As per Hank's orders Connor took an additional week off from the precinct to heal from his traumatic experience during his mission in Miami and to come to terms with everything that he had witnessed during his undercover mission. Unwilling to speak with Josh at the therapy group at New Jericho for the sake of keeping his mission details secret, Connor had little choice but to speak to Lucas in his dreams as a confidante and use his younger brother's guidance to help him accept the horrible truth that he had uncovered. The positive interactions within his own mind were helpful but did very little to sway his guilt over the fate of his fifty previous counterparts.

Preparing for an afternoon shift at the precinct Connor tightened his black tie and looked at his reflection in the mirror with a warm sense of familiarity. It was grounding for Connor see himself in his usual uniform rather than the more casual clothes he had donned during his time while undercover. It was a reminder that he was home and he was safe.

Sumo loudly scratched at the backdoor and drew Connor's attention elsewhere for a brief moment. Walking down the hallway from his bedroom Connor spotted the massive dog pawing at the door needing to go outside for a moment and the deviant happily obliged.

"Good boy." While he waited for Sumo to return to the house from the backdoor Connor received a cybernetic message from Hank asking for a favor. "Hello, Hank. I'll be in soon."

'Don't be too quick. I got a call from Joel. His car broke down on the other side of town, he needs a ride.' Hank explained casually. 'Since you're such an eager beaver and ready to help everyone I figured you'd be willing to give him a lift.'

"I don't mind." The deviant replied quickly as he waited for Sumo to finish his business and come back to the backdoor. "Send me his current location."

As the information was supplied to his processor and G.P.S., Sumo trotted back through the still opened backdoor and licked the side of Connor's hand as he passed by the deviant. Over the past week that Connor had remained home Sumo had been protectively hovering around the deviant more than usual and seemed to be 'finding Connor' all over the house despite Hank not saying anything about the trick that had saved Connor's life once before.

"Got it. I'll pick up Joel and we'll be at the precinct soon."

'Cool. Thanks, son.'

It wasn't uncommon for Sumo to sleep on the foot of Connor's bed, but for him to constantly follow the deviant around was a little new and somewhat strange. Even as a puppy Sumo never followed Connor around all day long. It was nice to have the company, but it was also a strange habit that Connor hoped Sumo would break soon enough.

"I won't be gone as long today, Sumo."

Connor promised the massive dog and he rubbed his ears affectionately.

"Everything will be back to normal soon. You'll see what I mean."


It didn't take Connor long to locate Joel's current position thanks to Hank's directions and his recalibrated G.P.S. unit. The stranded technician was standing outside his broken down truck with his hands on his hips and an annoyed looked plastered on his usually laidback face. As the blue Corvette pulled up along the sidewalk where Joel was standing Connor parked the vehicle behind the malfunctioning red pick-up truck and opened his door to greet him. Connor approached the stranded technician with a confident gait and joined him at the smoking, closed hood of the relatively older vehicle in an attempt to help Joel with his mechanical problem.

In a way Connor was excited to potentially have a new vehicle to work on. He enjoyed fixing up the Corvette alongside Hank, and while the second Oldsmobile was in need of some work the car wasn't nearly as rough as the Corvette had been pre-restoration.

"Connor. I heard you were coming back to the precinct today." Joel was happy to see a familiar face and a friend. "Sorry it had to start like this."

"It's not a problem." Placing his hand down onto the broken down vehicle's hood Connor cybernetically popped the hood of the car and peered inside to examine the engine. A quick scan over the stalled engine indicated that the vehicle was in dire need of a new transmission, an oil change, a new battery and new spark plugs. "May I ask why you've neglected the maintenance of your vehicle?"

"I, uh... To be honest Connor, I had to put the truck's needs aside to pay off something I bought for my girlfriend."

"What type of gift would require such a massive debt?"

"An engagement ring and the necessary fees to legally adopt her kids as my own."

"...Oh." Connor suddenly understood and didn't blame Joel in the slightest for his decision. He was happy to know his friend wanted to be both a husband and a father. "That would be a rather hefty sum to pay and I can understand why you budgeted in such a way."

"Yeah... I was hoping the truck would make it until next month, but it looks like I was wrong."

"I'd be happy to work on your truck for you."

"Thanks, but no thanks Connor. I can't pay you-"

"I'll do it for free."

"...F-Free?" Joel gave Connor an incredulous stare as the deviant began preconstructing the potential new project inside his mind. "Seriously?"

"Yes." Slamming the hood back down Connor motioned for the technician to follow him over to his parked Corvette so they could continue to the precinct before either of them were late. "I enjoy working on vehicles but my own car is in optimal working conditions and Hank will not let me touch his car as he too enjoys working on vehicles."

"You'll work on my truck for free just because you want to?" Slipping on his seatbelt after taking his seat in the front passenger seat of Connor's vehicle Joel took a look at the interior of the Corvette and was impressed at the immaculate condition of such an old car. "And you're a really good mechanic at that. Yet, you're willing to work for free because car maintenance happens to be a hobby?"

"Correct. Also, you are my friend and I would like to help you."

"...Thanks, I appreciate it."

"You're welcome."

The Corvette drove through the streets of the city with only mild traffic blocking their way while the two made their way to the precinct. As they turned a block to head into the heart of the city from Joel's neighborhood Connor slammed hard on the brakes as a sudden traffic jam forced him to stop. Several people were standing in the middle of the street as a small house quickly became engulfed in flames just to the side of the road.

"I'll contact emergency services." Connor stated as he stepped out of the car and approached the scene. Doing so he ran a scan over the property and found the name of the house's owner, and with that information he scanned the face of the elderly woman standing on the sidewalk. She was covered in smoke and in tears as a kind neighbor hugged her. "Lieutenant Connor Anderson, Detroit Police." The deviant introduced himself as he approached the woman and cybernetically contacted the fire department. "What happened?"

"My grandson!" The woman sobbed heavily as she clung to the strong arms of her kind neighbor desperately. "He's still inside the house!"

"Your..." Connor was immediately on guard at her claim. "Where is he?"

"Second floor!"

Connor looked up at the second story of the house and saw the bright orange flames inching upward from the ground floor. Thick black smoke was already smothering the house and making it difficult to view the burning structure, but the house was still relatively stable. Over the loud crackling of the fire eating away at the wooden siding and supports of the house Connor heard the shrill cry of a baby from the second story.

"Connor?!" Joel had seen Connor's reaction and threw open his car door quickly to call out to his friend to get him to back off. "Connor! Get out of there!"

Without taking a moment to think or even preconstruct a route Connor raced up to the front porch of the house and kicked in the front door. Stepping to the side and pressing his back up against the exterior wall of the house he waited for the rush of oxygen to finish fueling the flames before he bolted inside the burning house and up the staircase.

"CONNOR?!"

Joel shouted again as he rushed up to the edge of the property and stared at the burning house with utter fear in his pale blue eyes.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

The sound of approaching fire engines filled the air as the house continued to burn quickly. The gathered group of people on the street moved to the sidewalk to make room for the fire engine, only to have a news van pull up behind the Corvette and begin filming the burning house and creating a second commotion outside the raging house fire.

"Connor?"

Worried for his friend Joel called out again as if he could somehow guide Connor back outside to safety.

"Ah, shit! Don't do anything you can't handle."

A window on the second floor overlooking the balcony attached over the smoldering front porch suddenly opened and Connor stepped outside. His gray blazer was protectively wrapped around the small baby as it continued to scream and cry while Connor carried him to safety. Standing as still as possible on the unsteady balcony Connor looked down at the grass and spotted the two approaching firefighters who were carrying a strong ladder between them.

As soon as the first firefighter placed and ascended the ladder up to the balcony Connor carefully passed the screaming baby over the firefighter's arms and backed away from the edge of the balcony to ensure the structure wouldn't collapse from too much weight while the baby was carried to safety.

A loud 'groaning' sound of the wooden structure beneath Connor's feet drew the deviant's attention from the crying infant causing him to run a scan on his surroundings. Before Connor had the chance to react the balcony collapsed and Connor fell through a gaping, burning hole on to the smoldering porch below with a graceless 'thud'.

"Connor!" Resisting the urge to run to his downed friend Joel could only watch as the second firefighter grabbed onto Connor's arm to lift him up and over his shoulders to get him away from the burning house. "Oh, man..."

The baby was reunited with his tearfully grateful grandmother as they were both taken to an awaiting ambulance by the first firefighter and Connor was placed on his back on the grass just a few feet from that same ambulance. The small smear of blue blood on Connor's left jawline from where his artificial skin had been damaged told the firefighters everything they needed to know about Connor being an android, and stepped back from him warily as they didn't have proper technical training.

It wasn't mandatory for firefighters to undergo the proper training courses yet.

"I'm a technician." Joel called out loudly as he knelt beside Connor and pressed his right hand to the center of the deviant's chest. "I can help him."

The sudden impact of falling on to the porch had disrupted Connor's ventilation program causing him to fall into a form of respiratory arrest. Reacting quickly Joel motioned to the ambulance and requested an ambubag to use. As the pump was given to the technician by the second firefighter Joel secured it over Connor's nose and mouth and began forcing quick, strong manual breaths into Connor's artificial lungs.

The media hovering around the scene of the fire filmed the lifesaving procedure of the hero who had saved the baby and were more than ready to announce whether or not Connor was going to live or die. Either way the reporters would have a juicy story to tell and couldn't actually care less for Connor's overall well being.

But Joel, the dedicated technician and friend to the downed deviant, was going to make certain that the heroic detective lived.

"Connor?" Pulling the pump away from Connor's face for moment Joel returned his right hand to the deviant's chest. "Breathe for me."

No response.

"Come on." Joel resumed breathing for Connor, watching as the deviant's chest rose and fell steadily with each breath. "Breathe, Connor. Just breathe. Don't die because of this. You have so many more people you need to save."

Suddenly Connor coughed once very weakly and opened his brown eyes as his body suddenly jerked as the physical shock to his processors wore off. While ambubag was pulled away from his face Connor looked around himself curiously while he breathed rapidly and deeply. It was then Connor noticed Joel kneeling over him and heard the sound of the baby still crying in his grandmother's arms as they were both being tended to by paramedics in the back of the ambulance.

"Connor?" Joel was watching Connor's every motion very closely. "Are you conscious and coherent?"

"Joel?"

"What the fuck? You just ran into a burning house!" Pulling his hand from Connor's chest to his shoulder Joel guided the deviant into an upright position on the grass. "Why did you do that?"

"...I don't know. As soon as I heard that infant crying I simply reacted."

"Is this a habit of yours?" Lightly Joel put his hand under Connor's chin and turned the deviant's head to the right so he could clearly see the cut on the left side of his jaw. "Leaping before you look, just impulsively running head first into danger?"

"I'm not intentionally putting myself into harm's way if that's what you're asking."

"You definitely need a partner to watch your back again. If I hadn't been here..."

"I'm aware of the dangers of working solo." Connor admitted as he wiped the back of his hand over the bleeding cut on his jaw. "The same dangers apply to human detectives as well."

"Yeah, but more people are familiar with human first aid than android technical assistance."

"Yes, I will admit that the odds are slightly more in favor of a human than an android when it comes to working in the field."

"Come on. I need to make sure your ventilation biocomponents weren't damaged by the smoke." Joel stood up and offered Connor his hand. As the two stood up from the grass together a loud round of applause sounded off from the gathered onlookers who had witnessed the rescue. "Huh. Looks like you have a bit of a fan base. Pretty cool, huh?"

Dismissing the comment Connor looked at the ambulance and was happy to see that the baby was no longer crying and was seemingly in good health as his grandmother cradled him lovingly. "I'm content with knowing that the baby is alive."

"I just don't know you'll explain this to Hank."

Admitting that the event was an bizarre as it was unexpected Connor just gave Joel a wary glance as they walked back over to the Corvette side by side. "To be honest, neither do I."


Arriving at the precinct only ten minutes later than expected Connor and Joel were greeted by a second raucous round of applause and some cheers from the other officers and detectives in the bullpen as soon as they set foot on the floor. Connor glanced about the area slightly confused by the pleasant and unexpected greeting as a pale blue blush appeared on his face and Hank quickly stepped out of his private office to wave him over. The look on Hank's face was rather blank as opposed to any discernible emotion, and yet the duo could see that Hank was merely keeping his composure until he could speak to Connor in private.

Joel patted Connor's shoulder and motioned to the large television mounted on the wall replaying the footage of Connor's rescue on the news. The screen was filled with replays of Connor's heroic deed and subsequent treatment after escaping the fire.

"I think it's safe to say Hank already knows what happened." The technician replied in a low voice. "I'll see you in the dispensary in a few minutes."

Bowing his head slightly Connor went over to the office as requested and sat down in the chair across from Hank's desk. The smell of smoke was still heavy on Connor's person and ash clung to his dirty uniform and disheveled hair.

"So..." Hank asked casually as he took in Connor's soot stained clothes, skin, messy hair and cut open jaw. "busy morning?"

"It was not my-"

"Relax, kid. I'm not mad at you," he stated in a stern tone. "I'm just a little worried."

"Worried?" The comment made Connor's brow furrow as he cleared his throat a little. "Aside from the small abrasion to my jawline I'm not injured."

"You can't keep risking your life like that when you don't have someone there to back you up."

"Oh." Now understanding Hank's worries Connor noted that it was completely justified. "...Joel made a similar comment to me after I escaped the house."

"See? It's not just me. Connor," the tone of Hank's voice was firm but not aggressive. "I don't want you running around solo anymore. You've been through too much as of late and I don't want to see you get hurt. Do you understand?"

Connor's soulful brown eyes flashed with a minor sense of insult but it quickly faded as he nodded. "...Is there anyone available to be my new partner?"

"We have a guy transferring over from a precinct in Lansing; Donovan Saxon. He's still a little green because he's so young, but he's proven himself fairly competent with his cases. The only problem is he has a less than agreeable personality. I think you can handle him though."

"When will he arrive?"

"Tomorrow morning. Don't worry about making a good first impression, kid. After your little stunt today the news will be doing that for you." Pointing to the still raw cut on the left side of Connor's jaw Hank dismissed the deviant with a wave of the hand. "Go to the dispensary and get a quick exam. I have a couple of cold cases I want you to look over today."

"Of course. I will be back shortly."

"And... Take a shower after you get cleared by Joel. I don't want the bullpen smelling like a bonfire all damn day."

Looking down at his dirty uniform Connor sighed and agreed with Hank yet again. "I have extra clothes in my locker. That won't be a problem."


It didn't take Connor long to get cleared by Joel, who was insistent on making sure his artificial lungs weren't damaged by smoke or heat; and then get cleaned up after the fire in the precinct's locker room shower, but it did take him some time to get dressed. The extra clothes in his locker were a second copy of his old uniform from CyberLife. The shirt, tie and jeans were all fine to wear, but the old gray blazer emblazoned with the CyberLife insignia over the left lapel and right arm band as well his serial number, made Connor feel very uncomfortable. The sight of the word 'android' printed on the back of the jacket felt more like an insult than a a means of identification.

The very notion of being labeled as company property and not seen as a person made Connor grit his teeth bitterly. It was strange to think that at one point he knowingly wore such a garment and willingly continued to wear it until he had been officially adopted into Hank's family.

"...Not this."

Wading the spare blazer up into a ball Connor threw it into the trashcan next to the locker room door as he took his leave of the room in just his jeans, dress shirt and tie.

Returning to the bullpen Connor noticed that several detectives and officers were all gathered around Gavin's desk, including Hank. Taking a closer look he saw that Abby had stopped by to visit Gavin that afternoon and had brought Aria with her. The other officers were taking turns holding Aria and speaking sweetly to the four-month-old baby, with the exception of Jack, who had no interest in holding the small infant as his deviancy was still new and he wasn't entirely comfortable around children.

Taking his seat at his desk to begin his work Connor felt Hank's hand clamp down on his left shoulder from behind. "I know I told you to work on those cold cases, but you can still see your goddaughter first."

"I was merely trying to be efficient."

"You're always efficient. Just say 'hi' and then get to work. Go on."

Nodding a little Connor stood up from his seat and walked over to the desk and watched as Chris held Aria against his shoulder gently. The small baby was making different sounds and looking at the bullpen with a strange curiosity in her increasingly hazel-green eyes. She had never been to the precinct before and so the place was entirely new to her.

"Hello, Aria." Connor greeted as he stood beside Chris. Looking over to Abby who was sitting on Gavin's desk with her arm wrapped around Gavin's shoulders, Connor gave her the same greeting. "Hello, Abby."

"Connor, it's nice to see you." Abby smirked as she tightened her arm around Gavin's shoulder in a half hug. "You look better without the smoke and ash all over your face."

Connor could feel himself blushing again but he didn't try to hide it. Returning to look at Aria the small baby excitedly made noises when she heard Connor's voice and began reaching her hand out toward him. Offering the small baby his right index finger he smiled a little as she took hold and didn't let go.

Hank stood at Connor's side and handed him an electronic tablet to take in his left hand. "Here's all the information on your new partner. I figured you'd want to familiarize yourself with him before you two meet tomorrow."

"Yeah- Yes," Connor replied as he accepted the tablet with his left hand and kept his eyes on Aria. "I'll look into it in a moment."

"Take this, too." Hank draped Connor's gray blazer, the one he had used to wrap up and protect the baby he saved from the fire, over his shoulder. "The paramedics stopped by while you were getting cleaned up. They even paid for an express dry-cleaning on the damn thing as a little thank you for going in after the baby."

"That was kind of them." Connor gave Chris a silent request to take Aria from his arms and Chris obliged with a gentle motion. "I didn't have a spare blazer in my locker anyway."

Gavin gave Connor an odd look and watched the deviant as he gently took Aria from Chris's hands to hold for himself. Connor's eyes seemed to light up as Aria smiled up at him and grabbed on to his tie. "Jeez, you really like kids, don't ya', 'Tinman'?"

"I do. Children are very honest and innocent." Adjusting his left arm to support Aria's weight and wrapping the right arm around her back Connor held her close to his chest and watched as she pulled on his tie and continued to babble. "I find it reassuring to know that there are in fact people who know only love and nothing of hatred. It's something I'd like to encourage for as long as possible."

"You sound like a damn 'after-school special' or something."

"My apologies if my comment seemed peculiar."

"Hell, everything about you is peculiar." Gavin quipped as he watched his daughter enjoying Connor's company. "But whatever, I've gotten used to it."

Connor smirked at Aria as he found himself cybernetically looking into the legalities of adoption once again and highlighting a few key passages regarding the law that might become beneficial to the deviant in the future. "Hello, Aria. It's good to see you again."

The small infant made a noise in response to Connor's words as she continued to pull on his tie in a weak grip.

"Yeah, we definitely made the right choice in asking you to be her godfather." Abby stood up from the desk and gently took Aria back from Connor and 'shushed' Aria as she made small noises of protest. She wasn't finished with pulling on Connor's tie. "Well, this little one needs to get to her wellness check-up this afternoon and she shouldn't be late. Maybe if she isn't too fussy I'll bring her back so she can finish tying your tie."

Flashing a small frown Connor handed the baby back and watched as Aria was bundled up under a thin lavender blanket. "Yes, of course."

"We'll see you again soon." Abby promised Connor as she adjusted Aria in her arms. "I think she really liked it when you babysat her. I know I did!"

"I enjoyed it as well. Take care Abby, Aria."

"Love ya' kitten!" Gavin kissed Aria's head and rubbed his hand along her back over the blanket. "See ya' both later, okay, babe?"

"You better."

As Abby kissed Gavin goodbye Connor slipped his returned blazer over his arms and shoulders as he walked over to his desk and looked at the tablet regarding information on his new partner. The details he read were in fact impressive, but there was something unsettling about the photo accompanying the file details that made Connor wary. It was something he couldn't explain but he knew his gut feeling was picking up on something sinister.

"Curious."

Short blond hair in a military buzz cut, piercing gray eyes, well groomed goatee, broadly built and just under average height. He was the epitome of everything that a person would expect in a first responder. However, there seemed to be something hollow in his aesthetic, as if it were nothing more than a show or even a mask to hide behind.

"Donovan Saxon." Connor read the name and then his personnel file as he sat down behind his desk. "Impressive arrest record, a respected member of the Lansing Police Department for three years, top five of his class at the police academy and a graduate of Detroit Central High School." As he read through the details Connor couldn't help but feel there was in fact something very off about the young officer. "Why would he come back here if his career is already so promising in another arguably more reputable city?"

A paper ball bounced off of Connor's shoulder courtesy of Gavin as the Sergeant overheard the comment. "You talkin' to yourself 'Tinman'?"

"I am merely thinking out loud."

"Yeah, that's the definition of talkin' to yourself." Craning his neck Gavin saw the tablet clutched in Connor's hand and noticed the file. "That your new partner?"

"Yes."

"That blond bastard from Lansing?"

"...Yes." Connor turned around to face Gavin in his seat, his brow arched in curiosity. "Do you know him?"

"I know about him, but I've never met the prick."

"Rumors?"

"Reputation." Crossing his arms over his chest Gavin was more than happy to give Connor the dirty little details on the arguable prick in question. "The guy's a great shot but a real hothead. He's worse than me and Hank combined if that gives you an idea of what you'll be dealing with."

"...That doesn't seem particularly pleasant."

"He's been disciplined at least four times for beatin' on suspects in his custody and claiming that the injuries were preexisting prior to the arrest. He got busted by two of his former partners who saw the beat-down and a third when he forgot to turn off his dash cam." Shrugging his shoulders a little Gavin leaned back against his chair casually. "The only reason he didn't get fired is because he has connections with some hot-shot in the F.B.I. or some shit. I guess he decided that a change of scenery was necessary to keep his name lookin' good."

"If you're aware of his negative reputation then I know that Hank is aware as well."

"Maybe he wants you to kick his ass into shape or somethin'."

"Unlikely." Setting aside the tablet Connor turned his attention to his terminal screen to work on the cold cases that he had been assigned to review. "I doubt this impending partnership is one that'll be beneficial or stable."

"Wouldn't doubt it. Tina met him once at some special conference shortly after she graduated from the academy. She said he gave her the creeps and was always just... staring at her. Like he was plotting against her."

"That type of behavior is very unusual for anyone. I'll be sure to keep a close eye on his attitude and overall demeanor in the field."

"Hey, Connor?"

Turning to look at Gavin over his left shoulder one last time Connor wasn't sure what the Sergeant was going to say to him. "Yes?"

"You do know if that guy is a pain in the ass and tries anything stupid that me, Tina and Chris all have your back the same as Hank, right?"

"...Yeah." A tension lifted from Connor's shoulders and he subtly nodded at the comment and peered at Tina as she returned to her desk across from Gavin's with two mugs of coffee in her hands, then looked over to Chris's desk where he and Jack were on their way out for their patrol. Letting his eyes fall on Hank through the transparent wall as the Captain sat behind his desk in his office, it was then Connor suddenly didn't feel as wary about having a new partner. "Yes. I know."


The following morning Connor sat at his relatively empty desk with perfect posture as he danced his coin nervously over his knuckles. The new partner he had been cautious of meeting was scheduled to arrive at any minute and Connor was unsure of how to respond to the somewhat notorious officer. Hank was watching Connor through the transparent wall of his office and felt bad for having to partner Connor up with a complete stranger, but he had little choice in the matter. Connor needed a partner while in the field and officer Saxon had been transferred to the precinct specifically to fill the void left behind after Hank's promotion to Captain.

With a casual presence Hank left his office and sat down on the edge of Connor's desk as he addressed the deviant Lieutenant casually. The least he could do was give Connor a little pep-talk and help him find some confidence in working with a new partner.

"Look kid, I know you're anxious about working with a new person you haven't even met yet, and to be honest I'm anxious, too. But it'll be fine."

"Captain, I don't know how to explain it but I have a bad feeling about this guy." The deviant admitted in a quiet voice. His gut instincts were telling him that there was something very disturbing lingering around Officer Saxon. "His reputation is questionable, his methods are cruel and there is something unnerving about his... Well, about his eyes."

"You mean that cold and empty stare?"

"Yes. I've heard that human's believe that the eyes are the windows to the soul," leaning forward a little in his seat Connor took a more casual pose as he spoke to his father sitting beside him. "and from what I've experienced with my varying encounters with humans, I find this to be oddly prevalent. The criminals we've dealt with and the corrupt officials we've encountered have all given me the same cold impression. It's now the same with Saxon and that's just from looking a photograph."

"I'm going to level with you. This Saxon prick is being sent to us because there's no other precinct in this whole fuckin' state that'll put up with him anymore and this city's desperate for more cops. He's one bad mark away from getting his ass fired and no one would miss him."

"Due to his reported assaults against suspects?"

"That, and he has a tendency to rough up androids, offend his female coworkers with crude behavior and comments, threaten his fellow officers and had stalked his ex-girlfriend to the point of her needing to flee to another place in the middle of the night. Fuck, he's even been questioned about participating in assaults against women all over Lansing by his own Captain."

"Assaults against women throughout the city?"

"Yeah. Some of them even ended in negligent homicide, if not straight-up murder."

"And he was allowed to remain a police officer?"

"He was never directly linked to any of the cases through direct evidence or witness statements. And having a connection in the F.B.I. basically gave this asshole diplomatic immunity against any consequences. Even when there was evidence proving he knocked around those other suspects, nothing ever stuck to him."

"Even the testimony of his own former partners wasn't enough to convict him of any charges?"

"Nope. What makes it worse is his first two partners were both female officers who accused him of sexual assault, but he countered with the 'high school favorite' of calling them sluts and liars, spreading rumors about them throughout the precinct and fabricating fake texts to make it look they were coming onto him despite their fellow officers and even the I.T. department confirming the female officer's statements."

"Saxon was absolved of all accusations by his personal connections." Connor's eyes darkened with disappointment at the information. "This isn't right."

"You got it, kid. He kept getting transferred around departments because these 'patterns of behavior' continued, but every time someone made a complaint or an assault occurred, he got off scot-free. Everyone knows he's a demented bully but nothing's come of it because he has a connection with a higher power."

"Why hasn't he been fired already? This seems like a gross miscarriage of discipline."

"He has connections keeping his ass out of the fire in Lansing and Washington D.C., but here," Hank pointed down at the ground as if needing to clarify where they were at the moment. "he has no one to protect him."

Connor's brow furrowed as he picked up on a curious undertone in Hank's words. "Do you want me to report his behavior to have him finally fired if it becomes necessary?"

"I want you to be honest with your assessment on him. And," putting his hand on Connor's shoulder Hank motioned toward the deviant with a pointed finger. "I want you to remind him that you outrank him. You're the one calling the shots now. Don't let him defy you or push you around, no matter how pissed off he gets. He isn't here to be your friend, he's here to fall in line or get his ass fired. Got it?"

Picking up on Hank's ulterior motive Connor nodded in sly approval. "...I got it."

"Good. If you think he's a danger in any capacity just let us know and we'll get his ass out of the precinct." Standing up from the desk Hank took his leave of the bullpen to return to his office. "You can do this, kid. Just trust your instincts and you'll be fine."

"Trust my instincts." Connor pocketed his coin discreetly and took a deep breath to steady himself. The deviant felt as though on some level he was being tested, but he also knew Hank all too well and knew he wouldn't do that. The senior detective would never intentionally force Connor into a situation that he wouldn't be able to properly handle on his own. "I can do this."

Without so much as a pleasant greeting to the receptionist up front Officer Donovan Saxon made his way through the bullpen and marched right up to Hank's office door and pounded on the glass door instead of knocking. Connor watched as the impatient, evidently angry man introduced himself to Hank and proceeded to accept his orders from Hank in person.

"I don't like him." Tina stated in a whisper as she passed by Connor's desk to get to her own desk a few feet behind him. "There's something a little 'off' about that guy and gives me the creeps."

Connor turned to look at Tina and admitted that he too was feeling unnerved by his presence. "I had a similar reaction."

"I know it's not my place to say anything, Lieutenant, but I don't think you should trust that guy."

"...I appreciate your concerns. I will be able to handle it."

"I hope so. I don't want to see you get dragged down because of that guy's own problems."

"Problems?"

"Nasty temper, reports of police brutality and even rape charges. I think he's on his last strike."

The fact that Tina confirmed Saxon's past record only confirmed that the man was less than stellar in the field. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Connor?" Hank's voice addressed the deviant again as he walked over to the desk with Saxon at his side. "This is your new partner."

"Hello." Connor extended his hand to politely shake as he stared at the man's cold, soulless eyes. A chilly fear crept up Connor's spine that told him that Saxon was not to be trusted under any circumstances. "I'm Lieutenant Connor Anderson."

"Yeah, I know who you are." Saxon accepted the handshake but did so with an obvious disdain toward the deviant. "Hard not to know you."

"May I ask how you know me?"

"I saw you on the news yesterday." Aggressively Saxon tightened his hand around Connor's hand as if he were trying to hurt the deviant, but Connor's plastimetal frame easily withstood the pressure. "You saved that baby."

"Yes."

"Trying to 'one-up' the fire department or something? Need to prove a point?"

In response to the callous remark Connor's hand tightened around his new partner's hand just enough to cause pain without resulting in injury. "I was merely reacting to an emergency situation and I was successful. Do you have an issue with that?"

Hank could sense the tension and decided to intervene. "All right, don't get off on the wrong foot."

"My apologies, Captain." Connor let go of the abrasive human's hand and let his own drop at his side. "I have a lead on the double-homicide from last night. I would like to investigate it."

"Go. Take Saxon with you."

"Of course."

Saxon just gave Connor an angry stare as he pulled his car keys from his pocket. "Fine. I'll drive."

"No." Connor mirrored his motion and held up his own car keys from his blazer pocket. "I'll drive."

"Why?" The brash and hostile officer questioned as if trying to make a stand. "Are you my chauffeur?"

Hank just stood back and watched, waiting to see what Connor was going to do.

"Aside from the fact that I know the address of the crime, I'm familiar with the layout of the city and I outrank you." In rare moment of authoritative presence Connor stood his ground as he stood up from his chair and almost towered over his shorter partner. "And more importantly, because I said so."

Saxon's eyes somehow went colder as he stared at Connor but the deviant didn't back down. "Whatever."

Walking past Connor toward the precinct doors Saxon disappeared back outside in an angry huff to wait for his new partner.

Connor turned his attention to Hank who just crossed his arms over his chest and gave him a nod of approval before the deviant marched after the unpleasant human. The same approval had been given by Tina as he walked through the bullpen as he cross the room to get outside and Connor knew that the day was only going to get more interesting from there.


The scene of the double-homicide was somehow less brutal than the tense drive to the address as Connor continuously monitored Saxon's aggressive demeanor from where he sat in the front passenger seat beside him. There was something incredibly unnerving about the violent and untrustworthy man, and it wasn't just his openly hostile attitude toward those who outranked him or was anyone of the opposite sex. There was something hollow and menacing about Saxon's very presence. It was something sinister that told Connor on an internal level to never turn his back on the man unless he wanted to find a knife planted there.

Setting up a cybernetic relay to his own terminal back at the precinct Connor prepared to record every second of the investigation to potentially create evidence to use against Saxon if it became necessary. Connor's gut instincts were telling him to be as cautious as possible.

"Go inside and begin the investigation." Connor ordered as he pulled the Corvette to the side of the street and parked behind a squad car. "I'll follow."

"I fuckin' know the drill."

"Then go and do it."

Saxon shot Connor a fiendish glare as he opened his door and slammed it shut hard enough to make the entire vehicle rock on its wheels.

Police tape projections barred off the property while officers outside the house checked the property for any other sign of intrusion or violence. Ben himself was heading up the search in the small backyard as the search for any sign of the killer was readily underway. It was a small house that had been rented by two female college students that had been the address of the call. The house was in a nice neighborhood and seldom saw any violence, as a result the entire neighborhood was shaken up and paranoid about the horrific crime that happened uncomfortably close to home.

The front door of the house had been locked but someone with skills as a lockpick had made their way inside the residence. Both of the victims - young attractive twenty-year-old students; one with long blonde hair and the other with short red hair, had been stabbed to death in the livingroom of their home. The two women had been bound in strong lightweight ropes and zip ties; their arms tied behind their backs and their legs bound tightly at their ankles, knees and thighs to prevent fleeing or resistance. Their mouths had also been bound in duct tape to stop them from screaming.

Unfortunately for the two victims, the bindings were cruelly effective.

Dark red blood soaked into the carpet, the furniture, it splashed up the walls and even clung to the ceiling. The poor victims were drenched in their own and each other's blood as they laid on the floor side by side, dead.

It was a crime of passion and utter rage.

Stepping inside the house after examining the front door Connor scanned over the horrific scene and kept his face stoic. As Saxon stepped inside the house he looked completely undeterred by the abundance of blood and violence. In fact, he didn't seem to feel anything but contempt toward the victims. The cold stare of his eyes seemed to pierce through the poor victims with an unspoken hatred for the defenseless dead women.

"I'll examine the victims." Connor stated as he crouched down by the first body and prepared to make a biometric scan. "You check for the point of entry from the killer or killers."

"Why bother?" Saxon scoffed as he crossed his arms over his chest and turned his nose up at the very idea. "It's a fuckin' waste of time."

"Pardon me?" Standing upright again Connor gave the officer and annoyed glance and squared himself in front of the insubordinate officer. "'A waste of time'?"

"Look, this took place in a nice part of town and no one saw or heard a damn thing. This guy covered his tracks and we-"

"First of all, you need to do your job." Connor interrupted quickly as he made a cybernetic log of Saxon's attitude and sent it back to the precinct to be reviewed later by Hank and whoever at I.A. would listen. The log was a live-feed allowing anyone at the precinct to see the confrontation in real time rather than dealing with the infamous 'he said/he said' dilemma. "Secondly, we can't just write this off as a cold case because the evidence isn't abundantly obvious."

"Hey, I'm not going to waste my time on a couple of nameless girls."

"They do have names AND they have families. They deserve to have a proper investigation and receive justice."

"Fuckin' whatever. You do what you want."

"Very well. I want you to do your damn job." Keeping his voice stern and focused Connor refused to back down from the heartless officer. He knew Ben was listening in on everything and would provide back-up if it became necessary. "I don't know why you have such a horrible attitude, but it's not going to prevent me from doing my job because you refuse to do yours."

"Get out of my face, asshole."

"Do your job, officer." Connor ordered without fail or fear. "Or return to Lansing. It's your choice."

"...This is bullshit."

"As is your attitude. If you're not going to handle this case then I will." Returning to his crouched position on the floor Connor ran his scan and finally began his investigation. Saxon stubbornly folded his arms over his chest and watched as Connor went about professionally. "The victims were young women, all small in build and height. The first victim is Veronica O'Neil; nineteen-years-old and registered at Baker College as a medical student." Turning away from the blond victim Connor scanned the second victim's face to learn her name. "The second is Tiffany Wilkins. Twenty-years-old and registered at the same college in the same field. It appears they were roommates to help save money while attending classes."

"Wow." The sarcasm was a thick as Saxon's poor attitude. "College kids rooming together to split rent? How did you figure that one out?"

"Quiet." Snapping sharply Connor preconstructed the scene of the crime and confirmed their tragic cause of death. "They were overpowered by one man who was approximately five foot eight and one-hundred and eighty-two pounds."

The sarcasm quickly disappeared from Saxon's voice as he realized Connor found something to work with. "How in the fuck do you know that?"

"The shoe impressions in the carpet are faint, but they are indicative of the killer's weight and the shoe size gives me an approximate height. The stab wounds on the two victims' bodies is also indicative of a person with immense strength and a height greater than the two victims as he had assaulted them, which is indicative of a right-handed male assailant."

"...The fuck?"

Connor continued on with his scan. "The killer wore gloves to refrain from leaving fingerprints and made sure to put protective coverings over his shoes to prevent any sole prints from being detected on the carpet or the exterior yard. Whoever did this had planned the murders."

"Bullshit!" Saxon was getting tense and looked around the house nervously. "You can't prove that!"

"I can." From where he crouched Connor sensed that something was bothering his new partner and prepared to exercise caution based on instinct. "The front lock had also been picked. There are no exterior scratches around the lock which means the killer has experience with lock-picking and managed to pick the lock quickly without any errors." Standing up slowly Connor made his way back to the front door and ran another scan over the metal lock. "The killer used a professional grade kit to unlock the door," playing on a hunch Connor decided to see how his new partner would react to more intricate details. "and in the process it appears he left a single eyelash on the keyhole as he peered down to examine his work."

"...Eyelash?"

"Correct. There is a root attached to the lash which means we can get D.N.A. evidence." Picking up the small object with his right index fingertip and thumb Connor slipped the evidence into a small plastic bag sitting on the case of C.S.I. equipment sitting nearby on the floor, and then tucked the evidence into his blazer pocket for safekeeping. "I will deliver this to the lab in person, the sooner we get an identity on the killer the better."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa..." Saxon was beginning to sweat as he followed after Connor quickly out of the house and to the Corvette parked out on the street as he began to sweat. "You just contaminated evidence with your bare hands!"

"Incorrect. I am an android and as such I do not have fingerprints and I do not have D.N.A. to cause cross contamination."

"...You're a fuckin' android?" Saxon's attitude toward Connor took a dramatic shift from angry to terrifyingly violent like a switch flipped. "I thought that was a rumor, a fuckin' JOKE."

"I assure you, I am an android. A deviant android." Pulling open the driver's side door of the car Connor returned to his place behind the wheel and waited for Saxon to join him in the car. Cybernetically Connor sent a message back to the precinct and asked for a little assistance during his return to the precinct as he anticipated another problem en route. "If I wanted to I could confirm the D.N.A. sample myself and send the results back to the precinct in real time."

"...Let me ask you something, Lieutenant." Saxon began to fidget nervously in his seat with a low growl behind his words, his right hand discreetly reaching for something concealed in his leather jacket pocket. "Where does a deviant go after work?"

"Home."

"What home? Do you have a family?"

"I do." Connor confirmed as he sensed Saxon becoming more tense, his body language becoming more hostile. "What of your family? I'm sure you still have someone here in the city who remembers you before you moved to Lansing."

"They don't care about me." As Connor turned a corner to make his way back to the precinct Saxon pulled a knife from his jacket pocket and brought it up to Connor's throat. "Not that it matters."

Reacting quickly to the weapon Connor slammed on the brakes, threw the car in park and grabbed onto Saxon's wrist with his hand as the deranged man then made a lunge toward Connor's abdomen with the knife. Holding the human at bay Connor remained calm and refused to let up on his grip as Saxon tried and failed to break free of his stronger grip.

"Why did you kill those two students?!" Connor demanded as he continued to cybernetically record the attempted assault in progress. "What did they do to you?"

"Those little bitches deserved it! Who the fuck do they think they are?! Telling me 'no'! FUCK THEM!" Saxon was practically frothing at the mouth as he shouted his murderous confession in Connor's face. "Fucking sluts... All of them are sluts! They have no right to say 'no' to me or any man! They needed to learn their place and I taught them a lesson they'll never forget!"

"You need to drop the knife." Connor responded calmly to the assault and relied on his training as a negotiator to save himself. "Killing me will only make things worse for yourself."

"Not after I tell the precinct you were ambushed by the killer who was hiding inside the house! You were jumped, the killer stabbed you over and over again," Saxon's eyes were wild and he was practically smiling as he tried to push the blade of the knife into Connor's stomach. "I pulled him off of you but he got away. Unfortunately you bled to death when I tried to drive you to the hospital!"

"The other officers at the scene will deny your claims. And again, I'm a deviant android, I'd be taken to a facility and not a hospital you dense fool."

"I can persuade them..." Saxon snarled as he kept trying to harm Connor with his knife. "If not, maybe I can persuade their families to go along with me instead..."

"The D.N.A. I collected will still link you to the murders."

"Not after I destroy it!"

"You cannot destroy what you don't have."

"Tell that to the F.B.I., they're real good at finding stuff and then losing it again. Then nothing will connect me-"

The passenger side door of the car was pulled open and a strong hand grabbed onto Saxon's shoulder and threw the deranged officer out of the car and onto the hard street. Connor had managed to pull the knife out of Saxon's hand as the dangerous human was forcibly removed, leaving him effectively unarmed and defenseless as he laid on the street.

"Don't move, asshole!" Hank threatened as he pointed his gun at Saxon's forehead. "You're under arrest and you damn well know the reason why."

Connor quickly joined Hank outside of the car and pulled the handcuffs from the back of his belt and snapped them around Saxon's right wrist. Bending the human's wrist at such an extreme angle caused enough pain to make Saxon roll from his back all the way over onto his stomach where Connor pinned his right arm behind his back, then pulled his left arm back next to the right. With both wrists now cuffed Connor knelt down and pinned his knee into the human's spine to hold him in place.

"What the fuck, Captain?" Saxon tried to feign ignorance as he turned his head to look at Hank standing over him. "I didn't do-"

"Shut up." Connor told his now arrested partner with complete indifference to his voice as he maintained control over the situation. "Perfect timing, Hank."

Keeping his eyes locked on the unstable officer Hank addressed the traitor to his cause with an angered and fearless voice. "D.N.A. evidence or not, I know your little confession will be more than enough to put your sorry ass behind bars for life, Saxon. Not even the F.B.I. can help you this time."

Saxon's wide eyes went even wider and he paled as he realized he was busted. "What the-"

Connor spoke up with a sly voice. "As I told you, I'm an android. I was able to cybernetically record your assault and upload it in real time to the precinct as evidence. Your confession will work just as well as any D.N.A. sample ever would in the double-homicide. And just to clarify, the eyelash in question does not exist. It was a ploy to see how you'd react to knowing that I was aware of your guilt and was willing to prove it."

"FUCK YOU!"

Connor applied more pressure to his knee against Saxon's spine as he held out the offending knife by the tip of the blade toward Hank. "And I'm certain your knife will contain some fragment of blood D.N.A. under the hilt directly connecting you to the victims."

"FUCKING ASSHOLE!"

"Shut up!" Hank ordered again as he took an evidence bag from his coat pocket slipped the bag over the knife as he took it from Connor's hand. "You're under arrest for a shit-ton of reasons, Saxon. Don't make me add disturbing the peace to your list of charges. That just seems like petty overkill at this point."

Two additional squad cars converged on the scene quickly as Hank and Connor kept Saxon pinned down on the street. Gavin threw open his door and joined Hank with his own gun pointed at Saxon with three other patrolling officers followed after him. With five armed officers gathered around him Saxon swore loudly and bitterly, but Connor wasn't deterred from keeping him restrained.

"FUCKING TRAITORS!" Saxon growled and shouted as he was promptly taken into custody. "First you let those bitches call the shots, now you're letting plastic take control!"

"I recommend exercising your right to remain silent." Connor stated firmly as watched the other responding officers approach the arrested man with their weapons drawn. "It might do you some good."

"FUCK OFF!"

Hank and Gavin grabbed onto Saxon's shoulders and hauled him up from the ground with force. Dragging the man toward the first car squad car the confessed murderer was thrown into the backseat to be taken into custody at the precinct, then transferred back to Lansing to have his previous complaints filled against him reexamined. Gavin was more than happy to drive the demented bastard into custody to be questioned while Hank was just relieved to know he managed to get to Connor in time.

Taking a deep breath Hank returned to where Connor was standing and cybernetically filing a report, and put his hand on the deviant's shoulder. "You good, kid?"

"I'm unharmed. Thank you."

"That fuckin' bastard actually had the balls to assault his own damn partner while on the clock."

"Fortunately he was too preoccupied with his own implied errors at the crime scene to have taken my admission to being an android legitimately. Ben heard everything and is now documenting everything that I was able to connect to Saxon based on his height, build and knowledge of lock-picking due to his training as a law enforcement officer."

"I doubt that arrogant prick would've done anything differently even if he had been paying attention to what he was doing before and after the murders."

"What will become of Saxon?"

"Remember earlier when I said that Saxon had been questioned about other assaults back in Lansing?"

"...This double-homicide fits the pattern of the previous assaults." Connor deduced keenly without any hesitation. "This established and confirmed a definitive pattern of behavior that had been previously overlooked. Saxon also arrived in Detroit last night and has no alibi at the time of the double-homicide."

"Yeah, and as soon as you sent that recording of the prick refusing to help with the investigation I had Tina check out those past assaults and each one revolved around a young woman, or women, being bound and stabbed to death with a knife. Six cold cases with the same pattern of behavior, and all of the cases were ones that Saxon dismissed as unsolvable."

"Same use of gloves and coverings for his shoes to disguise evidence, a lock-pick had been used on the door and the same types of bonds had been used on all the victims as well." Connor tagged on as he too cybernetically looked into the cases. "It fits the pattern."

"And now we have a single person who's been at the scene of all the murders." Letting out a despondent sigh Hank ran his hand through his gray locks of hair and put his left hand on his left hip with a twinge of disappointment. "Fuck. Those poor girls had to die before those assholes in Lansing will admit that Saxon needed to be locked up. All of his this bullshit because some crooked F.B.I. agent was looking out for him."

"In a way, that F.B.I. connection could be more damning than anything else."

"How's that?"

"Saxon is the brother-in-law to disgraced former agent Richard Perkins."

"Son of a bitch..." Hank's blue eyes went wide and then narrowed with anger. "That prick is still causing problems even while beyond bars."

"No anymore. With Perkins effectively removed from the F.B.I. all of his connections and influence are gone, and I have taken the liberty to make sure F.B.I. Director Jayden knows to search through all of Perkin's past files to get the corrupt people who used his power to elude law will be brought up on charges at last."

"Better late than never, I guess."

"I know there is nothing we can tell the families of the victims to lessen their pain or their loss, but hopefully they will find some comfort in knowing that the killer has been arrested and will never set foot outside of a prison for the rest of his life."

"It might be a start, but nothing ever eases the pain of losing a child. I know from personal experience."

"I'm sorry." Flinching a little at the admission Connor sighed and empathetically understood Hank's discomfort regarding the situation. "I know these cases still affect you."

"Yeah, you're not as sorry as I am for making you partner up with that son of a bitch. I knew he was an asshole, but I didn't think he was a fuckin' serial killer."

"It's okay. You told me to trust my instincts and I did. Everything worked out for the best."

"Glad you're also taking my advice about not being cynical, kid."

"Well, you're right." The deviant acknowledged the advice and made sure Hank knew he was determined to stand by it. "A dark and cynical outlook on life isn't going to be a very fulfilling or happy life."

"Damn right."

"We should return to the precinct now." Smirking a little Connor noted the case they still needed to close and wanted to do it as efficiently as possible. It wasn't the way he had hoped for the day to go, but at least justice could be served and a dangerous man would be pulled off the street. "I want to be the one to tell the victims' families that Saxon has been arrested."

"That's kind of you, kid." Motioning to his own car a few feet behind them Hank walked back to the parked vehicle while Connor did the same for his own. "I think they'd appreciate that. It might be the first important step in helping them to heal and move on."

-next chapter-