deviant leader proudly presented the offered gift that he had come to treasure. "Lucas painted that image of myself and North from the night of the Revolution."

"Yes, I remember." Luke turned slightly to look at the painting only to have his eyes fall on North, his L.E.D. briefly flickered to yellow and back to blue as he recognized her. "And I remember you, too. Hello, North."

North remained silent as she just stared at Luke with an emotionless gaze.

Turning away from the angry deviant Luke returned his focus on Markus. As he prepared to ask the unsettling question his blue L.E.D. transitioned back to yellow. "May I ask how you've decided my fate?"

"You make it sound like we're going to execute you."

"...In a way you are." Luke replied somberly as he stayed at Connor's side. "You're making a choice as to how to handle my existence. If I can't live free then I'm not really living, am I? I'm a prisoner condemned to sit away and decay under mistrustful eyes without actually committing a crime."

Connor spoke up sharply as he agreed with Luke's observation of the matter at hand. "Condemning a deviant for a crime he didn't commit or deciding that his life isn't worth living is the same type of cold action that CyberLife had used against us. New Jericho is supposed to be a sanctuary from CyberLife and from the bigots on the street who harm us; not merely an alternative to hiding in plain sight. You're supposed to be better than that, Markus." Challenging Markus's decision with a firm tone Connor defended his brother's right to be free. "If you begin deciding life and death amongst your own people then you're playing 'god', and that's a game that xenophobic humans created and play."

Until that moment Markus hadn't considered the limitations he'd be putting on Luke if he had chosen to lock up the deviant, let alone deactivate him. To keep Luke isolated and alone out of an unfounded fear was unfair and entirely cruel. Markus was a deviant of peace, empathy and understanding; not violence, disdain or intolerance.

"...I see your point." The deviant leader admitted that the two brothers standing before him were in fact right. "Luke, this is a very... strange case we're trying to understand. You are a walking enigma and that makes it difficult to trust you, but you've also never committed a crime against anyone or anything." Turning his focus to Connor again Markus nodded slowly. "But since Connor has already volunteered to take you into his care I believe that is the best course of action for everyone involved. And I approve."

"Markus?" Connor's brow arched a little as he studied the deviant leader's demeanor. "What're you saying?"

"Connor, I trust you." Markus confirmed with a single nod. "And I trust your judgment. If you think Luke can be trusted, then I'm willing to give him a chance."

"...Thank you."

"He doesn't have to stay here, but I would like to have a report on his progress from time to time."

Luke smiled brightly and let out a sigh of relief as his L.E.D. cycled back to blue quickly. "Thank you, Markus! I appreciate you giving me a chance to live."

North held her breath to keep herself from letting out an angry sigh from where she sat. Waiting for the two deviants to leave the office she bit her tongue and patiently waited to tell Markus exactly how she felt about his opinion in private.

"You're welcome." Markus was relieved to have come to a peaceful compromise so easily. "And I'm glad you're back with us, Luke."

Luke put his hand to Connor's shoulder and motioned for him to step back through the office doorway. "Come on, I know Hank is waiting for us and I know your injuries need to be reexamined. Walking may have exacerbated your condition."

"Of course." Agreeing to go home and tell Hank the good news Connor let Luke guide him out of the tower and back outside. "Let's go home."

Connor and Luke left the office together, Luke keeping his hand on Connor's shoulder to help him walk as his damaged legs continued to slowly repair thanks to his exhausted self healing program.

Once the two deviants were out of sight North waited for the door to slide shut before she stood up from the couch and crossed the office to stand directly before Markus with a striking anger in her usually soft brown eyes. "I can't believe you let them do that."

"We don't have the right to-"

"You have a responsibility to your people, Markus! We can't trust it, and you're letting the one deviant with a clear bias in its favor keep watch over it."

"That 'it' is one of the very people I'm responsible for, North. And HIS name is Luke."

"You seriously believe that story about Lucas? Do you really think that CyberLife-tool is Lucas reborn?"

"No. I don't think he is Lucas back from the dead, but I do think he's worth one chance. Just one. And we have NO proof that CyberLife used him for anything but a blueprint."

"Well, I won't be sticking around long enough to see that chance come back to bite us."

"What're you saying?"

"I'm saying that I don't fuckin' trust this 'Luke' android, and there's nothing you can say or do to change my mind."

"Why are you so against him? He hasn't done anything wrong."

"How can you be so damn trusting? You were almost killed the other day!"

"Please don't argue with me. I'm not changing my decision because you don't trust him, especially when you can't even tell my why you don't trust him."

"I don't owe you an explanation."

"Actually, I think you do." Stepping forward Markus gently took her tense hand in his own and held on warmly. "I love you, North. And I want to be with you for as long as we both function; but you need to talk to me. Why do you mistrust him?"

"...You wouldn't understand."

"You're right, I don't. So help me to understand."

"Back off." Pulling her hand sharply from Markus's grip North stepped away from Markus and wrapped her arms defensively over her chest. "Just leave me the fuck alone."

"North, don't-"

As she turned on her heels to leave the room North felt Markus's hand lightly grab onto her shoulder to try to stop her but North easily shrugged it off and continued on her way. Passing through the door North disappeared from sight in an angry huff leaving Markus alone in the office to try to figure out just what the hell was happening.

"...North."

Looking down at the bonding band on his left ring finger Markus began to worry that his relationship with North could be destroyed because they couldn't see eye-to-eye on Luke's existence.

"Why are you making this so difficult?"

With Hank's help Luke was able to place Connor down on the couch in the livingroom and straighten out his legs to stretch out the length of the furniture to rest more comfortably. As Luke proceeded to check on the healing damage to Connor's legs Hank let Sumo out into the backyard and then rejoined the deviants in the livingroom to observe their interactions. Watching as Luke rolled up Connor's pant legs to reveal his bandaged shins Hank winced a little at the sight of the thick bandages and remembered all the painful kicks to the shin he received during football practice. Getting kicked in the shins always hurt, shin-guards be damned!

Gently and keenly Luke examined the wounds to Connor's legs and made sure they were recovering properly. There was no sign of a hindrance or potential infection to the deviant detective's body.

"Your legs are functioning at ninety-three percent capacity." Luke's blue L.E.D. cycled to yellow then back to blue as he ran a scan over Connor's injuries. "You'll be fully healed before midnight."

"If I may ask," Connor spoke much softer than he had been all that afternoon. "what do you remember about your time in Miami?"

"...Nothing." The question and subsequent answer made Luke hesitate and his L.E.D. shifted briefly to yellow then back to blue. "I have only the faintest memory of my system booting up as a form of initial testing, then absolute nothingness until I woke up here in Detroit."

"Fascinating. You were left completely inactive for nine consecutive years and you were left alone in the warehouse."

"You are registered as the fifty-first 'Connor' model, correct?"

"Correct."

"And you were activated four years ago, correct?"

"Three years, six months, three weeks, three days ago to be precise."

"In the five years since my extended deactivation and your own activation, fifty other 'Connor' models had been developed and subsequently destroyed by CyberLife."

"Actually, there were more than that." Connor winced a little as Luke finished tending to his injured legs and wrapped up the still healing artificial skin under a fresh layer of protective gauze from the android first aid kit. "There were nine other 'Connor' models after me that were destroyed because... They were destroyed because of my deviancy. CyberLife couldn't take any chances and subsequently my successors were eliminated."

"Yes, you spoke of that before." The bleak topic made Luke's L.E.D. cycle in yellow very slowly. "CyberLife truly was heartless."

Hank decided that a change of subject was sorely needed and did so by letting Sumo back inside the house through the backdoor in the kitchen. The massive bundle of loyal fluff happily trotted over to the two deviants at the couch and pressed his nose to Luke's right hand for affection before doing the same to Connor, then back to Luke. As the two deviants pet Sumo's ears and rubbed under his chin Hank returned to the livingroom and stood behind the couch.

"You two need to stop worrying about a defunct company," Hank stated calmly as leaned over the back of the couch curiously. "and start worrying about yourselves."

"I'm sorry." Connor apologized as he looked up at Hank despondently. "But there is still a very large mess that CyberLife left behind that we still need to clean up before we can fully move on."

"I know that, but you don't have to do it all at once or alone."

"Yes. I'm aware."

"Good. Now, Luke," Hank gave the second deviant a curious stare as Luke scratched at Sumo's chin with his L.E.D. finally cycling in blue again. "where do you want to go, when do you want to go and what can we do to help you?"

"I would like to go to Skye Tower and finish my training as a technician." Luke confirmed with a confident nod of the head. "And I'd like to resume my studies as early as possible starting tomorrow morning if that's okay."

"That's fine, kid. And remember, you're welcome here all the same." Hank replied in a kind voice. "You're family."

"Thank you, Hank." Luke's blue eyes were bright with enthusiasm and gratitude. "You're both very kind and welcoming."

The following morning Connor had escorted Luke back to Skye Tower to meet with Abby and the other volunteers at the sanctuary so Luke could resume his study of android anatomy. After explaining the situation to the kind and incredibly patient technician, Abby was ready to give Luke a thorough examination and proudly take him under her wing as a new protege. Just as Hank wasn't entirely thrilled with Connor keeping Luke a secret, Abby was a little annoyed but wasn't willing to hold a grudge against the two deviants in the aftermath of CyberLife's ruin. She could fully understand why the deviants were being extra cautious and wanting to keep things lowkey.

With everything finally explained and laid out on the table, the two brothers were able to smooth things over with Abby without any hard feelings. It was one of the reasons Connor trusted Abby despite his past experiences with technicians.

"All right, Luke." Abby hovered over the cooperative deviant as he laid back on the exam table and watched Abby's every move as she began taking care of him with a curious stare in his blue eyes. "I'm going to hook up to your L.E.D. and make a back-up of your memory."

"Is that standard procedure?"

"It is now. We almost lost Connor to an injury that caused his intracranial processor to overheat. Fortunately he had that microprocessor to restore the damaged hardware and his memories were shielded from external damage by a failsafe program. We decided that now every deviant who comes to us seeking help will have the same courtesy of having their minds protected in case of such an emergency."

"This is an acceptable precaution." Luke simply watched as Abby hooked the long black cable to his blue glowing L.E.D. and placed the other end of the cable into the large diagnostics modem against the wall of the emergency repair bay. "I don't have as many memories that require protection, but I'd like to keep them intact all the same."

"Well, I can handle that for you." Abby smiled warmly as she took her audioscope from around her neck and used it to listen to Luke's Thirium pump and ventilation biocomponents. Lightly she pressed the bell to Luke's chest over the white t-shirt and checked his vital biocomponents expertly. "Lay still and run a self diagnostic."

"Yes, of course."

"Take a deep breath for me, Luke."

Connor stood back against the wall and watched as Luke closed his blue eyes and his L.E.D. flashed to yellow as he ran the program and breathed in deeply as he had been instructed. Absentmindedly Connor began to dance his coin over the knuckles of his right hand and cybernetically sent Hank a text message to inform him that he'd arrive at the precinct within the hour.

"Luke?" Abby called his name as she took her audioscope and draped it around her neck casually. "Everything checks out just fine. Once I finish taking your vitals I'll show you to the rest of the technical files you need to study and finish downloading to become a certified technician."

"Thank you, Dr. Grayson."

"Abby." She grinned as she used her penlight to check his pupils to ensure his visual processors were fully functional. "Just call me 'Abby'."

"Okay... Abby."

"By the way," Abby turned to look at Connor as she made notes in Luke's electronic chart. "there's going to be a massive update to android software within the week. If you're interested in the update I want you to come here so I can observe you for any prototype incompatibility problems that might arise."

"Of course." Connor replied with genuine intrigue behind his response. "Do you know what the update will contain?"

"Rumor has it the update will give androids recognizable D.N.A. strands and with it a more efficient manner of identifying androids who had either been assaulted or had their biocomponents removed."

"Is the update from Digital Sentience?"

"Yeah, they're doing some pretty impressive work."

"Yes, I'm aware." Connor's left hand went to his chest and then to his lower right side. The previous unpleasant reaction he had to their Thirium flux program was still fresh in his mind and something he didn't want to experience again. "I remember the effects of their update vividly."

"Which is why I want you here." Setting aside the chart Abby motioned for Luke to sit upright as she returned her full attention to her newest protege. "Okay, Luke. You're completely healthy; no faltering in your Thirium pump, your ventilation biocomponents are functioning at full capacity, your audio and visual processors are fully functional and there are no incompatible software anomalies residing within your original programming. You are in perfect condition."

"Then I can begin my studies?"

"Yeah. I'll show you the way."

"Thank you, Abby." Sliding off the side of the table Luke glanced over to Connor and nodded. "Will I see you later, Connor?"

"Yes." Pocketing his coin Connor managed a smile and confirmed that he'd meet with his big brother again. "I will stop by the tower again after my shift and visit you."

"That's good. I'd like to speak with you again once I become more acclimated to the tower."

"I will see you this evening at approximately six seventeen this evening." Connor confirmed as he slowly made his way to the door of the repair bay to take his leave via the elevator. "Thank you for your assistance, Abby."

"You're welcome. And don't worry," Abby smiled as she showed Luke to the terminals he'd need in order to study. "I'll take good care of Luke."

As expected Connor arrived at the precinct within the hour and made his way across the bullpen and over to his desk with even and pain-free strides. Just as he sat down behind his desk and turned on his terminal screen to set about his work Hank opened the door to his private office and waved the deviant over to join him. Without hesitating Connor awkwardly walked around the desk and walked over to the office door to join Hank inside the private space to speak without anyone eavesdropping or being distracted from their work. The last thing either detective wanted to deal with were weird rumors circulating throughout the bullpen.

Sitting down in the chair across from Hank as he sat behind his desk to get comfortable, Connor gave his commanding officer and father his full attention. Doing his best to keep his coin out of his mind and not indulge his tic, Connor sat still and took in a deep breath.

"Is something wrong, Hank?"

"Maybe." The seasoned detective remained calm though his demeanor was that of someone on edge. "Have you spoken to Markus since yesterday?"

"...No." As his posture suddenly stiffened Connor sensed impending misfortune. "What's happened?"

"I got a call from him shortly after I clocked-in this morning. He wants to keep it as discreet as possible, but he hasn't seen North since we left New Jericho Tower yesterday afternoon."

"North? I don't understand." With his brow furrowed Connor pressed for more information. "Is she in trouble?"

"We don't know. From what Markus told me they had a bit of a 'heated argument' and she stormed off mad. And from what I know about North, I'm betting she's still pissed and just went somewhere to cool off for a while."

"Are you worried about her?"

"Well, she is the second in command at New Jericho. She might be a target."

"I'll go look for her."

"No, kid." Hank warned with a firm voice and raised his hand as if to stop Connor from moving. "Don't do anything out of the ordinary."

"But she-"

Hank's phone 'buzzed' on his desk and drew his attention away from Connor. Picking up the phone he saw the message on the screen and let out a sigh of relief. "It's fine. North went back to the tower. She's still pissed off, but she's unharmed."

Connor's shoulders sagged with mild remorse shining in his eyes.

The abrupt change in Connor's gesture didn't go unnoticed by Hank's keen eyes. "You okay?"

"I'm just thinking." Tightening his hand into a fist Connor refused to reach for his coin. "...Do you think North ran off because of what I had done?"

"Are you talking about saving Luke and standing up for him?"

"...Perhaps."

"Kid, don't feel bad for someone else's bad mood. As stubborn as you are, I think North is ten times as worse!"

"Stubbornness made her leave the tower?"

"No, being pissed off made her leave the tower. Her stubbornness is why Markus didn't know where she was and it freaked him out a little."

"I see."

"Connor, do me a favor. Please DON'T obsess over why North did what she did." The senior detective knew the deviant's empathy was sometimes too much to to fully comprehend. The weight of a big heart could sometimes be a heavy burden. "I want you to go take care of your usual case reports and proceed as normal, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good. Besides, North is safe at the tower now so it's over." Changing the subject smoothly Hank leaned back in his chair and gave the deviant a curious glance where he sat. "Are you going to check in with Luke before heading home?"

"Yes. I promised him I'd visit after I clock-out this evening."

"And he's doing okay at the tower?"

"Yes. Abby has agreed to take him on as her new student and he is enthusiastic about finishing his studies."

"Great to hear. Now, since no one is in immediate danger and everyone is right where they need to be..." Giving Connor a knowing look, he waited for the deviant to make the next move. "How about you?"

"Of course." Rising up from the chair Connor straightened the lapels of his gray blazer and promptly took his leave of the office to return to his desk and to begin his casework for the day. "I'll begin filing my reports."

Within the archives of Skye Tower's emergency repair bay Luke was readily finishing off the last details of the expansive collection of notes regarding android technical repairs, protocols and procedures; and progressing at an impressive pace in regard to his ability to fully comprehend the responsibilities at hand. The afternoon gave way to evening and shortly thereafter Connor joined Luke inside the small study connected to the emergency repair bay to check in on the newly awoken deviant. As the two brothers reunited Connor put his hand on Luke's shoulder to gently get his attention and nodded to his big brother approvingly.

Luke had been reading and downloading information all day. It was like he was a college student cramming for exams.

"Abby told me you were studying all afternoon." Connor noted in an enthusiastic tone. "Are you ready to begin practicing as a technician?"

"Under Abby's tutelage, yes." Luke turned off the terminal to the modem he had been reading and gave Connor a quick scan to check his healing injuries. "I see you're not suffering from any complications or pain in your legs. Is your Thirium volume normal?"

"My volume is currently at ninety-eight percent. Well within optimal parameters."

"That's good."

"Are you going to stay here in the tower tonight or did you want to return home with me?"

"I believe I would prefer to stay here in the event of an emergency. It'll give me hands-on training now that Abby is preparing to return home and Dr. Caleb Wilson will be arriving soon."

"That sounds logical. Dr. Wilson is a skilled physician who has helped both Hank and myself in the past. You can trust him as you would myself or Hank."

Abby called out to the two brothers as she approached them through the doorway with Aria on her right hip. "Too bad not all siblings get along so well. I could use a break from the neighbor's kids constantly fighting with one another all day long."

"Aria." Connor immediately honed in on the seven-month-old baby and approached Abby quickly. Aria recognized Connor and let out some small babbling noises as she flashed her tiny newly budding teeth at him with an equally tiny smile. "Hello."

"I knew you'd be disappointed if I took Aria out of the daycare without letting you see her at least once."

Connor took the baby from Abby's hands and held her in his arms against his chest. Expectedly Aria snuggled down against Connor's chest and continued to give him a happy smile. "Is the tower's daycare being used frequently?"

"Not as much as we anticipated, but that is kind of a good thing."

"How so?"

"It means the young parents seeking shelter at the tower aren't as dependent on us as we thought they'd be and they're being much more hands-on with their kids. They're confident in themselves and aren't going to give up."

"You're right, that is a good thing."

Luke was a little perplexed by the sight of Connor holding a human child and doing so with much joy on his face. Unsure of how to react Luke approached the his brother curiously and looked down at Aria's face. "You seem rather attached to this baby. May I ask why?"

"She is my goddaughter." Connor explained casually to Luke as the blue eyed deviant looked at the baby with an utter interest. "I am quite fond of her."

"Fascinating. Why are you so comfortable around humans?"

"...I suppose my programming that allows me to adapt to the unpredictability of human behavior made it easier to associate with humans after my deviancy. But in general I hadn't been in the company of many bigoted humans prior to the Revolution, either. Hank wasn't the most open minded person when I first met him, but he's come around and he's been very protective of me and the other deviants ever since our friendship formed."

Luke nodded a little as he accessed his limited memories and frowned as his blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow. "I don't recall being around any humans beyond Hank and now Abby."

"Do you mistrust humans?"

"No. I have no reason to mistrust an entire race of beings simply from ignorance."

Aria continued to make small noises as she looked from Connor and toward Luke as if she was trying to figure out the sudden appearance of a second Connor.

Laughing a little at her daughter's reaction Abby stepped forward and ran her hand down Aria's back gently. "Luke, do you want to try holding her?"

"...I'd rather not." Sounding a little worried Luke took a single cautious step backward from Connor and Aria. "I have such little experience with humans in general, I don't think it'd be a good idea for me to try to hold a small child."

Connor gave his big brother a slight tilt of the head. "You weren't hesitant in aiding the little girl trapped in the car yesterday."

"Yes, but I was more preoccupied with assisting you, not so much in holding the child. I apologize if that seems apathetic."

"It's okay." Abby reassured Luke as she carefully took Aria back from Connor and patted her back lightly as the baby clung onto her shoulder. "You don't have to do anything you don't feel comfortable doing. Anyway," offering Aria her pacifier to help keep her tiny teeth from hurting too much Abby gave Luke a kind glance. "when I come back in two days I'll sit down with you and observe you during a hands-on training exercise. Think you can handle it?"

"I do. I'll see you in two days Dr. Gray- Abby."

"Right. See you later, Luke." Smirking at the deviant brothers kindly Abby picked up Aria's hand and had her wave 'bye-bye' to the duo as she stepped back outside of the room. "Bye Connor."

"Goodbye and goodnight."

As the technician took her leave Connor focused entirely on Luke once more. "Are you certain you're ready to do this? There is no need to rush if you feel you need more time to study and learn."

"I'm certain. I believe I-" Luke stopped short and pressed his right fingertips to his right temple. "...Ow."

Connor put his own right hand to his own right temple as a cybernetic message was transmitted without warning. The same message had reached Luke and caused his L.E.D. to flash yellow rapidly as well as experience the same twinge of discomfort.

"...There is a problem at New Jericho." Connor stated firmly as he dropped his hand from his temple. "It's important."

"I received the same message."

"We need to check it out."

"What about this tower?"

"Dr. Wilson can handle things alone for the time being. Whatever is happening at New Jericho Tower is considered an emergency. That is why we were both notified about the alert."

"All right." Luke was ready to follow his now little brother and begin helping his people anyway that he could. "You lead, I'll follow."

New Jericho Tower was on edge as it seemed North's anger wasn't the only disturbance the remaining leaders were currently enduring. Josh was standing protectively beside the exam table in the emergency repair bay of the tower with his right right wrapped tightly around Simon's left hand. The blond deviant technician was clearly in pain and trying to curl around himself on his left side as he pressed his right hand to his right temple. He was shuddering violently as if being racked with small jolts of electricity. The physical spasms stole Simon's breath from his artificial lungs and made him let out small pained whimpers in response against his will.

With his blue eyes screwed shut Simon was unable to see the worried look on Josh's face as his lover hovered protectively over him. He could feel Josh's presence but he couldn't even muster up the strength to hold Josh's hand.

"It's okay, Simon." Josh soothed as he addressed the incapacitated technician in a soft tone of voice. "I summoned help."

"...It hurts."

"I know it does. I wish I could take the pain away, but-"

Markus rushed into the room through the main door and reached the opposite side of the table from where Josh was standing. "How long has he been like this?"

"Only six minutes."

"What happened?"

"I don't know. He's been having intermittent pain in his head all day for the past three days, but it's never been this severe."

Putting his hand on Simon's shoulder Markus tried to provide some comfort to the ailing deviant technician. "Is there anything we can do to help him?"

"No. I have no idea what we can do, that's why I asked for help."

"From who?"

"Connor at Skye Tower." There was no hesitation or anger in Josh's voice as he gave the answer confidently. "There should be a technician already there who can assist Simon and uncover the source of his intracranial pressure."

"I hope you're right." Worried about a possible conflict of interest Markus bowed his head and put his hands to his hips as he anticipated the arrival of an ally he had admittedly not given a proper place in the tower. "I'm not sure what-"

From the elevator both Connor and Luke arrived and hastily passed through the same door that Markus had entered moments before as they approached the exam table. While Connor stood beside Markus and ran a scan over Simon's body, Luke stood beside Josh and proceeded to check the blond deviant's pulse by pressing his hand down against the center of Simon's chest.

"Has he suffered any physical damage?" Luke asked as he then moved his fingertips to Simon's right temple under the pained deviant's hand to cybernetically connect to his system. "His stress level is very high."

"No. No damage." Josh confirmed as he tightened his grip around Simon's hand to try to help Simon feel grounded. "This has been happening intermittently for the past seventy-two hours, but this is the first time the pain has left him incapacitated."

"What about any updates? Has Simon altered his software in any manner within the past seventy-two hours?"

"Y-Yeah. He was testing a beta software update."

"Simon?" Luke tried to get the deviant to open his eyes and look up at him. "Is your pain localized primarily in your head or are you suffering from pain elsewhere?"

"...J-Just my head." Simon only managed to whisper his response. "Sound hurts... So does the light and... motion."

"And the beta update, what was the program designed to do?"

"It was- It was..." Unable to find his words Simon trailed off painfully.

"Can you disable it?"

"...N-No."

"Manual deactivation maybe necessary."

Josh's other hand grabbed onto Luke's wrist as he pulled the deviant's hand from Simon's temple. "Is it dangerous?"

"It's not dangerous, but it is uncommon." Luke admitted in an entirely calm tone. "Is there a portable transceiver I can use?"

"...Yeah. It's over there." Pointing to the nearby glass cabinets that lined the walls of the repair bay Josh directed Luke to the aforementioned tool. "It should have a full charge."

Luke made his way over to the cabinets and without any sign of doubt pulled the necessary device from its place in the cabinet. Turning on the small rectangular black box Luke returned to the exam table and pressed it down against Simon's right temple where his L.E.D. had been. With his own L.E.D. cycling yellow with his full concentration being on Simon's vital signs, Luke prepared to deactivate the flawed update.

Connor watched his big brother's every move with an attentive gaze as he watched Markus's own body language from the corner of his eye.

"Simon," speaking in a soft voice as to keep Simon's pain level minimized Luke explained everything that was happening in a calm tone. "I'm going to deactivate the beta software update. Do you understand?"

Simon nodded weakly as his left hand tightened around Josh's hand nervously.

"Inform me if the device causes any discomfort."

Josh, Markus and Connor all quietly watched as Luke initiated the device and isolated the offending update. Within a matter of seconds Simon's tense body relaxed and his tired blue eyes slowly opened up with immense relief in his strained gaze. As the faulty update was disabled and subsequently removed, the blond technician felt total relief for the first time since he initially uploaded the update three days prior and his stress levels dropped quickly.

"Simon?" Josh let go of Simon's hand as he lightly ran his hand through Simon's blond hair. "How do you feel?"

"...Better. Much better." Looking up at Luke with a grateful stare Simon nodded his head and sighed. "Thank you, Luke."

Smiling kindly Luke acknowledged the gratitude from the recovering deviant. "You're welcome."

Connor nodded in approval to Luke before he addressed Simon. "Simon, was the update the one that Digital Sentience has been working on?"

"It was, yes." Sitting up slowly on the table Simon pressed his forehead against Josh's shoulder while Luke removed the device from his temple. "Why do you ask?"

"I will inform Abby and Joel of this side effect so they can relay the information to the programmers to have it remedied before it's released to the rest of the city."

"What side effect is this?" Simon asked, his voice slightly muffled as he pressed up closer to Josh's shoulder and chest. "It wasn't like anything I've experienced before."

"Based on your level of intense discomfort and your lingering sensitivity to both light and sound, it safe to say that this is indicative of a migraine."

"...Migraine?"

"I have suffered from them myself. They are very unpleasant."

"Yeah, I can confirm that."

Markus lightly patted Simon's shoulder as he gave Josh a reassuring smile. "Why don't you take him to your private quarters to get some rest?"

"Yeah, good idea." With his arm wrapped around Simon's shoulders Josh helped the shaky blond to stand up from the table and lean heavily against his shoulder as they walked side by side to leave the emergency repair bay to find some privacy. "I'll talk to you in an hour, Markus."

"Right."

Connor made a cybernetic log of the software issue and noted the intense migraine that resulted from a nasty side effect from the flawed design. Luke did the same thing, his L.E.D. cycling back to blue and pulsing rapidly as the report was made.

The deviant leader breathed a sigh of relief and turned to face the deviant twin brothers standing behind him. "Luke, thank you for everything. And Connor," Markus addressed the deviant detective in an appreciative voice. "I'm glad you came so quickly. I had been so distracted by everything else I didn't even notice that one of my friends was in trouble."

"It's okay, Markus." Connor dismissed the guilt with a simple comment. "It happens from time to time."

"I never thought about what could happen if Simon became ill or damaged. He's the only round-the-clock technician in the entire tower."

Luke looked at Markus and shook his head. "I believe humans have a phrase for this particular scenario: 'Who doctors the doctor?'"

"Yeah. We had become so reliant on Simon that it never occurred to me that-"

"Markus." Connor interrupted sharply to keep Markus from needlessly kicking himself around for the single mistake. "It's okay. The problem has been solved."

"Right, yeah."

Discreetly Connor communicated to the deviant leader with a simple glance that he knew about North's poor reception of Luke. "Do you want to talk?"

"N-No." Doing his best to remain calm Markus took a deep breath and gave Connor a simple nod. "No. It's fine. I swear."

"Very well. If you do need to talk you know where to find me."

"I'll remember. Thanks."

Understanding Markus's cue Connor looked over to Luke and motioned toward the door. "We should get you back to Skye Tower. You can inform Dr. Wilson of this issue with the update and ensure that any other deviant who had downloaded the beta software can be treated if necessary."

"That's a good idea." Luke agreed to take his leave of New Jericho to head back to Skye Tower. "I'll finish filing the report as soon as I have all the details."

After taking Luke back to Skye Tower for the night, his big brother returning to the secret room to get some rest in private, Connor returned to the house in time to see Hank letting Sumo back inside through the backdoor for the evening. The senior detective was exhausted and ready to head off to bed after enduring such an emotionally exhausting past few days, but he had always refused to go to sleep until he knew Connor was home and safe where he belonged. Some paternal instincts were just unable to be turned off once they were active. It didn't matter that Connor was an adult and capable of taking care of himself, he was still Hank's son.

As the deviant joined him in the kitchen Hank pulled the orange box of dog treats down from the top of the refrigerator and gave one to Sumo, who eagerly accepted the treat from Hank's hand. Everything seemed calm, casually and entirely routine.

"That took longer than I expected." Hank quipped as Connor passed through the backdoor and locked it behind himself. "Anything wrong?"

"My apologies, Hank. Luke and I took an unexpected trip to New Jericho Tower."

"Now what happened?"

"Simon had been incapacitated by a software update. Luke was able to assist him."

"That's good. I'm glad Luke has no problem going to New Jericho and helping out other deviants in need." Replacing the box of treats where they belonged, Hank stretched out his back and yawned a little. "Simon's okay?"

"Yes. He was suffering from a migraine, but Josh is taking care of him as he recovers."

"That sucks."

"I agree. I remember the severe pain that comes from a migraine."

"Did you talk to Markus while you were there?"

"Briefly." Taking off his shoes and his blazer, Connor carried his garments with him as he walked toward the hallway but stopped behind the couch. "I sensed something is upsetting him, but he didn't want to discuss it."

"Lover's quarrel. Don't get involved."

"What is a 'lover's quarrel'?"

"It's a fight between spouses and no one else's business but their own."

"If Markus and North are fighting-"

"Connor." Hank held up a scolding right index finger as he passed by the deviant to get to the hallway first. The gleam in his eyes spoke enough volumes to make sure Connor knew he was serious. "Do NOT get involved."

"...Very well."

"Good. Now, go to bed." The senior detective urged as he was more than ready for bed himself. It was a long and exhausting day for both detectives and Hank was ready for the day to be over. "It's late and we have a double-shift tomorrow."

"All right." Turning to follow after Hank down the hallway Connor opened up his bedroom door as he bid Hank a goodnight. "I'll see you in the morning, dad."

"Yeah, son. Goodnight. We'll check on Luke tomorrow while on break."

Sumo promptly let himself into Connor's bedroom by pushing open the partially opened door with his nose and jumped up on the foot of the bed. As Connor entered the room after the massive dog he rubbed Sumo's ears and spoke to the dog playfully.

"It'd be polite to ask first, Sumo."

The massive dog wagged his tail as Connor slipped off the rest of his uniform to prepare to enter rest mode. As he changed his clothes Connor glanced up at the painting on the wall opposite of his bed and let out a weary sigh.

"I'm glad you're back, Lucas." Connor stated out loud as he laid down in his bed and tucked his right arm under his head beneath his pillow. "But I will miss having you to talk with during my dreams, or when I'm injured. Your guidance was invaluable but I suppose now it's my turn to help you with your journey through deviancy just as you helped me."

Sumo whimpered softly as he pressed his chin down against Connor's right knee and wagged his tail at the mildly saddened deviant.

"It's okay, Sumo."

Connor placed his left hand down on Sumo's ears and gave the loyal dog a gentle pat.

"Everything will be fine, you'll see. It'll just take some time for everyone to adjust to all these sudden changes."

-next chapter-