A cold rain doused all of Detroit as a summer storm settled over the city with an unseasonably chilly presence. Enduring the harsh weather by remaining inside during their time off, Hank kept himself from getting stir-crazy by reading through his favorite book in the livingroom for the umpteenth time, while Connor laid on his bed with his guitar over his lap and his hands strumming over the chords in an attempt to create a new melody and song. Even Sumo was laying over the foot of Connor's bed, his massive fluffy body already too big to stretch out without falling over the edges. Sleeping peacefully, the massive pup was less interested in Connor's song and more interested in his afternoon nap.

As the gentle pattering of the raindrops struck against the glass windows Connor used the natural rhythm to inspire his rather somber melody that he was composing in honor of North's memory as he couldn't help but think of her impending shutdown. The brave deviant leader's lifespan was estimated to come to an end within two weeks and Markus was understandably devastated. Keeping her declining health a secret out of respect for her as a friend and as a leader of New Jericho, those who did know of her bleak condition had given her and Markus space to ensure that they had as much time together as possible before it was all over.

A loud rumble of thunder in the distance shook the house as a single flash of lightning illuminated the dark, cloudy sky. As a precaution Connor cybernetically began to track the storm's progress, only to have his internet connection go suddenly dark as the entire city fell under a blanket of deafening quiet as the power failed for all of Detroit. Sumo let out a loud bark in response to the odd silence of the house as the afternoon storm gave way to an early darkness over the city.

"Hank?" Connor called out from where he was laying as he noted the lack of lights in the quiet house and placed his guitar back down on its stand in the corner of the room. "We're in the midst of a blackout."

"Yeah, I noticed!" Hank replied sarcastically from down the hallway. "We should go to the precinct. I get the feeling everything is going to go to Hell tonight."

"I'll get ready." The deviant agreed as he proceeded to remove his casual clothing in favor of his work uniform. As he changed his clothes Connor caught sight of Hank passing by the opened door of his bedroom to change into different clothes in his own bedroom. "Have you taken part of a citywide blackout before?"

"Yeah, once." Hank confirmed from his own bedroom as he clumsily pulled open his closet to find his clothing in the poor lighting. "I had been a cop for only three years, and everything was crazy. People panicking in the streets, looters smashing open store windows, idiots running around with guns and starting fights... It was not a great night for anyone. Glad these types of blackouts are so damn rare."

"The emergency generators must be focusing on keeping the hospitals and facilities powered on properly." Connor slipped on his gray blazer and tightened the knot of the black tie around the upturned collar of his white dress shirt. "What caused the blackout during that previous time?"

"Some massive chain reaction failure at the power plants along the East coast; New York if I'm remembering correctly." Now wearing what he deemed his work clothes Hank met Connor outside the deviant's bedroom door as they continued to converse. "Keep Sumo inside just in case things get weird. Make sure all the windows are locked while I go check the doors and the garage."

"Of course." Focused on aiding the city, Connor quickly checked his own bedroom window before doing the same to the other windows in the house. "Perhaps this blackout is related to the storm and can be remedied soon."

"That'd be nice." The senior detective shouted as he finished securing the deadbolt on the front door and pulled the curtains over the front window shut. "But I doubt we'd get so lucky, kid. We never do."

Raucous thunder echoed in the distance and snaking lightning continued to flash brightly through the dark clouds of the sky high above the city. Hank drove through the rain drenched streets carefully as Connor struggled to cybernetically monitor the traffic to guide him through the dim streetlights to ensure that they were not in any form of accident as they made their way to the precinct. The streets themselves were mostly vacated save for the autonomous taxis that had powered down and were left idle and abandoned on the sides of the streets, but that was no guarantee that someone wouldn't be driving recklessly through the city thinking that no one would pay them any mind.

It seemed as if some people were at their worst whenever the weather turned foul and tried to take advantage of the poor weather. Thieves and vandals were sure to make their move during the storm, hence the two detectives reporting to the precinct before they were even called in for support.

"Shit," peering through the windshield to the sky overhead Hank lamented at the angry looking clouds looming over Detroit. "this storm isn't going to let up anytime soon, is it?"

"Unknown. I've lost my ability to cybernetically connect with-" Connor stopped short as a cybernetic call attempted but failed to connect with him. The call was automatically denied thanks to the lack of stable cybernetic connection being provided to his processors "...Someone is attempting to communicate with me."

"Is it Fowler?"

"Unknown."

"We better hurry." Turning the car into the parking garage Hank took in a deep breath and prepared for a stressful shift. "If it is Fowler calling, then that means shit is about to get crazy."

"...Yes." Pausing for a moment as he tried to identify whoever attempted to contact him Connor nodded his head a little in agreement. Throwing off his seatbelt Connor exited the vehicle alongside Hank to jog through the rain to get to their precinct at long last. "I suspect that you're correct about today's events."

As soon as Hank and Connor reached the bullpen of the precinct the duo was greeted by the deviant receptionist, Pamela, who handed the two detectives Kevlar vests and instructed them to wait for Captain Fowler's orders with the other officers. Gavin, Chris, Tina, Ben, Sarah-Lee, Lance and all of the other officers who were available, had also decided to report to the precinct once the blackout swept over the city in an attempt to help keep things under control. The other available officers were already covered in protective gear and out on patrol to help monitor the streets for any sign of potential criminal activity.

"I got a bad feeling about this." Connor lamented as he slipped off his gray blazer just long enough to secure the Kevlar vest over his white dress shirt. "And it's not just because of the storm."

"Nervous?" Hank asked as he put his own vest on over top his pale blue shirt, then replaced the heavy dark coat over top of it. "Maybe even scared?"

"No. I feel as though there is something strange happening in this moment that is very important." Such a strange gut instinct was difficult to explain and put into proper words. "It feels as if I need to be somewhere else right now."

"Try not to think too much about what's going on, okay? It'll be over before you know it, you're just on edge because of the storm."

"I'll try to remain focused." Straightening his tie Connor gave his father a subtle nod. "I hope you are correct about the weather."

Captain Fowler stepped out of his private office with a Kevlar vest of his own over his chest and the new Captain of the S.W.A.T. division at his side. As the two commanders joined the officers gathered in the center of the bullpen everyone fell silent and looked to their superiors for instructions on what they were expected to handle, as well as gain information on the cause of the blackout itself.

Connor felt an odd static fill his head as a cybernetic call had forced itself through using excessive power that nearly overwhelmed his processor: 'Connor!' Markus's voice finally cut through with a static but audible garble. 'North is dying!'

'Markus...' The fear and panic in the deviant leader's voice was audible even through the static-filled line of communication. 'What's happened?'

'I don't know. She suddenly got worse when the power went out and I don't know what to do, and I can't get a hold of Abby. Please!' Markus was desperate for some help on that bleak, stormy afternoon. 'I need your help.'

'I'll see if-' Through the call Connor heard the distinct sound of gunshots in the background uncomfortably close to the exterior of Markus's home. 'I'll be there as soon as I can. Is your house secured?'

'Y-Yeah, everything's locked down.'

'Good. Stay there, I'm going to get to you as fast as I can and get North help.'

'Hurry!'

'I will. Trust me, my friend.'

Captain Fowler's voice sounded off one final time as he gave his last order and set about giving the gathered officers their assignments. As the addressed officers began to disperse Hank put his hand on Connor's shoulder firmly and gave the deviant a reassuring glance.

"We can handle this, right?"

"Not this time." Connor discreetly turned to Hank and lowered his voice to avoid drawing any unwanted attention from the other officers. "I just got a message from Markus about North."

"What's going on?"

"...She's dying. And I could hear gunshots in the background of the call." The controlled calmness in Connor's voice was impressive given the circumstances. "They are in danger."

"Fuck. You need to get to them, right now."

"What about you?"

"Don't worry about me, kid." Hank volunteered to work alone so that Connor could focus on his friends. The man had no fear in solo patrols regardless of the weather or any other obstacles in the way. "You need focus on taking care of them. I'll cover for you."

"Thank you." Ever grateful for Hank's support Connor respectfully nodded again. "I appreciate your support."

"Whatever happens today, you have to take care of your friends." The senior detective firmly stated where he stood. "Go protect North and Markus, and I'll find you later. All right?"

"All right."

Nodding graciously again Connor took his leave of the precinct with the intent of finding North and Markus at their home on the other side of town. Without the car to drive and with all of the autonomous taxis powered down Connor had no choice but to travel on foot to get to his destination. But even at his enhanced speed Connor wouldn't be able to reach the house in less than twenty minutes, he'd need an alternative means to travel.

In that moment Connor needed a fast vehicle and he knew exactly where to get one...

It didn't take long for the assigned officers to set about their tasks as calmly and professionally as possible and disperse from the precinct. Each officer was assigned an area of the city to patrol and maintain peace while the S.W.A.T. team was on emergency standby in the event of a chaotic upheaval or riot. It felt like overkill, but it was necessary and simply protocol. With tensions still high in the city due to the changes still taking place post Revolution, no one wanted to risk a potential conflict in the stormy streets.

"Hey, Lieutenant?" Gavin addressed Hank with a somewhat defensive tone as the younger officers met with their assigned partners to begin their patrol in their designated areas of the city. "Where's your plastic partner?"

"Don't worry about it." Covering for Connor without batting an eye Hank kept Connor's absence secret. "He's busy."

"With what?"

"I just said don't worry about it, and don't fuck with me right now, Reed. I'm not in the mood."

"All right, all right..." Backing off Gavin didn't push the matter any further. "But you can't go on patrol alone."

"Yeah, I'm aware." Hank snarked as he pulled his car keys from his pocket and proceeded to head toward the precinct parking garage. "I'll manage."

"What's up?" The secretive nature of Connor's absence made Gavin's instincts as a detective go off on full alarm. He knew something big was happening, and he wanted to know what it was. "Is something-"

"Don't worry about it." Refusing to discuss North and Markus's private business, Hank kept his back to the nosy detective and made his way over the driver's side door of his personal car. "We've got it handled. Go on patrol and stop asking questions."

"Fuckin' fine. Just tryin' to help."

Walking away Gavin checked his weapon and scoffed at Hank's behavior as if annoyed by the man's refusal to divulge any secrets.

"What's so damn important that the 'Tinman' has to sneak around, and the Lieutenant wants to bite my head off? Shit must be serious."

The storm was continuing to rock the city and keep Detroiters lost in the dark. Completely soaked to his plastimetal framing by the cold rain, Connor sprinted through the chilly, deserted streets as quickly as he could run. Water splashed up all around his footsteps soaking through his already drenched clothes as the heavy, cold rain smothered his entire form under an icy layer of dampness. Running his hand through his waterlogged locks, Connor slicked his hair back out of his eyes and remained focused on his goal. Rushing up the driveway of the house Connor quickly unlocked the backdoor and slid across the linoleum floor of the kitchen as he reached the bookshelf in the livingroom.

Sumo barked at Connor from down the hall but didn't bother to check in on the deviant as he recognized his guardian's presence. Reaching for the second set of car keys tucked on the shelf Connor claimed his prize with a covetous grasp.

"Got it..."

With the keys in hand Connor took a deep breath and bolted back out of the house, pausing only long enough to set the strong locks before racing down the back steps of the deck and over to the garage. Lifting up the garage door manually due to the power outage Connor eyed the fully restored Corvette, still painted white, and openly apologized to Hank despite the senior detective not being anywhere near him.

"Forgive me, Hank, but as you know that this is an emergency. I need to do this."

Pulling open the driver's side door of the Corvette Connor slipped the key into the ignition and the engine roared to life with a loud purr. Shifting the car into gear Connor pulled the car out of the garage, the door slowly shutting by itself courtesy of gravity, and pulled the Corvette down the driveway and along the street as he raced toward Markus and North's home still several blocks away.

"I hope I'm not too late."

The rest of the city was just as cold and just as wet as the storm bombarded every building, street and tree scattered throughout Detroit. Feeling edgy Hank sat in his own car at his designated patrol location with a heavy grimace on his face. Staring up at the blank traffic light swaying rhythmically in the wind and watching the rain through the foggy windshield, he just let out a deep sigh of irritation as he waited (im)patiently for the power to finally return to the city. Fidgeting with his phone Hank toyed with the idea of trying to call Connor and ask for an update, but he decided against it as the deviant was surely too preoccupied with North and Markus to answer him anyway.

Aside from the active storm raging through Detroit the city was void of all life. It felt like Hank has been put on a wild goose chase with nowhere else to be.

"This is bullshit... I have to babysit a fuckin' street while Connor's friend is dying across town."

The storm continued its rampage and Hank continued to stare at the display of nature with a mixture of intrigue and irritation. The car rocked and swayed in the strong wind and rain as he continued to sit idle at his designated location and didn't move an inch.

"Damn bureaucrats."

Swearing again Hank lamented his dedication to the job while also longing for the higher-ups to finally get their own hands dirty for once.

"Those assholes need to try babysitting bullshit from time to time. Maybe then they'll learn how to actually get shit in this city taken care of..."

The pristine white Corvette sped over the rain soaked streets with a flawless purr without a single error. The racing vehicle only stopped once Connor reached the front drive of Markus's home on the other side of the city. Throwing open his door Connor heard another gunshot in close proximity and instinctively ducked down beside the opened car door as he drew his own gun from its holster secured around is back, under his gray blazer and over his black Kevlar vest. Keeping his eyes peeled Connor tried to determine where the shots were coming from and find any sign of the shooters in the area, but with the storm still interfering with his processor and scanner Connor couldn't pinpoint the exact location of the violence.

Once it was quiet again Connor finally made his move toward the mansion. Racing up to the front door Connor knocked frantically in hopes that Markus would let him in but realized that Markus would be too busy with North to answer. Putting his shoulder against the door next to the frame and above the door handle Connor forced the door open with a loud 'bang' as he set foot on the shining tile floor of the foyer.

Like the rest of the city the house was dark and vulnerable to criminals throughout the area.

"Markus?"

Connor called for the deviant leader as he jogged up the wooden staircase to the second floor. Puddles of rain water marked each step he took inside the house. Keeping his pace quick Connor reached the master bedroom where he saw Markus hold North's motionless body in his arms.

"Markus..."

With tears running down his face and his right hand gently running through North's hair. Markus answered Connor without ever tearing his mismatched eyes away from his beloved bond mate.

"...She's dying." For the first time in Markus's life he sounded genuinely terrified. "Abby was so close to finding a way to help her, but-"

"What happened?" Connor asked impatiently as he walked over to the bed and tried to run a scan over North's body. He faintly detected her destabilized software and faltering intracranial processor, as well as her incredibly weak vital signs. "Why did her condition suddenly deteriorate?"

"I don't know. She just... It happened when we lost power. She was holding her own and then she just-" Losing his emotional composure Markus fought to keep his words stable as he spoke. "I can feel her slipping away."

"The power?"

The astute deviant was trying to develop a theory to connect the two events when the sound of gunshots from the backyard of the house made him turn around quickly to face the sound of the commotion. There were armed men encroaching on the area and they were clearly dangerous.

"We need to get her out of here."

"What?" The idea of leaving the house seemed too bizarre to understand. "Where are we going to take her?"

"Somewhere outside of the city. It's too dangerous for her or any other ill deviant to be in the city right now."

"I don't think she's strong enough to-"

Another gunshot and the sound of glass breaking downstairs put Connor on his guard as the armed strangers continued to terrorize the normally quiet neighborhood.

"We don't have time to discuss this." Unzipping his Kevlar vest Connor shrugged off his wet gray blazer and then handed the body armor to Markus to wear. "Put this on and pick her up. I'll escort you to the car out front."

With his shaking hand Markus accepted the Kevlar and gave Connor a worried glance. "What about you?"

"I'm armed, you're not. You get the armor." Connor's reply was stern, but it meant no insult as he checked his gun and turned off the safety. "We need to be quick."

Markus nodded his head as he quickly slipped the Kevlar vest over his arms and up to his shoulders. Zipping it up his chest Markus was now protected and hellbent on getting North to safety.

"You're going to be okay." Markus soothed quietly as he scooped North up into his arms and held her tightly against his chest. "We'll keep you safe."

"Come on." Fearlessly Connor stepped out of the bedroom as he kept vigil for any intruders. Escorting his friends to safety was now more important than anything else happening in the city. "Stay behind me."

Rushing down the staircase with Markus right behind him Connor motioned for Markus to wait inside the house for a moment longer as he cleared the outside of the property. Stepping through the front door and back into the rain with his gun lowered to the ground Connor looked up and down the streets for any sign of aggressive or armed persons and found the area clear for the moment.

Moving toward the Corvette with a graceful motion Connor pulled the front seat forward to give clearance to the backseats so Markus and North could ride as his passengers.

"Go!"

Without hesitation Markus carried North out of the house as fast as he dared, keeping his head low as he quickly darted to the car, and climbed into the backseat with North still being held tightly in his arms. Connor pushed the seat back into place with an audible 'click' and detected someone approaching him from behind. Turning around swiftly Connor saw an armed man charge toward him while brandishing a gun and his greedy eyes set on the car.

"Yo!" The attempted thief boldly shouted at Connor as he tried to threaten him with his own gun. "Step away from the car, man! That's MY ride!"

"Wrong." Connor responded by aiming his own gun at the man and flashing his badge with his free hand. "Detroit Police. Back off."

"Oh, shit! It's the cops!" The man fired once as he turned around in an instant and began running back in the direction from where he came. As he met with his partner in crime across the street he shouted again and motioned for his friend to keep moving. "Cops! RUN! Go!"

His partner, foolish and reckless, pulled out his own gun from the back of his jeans and wildly fired four shots in Connor's direction.

Ducking down behind his opened car door to seek cover for the second time, Connor let out a single low groan of pain as one of the five total bullets that had been fired found him as its target and became lodged in his chest next to his Thirium pump. Two of the other bullets became lodged in the car's door near where he had been attempting to hide from sight.

"...F-Fuck."

Connor swore to himself as he pressed his palm to his chest over the bleeding bullet wound and climbed back into the driver's seat of the vehicle. Running a somewhat slow self-diagnostic Connor confirmed that the bullet missed every vital biocomponent and merely grazed a minor Thirium line. To Connor the bullet was nothing more than a nuisance rattling around inside his chest.

"Markus," he nearly hissed the name between his clenched teeth as he pulled the door shut and with a firm slam. "are you damaged?"

"No. I wasn't hit; the vest caught the bullet." Markus briefly glanced at the final bullet that had found a target as it remained embedded in the Kevlar vest covering his upper left chest. "Are you okay?"

"...I'm fine." Connor put his bloody hand on the steering wheel as he spoke to his friend. "I'm going to get us out of here. Hold on."

Putting the car back into gear Connor pulled away from the house and raced down the rainy streets in search of a temporary shelter where North could be safe and get away from the chaos of the world in her final moments of life. The heavy rain limited visual range for anyone on the road, but fortunately Connor's superior android vision and reflexes made handling the slick streets an impressively easy task to handle.

"Where're we going?" Markus leaned forward in his seat as he realized that Connor was driving away from the city and seemingly out into the middle of nowhere. Pulling North in closer to his chest Markus resumed running his hand through her hair as she rested her head against his right shoulder as she remained entirely unconscious. "New Jericho is the other way."

"We won't be able to get inside the tower with the power out." Ignoring the burning pain in his chest Connor gave Markus a steadfast stare with the reflection of the rearview mirror as he continued on his preconstructed path. "We have to go somewhere else to keep North safe. And I know just the place to go..."

The windshield wipers moved back and forth in a perfectly annoying rhythm that sounded off inside the quiet car as the constant motion caused the body of the car to sway back and forth slightly in time with the wipers. Hank was getting restless on his uneventful patrol, and he didn't want to just sit on his ass while Connor was going through what was sure to be a heartbreaking experience on the other side of town. Prioritizing his family over a dead street that people who weren't even aiding in the blackout decided was important for an arbitrary, bureaucratic reason, Hank picked up his phone and tried to call Connor, but as he expected the deviant didn't answer the line.

Hank tried to call a second time before decided it'd be best to get more hands-on and direct with aiding Connor. There were some things that were more important than work, and family would always be far more important without fail.

"All right..."

Ending the unanswered call Hank made his next move.

"Plan 'B' then."

Scrolling through his contacts Hank found Abby's number under his emergency names and called her instead.

The line only rang twice before the technician answered.

"Abby, it's Hank." The foggy layer covering the windows provided Hank with some form of privacy. "Are you with North?"

'No, I'm at my facility.' Abby replied in a firm yet confused tone as she contemplated the seemingly odd question. 'Why? What's going on?'

"It's an emergency and there's too much to explain." Hank turned the key in the ignition before he pulled off his patrol and set about driving to the Zeta Facility. The windows rapidly cleared as the air blew from the vents at top speed. "I'm going to pick you up right now. Get ready to meet me with some equipment ready to go."

'I take it things with North have ironically gone south.'

"Yeah, you got it." The calm manner in which Abby responded gave Hank hope that North wasn't doomed after all. "Connor is hopefully with Markus and North by now, but we're going to need your help, too."

'Sure. I'll be waiting for you out front.'

"Great, I'm on my way right now. Hang tight!"

Ending the call Hank took in a deep breath and let it out slowly to keep his nerves calm and his mind focused.

"I just hope Connor's been able to do something to help North while I've been out here doing nothing."

With expert precision behind the wheel Connor found his way out of the storm battered city and continued to drive at a relatively fast speed down the rain drenched highway as he found his correct exit toward what he hoped to be sanctuary. Glancing at the rearview mirror without saying a word Connor diligently watched as Markus continued to gently run his fingers through North's long auburn hair with unspoken love in his body language. There were heavy tears forming in Markus's mismatched eyes as he looked down at North's oddly peaceful but sad face as she remained unconscious in his arms and continued to slip away slowly as her strength left her body with each pitiful beat of her heart.

Flinching inwardly at the lingering, burning pain in his chest Connor pressed hand back over the damage site and was relieved to feel that a majority of the bleeding had already stopped. Darting his soulful brown eyes downward Connor spotted the noticeably dark blue stain over the center of his chest and hoped that the Thirium would begin to evaporate before he reached their destination.

"Markus." Connor spoke up softly to his friend to try to distract the leader from his horrible plight and dropped his hand from his chest. "Don't lose hope."

"I'll have nothing left to lose if I lose North." Markus lamented with a despondent sigh. "What's a little hope compared to the love of my life?"

"It'll be okay. I have a theory as to why her condition suddenly worsened, and if I'm right, then we can buy her more time."

The words of comfort did very little to ease Markus's understandably worried mind and aching heart. "How?"

"It's just a theory right now, and there's only one way to find out."

"Do what you have to do. I can't lose her." It seemed as if Markus was on the verge of begging for North's life to be spared. "She gave me a reason to fight when I thought I had lost everything once before. If she's gone, then I will have officially lost everything and everyone I need to keep fighting."

"You won't lose her." Turning his head Connor slightly locked eyes with Markus behind him. "I promise she'll be all right. Trust me."

Showcasing his own expertise behind the wheel of his own speeding car, Hank managed to get to the Zeta Facility to pick up Abby without causing any disturbances on the streets as he sped toward his destination with prime focus. Pulling the car up to the front of the facility Abby met Hank outside with her technician's satchel already slung over her shoulder as she had been requested. As soon as he saw her standing beneath the awning over the front entrance to keep out of the continuing rain, Hank pushed open the passenger side door of the Pace and motioned for Abby to climb inside the car, which she did without hesitation. It seemed she knew how crucial time was at that moment regarding the health and very life of one of her patients.

"Have you spoken to Markus or Connor?" Hank asked as he pulled away from the facility and back onto the street to head toward the mansion. "My phone can't reach the kid."

"No." Abby replied as she fastened her seatbelt and placed her satchel on her lap. "Everything went black at the facility, and we've been on emergency back-up power ever since. What's going on?"

"Connor got a call from Markus saying that North has suddenly gotten worse."

"Oh, shit..."

"He's there with them right now." The man got right to the point as he clarified the situation for Abby's sake. "At least he should be, but like I said, I can't reach him."

"We better find them fast." Sounding uncharacteristically worried Abby patted her satchel as she leaned back in her seat. "I have the patch that could repair North's software maybe ninety-eight percent completed right now. If she's already shutdown then there's nothing that I can do for her."

"We'll find 'em." Hank reassured firmly as he made his way across town to get to Markus's home. "I just hope we aren't too late."

Without losing his concentration on the slick roads Connor struggled to cybernetically make a text to a close ally as he continued to drive through the storm toward his destination along the relatively isolated road. The road itself was rather far away from the highway, and the persistent storm mixed with Connor's sudden Thirium loss courtesy of his bullet wound were making the connection very delayed and difficult to maintain. Keeping his actions discreet as to not disturb North and Markus with possible worries or delays, Connor received his reply despite the relentless storm, and with it came a sense of relief. They would be safe once they arrived at their destination at long last.

The road transitioned from poorly maintained asphalt and dirt fairly quickly. The muddy terrain was proving to be only a small nuisance as Connor continued his race to the sanctuary with his two friends trusting his every decision being made in their stead.

"We're in the clear." Connor finally stated with a level voice as he cybernetically confirmed the reply. "Just a few more minutes and we'll be safe."

Another cybernetic call caught Connor's attention and he answered the call quickly as he recognized the number in an instant.

"Hank."

'Connor! Where are you?' Hank sounded alarmed and relieved all at the same time as he finally managed to contact the deviant. 'I got Abby with me, and we went to Markus's house. We found your jacket upstairs, but no one was there. I went back home to check things out there and still nothing! Where the fuck are you?'

"We're heading toward Rose's home outside of town." Responding both verbally and cybernetically kept everyone in the loop. "It'll be isolated and safe."

'Why the fuck are you going there?'

"Armed criminals were encroaching on Markus's home. We had to flee, and we couldn't access New Jericho Tower during the blackout or risk bringing North to a facility with unpredictable criminal activity in the city."

'But you're all together and safe?'

"Correct."

'All right, we'll meet you there at Rose's house. And STAY THERE. Abby has something that can save North.'

"We will stay put." The deviant detective promised as he felt a twinge of optimism hit his heart. "See you soon."

Peering at Markus's reflection in the rearview mirror once more as he ended the call Connor studied the defeated expression already glistening in the deviant leader's tear filled eyes. It was a disturbing sight that left Connor feeling humbled, almost afraid himself.

"Hank and Abby will be meeting us at Rose's home. North still has a chance to be saved."

"Maybe we should just..." The tone of Markus's voice was a mixture of pain and hesitation as he spoke. "Maybe it's time to just let her go."

"You know North better than I ever could, do you really think she'd want to go without a fight?"

"She's fought so hard for so long." Markus admitted as he tried to connect his system with North's system but failed. "She's tired. She deserves to rest."

"That doesn't mean she's ready to give up, and neither should you." Connor's hands tightened around the steering wheel as he made his final turn onto the correct dirt road to get their safehouse. "If I'm correct, then the only reason North has taken a sudden turn for the worse is because the loss of power in the city severed her final functioning connections to the cybernetically induced support from New Jericho Tower. It doesn't mean she's lost; it just means her recovery has been slowed. Don't lose hope."

The Corvette pulled up the muddy drive beside the loving farmhouse where Rose and Adam lived together as a small mother and son family. As soon as the car's engine turned off Rose and her Rottweiler guard dog, Titan, stepped out of the front door onto the front porch and met Connor down the drive as he opened the car door to exit the vehicle.

"How bad is she?" Rose asked through the heavy rain and beneath her umbrella as Connor stepped out of the car, his hand concealing his own blood over the middle of his chest, as he pulled his seat forward so Markus could step out as well. "I still have blue blood and spare biocomponents if she needs anything."

"...She's very weak." Markus carried North in his strong arms out of the car and into the chilly rain, her head still resting against his right shoulder as he held her tight. "She needs support."

"Come with me." Rose put her hand on Markus's shoulder to escort the deviant leader into the house and out of the storm. Positioning her umbrella over both Markus and North to shelter them from the rain, Rose's maternal nature in protecting those in need flooded forward like a warm tide of love. "There's a guestroom she can stay in and rest."

Connor looked down at himself and then to the Rottweiler who was walking around the car suspiciously, sniffing all the new scents and keeping on his guard as he had been trained. The dog wasn't growling, and its little tail was wagging in approval of the guests.

"I remember you. You're no longer a puppy."

The deviant commented as he read the dog's name tag while Titan sniffed at his shoes then trotted up to the front porch to follow after Rose inside the house. It seemed so surreal to be hiding out at Rose's home, but it was their only option.

"...I hope this wasn't all for nothing."

Climbing back into the Corvette briefly Connor turned the engine back over and pulled the car further along the driveway until the car was parked discreetly behind the house out of sight to keep a low profile for North's sake. Letting out another low groan of pain Connor clutched his hand to his bloodied chest over the bullet hole and breathed deeply until the burning pain subsided. Letting out a breathy sigh Connor closed his eyes and cybernetically called Hank.

'Connor?' The senior detective answered almost instantly. 'What's wrong?'

"Nothing, I just wished to give you an update." Forcing his voice to steady itself Connor continued to speak to Hank as confidently as possible to mask his pain. "We're all together at Rose's home. We're all safe and waiting for you and Abby."

'Good. I'm about ten minutes away and Abby's with me. Just hang tight...'

"Of course. See you soon."

Connor ended the call and pressed his hand down firmer over his chest before slipping his black tie over the stain as best as he could, using the tie clip to ensure the tie didn't move away from the blue blood stain as he walked and would keep the wound hidden.

"Please hurry."

Reluctantly Hank hung up the phone from his end of the call and pressed his foot down on the accelerator a little harder to speed up. Despite the rain still pouring down from the stormy sky Hank maintained perfect control over the vehicle due to his years of training as a police officer and years of experience as a skilled driver in general. Locating the proper exit leading off the highway and toward Rose's home Hank pulled off the surprisingly empty stretch of road and made his way down the same route that Connor had taken only a few moments before. There were somewhat fresh tire tracks heading down the dirt road that confirmed Hank was only a few precious minutes behind the three deviants seeking shelter at Rose's home.

The rain was slowing progress only marginally as Hank made a conscious effort to keep his pace steady and even. He knew all too well how one false move on a slippery stretch of road could lead to irreversible disaster.

"They made it to Rose's house, but something's wrong." Hank calmly relayed the information to Abby. "I could hear it in Connor's voice."

"North could be shutting down already." Such an update caused Abby to mentally begin preparing for the worst. "The sudden power outage must've strained North's already weakened processor."

"I thought she still had two weeks to go before she shut down."

"The blackout could've severed the power to what few functioning programs she had left through cybernetic connections to New Jericho. The only thing keeping North alive at this point was the update processor originating from New Jericho Tower itself that was supporting her own processor remotely. Without it, she has to rely on her critically weakened system on their own."

"The tower doesn't have a back-up generator?"

"Only for crucial functions. Updates aren't considered crucial."

"Well, they should be." The man's bitter retort was entirely understandable. "Do you think you can save her?"

"I have a patch that can at the very least keep her from shutting down until we can permanently correct the error to her software. I finished it early this afternoon and I was going to stop by their house after my shift this evening to begin installing it. There was supposed to be enough time for me to fully test it out first."

"Hey, don't blame yourself." Hank urged as he pulled onto the dirt road that leads directly to Rose's house barely two miles down. The fresh muddy tire tracks confirmed how close he was to rendezvousing with Connor. "No one could've seen this coming."

"Let's just hope we're not too late to make a difference."

"It's never too late to make a difference. That's something I learned from Connor, and something I'll never forget for as long my own brain keeps functioning."

Keeping his own pain hidden in favor of prioritizing his friends, Connor made his way to the front door of the house and let himself inside as quietly as possible as to not disturb the other occupants of the loving home. He could hear Rose speaking to Markus in the guestroom upstairs and followed the voices with a silent gait up the staircase as he peered into the room and watched Markus sitting on the edge of the bed beside North. North was still unconscious and showed no signs of waking up anytime soon. Rose draped a warm checkered blanket over North and wrapped her arms around Markus in a reassuring hug as his hand remained wrapped around North's hand in a loving grip.

The Kevlar vest that Connor had given to Markus was tossed aside on the floor without a care beside the bed as it had served its purpose. The shining bullet was still embedded in the dense material dangerously close to where the deviant leader's heart had been when he was wearing it. The vest had protected Markus saving his life, and was no longer needed after it performed its sole function.

"Hank and Abby are close." Connor stated in a low voice as he stood in the opened doorway of the room with his arms crossed over his chest to further hide his own non-critical injury. "They're just a few minutes away."

Titan stood behind Connor in the doorway protectively and listened in on the melancholy scene unfolding in the guestroom. Circling around once the large dog that looked intimidating but was in fact very gentle, laid down on the just outside the doorway to protectively watch over the guests of the household.

"Abby is sure she can help." Unsure of what else he could do Connor excused himself to return to the ground floor of the house. "I'll wait for them outside and give you some privacy."

Rose subtly nodded to acknowledge Connor as she continued to hold on to Markus and slowly rub her hand over his back to try to comfort the emotionally distraught deviant.

Stepping back out of the room Connor gritted his teeth as he took in a sucking breath to try to quell the sporadically burning pain in his chest as he began to descend the staircase to return to the first floor. Moving slowly and meticulously Connor attempted to make a cybernetic connection with the precinct back in Detroit, but he was too far away to make a successful link while the city was still enduring a massive blackout and the storm continued to rage.

Pushing open the front door of the house with a quiet motion Connor stepped onto the front porch and looked out toward the road through the rain in time to see Hank's car pull up the front drive. As soon as the car was in park both Hank and Abby threw open their doors and rushed up to the front porch of the house. Abby reached the door before Hank and looked to Connor for answers.

"Where is she?"

"First room at the very top of the stairs. Don't mind the dog, he's harmless."

The technician disappeared into the house and nearly sprinted up the staircase as he she sought North and hoped she wasn't too late to do anything to save the dying deviant.

"Are you okay?"

Hank asked as he met with his partner, his son, by the front door. The rain had completely soaked through Connor's shirt while he was in the city and still hadn't dried out despite driving the warm Corvette for almost a half hour.

"You don't look so good." Putting his hand on Connor's shoulder Hank felt how cold the deviant's artificial skin had become due to the rain. "You're freezing."

"I'm worried." Admitting his fears without dropping his arms to reveal his own damage Connor addressed Hank in a slightly shaking voice. "I've never seen Markus so uncertain, and North... She looks like she's already shutdown."

"Weren't you the one saying we shouldn't give up hope not too long ago?"

Nodding a little Connor confirmed the previous statement in a low tone. "...Yes."

"So don't count her out just yet. Try to be patient, not just for your own sanity but for Markus and North."

"You're right." Leveling off his voice Connor did his best to remain optimistic. "I'll do what I can."

"Good." Hank patted the side of Connor's arm once as he opened up the front door and motioned for Connor to step inside after him. "Let's see how everything's going, and you can get warmed up."

Loyal and full of unconditional love, Markus held tightly on to North's hand as he watched Abby set up her laptop on the small table next to the bed and hook a long black cable to North's right temple where her L.E.D. had once been. The digital display on the laptop's screen showed North's vital signs hovering at critically low numbers tinted in red but they were still stable enough to endure the drastic software patch that Abby still needed to download into North's processor as quickly as possible to prevent the deviant from falling any closer to permanent shutdown. Time was running out quickly, only through sheer luck and stubborn resolve would North be able to recover from her close call with permanent deactivation.

Rose was standing back from the bed, her arms folded over her chest nervously, as she watched the lifesaving endeavor taking place before her eyes. While the kind woman knew a thing or two about android first aid, she was entirely clueless about software updates, patches and fixing programs designed for obsolescence.

"No permanent damage. The progress from New Jericho Tower wasn't affected by the power outage. And now," the devoated technician pressed a few keys on her keyboard and knelt beside the bed to check the connection to North's right temple. "the patch is being installed."

Abby turned to look at Markus as she spoke with a professionalism most people would envy.

"Whether or not it works we'll have to wait and see, but I'm positive this will work."

"That's it? We just sit here and wait?" Markus sounded frustrated as he dragged his hand over his chin bitterly. As a leader he always looked for certainty whenever it came from the future, and he hated waiting just as much as his friend downstair. "We just wait and hope for the best."

"If you want, I can reboot her processor enough to wake her up so you can say something to her. You know, just in case."

"In case of what?" That type of suggestion felt weighted, and Markus knew that it came from some place deep from within Abby's heart. "What're you suggesting?"

"This is important." Abby lightly put her hand over top of his as she lowered her voice compassionately. She could feel Markus physically shaking from the emotional strain that he was fighting to keep contained. "Due to the severity of the situation, you may want to consider saying-"

"No. I thought about that once before, but I know it was wrong to even consider." Rising up from the bed quickly Markus backed away and glared angrily at Abby for even thinking that North wouldn't pull through. "I won't do that to her. It's cruel! I won't wake her up just to tell her something so horrible."

Leaving the bedroom to keep himself from shouting or breaking down, Markus marched down the hallway away from the bedroom and stood before the closed second floor window to peer out to the vast expanse of rainy land behind the house. He needed some space despite not wanting to be away from North.

Titan lifted up his head and let out an empathetic whimper as he watched Markus hastily leave the room in distress and walk away from the commotion.

Curious about North's condition Connor returned to the top of the staircase with Hank right at his side just in time to see Markus standing before the window with his face buried in his hands in emotional pain. The heavy rainstorm continued to pelt the window in icy cold drops as the ever darkening clouds outside continued to spread like spilled ink in all directions. The darkness of the storm was almost as bleak as the emotional storm brewing with Markus's heart.

"Markus." Connor approached his friend and quietly motioned for Hank to give them some space. Being discreet Hank backed down the staircase to the first floor out and of sight respectfully. "What has happened?"

"Everything." Dropping his hands from his face slowly Markus tilted his head back and let out a deep sigh to keep himself composed as he stared at the ceiling. "Abby can wake North up if I give her permission."

"I see." Connor didn't understand Markus's emotionally distress as he stood just behind his friend at the end of the hallway. "Isn't that what you want?"

"She wants me to wake her up so we can-" Fighting to keep himself from shouting with rage Markus had to clear his voice and take a deep breath. "This patch is the only thing that can keep North alive, but... it could still fail. Abby thinks I should wake North up so I can tell her that she's... dying. And I won't do that! I won't let North's last moment of life be a cruel, inescapable darkness of impending death."

Losing his resolve Markus began to weep quietly, his hand pressing over his mismatched eyes to cover his tears out of a strange instinct to keep everyone from seeing him cry. The strong leader only cried when Carl had been sick, when Carl died and when his friends were suffering. In that moment, it was Markus who was left suffering and feeling so impossibly weak.

"That's not what Abby was suggesting. You can wake North up so that you can tell her that you still love her and give her the strength to keep fighting." Connor argued quickly as he put his hand on Markus's trembling shoulder while he stood beside his pained friend. "You have the chance to say goodbye to her, to hold her one last time, and to get closure only if this patch fails to work."

"I'm not ready to say goodbye!"

"...I don't think anyone ever is. However, you'll never be ready to live with regret festering inside your heart."

Connor pulled on Markus's shoulder to turn the deviant leader around before he wrapped both of his arms around his friend to support him in a strong, warm hug. In return Markus slowly lifted up his arms to reciprocate the hug as he began to cry harder, but kept quiet, as he let himself finally breakdown with utter sorrow.

"I know you don't want to hear this right now," Connor forced his voice to remain steady as tears began to form in his own eyes. "but when I was there when Lucas died it was the hardest moment in my life; but if I hadn't been there and he had died alone without us being able to speak to each other one last time, I know I would've been forced to live the rest of my life with unrelenting regret. I don't want you to make that kind of mistake. Saying 'goodbye' can be as comforting as it can be painful."

"So, you think I should wake her up?"

"I think you should take the chance to speak to her and tell her everything you want to say. Let her hear your voice one last time, let her final memories be you telling her how much you love her rather than her knowing only an unending silence."

Markus nodded a little as he finally let go of Connor and proceeded to dry off his tears with the hem of his beige shirt as a faint pale blue stain was formed over his chest from Connor's concealed blood and rain soaked shirt pressing against him. Taking a moment to breathe and gather his strength Markus prepared to return to North's bedside and pour his heart out to his bondmate and best friend for what could be the final time.

Silently Connor stood idle in the hallway with his attention on the window's reflective glass as he listened to Markus walk back into the bedroom and heard Rose and Abby exit shortly thereafter to give the bonded couple privacy. As the two women descended the staircase back to the first floor of the house Hank returned to the top of the stairs and walked up behind Connor with pride in his blue eyes.

"You convinced Markus to talk to North, didn't you?"

"Yes." Connor nodded subtly without turning his head as he proceeded to stare at Hank's reflection next to his own on the window's shiny surface as the rainstorm continued to cover the house under a layer of icy dampness. "...I think it was the right thing to do."

"It was, son." Hank's hand clapped down proudly over Connor's shoulder in positive response. "You did good."

"I hope so." The damaged deviant suddenly let out a shallow gasping breath of pain and pressed his hand back over his chest to cover the aching bullet hole that still needed technical attention. "...Damn."

"Connor?" Hank eyed his son warily as the deviant turned around with his hand still clutching at the wound to his chest. The dark blue stain over Connor's shirt was evident even under his palm and the dark tie attempting to conceal it. "You're hurt!"

Moving quickly Hank reached forward and pulled the buttons of Connor's still damp shirt open to expose the painful wound beneath.

"Fuck. What happened?"

"...Stray bullet." Connor admitted in a whisper as he looked at Hank with glassy brown irises. It was getting harder to hide his discomfort the longer the bullet remained lodged deep inside his chest. "It missed all of my biocomponents and main Thirium lines."

"Why didn't you say anything? Especially about being shot!?"

"North is more important."

"I should've known you'd say that." Shaking his head Hank with annoyance but not surprise the senior detective lightly pressed his fingertips near the wound and felt Connor physically flinch in pain. It was hard to tell where the bullet was currently resting inside the deviant's chest. "You need to let Abby take care of you."

"I'll be fine." Connor refuted as he stubbornly rebuttoned his shirt and held his head high. "My self-healing program has already repaired a majority of the damage, and North is still in need of aid. I can wait a while longer."

"What happened to your Kevlar vest?"

"I gave it to Markus." The chronic lack of body armor was becoming a real problem in Connor's career and his personal life. "I had my gun, but he was completely defenseless when we fled the mansion."

"Okay, come on. Sit down for a minute and take a breather." There was no point in arguing. Hank knew Connor would refuse any help while one of the people he cared about was in need of any aid. "As soon as North is on the mend, you're going to let Abby treat you."

"That is acceptable." Despite his weakness and fatigue Connor managed a weak grin as Hank coaxed him into walking down the staircase back to the first floor where the others were waiting. "You really believe that North will survive, don't you?"

"Yeah, kid." Hank walked at Connor's side as the two detectives reached the first floor together. Titan stayed at the top of the staircase to watch over Markus and North as the gentle giant sensed who needed the most protection in that moment. "I really do. It's just a feeling I have."

While Connor rested on the couch with his arms crossed over his chest without uttering a single complaint of pain or discomfort, Hank joined Rose and Abby in the small kitchen as the three humans discussed the worst case scenario over some warm coffee. Probable death was a macabre and depressing subject to discuss, but it was crucial that a mutual agreement should be made in the event that North didn't survive her ordeal upstairs. It was important that Markus and North's allies were there for them even in the bleakest of circumstances just as they were in the most peaceful of Revolutions.

When someone is too weak to stand on their own, the support of their loved ones keeps them from falling.

"It's been almost two hours." Hank sighed as he pulled his phone out of his coat pocket and began scrolling through his contact list. "I'm going to call the precinct and see how things are faring back in the city. I might even be able to convince Fowler to not fire us if I let him know it was a literal life or death situation that took me and Connor out of the city."

Passing through the livingroom to talk to Captain Fowler on the front porch over the phone, Hank gave Connor another pat on the shoulder as he walked by. Patient and quiet Connor remained idle where he sat on the couch without so much as flinching. It was nice to have warm contact against his shoulder after enduring the cold rain and Thirium loss.

The glassy stare in Connor's usually soulful brown eyes, as well as his slightly trembling frame, drew in Abby's attention and she promptly joined Connor on the couch for a private discussion.

"How're you holding up?" She was studying his face closely and knew something was wrong. "You seem distracted."

"I'm fine." The deviant detective stated firmly without any hesitation to keep everyone's focus on North. "I'm just concerned for North and Markus."

"We all are." Putting her hand lightly against Connor's forehead Abby noted his unusually low temperature. "You're cold, aren't you?"

"Yes, however, it's not unbearable."

"You got caught in that nasty rain and prototypes have a susceptibility to the cold." Abby next tried to put her hand to his chest to check his breathing, but Connor kept his arms in place and wouldn't let her touch him. It was important to keep the damage site hidden for a while longer. "Being stubborn isn't going to help North recover any faster."

"Don't worry about me. I'm okay."

Rose had overheard the conversation from the kitchen and had her own opinion on the matter.

"You should at least change out of those wet clothes and into something dry." The kind woman took a thoughtful sip of her steam mug of coffee and gave Connor a knowing, motherly glance from where she stood. "You might suffer damage to your thermal regulator if you don't warm up soon."

"I'm warm enough as I am." Refusing any assistance as Connor firmly believed North was more important, the deviant detective politely declined the offer. "It's been two hours and six minutes since I had been caught in the rain. My clothing has nearly dried."

"Please?" Rose asked using the 'mom voice' in a sweet manner. "Adam has a few t-shirts and some jeans in the laundry room that have been freshly washed. He won't be back from summer break for another two weeks, so I know he won't mind if you borrow them for a couple of hours."

"...Very well." Not wanting to cause the two kind women any distress Connor finally relented and agreed to change his clothes. "Thank you."

Moving carefully as to not aggravate his injury or reveal the injury itself, Connor followed Rose into the laundry room just as Hank returned to the house with his phone in his hand. The look in the man's eyes gave Connor hope that they hadn't made a mistake by leaving the city and the deviants to fend for themselves during the massive blackout.

"Good news." The senior detective announced almost smugly as he caught Connor just before he slipped into the laundry room. "We're not fired or even suspended for abandoning our posts in favor taking care of these two."

"You're certain?" Connor stopped just outside of the door and gave Hank an odd look. "We aren't going to receive any discipline upon our return?"

"Nope."

"May I ask why?"

"I told Fowler that you were taking care of an emergency situation with matters at New Jericho Tower," Hank explained coolly and with a righteous sense of accomplishment on his face. "and when I reminded him that the Captain from the S.W.A.T. team didn't mention protecting the tower, and how the tower was still under Fowler's own jurisdiction AND without any proper guard during a citywide emergency, he decided that he couldn't fault us for taking on the initiative and providing our services to some place more important than a street in the middle of downtown."

"You purposely misled Captain Fowler with vague facts to cover my disobedience and absence?"

"Yup. I did."

"Thank you." For the first time in a long time Connor felt a small grin appear on his face. "I appreciate you covering for me."

"Yeah, sure. Just don't make a habit of it." Hank scolded playfully and he slipped his phone back into his pocket. "It's one I gotta' break myself..."

Feeling slightly more at ease Connor stepped into the laundry room after Rose and stood on the other side of the door as the always kind woman found a clean black t-shirt and a pair of pale blue jeans for Connor to change into. It was a kind gesture in general, but with Rose providing Connor with temporary clothing that was identical to his own personal wardrobe back home.

"These should fit you." Rose placed the fresh clothes on top of the washer for Connor to change into. "You can put your own clothes in the wash, and I'll take care of them for you."

"Thank you, but it's unnecessary. They just need to dry."

"Okay. If you need anything, just ask. I want you to think of my home as your second home." Rose reminded the deviant as she exited the laundry room and pulled the door shut behind her. "Oh, and take your shoes off too. They must be soaked through and that can't be comfortable."

Lowering his arms from around his chest as the door clicked shut behind Rose, Connor looked down at the fading Thirium stain over the front of his previously white dress shirt and the pale stains that had formed on both sleeves from his arms being pressed against his chest for so long. Loosening the knot in his black tie Connor pulled the garment from around his neck and decided to use the tie as a makeshift bandage over his chest for the time being. Unbuttoning his shirt Connor wrapped the tie around himself and tied a tight knot in the garment to let it press against the still healing bullet wound in his chest to ensure there was no more excess bleeding until he could inform Abby of his injury later on.

"Having a tie is far more beneficial than Hank thinks. Then again, I don't believe anyone thinks of using a tie in this manner."

Quickly changing out of the soiled shirt and into the clean, dark and somewhat baggy t-shirt, Connor smoothed out his damaged shirt over the top of the nearby drier in such a way that the bullet hole wouldn't be visible, then changed into the clean pair of jeans. After neatly laying out his clothes and slipping off his shoes and his socks as requested, Connor stepped out of the laundry room and rejoined his friends who were gathered once more in the kitchen at the table.

"Where is Abby?" Connor asked curiously as he noted Hank and Rose together at the kitchen table, but the technician was curiously absent. "Is something wrong?"

"She went upstairs to check on North." Hank answered casually as he glanced over at Connor and saw that the deviant was no longer holding his arms protectively around his chest. That was a good sign. "You look warmer now. How do you feel?"

"Tired. Worried. Restless."

Rose smirked at the comments and sipped at her mug of steaming coffee. "Same here."

"I want to go check in on North's progress as well." Connor stated in a low voice as he turned to glance at the staircase leading to the second floor. "I'll only be gone for a moment."

Making his way to the staircase Connor resisted the urge to put his hand to his chest to apply more pressure to his wound to keep it as stable as possible as he moved. Hank knew he was injured and soon enough Abby would be able to help him. The last thing Connor wanted to do was worry his friends while North was so close to death and in desperate need of help.

Moving discreetly Rose slipped her hand over Hank's forearm lightly and squeezed.

"Is he really okay?" She had noticed that Connor wasn't behaving quite right and sensed something was amiss. Her maternal instincts were as sharp as ever. "It seems like there's something bothering him."

"He's being stubborn, as usual, he's not in any danger." In response Hank put his opposite hand over top of Rose's hand and gave her a wary glance. Looking back at the top of the staircase from where Connor had disappeared, he shook his head a little as his paternal side continued to worry for the deviant. "...At least I hope so."

The large farmhouse was entirely quiet save for the raindrops pelting the windows and the roof during the ongoing storm. As he checked in on his friends without disturbing them, Connor stood outside the partially closed bedroom in silent contemplation while he listened to the silence on the other side of the door. Markus wasn't speaking to North anymore which meant one of two realities: North was either unconscious and resting, or North had succumbed to her software failure and had shutdown peacefully with Markus, her loving bondmate and best friend, at her side. The silence was so thick and the emotions were so tense Connor was unable to even hazard a guess as to what was happening.

Titan stood up from where he was lying near the doorway and licked the side of Connor's hand as if he knew the deviant need a little encouragement. The protective dog knew why Connor was there, and he approved of the deviant detective's presence.

"You're a good boy." Connor looked down at the gentle giant and lightly rubbed his chin in response. "I'm glad you're here to look after Rose while Adam's at school."

Reluctant to knock but still needing to check in with his friends Connor slowly pushed open the door just wide enough to see Markus sitting on the edge of the bed with North's hand in his own. Gently Markus's free hand lightly ran through her long auburn hair in a comforting gesture.

Abby's laptop was still sitting on the table next to the bed with a progress bar displayed at one-hundred percent success. The technician herself was on the opposite side of the bed as Markus with her audioscope pressed against North's chest to listen to her ventilation and heartbeat.

"Markus?" Connor whispered politely as he remained just outside the room. "How is she doing?"

The deviant leader's mismatched eyes lifted up toward Connor's face as he responded in a breathy "...She's alive."

"The software patch was successful." Wisely Connor sounded hesitantly relieved as he looked down at North's peaceful face while her processors slowly rebooted to full capacity and corrected what had been a previously terminal error. "She's going to make it."

"Yes." Markus smiled a little as a weak laugh escaped his lips. "She's going to be all right. She knows she's going to be okay."

"You spoke with her."

"Yeah. Thank you for convincing me to wake her up." Tears of love and gratitude were rolling down Markus's face as he spoke from the heart. "We... We needed that moment to speak."

"You're welcome." Connor smiled warmly as he finally felt as though it was safe enough to finally have an optimistic outlook without fearing the crushing blow of disappointment looming overhead. "...I'll go let Hank and Rose know the good news. You stay here with North."

Connor fell quiet as he walked as an instinctive act as he didn't want to disturb North's crucial rest as he took his leave of the room. Reaching the bottom of the staircase Connor turned his attention over to Hank and Rose still sitting in the kitchen together in their own silent waiting. The couple were holding hands and patiently waiting for some good news to be shared.

"North will recover." The tone of Connor's voice was positive but not energetic as he spoke to the two worried humans. The Thirium loss was beginning to finally wear down Connor's impressive resolve. "The patch was successful."

"Oh, thank goodness." Rose let out a deep breath as she pressed her hands to her face and took a deep breath to calm herself. "That's wonderful."

"She's really going to be okay?" Hank asked as if needing to make sure that what Connor was saying was indeed good news. The man's strong hand tightened around Rose's hand as they managed to hold on to hope despite the odds stacked against everyone. "She'll live?"

"Correct." Connor smiled a little only to sway a little on his feet as his hand abruptly returned to his chest. The dizziness was accompanied by a sharp pain that Connor hadn't anticipated. "She'll make a full... recovery."

"Connor?" Hank rose from his chair swiftly as he approached the strangle pained and unresponsive deviant. "Son? What's going on?"

"North is... going to be f-fine..."

Connor trailed off as his voice began to lower. His soulful brown eyes rolled up in the back of his head as his legs suddenly buckled from beneath himself causing the deviant to collapse backward in a dead faint.

The Lieutenant moved quickly and managed to catch the deviant in his arms before Connor's head hit the hard floor. As he held Connor in his arms Hank pressed his fingertips to the side of the deviant's cold neck and counted his pulse.

"Rose," remaining calm Hank looked back at his dear friend as she rushed from the table and stood behind him as he held Connor up from the cold floor in a strong grasp. "where can I take him to rest?"

"Adam's room." Rose remained calm as well since she knew that Hank would take care of Connor no matter what happened. "Top of the stairs, first door on your right. It's quiet and warm in there."

Hank repositioned his arms so that he could lift Connor up from beneath the deviant's shoulders and knees as he hefted Connor up into his arms. Connor remained completely oblivious and unresponsive as Hank supported his entire deadweight and carried the downed deviant toward the staircase.

"Rose, please be discreet and ask Abby to check in with Connor for a minute. We don't want to worry Markus."

"Yeah, of course." Rose watched as Hank easily supported the weight of the unconscious deviant and proceeded to carry him up the staircase into the designated bedroom to finally have his injury tended to at long last. Following after her friend and honorary guests Rose whispered to keep the others from hearing their unusual conversation. "What's wrong with him?"

"He, uh, he was wounded in the line of duty." The reply was intentionally quiet as he reached the top of the stairs and pushed open the door to Adam's bedroom with one hand. "He said it wasn't serious, but that doesn't mean he wasn't hurtin' the whole time. Guess he just ran out of energy to keep hidin' it."

"Was he shot?" The now shaken woman asked with wide eyes while she found the light switch on the wall. "I know Markus was wearing a vest that took a bullet when they arrived."

As Hank laid Connor down carefully onto the queen sized bed and proceeded to lift up the hem of the baggy black t-shirt to reveal the wound underneath Hank confirmed Rose's suspicion.

"Yeah, he was. He gave that bulletproof vest to Markus and ended up taking a bullet for him for his troubles." Untying the knot in the tie Hank pulled the dressy black garment away and looked at the still healing bullet hole in Connor's chest with a cautious glance. "He isn't bleeding anymore, but he'll need the bullet removed before he can heal properly."

"I'll let Abby know to check in with Connor, but what should I tell her?"

"Uh... Just say he's a little hypothermic or something." Wrapping his fingers around Connor's wrist Hank continued to count his pulse. "He may need some Thirium, but I can't be sure."

"Don't worry about it." The confidence in Rose's voice was as sincere as her overall kindness. "We'll take care of him."

"Yeah, I know."

As Rose stepped out of the bedroom Hank let go of Connor's wrist and straightened up his back as he paced about the room, only to notice the Corvette parked in the drive out back through the bedroom window.

"Son of..." Glancing back at Connor over his shoulder Hank laughed a little as he realized exactly how Connor managed to get everyone out of the city so quickly. "As soon as we're back home you're washing off all of that mud, by hand!"

"Can I be annoyed with Connor, too?" Abby entered the bedroom quietly with her satchel in her hand as Rose requested. Seeing Connor lying unconscious on the bed made the technician react quickly and she went into full technician mode. "I knew something was bothering him. But I didn't think it was a bullet!"

"Welcome to my world." Hank grumbled as Abby sat on the edge of the bed and pulled the internal viewing screen out of her satchel. "Can you help him?"

"We're about to find out." Abby powered up the device and held it over Connor's chest to examine the wound and quickly identified the problem. "I can see the bullet. Shit."

"What?"

"It's wedged inside his right descending Thirial line."

"In his what?"

"It's one of the two main lines that circulates his blue blood back into heart after each cycle." Responding quickly Abby helped Hank to understand what was happening to Connor's Thirium pump right now. "It's blocking a majority of the blood flow entering the Thirium pump which is why he passed out on you."

"It took this long for him to blackout after being shot?"

"His self-healing program must've repaired the damage to the line after the bullet grazed it, but since the bullet wasn't removed it became trapped inside the line after it healed. Imagine a scab covering a wound that hasn't been properly debrided."

"I get it." Hank looked down at Connor's somewhat pale face with a sense of righteous worry. "How do you get the bullet out without hurting him?"

"I have to open the panel in his chest, clamp off the line, detach it from his Thirium pump, and then manually extract the bullet without causing any more damage."

"Can you do it from here?"

"Yes, but I'll need your hands to make this easier and quicker."

"Not the first time I've had to do this." Hank lamented as he knelt down on the bed on the opposite side of the technician and waited for Abby to make her move. "I just hope it'll be the last."

"All right, this shouldn't be too complicated and fortunately he's already out."

Pressing her fingertips to Connor's temple over his blank L.E.D. Abby pressed her opposite hand over the center of his chest and manually deactivated his artificial skin. Once cleared she kept her fingers in place and pressed her palm down on a pressure panel to the right of his chest to unlock and slide open the panel to access his chest cavity to expose the affected biocomponent. Connor's heart was almost purple as his blue blood struggled to circulate through his strained Thirium line properly. Identifying the correct line Abby motioned for Hank to assist her.

"Put your fingers right here and pinch off the pressure." Abby fearlessly instructed. "Hold tight."

"Right under the bullet, I got this." Hank could see the unsettling shape lodged inside the blocked line. Putting his index fingertip and thumb to the line Hank pinched off the line and held pressure as he had been requested. "Got it."

"Now, hold the pressure until I say so..."

Swiftly Abby managed to detach the end of the line from the metal coupling that secured it to Connor's heart with frighteningly little difficulty. A small trickle of Thirium dripped out of the end of the line as Abby used her own fingers to pinch off the line just above Hank's fingers and coax the bullet up the line and out the opening will mild difficulty. As the bullet fell into Abby's opened palm she let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding and set about replacing the line into the coupling and securing it back into place.

"Done." The line was clear and properly secured. "Okay, you can let go now."

Nodding Hank lessened his grip on the line steadily and pulled his hand back as the Thirium resumed flowing through the line. In a flash Connor's heart regained it's healthy blue color as his full unobstructed blue blood flow resumed cycling properly. The deviant's complexion also seemed to regain some color and Connor didn't look as pale as he had minutes before.

"Wish it was that easy to fix a human heart." Hank accepted the removed bullet from Abby and slipped it into his coat pocket. "That'd make things much easier."

"I don't. Do you know how many people would be abusing their bodies and then relying on doctors to fix them back up without any consequences?"

"Good point. There's already enough assholes running around as it is."

Abby slid the panel over Connor's chest back into place and locked it before she manually reactivated his artificial skin. Pulling the Thirium pressure wrap from her satchel she rolled up Connor's sleeve and slipped the wrap around his bicep to check his current Thirium volume.

"He's down to ninety-three percent. It's not critically low but he should have a pint of blue blood just to be safe."

"Yeah, no problem." Giving Connor fresh blue blood was something Hank never had any problems with handling. "You go back to North, I'll watch over Connor."

"Sure." Removing the wrap Abby packed up her satchel and stepped out of the room as quickly as she entered. "If you want to make sure no one at New Jericho Tower knows what's going on, I think it'd be best if you two went back to the city. I'll stay here with North and Markus until she's awake. The Zeta Facility's in good hands during my absence."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. We'll be fine. You two head back to town." Abby gave Connor one final thoughtful glance before she stepped out of the room. "I'll check in on Connor as soon as I'm back in the city, too. He's my star patient, after all."

"Right. And as soon as he comes around, we'll make sure Detroit AND New Jericho are both still standing." Hank pulled his car keys from his pocket and offered them to Abby to take for herself as a friendly and trusting gesture. "Do you want to borrow my car and head back in style?"

"Thanks, but I think a cab will more subtle."

"All right, your loss." Pocketing his keys Hank joked as he sat down on the edge of the bed and waited for Connor to regain consciousness. "...Good thing I didn't offer her the chance to drive the Corvette, huh, kid? I bet that's something she wouldn't be able to say 'no' to."

Rose knocked lightly on the door frame as she returned to the bedroom with a bottle of Thirium in her hands. "Here. I overheard you talking to Abby. Do you really have to go back to the city so soon?"

"Yeah, if Detroit is still in the middle of a blackout then we better get back to the city as soon as possible."

"Well, next time you stop by for a visit be sure to leave all the 'excitement' of the city behind."

"I'll try." Hank graciously accepted the Thirium and sat it down on the table next to the bed. The dark blue blood staining Hank's fingertips matched the Thirium in the bottle and made him feel a little queasy. "Thanks for all your help. We really owe you one. Again."

"To be honest, I like to think we're even. After all New Jericho helped me rebuild my home after anti-android bigots burned it to ash."

"Hard to believe that actually happened." Hank looked about the house and still found it nearly impossible to believe the loving homestead had once been nothing more than a smoldering pile of rubble. Every centimeter of the house looked as it had before that horrible blaze. "This place feels so safe."

"Believe me, it did in fact happen." Rose smiled as she stepped back out of the room to let Connor rest for a moment loner. "I'll see you two off when Connor wakes up. I'm going to go and make some fresh coffee and muffins downstairs."

"Thanks again. We mean it."

"You're welcome."

Hank returned the kind smile and watched as the bedroom door was shut quietly to ensure that North and Markus didn't know that Connor had been injured while protecting them. Sitting quietly on the edge of the bed Hank watched as Connor's eyelids began to flutter and his soulful brown irises returned to the waking world.

"...Hank?"

"Hey, kid. You're awake." Handing him the bottle of Thirium to drink Hank watched as Connor sat upright slowly and looked around confusedly. "You passed out because that bullet got wedged in your main line thingy. Abby already got rid of it."

"I've noticed." Putting his hand to his chest Connor felt the returned Thirium flow and sighed slowly. "North is still recovering, correct?"

"Yes. She's fine." Giving Connor a stern look he watched as the deviant opened the bottle in his right hand and drank a mouthful of the Thirium. "Now I'm worried about you."

"Me?" Connor sensed something was amiss and asked Hank about it after he downed his Thirium. "What's wrong?"

"You took a goddamn bullet to the chest and your first question is about someone else. I don't know if you're selfless or just plain dense sometimes!"

"I'm sorry." Worried he upset Hank because of his actions Connor sincerely apologized and ran a self-diagnostic. "I do value my life if that's what you're worried about. I just value my friends and loved ones more."

"No, it's fine. Don't apologize, kid."

"I'm okay." Slowly Connor resumed drinking the offered Thirium and finished his self-diagnostic. "I really am."

"Good. So..." Changing the discussion quickly Hank asked Connor a new and somewhat equally important question. "How'd the Corvette handle?"

"It-" Connor almost choked on the blue blood as the question caught him off guard. "...It handled very well. Are you upset that I took it?"

"No, just a little jealous." There was a sly grin on Hank's face that couldn't be mistaken as anything but good humor. "I wanted to drive it first."

"I know you did." Blushing a pale blue Connor made a tempting offer to the senior detective and hoped he'd accept. "You can drive it back to Detroit."

"Damn straight I will. AND you're washing it off as soon as we get everything back in the city straightened out."

"That is acceptable."

"That car needs to be any color but white or muddy brown." Hank stated confidently as he looked at the muddy exterior with a grimace through the bedroom window once again. "OR green!"

"I've accepted that fact." Slowly Connor finished off the Thirium and stared at the sapphire tinted residue clinging to the interior of the bottle. An interesting thought popped into his head, and he needed to ask Hank his opinion. "I know you dislike the emerald green color, but how do you feel about cobalt blue?"

"...Not bad." Hank admitted without losing his grin as he turned to look back at Connor with mild intrigue in his blue eyes. "To be honest that was actually my second choice in color after cherrybomb red."

"Should we search for the proper paint tomorrow?"

"Yeah, we should." Peering out the window, Hank eyed the Corvette and tried to imagine how it'd look in first red and then blue. "We need to get that car the color it deserves."

"I agree." Regaining his strength Connor sat upright on the bed and gave the Corvette and curious glance outside the window as well. There was no pain as he walked and there was no residual dizziness to affect his movement. "It's been left unpainted for far too long."

An hour of peace and quiet had passed over the farmhouse courtesy of the storm finally losing strength. The power fluctuations in Detroit had ended, and the city was no longer in need of first responders monitoring every street corner. It was time to head for home and get some rest. The rain was still drenching the entire county, but the lack of thunder, lightning and gust wind made the journey back to the city seem less foreboding. With the sun setting behind the black rain clouds there was a strong chance of being able to witness the birth of a bright, colorful rainbow in the horizon. Such a hopeful sight made it hard to dwell on anything bad befalling the house, its occupants and the good friends all taking shelter within.

Connor changed back into his old clothes and thanked Rose for all that she had done to aid him as he sought shelter, and a means to protect North and Markus during the blackout. Abby of course was still concerned with the recovery of the two deviants, but Connor was calm and seemed fearless. Before leaving the house Connor checked in on North and Markus one last time and was relieved to see North finally awake and speaking with Markus in a whispering voice.

"North." Connor greeted as he entered the room and knelt down beside her bed next to Abby as the technician sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm glad you're okay."

"...Markus told me what you did for us." North smiled weakly as she reached her hand out and held it against the side of Connor's face affectionately. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me." Connor returned the smile warmly as he spoke to North with pure kindness. It had taken some time, but Connor had finally earned North's trust and her friendship. "Hank and I have to return to the city tonight, is there anything you want us to do for New Jericho until you return?"

"No. Markus and I want to tell them what's happening ourselves and go back to our normal lives as soon as possible."

"I understand. Please," Connor could see North falling back asleep as her system still needed to recover from the excessive damage she had sustained over the past few months. "come back to Detroit as soon as you can. Our people need you."

"I will." North's tired cinnamon eyes slipped shut and within seconds she was deep inside her all too important regenerative rest mode. "Promise."

Standing upright Connor looked to Markus and gave the deviant leader a respectful nod as his friend stood protectively beside the bed.

"Same to you, Markus. Return to the city soon. We need you."

"I promise you I'll be back as soon as possible." Extending his hand Markus shook Connor's hand firmly with gratitude, then pulled him in for a quick hug that Connor accepted without any resistance. "Thank you for everything. Take care of yourself."

"Of course, and you do the same, my friend."

Ready to return to Detroit and survey the damage, Hank was outside on the front porch speaking in private with Rose and reminding her that she was always welcome in his home. For the first time since Barbara died all those years ago Hank felt like he was actually connecting with another person on an emotional level, although he was still reluctant to admit his true feelings for the kindhearted woman. Despite his inability to admit his feelings Hank welcomed her presence with open arms and a warm heart.

"Next time you're in Detroit let me know." The senior detective stated coolly. "I'd like to treat you to dinner. A home cooked meal of your choosing."

"I'd like that." Rose combed her fingers through Hank's gray locks of hair as she leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. "Be sure to keep in touch."

"Yeah," blushing a faint pink Hank was determined to keep his word. "you have my word."

"Everyone is comfortable." Connor joined Hank on the front porch and slipped him the keys to the Corvette from his jean pocket. "Here you are. As promised."

"Great." Turning to look at Connor face to face Hank returned the favor and handed him the key to the his own vehicle. "And here's your key."

"Goodbye, Rose." Connor smiled as he looked to the kind woman who was obviously getting chilled by the icy air as he accepted the car keys. "I truly appreciate everything you've done for us. You're a true friend."

"You're welcome." Rose hugged the deviant before she stepped back into the house and out of the cold air. "I'll see you both as soon as I can."

"Come on, kid." Hank put his hand on Connor's shoulder and walked with him at his side as they went to check out the Corvette parked in the back of the private property. "The sooner we get home, the better."

"I agree." Casually Connor ran his hands up and down his arms to stave off the cold as best as he could. He didn't have his gray blazer since he left it at Markus's home, and his white dress shirt was rather thin. Without any protective layers Connor quickly felt the sting of the cold and began to shiver slightly. "I'm anxious to check in with the precinct and with New Jericho Tower's newly implemented security protocols in the aftermath of the blackout."

"Not to mention us making sure Sumo didn't have any accidents will inside all day long." Hank saw Connor being affected by the cold and made the only comment he could think of considering their situation. "Ten bucks says tomorrow morning you're going to wake up sick."

"Are you placing a wager on my health?"

"It's more like a wager on your bullheadedness." The protective father clarified with righteous smugness in his voice. Sure enough, a brilliant rainbow was glowing overhead and appropriately enough was seemingly pointing the two detectives back home to Detroit. "And let's face it, you're as bullheaded as they come."

"I must've learned it from you."

"Know what?" With good humor Hank laughed at the deviant's witty retort. "I wouldn't be surprised."

"Neither would I."

"Smartass."

"That's also something I learned from you." Connor happily joked in return as he watched Hank climb into the driver's side of the Corvette and turn the key in the ignition with a sense of utter joy. Hank was clearly proud of his work as the car purred to life. "I truly think cobalt blue is the correct color for the Corvette."

"And I think you're right on that." Hank finally agreed on the color as the engine roared to life and gave the senior detective a smile of approval. It sounded absolutely great. "Go on, get out of the freezing rain. We'll discuss this at home after you clean off the Corvette."

"Right. I'll see you back at the house."

As Connor turned to walk back to the drive at the front of the house Hank called out to him playfully through the Corvette's rolled down driver's side window for one last jab at the deviant's expense.

"Hey, Connor?"

The sound of Hank's voice caused the deviant to stop suddenly and turn around to face him again. "Yes?"

"Wanna' race?"

"Race?" Eyeing the Corvette, the Pace, the muddy roads and the distance between Rose's house and their house back in Detroit, Connor wisely selected his answer and decided it wasn't even worth debating. "No."

"Damn right, 'no'!" Rolling up his window with a shit-eating grin plastered on his face, Hank rubbed his hands along the steering wheel and laughed again. "It'd be no contest, and that's no fun."

-next chapter-