The second anniversary of the Revolution was close and the urge to aid his people motivated Connor to return to work as soon as possible after being shot. Busying himself with cold cases regarding deviants and previously ignored reports of bigoted abuse toward androids in general, Connor danced his quarter his knuckles as his soulful brown eyes rapidly scanned over every case, detail, and word on his terminal's display screen with an intense focus. Eyeing each case warily, beginning with the earliest case and ending with the most recent report, Connor homed-in on a single of case of interest with a fiery glare that made his L.E.D. flash from a content blue to an enraged red.

Hank wasn't ready for Connor to return to work just yet and was keeping close to the deviant in a protective manner. The way Connor was so readily preoccupied with his self-imposed assignment sent of red flags regarding the deviant and his obsessive mindset kicking in. If Connor stressed himself into sickness, Hank knew that the stubborn deviant would kick himself over something he couldn't control or change.

"Kid?" From his own desk across from Connor the senior detective and father figure to the deviant noted the odd reaction. With a low voice Hank addressed the preoccupied deviant with a curious manner. "You okay? Your light is red."

"...I am fine."

"Really?" The skepticism was thick as Hank dared to challenge the bold claim. "Then why do you look like you want to punch someone?"

Looking at Hank around his terminal screen Connor gave the far more experienced and intuitive detective a somber glance. "...I was looking into previous cases regarding the police handling deviant matters prior to the Revolution."

"Oh." Such a reply explained everything. "Find something that needs to be looked into?"

"Yes. I believe so."

"What's up?"

"I... It might be a conflict of interest for either of us to look into this particular case."

"Why's that?" Now intrigued by the case despite having not even seen it, Hank leaned back in his seat, crossed his arms over his chest, and studied Connor's demeanor very carefully. "What's up?"

"The case revolves around a reported breaking and entering complaint on November 5th, 2038, at approximately 9:42p.m. at the residence of 8941 Lafayette Avenue. The residence of the late Carl Manfred."

"Wait... Are you talking about that night the cops showed up and-" Now fully aware of why Connor was tense and worried about reopening the case, Hank's blue eyes narrowed a little. "Damn it. I gotta' ask, why are you looking into this case?"

"That night the call to emergency services was placed by Markus himself." Recounting the details Connor eloquently explained his concerns. "He identified himself as an android, the address of the house, and the nature of the call. And yet when the police arrived at the scene, they opened fire on Markus without any provocation despite Markus having his hands in the air in a submissive manner and tears in his eyes since at that moment Mr. Manfred had suffered a heart attack and was in critical need of medical attention."

"Shit... That's how Markus ended up at that old android junkyard, right? The cops shot him and dumped him off like a piece of garbage."

"Correct. According to the police report that had been filed, Markus was in the process of attacking Leo Manfred while Carl Manfred was trying to fend him off. The two officers at the scene; Kendra MacClaine and Timothy White, claimed that they heard Carl Manfred shouting for help after Markus struck Leo in the back of the head and was attempting to strangle him. Their account doesn't line up with, not only with the fact that it was Markus who had called for help, but Carl confirmed that Leo was the one who broke into the house and Markus and was just defending himself after being physically pushed around and insulted by Leo."

"And the two cops were never questioned?"

"Correct again." Such unscrupulous details made Connor's shoulders tense with righteous anger at the injustice. "They filed their report and were commended for saving two lives from the malicious intent of a 'malfunctioning android'."

"Fuck. Can we prove that they had fired on Markus without provocation?"

"Yes, and I will do so right now."

Pressing his palm against his terminal screen Connor's L.E.D. flickered yellow as he retracted his artificial skin and began uploading the recorded memories from Markus into the terminal as evidence. The details of the night as seen through Markus's very eyes on that night, and of the conversation that had taken place heard through Markus's ears was relayed in perfect quality to be viewed by anyone with proper clearance.

"...After New Jericho was founded, Markus asked me to remain a direct connection between himself and the precinct as new laws and rights are enforced. He allowed me to view his memories and confirm that he was not a dangerous deviant and could be trusted, just as I had done the same for him. It wasn't until now that I realized the new laws and rights would give me the chance to bring Markus the justice he had been denied for far too long."

"Anyone with a lick of common sense could see that. Markus refused to hurt anyone, even when Chris and his patrolling partner opened fire on the deviants after vandalizing the plaza, he refused to get 'revenge' by shooting Chris or his trigger-happy partner in return." That was a night that left Chris momentarily traumatized and reminded Hank how much he cared about his fellow officers despite his own personal problems. "It's not in Markus's nature to harm anyone."

"Agreed."

"So, how do we handle this?"

Such an intriguing question drew Connor's brow together as he gave Hank a curious glance. "'We'? You wish to assist me?"

"Fuck yeah. Nailing crooked cops to the wall is one of the few perks of the job I still have left." Hank eagerly waited for his chance to expose the corruption and prove that not all cops were bullies with badges. "You lead and I'll follow. How do you want to proceed?"

"I suggest we take the case to Captain Fowler and ask for his assistance in questioning the two officers and have him personally review the provided evidence for himself." Letting himself relax Connor let his logic overtake his emotions as he realized how his focus could be misconstrued as zeal. "It'll avoid the potential scrutiny of our investigation being bias toward Markus and against the two offending officers."

"Right." The delicate approach did seem like the correct way to handle the problem. "I'll tell Jeffrey what's up and you can tell Markus about this when you're ready."

"Very well. I'll request for Markus to stop by the precinct so he can see the interrogation for himself. He deserves to know that his case is going to finally be handled properly and the behavior of the previous two officers will not be tolerated."

The air was tense as the two investigated officers, both of whom worked at the Western Precinct, were requested by Captain Fowler himself for questioning at the Central Precinct to discuss a past case. The duo had been reportedly honest cops and had reputations as two loyal and dedicated officers. However, their previous behavior toward deviants had made them relatively disliked by the deviant community well after the success of the peaceful Revolution. Intimidated by Captain Fowler's presence, the two officers obediently went into the interrogation rooms as directed - Kendra being interviewed by Gavin and Timothy being interviewed by Captain Fowler - and awaited the outcome of their long since closed and fictitious case being reopened.

Connor showed Markus to the observation room to watch the interrogation as Captain Fowler reviewed Timothy's file and prepared to show him the recorded footage from Markus's memories to use as evidence against him. Hank was watching the second interrogation in the adjacent observation room to take and compare notes between both Timothy and Kendra's statements after the two separate interrogations were finished.

"You didn't have to do this, Connor." Standing beside his friend as they stood together on the other side of the one-way mirror, Markus's mismatched eyes were dull with disappointment as he looked at the officer who set off the entire chain of events that led Markus to find and eventually lead Jericho. It was the first time he had seen that particular cop since being shot on that fateful night. "I survived the incident, as did Leo and Carl. I'm okay with what's happened."

"I'm aware that you've made peace with this particular moment from your past," turning to face his friend directly Connor's L.E.D. blinked in a steady amber hue as he offered Markus words of wisdom. "but those who showed discrimination toward deviants must be held accountable for their actions. These two officers have also falsified their official reports which cannot be allowed to stand unpunished regardless of the circumstances. Their behavior affects more people in this city beyond yourself."

"That's true, but if word gets out that the cops who shot me are fired or prosecuted then it could potentially cause a rift between the deviants and humans. Digging up problems from the past can reopen so many old wounds."

"Yes, we're aware. This is why Hank and I requested that our Captain handles the first interrogation to prevent a sense of biased agenda, and to ensure that the two officers are being questioned fairly, they were brought here to avoid their own colleagues from their own precinct potentially showing favoritism. It's being handled professionally all around."

"What will happen to the officers once they're confronted with the evidence of their use of unprovoked excessive force?"

"That's up to Internal Affairs to decide. Not us."

"Regardless of how this interrogation goes I'd like to speak with someone from Internal Affairs so I can ask for leniency." Mercy was one of Markus's greatest strengths and only solidified his role as a respectable leader. "I want the past to remain in the past and I want our future of peace to continue to progress."

"That's a reasonable request." Respecting the simple inquiry Connor returned his focus to the interrogation behind the glass. "I'll pass that along."

Within the locked interrogation room Captain Fowler recited Timothy's previous cases and of his rather impressive arrest records. After explaining to the officer why he had been requested to come to the precinct for questioning Captain Fowler slid an electronic tablet screen over to Timothy to view. Pressing 'play' Captain Fowler let the memories from Markus's past play out, and he watched Timothy's facial expressions and body language very closely. As the confrontation between Markus and Leo played out - Leo being the instigator and the person who had broken into the house being proven true - Timothy slumped down in his chair and his hands began to tremble a little.

There was no denying what had happened and no way for Timothy to try to excuse his aggressive behavior. There were tears in Markus's eyes as he turned to face the two officers, a clear sign of emotion and compassion in general. The unarmed deviant hadn't done anything to warrant such an aggressive reaction.

Captain Fowler paused the video on the tablet and addressed the younger man in a stern voice. 'Do you remember that night, Officer White?'

'...Yes, sir.' Turning away from the screen Timothy pushed the tablet back toward Captain Fowler's hand with a guilty air. 'I remember.'

'Do you recall what you wrote in your report regarding this particular incident?'

'...Yes, sir. I stated that the android on the premises had assaulted one person and was attempting to assault a second.'

'That's right. At what point did you feel the need to open fire on a deviant with tears in his eyes and his hands in the air to surrender was warranted?'

Timothy fell silent as he realized there wasn't a single answer he could give that would be acceptable under any circumstances.

'When the call to 911 was placed, Markus identified him as the caller and as Mr. Manfred's android. Why did you open fire on the first android you had seen without identifying them first?'

'...I don't know, sir.' The raw fear was undeniable as Timothy owned up to his past mistake. 'I just reacted.'

'Uh-huh, I can see that. Any particular reason you ran into the house with your weapons already drawn?' Again, Captain Fowler focused on the unnecessary aggression behind the call. 'There was no shouting for help, no report of an armed suspect by Markus after he placed the call, and it's evident that Markus had been defending himself from the home intruder that he had called 911 to report.'

Falling quiet a second time Timothy paled and his eyes trailed down to the surface of the table guiltily.

'This is a blatant case of police brutality, Officer White.' Captain Fowler's voice was thick with disappointment. It was as if he was personally ashamed of the actions of the younger officers despite not being their commanding officer. 'The fact that you opened fire on an unarmed and surrendering person is bad enough, but the added fact that you AND your partner both falsified your reports is even worse, and now knowing that your commanding officer signed off on your reports without investigating the shooting himself makes me seriously question the validity of every detective in your precinct.'

'I can't excuse my behavior from that night, Captain Fowler.' Lifting up his gaze a little Timothy admitted he was at fault. 'I was responding to the call as I had been ordered by Captain Burns. His instructions were very clear, sir.'

'Burns?'

'The call came in at the height of the deviancy scare.' The frightened officer explained his actions honestly for the first time since the shooting. The way his eyes lit up made it seem as if Timothy was unburdening his very soul by talking about that fateful night. 'He ordered the entire precinct to shoot first and ask questions later regarding any and all calls regarding androids.'

'So Captain Burns ordered you to shoot all androids regardless of the situation?'

'Yes, sir. I'm not the only one who was ordered to do so.'

'All right, we'll look into this damning claim.' Making a note on his own report as he continued the interrogation, Captain Fowler brought the line of questions to an end. 'For now, I want you to give us a true account of what happened that night, and then you're going to talk to Internal Affairs. Also consider yourself suspended without pay for an indefinite period of time that will be determined by Internal Affairs later on. Am I understood?'

'Yes, sir. I understand entirely, and I'll cooperate fully with the investigation.'

'Good. Wait here and write your report.' Pushing a second tablet and stylus over to Timothy to use Captain Fowler rose from his desk and gave the reprimanded officer a stern look. 'Someone from I.A. will be in to speak with you shortly.'

'What about Kendra?'

'You worry about yourself.' The man couldn't fault Timothy for being worried about his partner considering the seriousness of the internal investigation. 'Kendra is being spoken to as we speak and if her story corroborates your own then it could save both of your careers.'

With the first interrogation over with promising details, Connor looked over to Markus again, his L.E.D. still cycling in yellow, and watched his friend's mismatched eyes searching over the guilty officer's face through the window as if looking for something that would give him more answers or perhaps an overdue sense of closure. The sight of the always strong deviant leader looking lost and confused was a little perplexing for Connor to understand. His desire to help Markus as both his friend and as a detective who had sworn to protect the city and the innocent people within the city compelled him to understand what was going through Markus's mind during that unusual moment.

One guilty officer had been exposed, and a potential second officer was about to be exposed as well. Who knew how many more corrupt and guilty officers were just waiting to be uncovered before the night was over? In the end, there would be a lot of old wounds reopened and many scars revealed that would otherwise would have been lost to time if Internal Affairs hadn't started looking for such dark secrets.

"Markus?" Speaking in a low voice Connor addressed his friend in a compassionate tone. "Are you all right?"

"...Yeah." Hesitant for only a moment Markus managed to speak truthfully as he stood at Connor's side in deep thought. "I'm just thinking."

"I see." Arching his brow at the comment as he suddenly saw himself in Markus's shoes Connor's L.E.D. blinked to red and then back to yellow. "Are you thinking about how he had shot you only because someone else told him to do it?"

"He was just obeying orders." Locking eyes with his friend Markus almost laughed at the concept. "Kind of like the same way androids were just doing what they were programmed to do. They just did what they were told without thinking about the repercussions of their actions. Guess we're not so different after all."

"What're you going to do about this? In the end, your decisions is all that I care about."

"I'm going to speak to whoever I have to speak with in order to keep that officer and his partner from losing their jobs."

"Interesting." Such a comment caught Connor off guard. "May I ask why?"

"Just as you only did what you did to us because you were following CyberLife's orders, they just did what their own Captain had ordered them to do it. They shouldn't be held accountable for obeying their Captain's orders, especially since androids weren't seen as people yet at the time of the shooting. I can't do anything about them lying, but I don't want them being charged for shooting me when their Captain ordered them to pull the trigger. They were used as a tool by their Captain who was abusing his power and authority."

"...Just as I was being used as a tool, a weapon, by CyberLife to harm innocent deviants." The empathetic gesture was enough to quell Connor's sense of doubt towards Markus's current mindset. "What about their Captain? He needs to be punished for his crimes against our people."

"I'll request that he be investigated to ensure his orders aren't still active now that the Revolution is over, and I'll have him charged with malicious destruction of property." Wincing at his terminology Markus hated referring to himself and other deviants as property but it was the only way to charge the Captain with any fault for his crimes before the Revolution happened. "He can't be tried for the murder of deviants before they were deemed alive, but he can still be charged with something that'll ensure he's punished properly by his violent and misplaced actions. At least it's something in favor of our people."

As his yellow L.E.D. flashed back to blue Connor found a new form of respect for Markus. Instead of holding a grudge or wanting every cop in the city punished for shooting deviants or going on a crusade to have every destroyed deviant get justice by going a witch hunt, Markus was taking the high road and only wanted those who are truly responsible for bigoted behavior to be held accountable for their actions.

"Keep me in the loop." Markus requested as he put his hand to Connor's shoulder before stepping out of the observation room. "I'm going to go speak with your Captain for a moment and then I'll return to the tower. New Jericho will be pleased to hear that our people are getting justice."

"I will update you the moment I know anything further. Take care of yourself."

Proud of his friend for being reasonable and respectful Connor smirked a little and crossed his arms over his chest as a deep sense of contemplation fell over him. If Markus could forgive the city for betraying him and harming him when he was just trying to defend himself, then maybe the city could forgive the unintentional fear that the Revolution had stirred up and in time everyone would be able to move forward peacefully.

Together.

The door slid back open as Hank entered the observation room to reunite with his partner. The way Hank was carrying himself indicated the interrogations had progressed smoothly and in their favor.

"Officer MacClaine just admitted that she and her partner were wrong that night." Rubbing his hand thoughtfully along his chin Hank watched Connor's reaction to the news very closely. "She said that Captain Burns ordered them to shoot androids on sight, so yeah. That's going to be fun to ask about."

"Officer White stated the same about their Captain." Connor confirmed with a casual nod of approval. "It seems they were both just obeying their orders."

"Yup." Noticing that Connor was curiously alone the senior detective asked about the deviant leader. "Where's Markus?"

"Speaking with Captain Fowler in private. He's going to request that Captain Burns be charged for his actions and ask for leniency on both Officer White and Officer MacClaine since they were merely following orders."

"Cool." Relieved that he didn't have to deal with any further interrogations Hank gave his deviant partner and adopted son a casual shrug of his shoulders. "So what now? We did our part and it seems like Markus is handling things on his end just fine. What's left to do?"

"Just this." Glancing at the opened case file displayed on the tablet screen sitting on the nearby table, Connor put his exposed palm over the screen and uploaded the new information to the file bringing his investigation to an end as justice would finally be served to a deviant who deserved proper closure. "...Case closed."

-next chapter-