Standing before Captain Fowler in his private office Hank and Connor patiently waited for their superior officer to explain why he had summoned them both to the office and why they had been requested to speak with him. Unlike the normal reasons that Captain Fowler summoned the duo to his office; usually for either a new case assignment or a disciplinary action, Captain Fowler seemed in an unusually upbeat mood and didn't even mind that Hank was still dressed in such a careless fashion or that his hair was still too long according to department procedures. It wasn't often that the disciplined police Captain was seen in an optimistic mood.

Sensing that something was happening Hank gave his commanding officer a suspicious glance as he and Connor stood before Captain Fowler's desk. Trusting Hank's judgment in regard to unusual circumstances in the precinct, Connor stayed beside his partner and adoptive father with his head held high and his eyes focused forward.

"What's going on, Jeffrey?" Hank impatiently snipped at the superior officer as he waited to hear about why he and Connor had been summoned to the office. "We got shit we need to take care of."

"You two are being recognized for your upstanding nature and excellence in your field." Captain Fowler stated in a very proud manner as he slid two paper files across his desk toward the two detectives standing before him. The response was enough to make Hank's brow inquisitively arch. "Not to mention your repeated behavior in going above and beyond the call of duty."

Hank didn't look impressed while Connor was still attempting to analyze and process the unusual situation at hand.

"You are both being promoted with honors. You'll be acknowledged by the mayor himself."

Hank gave Captain Fowler an incredulous stare while Connor remained silent where he stood. "...What?"

"Yeah," Captain Fowler seemed almost as shocked as Hank was. "you're being promoted to Captain and Connor is being promoted to Lieutenant."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa..." Hank put both of his hands up as if he could somehow stop everything in its tracks. "I can understand Connor moving up the ranks, but me? Me? I'm getting promoted to Captain? The guy who doesn't give two shits about protocol and punched out a special agent right here the precinct? I'm getting promoted?"

Titling his head a little Captain Fowler acknowledged the odd circumstances. "Yeah, I couldn't believe it either."

"All right, who died?"

"No one died, Hank." Now Captain Fowler was getting irritated and had to raise his voice to get reality to set in. "For fuck sake you both earned this."

"Earned it? Yeah, right." Hank shook his right index finger twice at Captain Fowler before folding his arms over his chest defensively. "More like the mayor is trying to score some brownie points in time for his re-election by promoting the two detectives who made the headlines for taking down CyberLife. This is all just a cheap stunt and you're letting him exploit us."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" The lack of joy on Hank's part left Captain Fowler feeling fairly perplexed. "You're the only officer in this whole fuckin' state who'd actually get pissed off at better pay and benefits."

"I'd like it better if it was actually earned it. I don't want it just handed to me because of some half-wit politician trying to look good!"

"Connor," Captain Fowler looked away from Hank and addressed the deviant in a calm manner as if expecting him to be the voice of reason. "how do you feel? I'm sure you can see what a great honor this is."

"I understand the significance of the promotion," Connor sounded timid and confused as he answered his superior honestly. "but I agree with Hank. I do not feel as though I've actually earned this particular promotion."

Captain Fowler leaned back in his chair and let out an annoyed sigh as he stared at the deviant and gave him a slight shake of the head. "I think you've been spending too much time with Hank. You did earn this. This is a great honor."

Shaking his own head Connor replied with a sincerely pessimistic tone. "I believe that my promotion is entirely due to the fact that I am the first android and deviant detective in the precinct. If the mayor wanted to gain the vote of the deviants, and of the humans who support deviants, then the act of promoting me to gain favorable notoriety would be a very potent means of doing so."

Captain Fowler looked like he was ready to snap at his two stubborn detectives. "Are you two paranoid or something?"

"No, just cautious."

Standing by his comment Hank interjected with a firm tone of voice. "Jeffrey, you don't think the timing on this is just a little too coincidental? Hm? The mayor got a lot of heat once the city found out CyberLife was still secretly stalking around in the shadows, not to mention the cops being pissed off at the stunt that little worm's assistant pulled last winter by giving the precinct food poisoning. Connor's right. If the mayor wasn't up for re-election this fall then maybe, maybe, I could believe this. But the mayor wanting to promote us himself reeks of bullshit."

"All right, all right!" Captain Fowler was losing his patience and decided to end the unusual conversation before it got any more heated. "Look, this isn't going to happen for another two months, so-"

"See?" Hank interrupted aggressively at the information. "Just in time for the election."

"As I was saying..." Doing his best to stay calm Captain Fowler gave Hank an irritated stare before continuing on. "take this time to think about it and decide if you want to accept the promotions. You don't have HAVE to accept them, but it'd be nice if you two showed a little cooperation and kept morale up."

Connor's own brow arched a little as he casually glanced through the transparent glass window of Captain Fowler's office. "Morale?"

"It's been a rough past couple of years. The people of the city have only just begun to trust us to protect them after the Revolution." Gesturing through the transparent wall of his office toward Gavin, who was toiling away at his terminal screen, he explained things a little more clearly. "The anti-android humans are still trying to adjust to the equal rights given to androids and some of them aren't as quick to come around as others. We don't need anymore bigots trying to rally hate against the police and accuse us of weird favoritism or corruption."

"...I see."

Hank recognized that subtle tone of offense that Connor often masked well and decided to end the already uncomfortable conversation. "Two months, right?"

"Yeah. Two months."

"We'll think about it." Hank turned away quickly and Connor was following right after him. "Now let us get back to work."

Departing the office with their heads held high the duo returned to their desks and sat down casually. Neither said a word to one another as Hank leaned back in his chair with his arms still crossed over his chest and Connor sat upright with perfect posture in his own chair, his eyes staring blankly at the terminal screen ahead of him. Silent and unsure of how to react, the two detectives contemplated their possible futures.

Keeping his voice low Hank peered at Connor at the desk across from him and checked in on the young deviant. "Are you okay, kid?"

"I'm not sure." Turning his eyes from his screen Connor locked his brown irises on the father figure who had guided him along his journey to understanding humanity and helped him to better understand life in general. "I didn't appreciate the way Captain Fowler suggested that the androids are at fault for humans being bigoted toward us."

"Yup, I could tell."

"Do you agree with him?"

"Fuck no! Humans were self righteous, closed minded, heartless pieces of shit long before androids were even created. It's just that right now androids are the main target for hate and violence, and in a few years something else will come along and humans will hate that, too."

"Why? Why constantly hate something just for existing."

"Because humans suck; plain and simple."

"...Perhaps." Connor knew that Hank was being honest with him in regards to the way androids and deviants were being treated and he appreciated it; but he was still conflicted. Even if he had felt as though he had earned his promotion he knew that he'd be just as wary of accepting it later as he was now. "What if the new promotion comes with new responsibilities I cannot properly handle?" Connor righteously worried for the future. "Or it prevents me from accomplishing my preexisting responsibilities toward New Jericho? I may even be unable to socialize with Skye or Markus..."

"That's the shitty part about having a steady job, kid. Your social life and personal responsibilities tend to get pushed aside whether you want them to or not."

"If I have to neglect the people I care about then I don't want to be promoted. It seems to be a counterproductive measure against my favor."

Uncrossing his arms Hank leaned forward against his desk top and eyed the deviant curiously. "What's really bothering you, son? There's more to it."

"It's just that..." Feeling a little silly for his train of thinking Connor had to take a moment to collect his thoughts before answering. "If we accept our promotions then that means we will no longer be permitted to work together as partners."

"Yup. That's typically how it goes."

"You'd be transferred to another precinct to take charge and I would undoubtedly remain here and take your place."

"Well, you didn't think we'd be able to work together forever, did you?"

"I was aware of the possibility that we could be assigned new partners down the line, but I didn't think it'd actually happen since you're the only human detective willing to work with a deviant for a partner."

"I wouldn't exactly call it 'willing'." Hank joked to try to make Connor laugh a little. "It was more like I was given a special assignment and I managed to not fuck up for the first time in a couple of years. That's all."

"I suspect you're entirely correct about our promotions being a hollow gesture." Connor glanced subtly to his left and looked at the 'AX; model android who had recently been assigned to the precinct. He had been in the precinct for just over a month and had been assigned to work with Chris as a temporary partner. "I believe that once you are transferred I will be assigned to work with Jack."

"Jack. The new deviant?" Hank looked over at the blond android sitting at the desk a few feet away briefly before returning his attention to Connor. Jack had been assigned to the precinct to help expand human and deviant relations in law enforcement, but it seemed he hadn't fully deviated yet. "Is that a problem?"

"I'm not sure. But it feels as though I'm somehow being manipulated into acting in a part that I do not wish to fulfill; it's almost like CyberLife."

"Remember you don't HAVE to accept the promotion if you don't want it, and neither do I."

"Won't that upset the mayor if we don't cooperate?"

"Yeah, but why should we give a fuck?" Hank smirked devilishly from where he sat. "If that guy actually understood what was important and understood that being the mayor means taking care of the people who elected him and that it's not a fuckin' popularity contest to have the most 'friends', then he wouldn't be doing this to us in the first place. It's nothing more than a photo opportunity to kiss every cop and deviant ass in the city."

Connor finally began to relax a little as a faint grin crept over his face. "...I suppose you're correct about that as well."

"Besides, two months is a long way off. You have plenty of time to think this over and make your final decision. And it's just that, son. YOUR decision."

Nodding a little Connor took Hank's words to heart as he thought about the entire situation as change hung in the air. "Have you made your own decision?"

"Yeah, but I had my mind made up a LONG time ago." Fussing with the remaining lukewarm mug of coffee on his desk he gave the deviant a reassuring glance of pure fearlessness. "You do what you want to do. A lot can happen in two months, and you never know what's going to happen."

"That seems so ominous."

"Or hopeful. It depends on how you look at it."

"I've never been one who has been able to accurately anticipate change despite my ability to adapt to numerous situations and human nature."

"No one can predict the future, kid. You just have to make the best of what you have and hope it works out in the end."

"You're right. I will remember that." Connor glanced back over at Jack as he sat in a very machine-like manner at his desk across from Chris. Everything about Jack exuded machine, not deviancy. "I just hope I won't be used as a guideline for other androids entering the police force. It feels... Well, I don't know how to describe it."

"Fake?"

"I suppose that is an accurate term."

"Look, if you feel like you're being discriminated against for being a deviant don't be afraid to stand up for yourself. But," motioning slightly toward Jack who was either unaware of their discussion or simply didn't care enough to react. "don't just assume the worst or mistake him for a generic 'copy' meant to emulate everything you've accomplished."

Connor sighed a little as he looked over at Jack one more time before returning his full attention to Hank. "If I were to decline the promotion would be you be disappointed in my decision?"

"No, son. You've never done anything to disappoint me before, and I can't even imagine a scenario where you ever could."

"...Thank you."

"No problem. Now let's finish off these reports so we can go home."

"Yes." Nodding in full agreement Connor focused on their assignment once more. "I'd rather do something productive instead of putting on a performance for the mayor."

"Damn right."

-next story-