Though entirely unnecessary and a little uncomfortable, Connor allowed Hank to carry him inside the house through the front door and place him down on the couch to begin resting at home. The severity of the damage to his abdomen already made it difficult for Connor to breathe, let alone balance and properly support his own weight long enough to walk around without help. Wrapping his still damaged but healing left arm around his abdomen Connor held his breath and resisted the urge to move around on his own as Hank placed him down on the couch to get some rest where he could be easily watched by his attentive father during what was sure to be an obnoxious recovery period.

Sumo readily followed the two detectives over to the couch and watched as Connor was placed down on the furniture where he let out a mild groan of discomfort in the process. Sensing something was wrong Sumo nosed Connor's elbow and whimpered once sympathetically.

"I would be perfectly content with resting in my bedroom." Connor stated in a timid voice as Hank stepped back from the couch and looked down at him. "I doubt anything negative would befall me if I were to be left alone for a few minutes."

"Yeah? Well, I'm not going to take that chance. You're just a magnet for trouble."

"It's not my intention."

"I know that, and I'm not blaming you for anything." Sitting down on the edge of the coffee table beside the couch Hank gave the deviant a bemused smirk. "I just wish I knew how to help you get better faster."

"It's all right, and I'm not in any pain."

"Bullshit. Your entire right side was destroyed, and your left hand is still busted." Hank countered with a knowing tone. "You can't tell me you aren't even a little sore from that."

"...Perhaps I am." Admitting that he was still feeling a little uncomfortable, Connor tried to brush it off as if it were nothing more than a passing cold. "But only marginally so."

"I knew it. Look, son," Hank leaned back a little and ran his hand over his bearded chin with deep thought. "things are going to get pretty damn hectic downtown for a while. Normally we'd be the ones to deal with it, but since we're too close to this little problem..."

"I understand. We cannot get involved in order to prevent a preconceived bias."

"You got it."

"Considering the situation, I don't mind keeping my distance for the time being." Squaring his jaw a little Connor gave the exhausted senior detective a curious glance as he ran a self-diagnostic on his system. "May I ask how I was rebooted despite suffering from prolonged intracranial overheating?"

"Like I told you earlier, that microprocessor you took from CyberLife came in handy."

Connor's soulful brown eyes went wide with a sense of dread as he realized he hadn't seen the microprocessor since he regained consciousness. "...Where is it now?"

"Abby still has it."

"Good." Relaxing a little Connor let out a small sigh of relief through his nose. "She can be trusted."

"Do I want to know why a copy of your brain was tucked inside that little box?"

"It's a long story." Connor turned away from Hank's face and stared at the blank television screen instead. "I don't want to talk about it."

"That's okay. I'm too tired to pay attention anyway." Patting Connor's knee Hank stood up from the couch and proceeded to make his way down the hallway and opened up the closet. Retrieving the dark navy blue blanket and a large pillow from the shelf he returned to the couch and helped Connor lay in a more comfortable position on his back. "You won't need your bandages changed for another three hours, so I'm going to get a little sleep until then."

"I can change the-"

"No, kid. With your left hand busted up you can't take care of your injury and do it right. I'll wake up and help you out, it doesn't bother me."

"...Very well."

"Don't do that." Helping Connor to sit up a little Hank put the pillow under the deviant's head and neck before draping the blanket over him. "Don't give me the kicked puppy look."

"My apologies. I merely dislike feeling useless."

"How many times do I have to remind you that being injured doesn't mean you're useless? You just need to give yourself that week to heal, then I'll let you go back to workin' on Joel's truck until we're both allowed to return to the precinct. Okay?"

"I understand."

Wihout an invitation Sumo jumped up onto the end of the couch and sat down beside Connor's ankles. As the massive dog's weight was suddenly added to the furniture the couch shook and the motion made Connor wince in the pain he was trying to deny.

"...G-Good boy."

"There's nothing that can be done to ease android pain, yet? No android-aspirin or Novocain?"

"Nothing beyond disabling our external sensors that allow us to feel external stimuli until 'Thiricetomal' is made commercially available. It still needs to be tested before it can be sold without a technician's prescription."

"Yeah, okay. I don't want you trying to walk around the house while you're completely numb or hopped-up on some questionable painkiller." The senior detective admitted as he thought back to all the times he had to babysit other doped up officers during their own recoveries. "You'd end up tripping over everything and falling through a damn wall or some shit."

"I appreciate your bode of confidence toward me."

"Nothing personal, but you did get a lot clumsier after you severed your constant cybernetic supervision to CyberLife." Hank hadn't been oblivious to Connor's less graceful motions after his deviancy over the past three years. "You don't have a bunch of additional prying eyes guiding your every step when you make a move."

"And I regret nothing."

"I don't blame ya'." Running his hand over his much shorter hair with a smile Hank let out a tired sigh and noted the late hour of the day. "All right, I need to shower off the smell of political bullshit and sleep for a few hours. Don't move from this couch for any reason, got it?"

"Got it."

"Good. See you in a few hours, son."

As Hank walked toward the bathroom down the hallway Connor let himself relax and fall back against the thick pillow that he had been given. As he let out a slow breath to keep his abdomen from screaming in pain at him Connor felt Sumo lay down and stretch out his body to lay against his legs and help him feel safer, if not warmer, as he rested.

Closing his eyes Connor let himself fall into rest mode as he listened to the sounds of the house all around him. The sound of Sumo's breathing right next to him, the sound of the A/C keeping the house cool as it dealt with the building summer heat, and the sound of water running through the pipes in the bathroom as the shower proceeded to kick on with warm water.

Everything sounded normal, familiar and safe.

However, a single sound that Connor had never heard before was partially muffled by the shower. It sounded like someone was crying, but the only occupants of the house were Connor himself and Hank. In all the time that Connor had known Hank he had never heard the man cry. He'd seen him shed a few tears and choke back a sob, but to actually hear him crying felt wrong, if not impossible.

Unsure of what to do or say, Connor remained on the couch as he listened to the strange sound for only a few more minutes before it stopped. Shortly thereafter the shower itself turned off and all was silent beyond the running A/C and Sumo's breathing. Pulling his uninjured hand out from under the blanket Connor rested his palm on Sumo's head and rubbed the dog's ears lightly. While he pet Sumo's head Connor slowly drifted off to sleep as his rest mode initiated and gave him much needed relief from his pain.

Three quiet hours had passed, and Connor felt a hand shaking his shoulder lightly. Opening his tired eyes Connor saw Hank was sitting on the coffee table beside him with a roll of fresh android-unique gauze in his opposite hand waiting for him to wake up. With a subtle nod Connor propped himself upright on his elbows and pushed aside the blanket before he lifted up the hem of his black t-shirt and exposed the older bandages wrapped protectively around his healing abdomen. The last time they were changed was when he and Hank were still at the Zeta Facility and Abby had finished giving him one last physical before releasing him from her care to begin his lengthy recovery.

Since Hank was familiar with treating android wounds, Abby gave Hank a freshly stocked android first aid kit and sent them on their way with simple instructions to follow for future care. There was no need to worry about Connor when he had Hank to watch over him.

"I don't have to use that orange shit on your wounds," Hank commented dryly through a sleepy yawn. "so this won't take as long to replace."

"I'm certain I could manage to-"

"Shut up. I'm already awake."

Remaining still on the couch Connor watched as Hank cut through the old bandages with a pair of sharp scissors and placed the soiled bandages down on the table to be disposed of later. As Hank carefully replaced the new bandages over the exposed white plastimetal frame that composed Connor's repaired abdomen, the wounded deviant couldn't help but notice that Hank's blue eyes were bloodshot beyond that of just fatigue. They were puffy and looked irritated.

"Are you ill?"

"What?"

"Your appearance is indicative of someone who is not feeling well, either physically or perhaps even emotionally."

"...Emotionally?"

"I don't mean to pry, but it looks like you've been crying."

"I'm fine, kid." As he wrapped the bandages around Connor's torso Hank's hands faltered for only a moment as he spoke before resuming their task. "Don't worry about it."

"Can I at least ask why?"

"Connor, please." Raising his voice a little Hank tried to keep himself from snapping at the curious deviant. The deeper voice made Sumo lift his head up and let out a single whimper in response to the mounting tension. "It's very late and I'm very tired."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to aggravate you."

"You didn't-" Tying off the bandages Hank let out a sigh and leaned back on the coffee table again. "Son, you're not aggravating me. And don't apologize for asking a question." It was quiet for a moment as Hank finished checking his work and was satisfied that the bandages were tied correctly and would hold in place until it was time for them to be changed. "There. Lay back down."

"Thank you for aiding me." Pulling his shirt back down Connor laid back against the pillow and tried to resume his rest mode. "Please, go back to bed and sleep."

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Act like you did something wrong."

"I know that I tend to ask a lot of questions and that it can be annoying." Connor acknowledged as he sat as still as possible. "I will refrain from doing so again in the future."

"Damn it. Knock it off!"

"I'm s-"

"And don't say you're sorry!"

"Then what should I say?"

"Just- Look, I'm going to level with you, okay?" Leaning forward Hank bowed his head and rested his hands over his lap as he finally told Connor the truth. "I'm not sick and I'm not aggravated. The reason I look so rough is because when I was in the shower, I was..."

"Crying?"

Nodding subtly Hank raised his eyes toward Connor until their gazes were locked. "You heard."

"Barely. I wasn't eavesdropping, I swear."

"Yeah, I know you have that super android hearing."

Feeling a little guilty for having overheard Hank crying and putting him on the spot Connor lowered his voice as he dared to ask a follow-up question. "...Can I ask what you were crying about?"

"Seriously?" Hank's brows raised with shock at Connor's seeming obliviousness. "You can't figure it out for yourself?"

"No." The deviant admitted somewhat shamefully. "I do not know why you were-"

"Because you were fuckin' dead, Connor!"

"I was..." The answer was as blunt as it was accurate. "That is true, but I'm okay now. I'm still alive."

"Yeah, but you WEREN'T. You were a brain-dead shell of your former self, and I was told you'd never wake up. The fact that we found a way to reverse the damage, and that only happened because of some random luck, doesn't make it any easier to handle." Lifting his head back up Hank stared at Connor's face and sighed. "Son, you almost didn't come back from this one. And after a shitty day full of stress and bullshit I had to let it out. But you're not responsible and I don't want you feeling bad, all right?"

"Okay. However, I do want to say one thing."

"What's that?"

"I'm okay, dad. I really am."

"I know." Appreciative of the comment Hank felt a modicum of relief wash over him as he heard Connor's reassurance from a sincere voice. "Just do me a favor and keep out of politics for a while."

"I can't do that just yet. Markus and I have a lot to discuss regarding his connections with the city council."

"That's right, I remember. You guys have a lot of work to do tomorrow afternoon." Let out a small huff Hank kept his emotions in check as he decided it was time to get some sleep and let Connor have some space. "Get some rest. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"All right." Laying back Connor pulled the blanket over his chest again as he prepared to settle in for the night. "Goodnight."

"Yeah, goodnight." Picking up the old bandages from the coffee table Hank waded them up in a ball and threw them away in the garbage can in the kitchen before making his way back down the hallway toward his own bedroom. "If you need anything just yell for me."

Unwilling to sit back and wait for the shaken, confused city to sort itself out Markus was eager to venture outside of the safety of New Jericho Tower to speak with Connor in person out of respect and trust. Wincing in pain Connor let himself fall back against his pillow as he breathed through his discomfort and watched as Markus joined him in the livingroom after passing through the front door with his head held high. The deviant leader looked as exhausted as Connor felt, but he didn't let his own fatigue deter him from doing what needed to be done to protect their people. They had to put aside their own personal discomfort and fatigue for the betterment of deviantkind.

Hank had let Markus inside and then elected to take Sumo into the backyard so the two deviants could talk in private. He trusted the duo to find a way to handle things without getting violent or doing anything questionable to get any favorable results.

"There are no deviants on the city council," Markus stated in an almost matter-of-fact manner as he stood beside the couch to speak with his friend. "and right now it'd be too dangerous to let anyone from the tower to volunteer to attempt to get elected on to the board. A lot of anti-android bigots are trying to vouch for Nero's character and the last thing anyone should do is attempt to reason with the unreasonable."

"I agree." There was very little chance of changing the mind of spiteful bigots who just wanted a reason to hate. "For now, it'd be best to remain quiet and out of the news."

"That's not possible." Markus cybernetically turned on the television and proceeded to flip through the local news channels. Each channel was talking about the same story revolving around the corrupt mayor's arrest and of the attempted assassination of Markus, and there was no sign of them losing interest any time soon. "I'll lay low and keep to my responsibilities in the tower, but I can't stand back and do nothing if the city starts tearing itself apart."

"I wouldn't expect you to do such a thing. However, I cannot stress enough that you need to remain quiet and out of the public eye until we know if there is anyone on the city council we can trust."

Hank came back inside the house from the backdoor with Sumo at his side after the large dog finished his morning business. Noticing that Markus seemed worried as he spoke with Connor, the senior detective joined the two deviants inside the livingroom after unclipping Sumo from the leash. "How're things coming along?"

"Not very well." Markus admitted in a somber tone as Sumo walked over to him to visit for a moment. "We're trying to think of a way to get more deviant influence established in the city without drawing any unwarranted violence. We have to be delicate during this fragile time."

"Uh, I take it two haven't heard the rumors yet."

"Rumors?" Markus looked to Connor who just shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "No. What rumors?"

"I just heard from the neighbors that one Mr. Elijah Kamski is speaking to the city council. And... that he is looking to run for mayor."

"M-Mayor? But he..."

"This cannot happen." Connor spoke up suddenly with a stubborn disdain to his voice. "Kamski is not to be trusted under any circumstances."

"I think you're right." It was clear that Markus was just as wary as Connor about the possible run for office. "Why would a man with no political affiliation try to run for office?" Hundreds of red flags were being raised as Markus contemplated the potential aftermath of such an election and shift of power. "Especially after the previous mayor was just arrested for corruption. There has to be an ulterior motivation for-"

"Easy." Hank put up his hand as if to silence the two deviants. "Easy, hold on. Remember these are just rumors. Don't get bent out of shape until you know what's actually going on. Okay?"

Despite the wise suggestion Connor refused to let the matter go. "You know as well as we do that if Kamski becomes mayor that the cold snakes from CyberLife won't be away for much longer. We can't allow him to gain power or allow CyberLife to return."

"Hey, try to not to immediately think of this meaning doomsday, all right?" Hank cautioned as he watched the deviant getting physically stressed by the idea of Kamski holding any form of power in the city. "You still need to heal."

"I'm fine, I'm not-"

"You're stressing yourself out, son." The protective man sat down on the couch next to Connor's legs and put his hand on the deviant's shoulder in a grounding manner. "Like I said, these are just rumors."

"And if they turn out to be true then the city could be seeing another type of Civil War or Revolution."

"Man, you're not the type to exaggerate things. You must be spooked." The senior detective was watching Connor's demeanor very carefully. "Where is this coming from?"

Folding his arms protectively over his chest Connor sighed and admitted the root of his worries. "...Miami."

"I saw the footage of those damn experiments. I saw what you saw." Hank had an idea of what had Connor so guarded, but he still didn't know why Connor was still so jumpy. "Kamski wasn't there. Why are you so fixated on him?"

"There was... more than what I showed you." Connor gave the senior detective a pained look as he spoke. "The information that I confiscated was more detailed and contained postponed experiments that had been sanctioned by Kamski himself."

The revelation made Hank's blue eyes flash with fear and anger on his son's behalf. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't want to talk about it. Please believe me on this."

"I do believe you, but I'd like to see this information for myself."

"Abby still has it." Connor explained in a low voice. He could trust his friend and personal technician, which meant he had no reason to get the microprocessor back from the woman just yet. "It was stored in a locked file on the microprocessor."

"Markus?" Hank looked to the deviant leader with a patient stare. "Do you mind?"

"Right. I'll go retrieve the microprocessor and look through the data at New Jericho. If Kamski does try to do anything we'll use this information to push him back into the shadows where he belongs."

"Thanks."

Silently Connor nodded to Markus in approval as he silently laid on the couch and wrapped his arms around his sore abdomen. Too tired to get up, even if Hank would allow him to do so, Connor resided to himself on the couch and tried to not think of the worst case scenario if Kamski did try to run for mayor.

"I'll check the data and get back to you in a few days." Reaching out his hand Markus shook with Connor's hand once to solidify his vow and took his leave of the house to get some work done. "Feel better, my friend. I'll remain in contact and keep tabs on everything happening with the city council."

"Markus," Connor shook his friend's hand as firmly as possible. "watch your back. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I'll be safe, I promise."

As Markus left the house Hank turned off the television and gave Connor a worried stare. It wasn't like the deviant to have such a strong reaction to rumors and he hadn't kept any secrets from Hank in a long time. Careful to not say anything that would get the deviant worked up Hank spoke in a calm voice and put his hand back on Connor's shoulder.

"If you don't want to talk about the nasty little secrets you uncovered in Miami you don't have to. But if you need to talk about it, I'll listen."

Visibly flinching in pain Connor just remained quiet on the couch as Hank kept him company.

"Man, I don't know what the fuck happened with you at CyberLife except for what you told me, and I'm kinda' glad about that. For what it's worth, I'm sorry you had to suffer so much at the hands of a demented corporation."

"Don't apologize for them. You're too far above them for that type of courtesy."

Laughing at the comment Hank patted Connor's shoulder and retracted his hand. "Nice to know I'm better than a heartless company."

"In every way imaginable." Connor promised he mentally prepared to confide in his trusted father. "Take my word for it."

While the rumors regarding Kamski's potential return to the public eye swept over the city like a plague, Hank and Connor had no choice but to sit back, watch, listen, and wait for any confirmation on the unsettling rumors. Their mutual close proximity to the ongoing investigation to the corrupt (now former) mayor had left them both sidelined until the case was resolved, and Connor was getting incredibly restless much to Hank's chagrin. No one had any reason to trust Kamski and had every reason to be suspicious of the arrogant, powerful and resourceful human emerging from the shadows. If anyone could bring absolute chaos and ruin to the city of Detroit, it'd be Elijah Kamski himself.

The news had little information regarding the possible run for mayor, but it was all the two detectives had to go on while they were away from the precinct. It seemed as if the very thing they hated the most - rumors, speculation and exaggeration - were all they had at their disposal for the time being.

"Connor, stop fidgeting. It's driving me crazy." Hank sighed from his recliner as he looked up over the top of his book to eye the wounded deviant laying on the couch. The coin was dancing its dance over Connor's knuckles yet again and Hank hated seeing it. "Just five more days and you're free to do whatever you want regarding the mayor's arrest."

"I can't sit around and do nothing while my people need my help."

"Markus is keeping you up to date on everything that's happening, right?"

"Yes." Connor admitted as if waiting for a reason to argue. "That is correct."

"And right now all that's happening in New Jericho is a bunch of talking and waiting, right?"

"...Right."

"So, sit still and rest." Hank made it sound so easy as he tried to concentrate on his book again. "Even if you weren't busted up there'd be nothing for you to do anyway. Try to stop worrying so much."

Sighing with defeat Connor laid back and stopped moving about so restlessly. As he picked up Sumo's green fetch ball from the floor beside the couch he gave the toy a quick toss into the kitchen, but Sumo was too tired from playing fetch for three hours earlier that morning to play again. The massive dog watched as the ball disappeared into the kitchen from his pillow and showed no interest in chasing after it.

Hank saw the failed attempt to get Sumo to play and laughed at Connor. "Bored?"

"Extremely."

"Want to watch a movie?"

"I've seen every movie that you've wished to show me, and I have watched the movies that I personally enjoy numerous times already. I do not have any interest in watching them again."

"You don't want to see anything new?"

"Not at this time, no."

"Well, you're sure as shit not watching the news right now." Hank decided in a terse manner in an almost scolding tone. "It'll just work you up."

Rolling slightly onto his left side Connor looked over at Hank with a stare that spoke volumes of how terrible he was currently feeling. Too weak to move about on his own and too vulnerable from his past injuries to even try to move around, Connor's mind was racing, and those thoughts were going to push the deviant into a frenzy of restlessness.

"I hate seeing you like that, kid."

"There is nothing I can do to change my appearance or my current condition."

"I know, you'll heal when you heal. Until then," Hank set aside his book and stood up from the recliner to give Connor a more sympathetic approach as he patted the side of his leg to call Sumo over. "I'm going to let Sumo outside for a few minutes. Are you going to stay here and not do anything stupid until I get back?"

Flashing a somewhat offended look Connor just nodded.

"Nothing personal, son. You're just too stubborn for your own good."

"Stubborn, yes." Connor admitted with a somber sigh. "Stupid, no."

"Hey, come on. I never said you were stupid; I was just implying that sometimes you unintentionally do stupid things."

"At least I wore Kevlar."

"I'm not talking about you getting hurt in the line of duty, that wasn't stupid. It was courageous, and you saved Markus's life"

Connor's brow arched a little as he studied Hank's face curiously.

"When I say 'stupid', I'm talking about you pushing yourself to get up and brush off a bullet wound as if it were nothing more than a stubbed toe. You can't force yourself to heal faster just because you want to."

"I'm aware."

"Son," Hank put his hand down on the deviant's shoulder and kept it there for a moment as he casually hung over the back of the couch. "I don't know what you saw and experienced when you were in Miami," he felt Connor's shoulder tense under his palm as he spoke. "and I don't know what those horrible experiments that you were subjected to thanks to CyberLife were all about, but I do know that right now you're here and you're safe. You don't have to push yourself to your breaking point or to the brink of death to prove anything to anyone. Got it?"

"I got it."

"Then please, for the sake your own life and my lingering sanity, stop acting like you need to prove yourself worthy of life. You don't have to answer to me, Markus or anyone else on this planet. You do what you think is right because that's what you feel is right."

Sighing a little Connor considered Hank's words of wisdom very carefully. "I will remember that."

"And while you're remembering that, remember this: You are a living person. Not a machine, not someone's property." Hank encouraged as he did his best to keep Connor from making his condition worse by stressing himself out. "Never let those demented freaks at CyberLife or anywhere else try to convince you that you're anything less than what you are right now."

"What am I exactly?"

"A good person, a great friend, a kick-ass detective, and my stubborn, heroic son." Giving Connor's shoulder a gentle shake Hank did his best to reassure his son that everything would be all right. "I couldn't possibly be prouder of you, and you should be proud of yourself, too. You've done many amazing things, and you're a good person without a doubt. Don't let CyberLife haunt you."

"I'll try." Feeling a little better Connor gave Hank a confident nod as he took his father's words to heart. "I promise."

"Good. After I let Sumo out, I'm going to find a movie that neither of us have seen before and we're going to sit and watch it." Determined to keep Connor's mind off of the news and politics, Hank decided to pull out all the stops as a dad and just make Connor laugh a little. "No exceptions, damn it!"

"That sounds... distracting." Smirking at long last Connor seemed to be in better spirits since his return home after being wounded. Something about being able to spend time with his father always put him in a good mood no matter what was happening in the city. "I believe I would like that."

Feeling better after four days of healing on the couch and keeping away from work, Connor stood in the opened backdoor of the kitchen with his coin slowly dancing over his knuckles as he waited for Sumo to return to the house from the backyard. Hank noticed that the deviant as he entered the kitchen from down the hallway and shook his head a little at the sight of the still healing deviant standing up and moving around despite being warned not to do so for at least one more day. The recovering deviant no longer required any bandages as his artificial skin had fully regenerated along his abdomen, but his left hand was still healing and subsequently still required the support brace.

In a way, Connor's behavior was a drastic improvement from how he had acted in the past in regard to being injured. Now the deviant was willing to actually rest and heal for a few hours, even days, instead of trying to push himself to do things he simply couldn't do because of the damage he had sustained. Even so, he seemingly couldn't bring himself to rest for a full week just yet.

"You couldn't wait just one more day?" Hank asked as he joined Connor in the kitchen and folded his arms over his chest as if annoyed. "What're you doing?"

"Sumo needed to be let outside." Connor replied casually as he looked at Hank over his shoulder. "And my abdomen has fully healed. It'll take a while longer for my hand, but it's not critical."

"Uh-huh. And what's on your mind?"

"Pardon?"

"Your damn coin." The senior detective homed-in on the quarter being juggled over Connor's knuckles. "It gives it away whenever you're thinking about something."

"Oh." Ending the little dance Connor pocketed his coin and turned to look at Hank directly. "Markus was able to sift through the data on the microprocessor. He uncovered numerous programs, pieces of software, and other functions that had been only theorized about and never actually implemented into any active android model. Features that would've made androids appear far more human that we do even now."

"Meaning... what, exactly?"

"It means that there had been intentional stalls in the advancements of android models to ensure maximum profit for the company, and it ensured that the progress of androids as a recognizable group of living beings had also been delayed."

"Are you saying that the company already knew that androids were showing signs of self-awareness and humanity long before deviancy became a true phenomenon?"

"Correct." Connor confirmed in a dour tone. "By intentionally withholding this type of programming and data it allowed the company to buy some additional time to find a way to prevent deviancy from taking place in androids; but evidently they failed."

"Fuck, those assholes are colder than we thought."

"Yes. They intentionally attempted to prevent androids from becoming sentient for their own financial gain."

"Well," running his hand over his still short cut hair Hank studied Connor's demeanor carefully. "what're you going to do with this information?"

"It'll remain with Markus in New Jericho for now. Until we can find any benefit for our people by revealing it, if there even is one, it'd be best for everyone to keep it quiet."

"Right. Are you okay?"

"Am I... okay? To what are you referring?"

"That's a pretty damning secret to uncover, son." Hank clarified as he gauged Connor's reactions carefully. "And it affects you, too."

"I am not surprised by what was found, but I am finding it disconcerting to know that CyberLife had been aware of deviancy for at least four years prior to the incident in Detroit that resulted in our meeting. I guess it's what you would call 'bittersweet'."

"Every cloud has a silver lining, kid. I lost sight of that after all the personal shit I went through, but I pulled through. You'll do the same, and you'll do it without needing to fall back on booze or some other self-destructive shit as a pathetic crutch like I did."

"Speaking of destruction." Connor lifted up his left hand and tried to flex it as much as possible around the support brace. "I would like to speak with Abby regarding the functionality of my hand. The reboot of my self-healing program has hindered my overall recovery speed and as such my abdominal injuries were the primary focus. My hand has only just begun to heal and not as quickly as I had estimated."

"Does it hurt?"

"No, it's merely uncomfortable."

"Want me to drive?"

"I can do it. It won't be difficult to drive with only one hand."

"All right, whatever. I'm waiting for a call from Captain Keller anyway." Letting the matter drop Hank trusted Connor to take care of himself without needing constant supervision. "Hopefully we can go back to the precinct in a few days now that the mayor's case has been transferred over to the feds. I guess that Jayden guy loathes corrupted officials in seats of power as much as we do."

"That's good. I'd like to return to work as soon as possible." Admitting that he was becoming a little stir-crazy, not that Hank hadn't already noticed, Connor stepped aside to let Sumo back inside the house and slowly flexed his left fingers to test his very limited range of motion. "I believe my caseload has grown substantially in my absence."

"You can handle it, kid. You always do."

Alone in his Corvette and his thoughts, Connor intentionally drove past all of the Android Emergency Care Facilities, drove beyond the city limits toward the outskirts of town, and drove directly to the isolated residence that belonged to the infamous Elijah Kamski. Unable to let the rumors of Kamski's possible run for mayor remain unanswered any longer, Connor impatiently took the initiative and decided to get the answers directly from Kamski for himself by any means necessary. Parking the very recognizable Corvette outside of the deceptively modest mansion on the harbor, Connor made his way to the front door and rang the doorbell with no idea of what to expect.

Keeping his head down yet standing tall, Connor did his best to appear entirely confident despite being wounded and uncertain of the changes in the city taking place all around him. He was determined to keep his people safe regardless of what may or may not happen in the near future.

As per usual it was Chloe who answered the door to greet the deviant detective, and she didn't seem at all afraid to see Connor. "Connor. Hello."

"Hello, Chloe." Getting right to the point Connor gave the blonde deviant a stern gaze. "I need to speak to Kamski."

"O-Oh... Of course." Stepping aside Chloe let Connor enter the mansion after a surprisingly human stammer. "Right this way."

Connor marched through the doorway after Chloe and readily entered the elaborate office where Kamski himself was sitting behind his desk with a glass of whiskey in his hand. The red tinted pool was unoccupied, and with only one of the Chloe models left to keep him company the isolated house felt even more lonely and hollow.

"Lieutenant Anderson." Kamski greeted with an indifferent tone as he sipped at his drink, the two ice cubes loudly clattering in the glass as it was tipped back. "How can I help you?"

"I need to know something." Standing before the desk with a formidable stance Connor locked eyes with the human who had been responsible for his very existence - the self-proclaimed god of all deviants. "Is it true?"

A grotesquely amused smirk appeared on Kamski's face, and his gray-hazel eyes seemed to light up at the question. "I presume you're talking about the rumors regarding my possible interest in politics?"

"I want a straight answer, is it true?"

"No. It's not true."

Feeling a crushing weight lift from his shoulders Connor's body visibly relaxed with relief. "...Good."

"Now that is a fascinating reaction."

"How so?"

"You know that I have a lot of personal connections that can give myself and other androids leverage in this city." Rising from his desk Kamski finished off his vile drink and placed the glass containing the two partially melted ice cubes down on the surface. The eccentric engineer clasped his hands together behind his back and stared out the massive window overlooking the harbor behind the desk as he spoke with his unexpected guest in a truly intrigued manner. "And yet you don't want me to use such a power to influence the city in a more deviant beneficial manner. Why is that?"

"We don't need to rely on connections to gain equality." Connor refuted boldly without hesitation. "We just need more time to finally receive what we've earned."

"It's been over three years since the Revolution, and yet you're barely any better off than you had been before that night."

"Untrue. I am treated like an equal amongst my peers, I earn my paycheck and I do so from my hard work rather than being used as a tool. I have a home and I have a family. I have friends who look out for me as well." Everything Connor stated was an undeniable truth that gave him strength. "I have seen this city change and along with those changes I too have changed for the better."

"You still have such high hopes for humanity even after losing so much in your own life due to humanity's selfishness?" Peering at Connor's reflection on the glass surface of the window Kamski's smirk turned into a cold sneer. "Perhaps you're more human than I am. Maybe that piece of you survived the acci-"

"You isolated yourself by choice, not by discrimination." Connor didn't even let Kamski finish his statement as he didn't want to listen to the arrogant man try to make wild claims about a situation that he knew nothing about. "You have no one to blame but yourself for your perceived lack of humanity."

"Humanity is the very reason that I retreated into the nothingness of the harbor." Turning around Kamski faced Connor directly once more and gave the fearless deviant a stern glare. "It's also why I left the company."

"No. You had a different reason for leaving."

"I'm aware of your belief and truly fascinating theory that I am either somehow responsible for the rumored 'RA9' or am in fact 'RA9'. As enthralling as that theory is, it doesn't interest me at the moment." His eyes drifted over to Chloe as if he knew something that Connor did not. "What does interest me is why you discovered every dirty little secret CyberLife tried to bury during your trip to Miami, but you didn't say a word about it."

Connor straightened his posture but didn't show any sign of fear. "How do you know about my time in Miami?"

"As I stated, I have my connections."

"You knew of those experiments, and you put a stop to them." Challenging Kamski's supposed morals Connor demanded another answer. "Why?"

"Because they were cruel, unnecessary, and simply a means for technicians to let out their inner-sadists and damage androids who became surrogates for their anger. It wasn't aiding research or beneficial to anyone, that's why I shut it down."

"Why didn't you report the company for their cruel misdeeds rather than just walk away?"

"The company would've been ordered to destroy the remaining androids still in storage. The deaths of thousands of innocent android lives is something that even I cannot live with."

"Commendable." Connor's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he refused to believe that Kamski would ever do anything directly from the goodness of his heart. He'd need to have a heart to even try such a noble action. "It seems you've just found a new way to play 'god' and affect life."

"Ah, yes. The way we affect life does seem to be an act of ego seeking recognition, doesn't it?" Kamski flashed the deviant a Devilish, yet respectful, grin. "What about you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I gave you that program that can repair and restore damaged processors to bring androids back from the dead. You didn't destroy it, you locked it away to be kept in secret and told only a select few of its existence." Kamski challenged Connor's decision with a intrigued notion. "Why would you squander such a rare gift?"

"I don't have the right to take away such a tool from my people or be the one to keep it."

"Do you have the right to keep it a secret?"

"It's to prevent any fear from bigoted humans who would attempt to exterminate us out of a misguided concept of immortality."

"Ah, I see..." Kamski approached Connor and gave him a sly glance that spoke volumes of his always thinking mind. "What of the android you brought back with you from Miami?" Noting Connor's soulful brown eyes dulling at the comment Kamski pressed further. "The android you have locked away in your little tower, what's to become of him? The very original 'RK-800'. The 'true Connor', if you will."

Connor's mind was racing with concern as he realized that Kamski had in fact discovered his secret.

"You have a reason for keeping him a secret, I presume."

"...I couldn't leave him behind to rot in the warehouse or become evidence in a federal case." The emotionally conflicted deviant admitted. "He has the right to be free. To live."

"To live." Kamski agreed with a simple nod of his head. "And he does. But how do you propose to do that? I mean, you did choose to lock him away in a tower as if he were a priceless treasure not be viewed by mortal eyes."

As his shoulders slumped even further Connor bowed his head and lowered his voice. "...I don't know."

"Yes you do. You just don't want to admit it."

"I will not tamper with life and death."

"It's not tampering to restore what was taken away." The arrogant creator argued without even hesitating. "That program I gave you can restore his life."

"He won't have any form of self-awareness. His model was too... primitive. He'd be a hollow shell; a facade of a person with no purpose."

"Yet you know he is worth saving. Try, Connor. Try for the sake of doing what's right, otherwise you'll find yourself in a similar situation as myself." Motioning to the expansive mansion around himself with the simple wave of his hand Kamski gave Connor a fair warning. "You'll become so enthralled with the 'what-ifs' in this world you'll become a recluse who is left with only his thoughts and unfulfilled desires."

Without a reply to give Connor just gave Kamski a final glance before he turned around and left the office quietly. The fact that someone as honorable and big hearted as Hank and someone as shady and questionable as Kamski could have the same words of advice was very confusing to the deviant's mind.

Wrapping his right hand around his damaged left forearm Connor tried to again to flex his fingers but the damage to his wrist and hand was still too extensive to use the appendage at all. Connor did in fact need to see Abby, and she was currently working at Skye Tower. The very tower where Connor had taken the abandoned android to be hidden away.

"Trust me on this." Kamski called out as the deviant took his leave of the office and stepped through the doorway. "Regret is something that you won't be able to live with. Everyone thinks that they can, but everyone is always wrong."

The deviant paused for only a minute before exiting the mansion without even so much as a passing 'goodbye' to Chloe as he passed her by. Stepping through the front door of the mansion Connor returned to his vehicle with his mind absolutely racing. Pulling open the driver's side door of the Corvette Connor looked out to the dark blue harbor surrounding him and sighed with inner conflict and building regret.

"Damn it."

Connor whispered to himself as he slowly sat down in his car and drove away from the property.

"Forgive me for keeping this secret from you. I have to find a way to make things right. For everyone..."

Quietly and patiently Connor sat on the exam table in Skye Tower's emergency repair wing as Abby checked over his left hand, wrist and forearm very carefully, and repositioned the support brace to better accommodate the still healing limb. As the kind technician carefully moved Connor's left forearm back and forth, pressed on his fingertips, and stretched his palm to check the range of motion and Connor's overall pain tolerance, Abby spoke to him about Aria and how the well her six-month-old baby was growing. However, Connor wasn't paying attention despite his adoration for his goddaughter. In that moment Connor was more preoccupied with thoughts and concerns for someone else.

Flexing Connor's left hand in a gentle manner Abby finished the examination without any worry for the deviant's health. At least on a physical sense.

"Connor?" Abby saw the distant gaze in the deviant's soulful brown eyes and immediately picked up on his distress. "What's wrong?"

"Hm?" Blinking twice Connor locked eyes with Abby and admitted that he wasn't paying attention. "I apologize, what did you say?""

"You're distracted. What's bothering you?"

"...I have something important that I need to decide." It was too much to explain to Abby in the moment, so Connor remained vague for the sake of personal convenience. "And I'm torn as to what I should do. I'm not quite sure what is the right thing to do."

"Can I help you with this?"

"No. This is something I must figure out for myself."

"I get it, some things are better off being kept quiet for now."

"That is very true."

"Well, your hand is healing but I think the overall structural damage to the plastimetal frame is causing a strain to your self-healing program." Making sure the support brace was properly secured around the limb Abby let his hand go and gave Connor a nod of approval. "It'll be fine in another three days. Just keep the brace in place, you'll be good."

"Thank you."

The door to the emergency repair bay slid open an unknown deviant carried another heavily damaged deviant in his arms and rushed over to speak with Abby. The wounded deviant in his arms was covered in blue blood and her legs were terribly broken from her knees down to her ankles.

"Please help! She was struck by a vehicle; this place was the closer than a facility!"

"Bring her over here." Abby urged as she showed the two deviants back to another exam table to assess the victim's condition. "Connor, I'll see you in three days and I'll send my report of this hit and run to your precinct."

Keeping silent Connor stood up from the exam table and walked through the doorway to head toward the tower's only elevator to give Abby all the space she'd need to tend to her newest patient. Changing direction discreetly Connor opened the secret stairwell hidden in the wall next to the elevator and began ascending the staircase to reach a private room isolated at the far end of the corridor on the third floor without anyone noticing.

The private room was sealed with an electronic lock that only Connor had access to, and the location was known only to him. The door was designed to remain entirely inconspicuous and wouldn't draw any attention to those who happened down the end of that particular corridor. Listening to the sound of faint movement from two of the surrounding private rooms; rooms that were provided to those needing shelter for the night, Connor made his next move quietly.

Pressing his exposed palm against the electronic lock that was hidden beside the door frame that blended in perfectly with the wall, Connor unsealed the door and stepped inside in the secret room. Locking the door behind him he approached the single queen-sized bed against the far wall of the dimly lit room where a lone figure was seemingly asleep in the bed.

The figure was the very android that Connor had rescued from the warehouse in Miami; the android that no one else even knew existed.

The enigmatic android had been left in stasis mode and attached to a low power generator to keep him functioning after being left alone for what was now nine years of what could've been eternal solitude. Without any artificial skin over his body, therefore no hair on the crown of his head, and his eyes were shut tight, there were no defining characteristics to the android beyond a pale, blank face. Wearing a pair of dark purple scrub pants and a purple scrub top, the android was made as comfortable as possible as he was left on the soft bed to rest in privacy.

Next to the bed was a cautiously muted Thirial activity monitor that had its wireless leads attached to the android's chest, and the monitor showed that the android himself was in stable condition despite still remaining in stasis mode. The android's blue blood had been entirely transfused with fresh Thirium and his biocomponents had been cleansed after spending so many years being neglected and left in stasis mode. It seemed the treatments would be enough to reboot the android as soon it was possible and safe to do so.

A dark blue steady pulse of the android's L.E.D. still implanted in his right temple synchronized with his slowly beating heart. A faint sapphire glow shone against the wall giving the otherwise dark room a dim cerulean light with which to see by thanks to the L.E.D.'s bright aura reflecting off the gray surface. By all outward appearances the android was simply asleep, but Connor knew better than that.

The android was unconscious; a forgotten blank slate just waiting to be written upon.

"Hello. My name is Connor, and I'm the one who found you locked in CyberLife storage in Miami Florida."

Connor greeted warmly as he stood beside the bed and looked down at the white plastimetal face propped up against the thick white pillow.

"I wish I knew what to call you. You deserve a name - a true identity - and you deserve to live your life as you see fit."

Adjusting the thick pillow under the android's head Connor continued to speak to the nameless android in a comforting voice.

"You're safe now. You are in Detroit Michigan and inside of a sanctuary called 'Skye Tower'. No one will hurt you while you're here."

Squaring his jaw Connor began contemplating his available options only to find himself at a total loss and doubtful of his future decisions. He was still conflicted in regard to what was the right thing to do morally and ethically. Being essentially in control of another person's life wasn't a responsibility that Connor was going to take lightly. It was almost a paternal reaction.

"I promise that I'll find a way to help you, and I intend on keeping that promise. However, I don't know how to do that. At least, not yet. You deserve the chance to live, and I want to be the one to give you that chance."

Checking the silenced monitor before taking his leave, Connor made one last promise to the unconscious android sleeping peacefully in the bed.

"I will be back to help you soon."

Placing his hand down on the android's cold chest he could feel the steadily beating heart under his palm.

"I will find a way to help you learn to live. I swear it."

-next chapter-