DBH: Accident Prone - Becoming Human

by WayWardWonderer

Connor struggles to comprehend his newly found emotions and learns what it means to be human as Hank guides him along his journey of self-discovery as his deviancy evolves him into something more than a machine. Connor isn't indestructible and his impulsive, selfless nature to accomplish his mission will be the death of him, or even Hank, as he learns what it means to be alive.

183. Amends Made Anew

Perplexed and absolutely astonished by what he had just been told, Hank stood before the two deviant brothers sitting on the couch side by side with a transfixed stare of pure awe reflected in his blue eyes. Connor was still healing from the injuries that he had sustained to his legs while rescuing the trapped occupants from the car accident, but now had his long lost 'big brother' to look after him as he recovered. To be more precise, Connor now had his resurrected 'big brother' to look after him as he recovered in the comfort of his home. It was a family reunion that no one could have expected and yet everyone was welcome all the same in the Anderson clan. Hank always believed there was room for one more in the family.

Taking a moment to process the unexpected, if not impossible, revelation of who the rescued android seemingly was, Hank finally sat down in the recliner adjacent to the couch and addressed the two deviants in a steady voice. It had taken him hours to try to process what was happening and Hank was just finding his voice again.

"So, you're Lucas," Hank started in a small tone. "but you're NOT Lucas at the same time?"

"Yes." The newly awoken deviant confirmed with a sincere smile. "I have the memories of the original Lucas inside of my processor and through that I have developed into a deviant that is similar to his own personality. While I'm not the original Lucas as you knew him, I am carrying a part of him inside of me. His memories, his consciousness, and his experiences have filled in the blanks of my processor to give me a true sense of being and awareness."

"Okay, I'll pretend that I understood that." Hank decided as he tried to process everything he had been told. "We still call you 'Lucas' or what?"

"I don't know." The deviant dubbed 'Miami' replied honestly. "I don't feel like I'm truly Lucas, but I am also not an entirely separate being either."

"All right," shrugging his shoulders a little Hank offered a compromise on the name. "how about we just call you 'Luke' instead? That's a much better name than 'Miami' anyway."

"'Luke'? Luke is acceptable." The deviant agreed with his same sincere smile never leaving his face. "I am now 'Luke'."

Connor noted the distinct similarities between Lucas and Luke; how Luke shared the same interest in technical assistance and how he was able to so quickly adapt to humanity to become deviant within a matter of hours without enduring so many experiences that influenced his mind. The deviant part of Lucas had managed to override any of the preprogrammed CyberLife initiatives of the microprocessor and allowed 'Luke' to become free the moment he rebooted and gained any form of sentience.

Addressing the confused human in a soft tone Connor tried to explain things a little more clearly. "When I cybernetically connected to Luke in order to wake him up, the portion of my intracranial processor that contained Lucas's memories had been transferred. Now through Luke a piece of Lucas will truly live on."

"Okay." Hank ran his hand over his bearded chin as he sighed with tired understanding. "You're 'Luke' now, and you're literally carrying Lucas's memories. Since Lucas was Connor's brother, then that means you're his brother, too."

Smirking a little broader Luke nodded. "I would like to think so, yes."

"Well, you're welcome here just as Lucas was."

"Thank you."

"Right now," Hank glanced at Connor with a wary look. "we have one other issue we need to take care of."

"What's that?"

"New Jericho."

"Oh." Connor's soulful brown eyes dulled a little as if disappointed. "Right."

"Markus needs to know that Luke can be trusted and that in a way Lucas is back with us."

"You're right." Connor agreed entirely with the statement although he wasn't eager to return to the tower or speak to any of the leaders at the moment. "New Jericho needs to be made aware of Luke and of his positive influence for the community, but I doubt Markus would be so willing to listen after surviving an assassination attempt in such a small frame of time."

"That's what I figured." Hank agreed with a surprisingly sympathetic lilt to his words. "I think he's going to be a little paranoid for a while."

Luke's hand went up to his right temple and fidgeted with the L.E.D. that was glowing a steady blue. "...I would prefer to remain outside of New Jericho Tower. I don't have the exact reasons as Lucas, but I do know that being kept inside the tower to be observed is less than comfortable. That is why Lucas had lived with Connor in the apartment complex. He wanted to escape prying eyes and to feel free. Really free."

"That's correct." Connor confirmed with a subtle nod of the head. "However, it did not end well, but we won't worry about that happening again. Do you know where you'd like to go?"

"I believe I'd prefer staying in Skye Tower to act as the tower's permanently on-call emergency technician."

"You could live inside the tower, too, if you'd wish." Connor stated with kind voice. "The concealed room where I had taken you can easily be converted into a form of private quarters to give you some comfort and isolation when you need the space. You are free to roam about the tower or explore the city under your own volition. You won't need anyone's permission."

"Thank you, brother." Turning to look at his now little brother Luke happily accepted the offer. "I would greatly prefer living in Skye Tower over New Jericho Tower."

Hank interjected with a deep clear of his throat. "But first thing's first. You two need to go speak with Markus. I took you both out of the tower yesterday because of the way Markus was acting, but that only left a loose end that needs to be tied up. You two need to go speak with Markus, in person, and explain things to him. I'll go with you for moral support, but I won't say anything."

"Hank's correct." Despite his improved mood Connor's voice was less than optimistic yet he was still determined. "We need to address this situation as soon as possible to ensure that there are no hard feelings or riffs between us."

That particular phrasing caught Hank's attention and made his brow arch a little. "You're worried about 'hard feelings', huh? How very 'human' of you."

"Deviant." Connor replied sharply as he gave the senior detective a stern glance. "No matter what happens I'll never be fully human, only deviant."

"I'll take 'deviant' over 'human' any day of the week, son." Standing up from the recliner Hank made his way to the bookshelf at the far wall of the livingroom to grab his car keys again. The sand dollar from Miami hadn't been budged and was now an attractive ornament. "All right, let's get out there so we can get back. I'm not a fan of long waits and I really hate getting involved in android politics."

---

The four leaders of New Jericho Tower had regathered in the main office on the ground floor of the android sanctuary to discuss the possible future of 'Luke', without even knowing his true name, and of his possible future at the tower. The quartet of leaders were always wary of any new deviant who ventured to the tower seeking shelter or a place to belong, but a deviant with such close ties to CyberLife and originating from a place unknown to everyone made his presence all the more unnerving. They had been stabbed in the back by deviants with former ties to CyberLife before, (Eddie, George and even Chloe) and those wounds were still raw and painful to endure.

Markus sat on the edge of the desk in the middle of the room with his arms crossed over his chest as he looked over his three closest companions. The tension in the air was thick and needed to be broken quickly if any work was to be completed on that odd day. The deviant leader softly spoke up gave voice to the unspoken worries weighing heavily in the air.

"This new deviant is the very first of the 'Connor' model series." Markus's mismatched eyes were full of conflicting fears and doubts that contrasted sharply against his normally confident facade. "We all know who Connor is, where he came from, and how he came to be an ally to us all. But this original 'Connor', a model that our Connor never even knew existed until he happened across him in Miami just a few weeks back, has no past to speak of."

North shook her head as she too crossed her arms defensively over her chest while she crossed one leg over her other leg from where she sat across from Markus on the black leather sofa against the wall. "This android has no past beyond CyberLife, so why should we give it a future with us at New Jericho?"

"Because he's still one of us." Josh stated firmly as he squeezed Simon's hand. The two deviants were sitting side be side on the second couch against the far wall of the office opposite from North by the window, and were both eyeing Markus and North cautiously. "We can't just turn our backs on this new deviant because of what CyberLife may or may not have done to him."

"Or WITH it." North's rebuttal was as venomous as it was logical. "We don't know if this other android was just the finished design for the rest of the 'Connor' line or if it was a tool; maybe even a weapon, and it was to be used against deviants."

"No, I don't think so." The calmness of Josh's voice was somewhat reassuring. "If this other android was a tool for CyberLife he would've been either kept under lock and key in a more secured facility instead of a warehouse or would've been here in Detroit with a mission to hunt us all down. I don't think this android is a threat to anyone."

Simon's hand tightened around Josh's hand as he nodded in agreement with his lover. "I think Josh is right. We haven't had the time to really speak to him and ask him any questions, and if Connor trusts him-"

"Connor is just like it." North snapped bitterly as she interrupted the discussion. "Of course he's going to have a bias in favor of it. Besides, Connor had also kept it a secret for almost two months before saying anything. Why keep it a secret?"

Simon's eyes narrowed a little as he locked his gaze with North. "Maybe he knew that the android would be condemned and locked up before he could prove himself worthy of a chance." Turning his head toward Josh as he spoke Simon winced slightly and pressed his free hand to the side of his head. "Connor is trying to protect him just as we're trying to protect everyone else. Who's to say which of us has more rights than the other?"

Markus had heard arguments from both sides and put a stop to the debate. "All right, enough. Both sides have made valid points, let's not argue." Turning his head toward the closed office door Markus motioned with his hand and stood up from the desk. "Connor is here. And he brought the android with him."

Josh stood up from the couch with Simon's hand still clutched in his own. "You both know where we stand. We think the deviant needs to be given the benefit of the doubt. It's up to you two to decide whether or not you'll let him be free to walk among us or be locked up below us."

As the two deviants took their leave of the office, still hand in hand, North remained steadfast in her decision and stared at Markus with a firm and embittered glare. "Don't let your friendship with Connor affect your decision."

"What about my love for you?" Markus replied in a sharp tone. "Should I let that affect my decision instead?"

"Don't do that to me. You know how I feel."

"I do. And I know how everyone else feels. I just need to speak to-"

There was a subtle chime on the door as it slid open to reveal Connor standing beside his big brother, Luke. Waiting for the invitation before stepping forward Connor locked on to Markus's face and waited for the deviant leader to say something, anything, to him.

"I'm glad you two came back. Please," waving the two deviants inside the officer Markus remained calm and indifferent to their presence. "come inside so we can talk this out."

Connor turned his head a little and nodded at Luke to follow after him as he limped slowly into the room. Standing before Markus with a defensive posture and keeping his shoulders squared, Connor was ready to argue on Luke's behalf to keep his newly discovered and revived brother safe and free.

"Markus." The deviant detective spoke with a level voice and nodded at North to acknowledge her as well. "North."

"Connor." Noting the pained limp in Connor's steps Markus dared to ask about the injury. "Are you damaged?"

"I was injured assisting two humans trapped in their burning vehicle during a car accident that happened this morning." Nodding to Luke standing at his side Connor put some authority into his voice. "If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have been able to get to safety and would have perished in the fire."

"He saved you." Bowing his head slightly Markus contemplated the evidence now working in Luke's favor. "I'm glad you're still with us."

"At least for the potential time being." Connor refused to soften his tone as he remained focused on the conversation at hand. "I presume you've already discussed the fate of Luke during our absence."

"Luke?" Markus was genuinely confused by the chosen name for the new android and looked past Connor to the blue eyed deviant standing beside him. "Can I ask why he's been named 'Luke'?"

"Because a piece of Lucas is now a part of his consciousness." Proudly announcing his brother's return Connor let that information sink in like a lead weight. "He is essentially Lucas reborn. And I will protect him with my life to ensure he's never taken away again."

Markus's mismatched eyes widened and narrowed at the same time as he gave Luke a strange stare. "How's that even possible?"

"Before Luke woke up or had even rebooted his mind was completely blank aside from our most basic software and programming functions. When I cybernetically connected my mind to his mind, the piece of Lucas I had been carrying had been transferred through the connection." Connor hated repeating himself, but it was the only way to ensure that everyone was brought up to speed. "What was once blank had become filled by everything that was once Lucas and now, he lives on as Luke."

Unsure of how to respond Markus looked away from Luke and over to North briefly. She was visibly unimpressed and didn't seem to give a damn about the revelation that someone she had once considered a friend had been resurrected. Returning his gaze to the deviant in question a faint smirk appeared on Markus's face.

"Lucas? Do you remember who I am and how we became friends?"

"Just 'Luke'." Extending his hand to politely shake, Luke confirmed his identity with his L.E.D. cycling a calm blue throughout the entire exchange. "And I remember you through Lucas. You helped Lucas discover his artistic side with painting."

"That's right." Motioning to the painting hanging on the wall neighboring the couch with North, the deviant leader proudly presented the offered gift that he had come to treasure. "Lucas painted that image of myself and North from the night of the Revolution."

"Yes, I remember. Lucas used images from the media regarding the Revolution to inspire the painting." Luke turned slightly to look at the painting only to have his eyes fall on North, his L.E.D. briefly flickered to yellow and back to blue as he recognized her. "And I remember you, too. Hello, North."

North remained silent as she just stared at Luke with an emotionless gaze.

"I'm also aware that the other paintings were destroyed when New Jericho Tower burned last year. It's a relief to know that they all weren't lost." Turning away from the angry deviant Luke returned his focus on Markus. As he prepared to ask the unsettling question his blue L.E.D. transitioned back to yellow. "May I ask how you've decided my fate?"

"You make it sound like we're going to execute you."

"In a way you are." Luke replied somberly as he stayed at Connor's side. "You're making a choice as to how to handle my very existence. If I can't live free then I'm not really living, am I? I'm a prisoner condemned to sit away and decay under mistrustful eyes without actually committing a crime."

Connor spoke up sharply as he agreed with Luke's observation of the matter at hand.

"Condemning a deviant for a crime he didn't commit or deciding that his life isn't worth living is the same type of cold action that CyberLife had used against us. New Jericho is supposed to be a sanctuary from CyberLife and from the bigots on the street who harm us; not merely as an alternative to hiding in plain sight. You're supposed to be better than that." Challenging Markus's decision with a firm tone Connor defended his brother's right to be free. "If you begin deciding life and death amongst your own people, then you're playing 'god', and that's a game that xenophobic, egomaniacal humans created and play."

Until that moment Markus hadn't considered the limitations, he'd be putting on Luke if he had chosen to lock up the deviant, let alone deactivate him. To keep Luke isolated and alone out of an unfounded fear was unfair and entirely cruel. Markus was a deviant of peace, empathy and understanding; not violence, disdain or intolerance.

"I see your point." The deviant leader admitted that the two brothers standing before him were in fact right. "Luke, this is a very strange case that we're trying to understand. You are a walking enigma and that makes it difficult to trust you, but you've also never committed a crime against anyone or anything." Turning his focus to Connor again Markus nodded slowly. "Since Connor has already volunteered to take you into his care, I believe that is the best course of action for everyone involved. And I approve."

"Markus?" Connor's brow arched a little as he studied the deviant leader's demeanor. "What're you saying?"

"Connor, I trust you." Markus confirmed with a single nod. "And I trust your judgement. If you think Luke can be trusted, then I'm willing to give him a chance."

"Thank you. That's all we ask for."

"He doesn't have to stay here," Markus continued on as he tried to keep some control over the situation at hand. "but I would like to have a report on his progress from time to time."

Luke smiled brightly and let out a sigh of relief as his L.E.D. cycled back to blue quickly. "Thank you, Markus! I appreciate you giving me a chance to live."

North held her breath to keep herself from letting out an angry sigh from where she sat. Waiting for the two deviants to leave the office she bit her tongue and patiently waited to tell Markus exactly how she felt about his opinion in private.

"You're welcome." Markus was relieved to have come to a peaceful compromise so easily. "I'm glad you're back with us, Luke."

Luke put his hand to Connor's shoulder and motioned for him to step back through the office doorway. "Come on, I know Hank is waiting for us and I know your injuries need to be reexamined. Walking may have exacerbated your condition."

"That's a good idea." Agreeing to go home and tell Hank the good news Connor let Luke guide him out of the tower and back outside. "Let's go home."

Connor and Luke left the office together, Luke keeping his hand on Connor's shoulder to help him walk as his damaged legs continued to slowly repair thanks to his exhausted self-healing program. Once the two deviants were out of sight North waited for the door to slide shut before she stood up from the couch and crossed the office to stand directly before Markus with a striking anger in her usually soft brown eyes.

"I can't believe you let them do that."

"We don't have the right to-"

"You have a responsibility to your people, Markus!" North was on her guard and ready for a fight. "We can't trust it, and you're letting the one deviant with a clear bias in its favor keep watch over it."

"That 'it' is one of the very people I'm responsible for, North." The deviant leader didn't appreciate how cold and ruthless North was being in that moment. "And HIS name is Luke."

"You seriously believe that story about Lucas? Do you really think that CyberLife-tool is Lucas reborn?"

"No. I don't think he is Lucas back from the dead, but I do think he's worth one chance. Just one. And we have NO proof that CyberLife used him for anything but a blueprint."

"Well, I won't be sticking around long enough to see that chance come back to bite us."

"What're you saying?"

"I'm saying that I don't fuckin' trust this 'Luke' android, and there's nothing you can say or do to change my mind."

"Why are you so against him?" Markus challenged North's resolve and her reasoning. "He hasn't done anything wrong."

"How can you be so damn trusting? You were almost killed the other day!"

"Please don't argue with me. I'm not changing my decision because you don't trust him, especially when you can't even tell my why you don't trust him."

"I don't owe you an explanation."

"Actually, I think you do." Stepping forward Markus gently took North's tense hand in his own and held on warmly. "I love you, North. And I want to be with you for as long as we both function; but you need to talk to me. Why do you mistrust him?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"You're right, I don't. Help me to understand."

"Back off." Pulling her hand sharply from Markus's grip North stepped away from Markus and wrapped her arms defensively over her chest. "Just leave me the fuck alone."

"North, don't-"

As she turned on her heels to leave the room North felt Markus's hand lightly grab onto her shoulder to try to stop her but North easily shrugged it off and continued on her way. Passing through the door North disappeared from sight in an angry huff leaving Markus alone in the office to try to figure out just what the hell was happening.

"...North."

Looking down at the bonding band on his left ring finger Markus began to worry that his relationship with North could be destroyed because they couldn't see eye-to-eye on Luke's existence.

"Why are you making this so difficult?"

---

With a little bit of Hank's help Luke was able to place Connor down on the couch in the livingroom and straighten out his legs to stretch out the length of the furniture to rest more comfortably. As Luke proceeded to check on the healing damage to Connor's legs Hank let Sumo out into the backyard and then rejoined the deviant brothers in the livingroom to observe their interactions. Watching as Luke rolled up Connor's pant legs to reveal his bandaged shins Hank winced a little at the sight of the thick bandages and remembered all the painful kicks to the shin he received during football practice. Getting kicked in the shins always hurt, shin-guards be damned, but he couldn't imagine how it'd feel to have metal blasted into them.

Gently and diligently, Luke examined the wounds to Connor's legs and made sure they were recovering properly. There was no sign of a hindrance or potential infection to the deviant detective's body.

"Your legs are functioning at ninety-three percent capacity." Luke's blue L.E.D. cycled to yellow then back to blue as he ran a scan over Connor's injuries. "You'll be fully healed before midnight."

"If I may ask," Connor spoke much softer than he had been all that afternoon. "what do you remember about your time in Miami?"

"...Nothing." The question and subsequent answer made Luke hesitate and his L.E.D. shifted briefly to yellow then back to blue. "I have only the faintest memory of my system booting up as a form of initial testing, then absolute nothingness until I woke up here in Detroit."

"Fascinating. You were left completely inactive for nine consecutive years, and you were left alone in the warehouse."

"You are registered as the fifty-first 'Connor' model, correct?"

"Correct."

"And you were activated four years ago, correct?"

"Three years, six months, three weeks, three days ago to be precise."

"In the five years since my extended deactivation and your own activation, fifty other 'Connor' models had been developed and subsequently destroyed by CyberLife."

"Actually, there were more than that." Connor winced a little as Luke finished tending to his injured legs and wrapped up the still healing artificial skin under a fresh layer of protective gauze from the android first aid kit. "There were nine other 'Connor' models after me that were destroyed because... of my deviancy. CyberLife couldn't take any chances and subsequently my successors were eliminated."

"Yes, you spoke of that before." The bleak topic made Luke's L.E.D. cycle in yellow very slowly. "CyberLife truly was heartless."

Hank decided that a change of subject was sorely needed and did so by letting Sumo back inside the house through the backdoor in the kitchen. The massive bundle of loyal fluff happily trotted over to the two deviants at the couch and pressed his nose to Luke's hand for affection before doing the same to Connor, then back to Luke. As the two deviants pet Sumo's ears and rubbed under his chin in turn Hank returned to the livingroom and stood behind the couch.

"You two need to stop worrying about a defunct company," Hank stated calmly as leaned over the back of the couch curiously. "and start worrying about yourselves. By the way, Sumo found you."

"I'm sorry." Connor apologized as he looked up at Hank despondently. "But there is still a very large mess that CyberLife left behind that we still need to clean up before we can fully move on."

"I know that, but you don't have to do it all at once or alone."

"'m aware."

"Good. Now, Luke," Hank gave the second deviant a curious stare as Luke scratched at Sumo's chin with his L.E.D. finally cycling in blue again. "where do you want to go, when do you want to go, and what can we do to help you?"

"I would like to go to Skye Tower and finish my training as a technician." Luke confirmed with a confident nod of the head. "And I'd like to resume my studies as early as possible starting tomorrow morning if that's okay."

"That's fine, kid. Remember, you're welcome here all the same." Hank replied in a kind voice. "You're family."

"Thanks." Luke's blue eyes were bright with enthusiasm and gratitude. "You're both very kind and welcoming."

---

The following morning Connor had escorted Luke back to Skye Tower to meet with Abby and the other volunteers at the sanctuary so Luke could resume his study of android anatomy. After explaining the situation to the kind and incredibly patient technician, Abby was ready to give Luke a thorough examination and proudly take him under her wing as a new protege. Just as Hank wasn't entirely thrilled with Connor keeping Luke a secret, Abby was a little annoyed, but she wasn't willing to hold a grudge against the two deviants in the aftermath of CyberLife's ruin. She could fully understand why the deviants were being extra cautious and wanting to keep things lowkey.

With everything finally explained and laid out on the table, the two brothers were able to smooth things over with Abby without any hard feelings. It was one of the reasons Connor trusted Abby despite his past experiences with technicians.

"All right, Luke." Abby hovered over the cooperative deviant as he laid back on the exam table and watched Abby's every move as she began taking care of him with a curious stare in his blue eyes. "I'm going to hook up to your L.E.D. and make a back-up of your memory."

"Is that standard procedure?"

"It is now. We almost lost Connor to an injury that caused his intracranial processor to overheat. Fortunately, he had that microprocessor to restore the damaged hardware and his memories were shielded from external damage by a failsafe program." She explained with a knowing smile. "We decided that now every deviant who comes to us seeking help will have the same courtesy of having their minds protected in case of such an emergency."

"This is an acceptable precaution." Luke simply watched as Abby hooked the long black cable to his blue glowing L.E.D. and placed the other end of the cable into the large diagnostics modem against the wall of the emergency repair bay. "I don't have as many memories that require protection, but I'd like to keep them intact all the same."

"I can handle that for you." Abby smiled warmly as she took her audioscope from around her neck and used it to listen to Luke's Thirium pump and ventilation biocomponents. Lightly she pressed the bell to Luke's chest over the white t-shirt and checked his vital biocomponents expertly. "Lay still and run a self-diagnostic."

"Yes, of course."

"Take a deep breath for me, Luke."

Connor stood back against the wall and watched as Luke closed his blue eyes and his L.E.D. flashed to yellow as he ran the self-diagnostic and breathed in deeply as he had been instructed. Absentmindedly, Connor began to dance his coin over his knuckles and cybernetically sent Hank a text message to inform him that he'd arrive at the precinct within the hour.

"Luke?" Abby called his name as she took her audioscope and draped it around her neck casually. "Everything checks out just fine. Once I finish taking your vitals, I'll show you to the rest of the technical files you need to study and finish downloading to become a certified technician."

"Thank you, Dr. Grayson."

"Abby." She grinned as she used her penlight to check his pupils to ensure his visual processors were fully functional. "Just call me 'Abby'."

"Okay... Abby."

"By the way," Abby turned to look at Connor as she made notes in Luke's electronic chart. "there's going to be a massive update to android software within the week. If you're interested in the update, I then want you to come here so I can observe you for any prototype incompatibility problems that might arise."

"Of course." Connor replied with genuine intrigue behind his response. "Do you know what the update will contain?"

"Rumor has it the update will give androids recognizable D.N.A. strands and with it a more efficient manner of identifying androids who had either been assaulted or had their biocomponents removed."

"Is the update from Digital Sentience?"

"Yeah, they're doing some pretty impressive work."

"I'm aware." Connor's full healed left hand went to his chest and then to his lower right side. The previous unpleasant reaction he had to their Thirium flux program was still fresh in his mind and something he didn't want to experience again. "I remember the effects of their most recent update vividly."

"Which is why I want you here." Setting aside the electronic chart Abby motioned for Luke to sit upright as she returned her full attention to her newest protege and friend. "Okay, Luke. You're completely healthy; no faltering in your Thirium pump, your ventilation biocomponents are functioning at full capacity, your audio and visual processors are fully functional, and there are no incompatible software anomalies residing within your original programming. You are in perfect condition."

"Then I can begin my studies?"

"Yeah. I'll show you the way."

"Thank you, Abby." Sliding off the side of the table Luke glanced over to Connor and nodded. "Will I see you later, Connor?"

"Yes." Pocketing his coin Connor managed a smile and confirmed that he'd meet with his big brother again. "I will stop by the tower again after my shift and visit you."

"That's good. I'd like to speak with you again once I become more acclimated to the tower."

"I will see you this evening at approximately 06:17pm this evening." Connor confirmed as he slowly made his way to the door of the repair bay to take his leave via the elevator. "Thank you for your assistance, Abby."

"You're welcome. And don't worry," Abby smiled as she showed Luke to the terminals that he'd need in order to study. "I'll take good care of Luke."

---

As expected, Connor arrived at the precinct within the hour and made his way across the bullpen and over to his desk with even and pain-free strides. Just as he sat down behind his desk and turned on his terminal screen to set about his assigned work Hank opened the door to his private office and waved the deviant over to join him. Without hesitating Connor awkwardly walked around the desk and made his way over to the office door to join Hank inside the private space to speak without anyone eavesdropping or being distracted from their work. The last thing either detective wanted to deal with were weird rumors circulating throughout the bullpen regarding a deviant coming back from the dead.

Sitting down in the chair across from Hank as he sat behind his desk to get comfortable, Connor gave his commanding officer and father his full attention. Doing his best to keep his coin out of his mind and not indulge his tic Connor sat still and took in a deep breath.

"Is something wrong, Hank?"

"Maybe." The seasoned detective remained calm though his demeanor was that of someone on edge. "Have you spoken to Markus since yesterday?"

"No." As his posture suddenly stiffened Connor sensed impending misfortune. "What's happened?"

"I got a call from him shortly after I clocked-in this morning. He wants to keep it as discreet as possible, but he hasn't seen North since we left New Jericho Tower yesterday afternoon."

"North? I don't understand." With his brow furrowed Connor pressed for more information. "Is she in trouble?"

"We don't know. From what Markus told me, they had a bit of a 'heated argument', and she stormed off mad. And from what I know about North, I'm betting she's still pissed and just went somewhere to cool off for a while."

"Are you worried about her?"

"She is the second in command at New Jericho, and no one knows where she is. She might be a target."

"I'll go look for her."

"No, kid." Hank warned with a firm voice and raised his hand as if to stop Connor from moving. "Don't do anything out of the ordinary."

"But she-"

Hank's phone 'buzzed' on his desk and drew his attention away from Connor. Picking up the phone he saw the message on the screen and let out a sigh of relief. "It's fine. North went back to the tower. She's still pissed off, but she's unharmed."

Connor's shoulders sagged with mild remorse shining in his eyes.

The abrupt change in Connor's gesture didn't go unnoticed by Hank's keen eyes. "You okay?"

"I'm just thinking." Tightening his hand into a fist Connor refused to reach for his coin. "Do you think North ran off because of what I had done?"

"Are you talking about saving Luke and standing up for him?"

"That, or I overstepped my boundaries."

"Kid, don't feel bad for someone else's bad mood. As stubborn as you are, I think North is ten times as worse!"

"Stubbornness made her leave the tower?"

"No, being pissed off made her leave the tower." Hank clarified as he tried to understand how Connor couldn't comprehend how other people could need some space after having a fight considering Connor had done the same in the past. "Her stubbornness is why Markus didn't know where she was, and it freaked him out a little."

"I see."

"Do me a favor. Please DON'T obsess over why North did what she did." The senior detective knew the deviant's empathy was sometimes too much to be controlled. The weight of a big heart could sometimes be a heavy burden. "I want you to go take care of your usual case reports and proceed as normal, okay?"

"Okay."

"Besides, North is safe at the tower now so it's over." Changing the subject smoothly Hank leaned back in his chair and gave the deviant a curious glance where he sat. "Are you going to check in with Luke before heading home?"

"Yes. I promised him I'd visit after I clock-out this evening."

"And he's doing okay at the tower?"

"Yes, Abby has agreed to take him on as her new student and he is enthusiastic about finishing his studies."

"Great to hear. Since no one is in immediate danger and everyone is right where they need to be..." Giving Connor a knowing look, he waited for the deviant to make the next move. "How about you? You gonna' get to work?"

"Of course." Rising up from the chair Connor straightened the lapels of his gray blazer and promptly took his leave of the office to return to his desk and to begin his casework for the day. "I'll begin filing my reports immediately."

---

Within the archives of Skye Tower's emergency repair bay Luke was readily finishing off the last details of the expansive collection of notes regarding android technical repairs, protocols, and procedures. Luke was progressing the provided details at an impressive pace in regard to his ability to fully comprehend the responsibilities at hand. The interesting afternoon gave way to a quiet evening and shortly thereafter Connor joined Luke inside the small study connected to the emergency repair bay to check in on the newly awoken deviant. As the two brothers reunited Connor put his hand on Luke's shoulder to gently get his attention and nodded to his big brother approvingly.

Luke had been reading and downloading information all day. It was like he was a college student cramming for exams. The dedication was very much like Lucas, and that gave Connor all the more reason to believe that Luke was exactly who he claimed to be.

"Abby told me you were studying all afternoon." Connor noted in an enthusiastic tone. "Are you ready to begin practicing as a technician?"

"Under Abby's tutelage, yes." Luke turned off the terminal to the modem he had been reading and gave Connor a quick scan to check his healing injuries. "I see you're not suffering from any complications or pain in your legs. Is your Thirium volume normal?"

"My volume is currently at ninety-eight percent. Well within optimal parameters."

"That's good."

"Are you going to stay here in the tower tonight or did you want to return home with me?"

"I believe I would prefer to stay here in the event of an emergency." Luke was eager to begin earning the trust of their people, and he wanted to do it properly. "It'll give me hands-on training now that Abby is preparing to return home and Dr. Caleb Wilson will be arriving soon."

"That sounds logical. Dr. Wilson is a skilled physician who has helped both Hank and myself in the past. You can trust him as you would myself or Hank."

"Aw..." Abby called out to the two brothers as she approached them through the doorway with Aria on her hip. "Too bad not all siblings get along so well. I could use a break from the neighbor's kids constantly fighting with one another all day long. Then again, they do help me remain committed to having only one child."

"Aria." Connor immediately zeroed in on the seven-month-old baby and approached Abby quickly. Aria recognized Connor and let out some small babbling noises as she flashed her tiny newly budding teeth at him with an equally tiny smile. "Hello."

"I knew you'd be disappointed if I took Aria out of the daycare without letting you see her at least once."

"You're correct." Connor took the baby from Abby's hands and held her in his arms against his chest. Expectedly Aria snuggled down against Connor's chest and continued to give him a happy smile and babble as if trying to tell him about her day. "Is the tower's daycare being used frequently?"

"Not as much as we anticipated, but that is kind of a good thing."

"How so?"

"It means the young parents seeking shelter at the tower aren't as dependent on us as we thought they'd be, and they're being much more hands-on with their kids. They're confident in themselves and aren't going to give up."

"You're right, that is a good thing."

"Aria?" Luke was a little perplexed by the sight of Connor holding a human child and doing so with much joy on his face. Unsure of how to react Luke approached his brother curiously and looked down at Aria's face. "You seem rather attached to this baby. May I ask why?"

"She is my goddaughter." Connor explained casually to Luke as the blue eyed deviant looked at the baby with an utter interest. "I am quite fond of her."

"Fascinating. Why are you so comfortable around humans?"

"I suppose my programming that allows me to adapt to the unpredictability of human behavior made it easier to associate with humans after my deviancy. But in general, I hadn't been in the company of many bigoted humans prior to the Revolution, either." Carefully Connor adjusted Aria in his arms to ensure she was supported and happy. "Hank wasn't the most open-minded person when I first met him, but he's come around and he's been very protective of me and the other deviants ever since our friendship formed."

Luke nodded a little as he accessed his limited memories and frowned as his blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow. "I don't recall being around any humans beyond Hank and now Abby."

"Do you mistrust humans?"

"No, I have no reason to mistrust an entire race of beings simply from ignorance."

Aria continued to make small noises as she looked from Connor and toward Luke as if she was trying to figure out the sudden appearance of a second Connor.

Laughing a little at her daughter's reaction Abby stepped forward and ran her hand down Aria's back gently. "Luke, do you want to try holding her?"

"I'd... I'd rather not." Sounding a little worried Luke took a single cautious step backward from Connor and Aria. "I have such little experience with humans in general, I don't think it'd be a good idea for me to try to hold a small child."

Connor gave his big brother a slight tilt of the head. "You weren't hesitant in aiding the little girl trapped in the car yesterday."

"Yes, but I was more preoccupied with assisting you, not so much in holding the child." Luke explained logically as he watched Aria looking back and forth between Connor's face and his own face as if trying to understand how there could suddenly be two Connors. "I apologize if that seems apathetic."

"It's okay." Abby reassured Luke as she carefully took Aria back from Connor and patted her back lightly as the baby clung onto her shoulder. "You don't have to do anything that you don't feel comfortable doing. Anyway," offering Aria her pacifier to help keep her tiny teeth from hurting too much Abby gave Luke a kind glance without any judgement. "when I come back in two days, I'll sit down with you and observe you during a hands-on training exercise. Think you can handle it?"

"I do. I'll see you in two days Dr. Gray- Abby."

"Right. See you later, Luke." Smirking at the deviant brothers kindly Abby picked up Aria's hand and had her wave 'bye-bye' to the duo as she stepped back outside of the room. "Bye Connor. Come on, Aria. Let's get home before daddy tries cooking again. How does he manage to burn nachos, huh?"

As the technician took her leave Connor focused entirely on Luke once more.

"Are you certain you're ready to do this? There is no need to rush if you feel you need more time to study and learn."

"I'm certain. I believe I-" Luke stopped short and pressed his fingertips to his right temple. "...Ow."

Connor put his own hand to his own right temple as a cybernetic message was transmitted without warning. The same message had reached Luke and caused his L.E.D. to flash yellow rapidly as well as experience the same twinge of discomfort.

"...There is a problem at New Jericho." Connor stated firmly as he dropped his hand from his temple. "It's important."

"I received the same message."

"We need to check it out."

"What about this tower?"

"Dr. Wilson can handle things alone for the time being." Connor replied quickly as he helped Luke to prioritize his responsibilities. "Whatever is happening at New Jericho Tower is considered an emergency. That is why we were both notified about the alert."

"All right." Luke was ready to follow his now little brother and begin helping his people anyway that he could. "You lead, I'll follow."

---

All of New Jericho Tower was on edge as it seemed North's anger wasn't the only disturbance the remaining leaders were currently enduring. Josh was standing protectively beside the exam table in the emergency repair bay of the tower with his hand wrapped tightly around Simon's hand. The blond deviant technician was clearly in pain and trying to curl around himself on his side as he pressed his hand to his right temple. Simon was shuddering violently as if being racked with small jolts of electricity. The physical spasms suddenly stole Simon's breath from his artificial lungs and made him let out small, pained whimpers in response against his will as the ache ravaging his head made it difficult to focus.

With his blue eyes screwed shut Simon was unable to see the worried look on Josh's face as his lover hovered protectively over him. He could feel Josh's presence, but he couldn't even muster up the strength to hold Josh's hand.

"It's okay, Simon." Josh soothed as he addressed the incapacitated technician in a soft tone of voice. "I summoned help."

"...It hurts."

"I know it does. I wish I could take the pain away, but-"

Markus rushed into the room through the main door and reached the opposite side of the table from where Josh was standing. "How long has he been like this?"

"Only six minutes."

"What happened?"

"I don't know. He's been having intermittent pain in his head all day for the past three days, but it's never been this severe."

Putting his hand on Simon's shoulder Markus tried to provide some comfort to the ailing deviant technician. "Is there anything we can do to help him?"

"No. I have no idea what we can do, that's why I asked for help."

"From who?"

"Connor at Skye Tower." There was no hesitation or anger in Josh's voice as he gave the answer confidently. "There should be a technician already there who can assist Simon and uncover the source of his intracranial pressure."

"I hope you're right." Worried about a possible conflict of interest Markus bowed his head and put his hands to his hips as he anticipated the arrival of an ally that he had admittedly not given a proper place in the tower. "I'm not sure what-"

From the elevator both Connor and Luke arrived and hastily passed through the same door that Markus had entered moments before as they approached the exam table. While Connor stood beside Markus and ran a scan over Simon's body, Luke stood beside Josh and proceeded to check the blond deviant's pulse by pressing his hand down against the center of Simon's chest.

"Has he suffered any physical damage?" Luke asked as he then moved his fingertips to Simon's right temple under the pained deviant's hand to cybernetically connect to his system. "His stress level is very high."

"No. No damage." Josh confirmed as he tightened his grip around Simon's hand to try to help Simon feel grounded. "This has been happening intermittently for the past seventy-two hours, but this is the first time the pain has left him incapacitated."

"What about any updates?" Luke pushed for more answers as he tried to diagnose Simon's condition. "Has Simon altered his software in any manner within the past seventy-two hours?"

"Y-Yeah, actually he did." Josh confirmed with wide eyes. "He was testing a beta software update."

"Simon?" Luke tried to get the deviant to open his eyes and look up at him. "Is your pain localized primarily in your head or are you suffering from pain elsewhere?"

"...J-Just my head." Simon only managed to whisper his response. "Sound hurts... So does the light and... motion."

"And the beta update, what was the program designed to do?"

"It was- It was..." Unable to find his words Simon trailed off painfully. "C-Can't..."

"Can you disable it?"

"N-No."

"Manual deactivation maybe necessary."

Josh's other hand grabbed onto Luke's wrist as he pulled the deviant's hand from Simon's temple. "Is it dangerous?"

"It's not dangerous, but it is uncommon." Luke admitted in an entirely calm tone. "Is there a portable transceiver I can use?"

"Yeah. It's over there." Pointing to the nearby glass cabinets that lined the walls of the repair bay Josh directed Luke to the aforementioned tool. "It should have a full charge already."

Luke made his way over to the cabinets and without any sign of doubt pulled the necessary device from its place in the cabinet. Turning on the small rectangular black box Luke returned to the exam table and pressed it down against Simon's right temple where his L.E.D. had been. With his own L.E.D. cycling yellow with his full concentration being on Simon's vital signs, Luke prepared to deactivate the flawed update.

Silently Connor watched his big brother's every move with an attentive gaze as he watched Markus's own body language from the corner of his eye.

"Simon," speaking in a soft voice as to keep Simon's pain level minimized and stress level down, Luke explained everything that was happening in a calm tone. "I'm going to deactivate the beta software update. Do you understand?"

Simon nodded weakly as his hand tightened around Josh's hand nervously.

"Inform me if the device causes any discomfort."

Josh, Markus and Connor all quietly watched as Luke initiated the device and isolated the offending update. Within a matter of seconds Simon's tense body relaxed and his tired blue eyes slowly opened up with immense relief in his strained gaze. As the faulty update was disabled and subsequently removed, the blond technician felt total relief for the first time since he initially uploaded the update three days prior, and his stress levels dropped quickly.

"Simon?" Josh let go of Simon's hand as he lightly ran his hand through Simon's blond hair. "How do you feel?"

"...Better. Much better." Looking up at Luke with a grateful stare Simon nodded his head and sighed as he took in slow breaths. "Thank you, Luke."

Smiling kindly Luke acknowledged the gratitude from the recovering deviant. "You're welcome."

Connor nodded in approval to Luke before he addressed Simon. "Simon, was the update the one that Digital Sentience has been working on?"

"It was, yes." Sitting up slowly on the table Simon pressed his forehead against Josh's shoulder while Luke removed the device from his temple. "Why do you ask?"

"I will inform Abby and Joel of this side effect so that they can relay the information to the programmers to have it remedied before it's released to the rest of the city. If our people become incapacitated by pain then we'll be helpless."

"What side effect is this?" Simon asked, his voice slightly muffled as he pressed up closer to Josh's shoulder and chest. "It wasn't like anything I've experienced before."

"Based on your level of intense discomfort and your lingering sensitivity to both light and sound, it safe to say that this is indicative of a migraine."

"...Migraine?"

"I have suffered from them myself." Connor explained as he had gone through the same type of pain himself. "They are very unpleasant."

"Yeah, I can confirm that."

Markus lightly patted Simon's shoulder as he gave Josh a reassuring smile. "Why don't you take him to your private quarters to get some rest?"

"Yeah, good idea." With his arm wrapped around Simon's shoulders Josh helped the shaky blond to stand up from the table and lean heavily against his shoulder as they walked side by side to leave the emergency repair bay to find some privacy. "I'll talk to you in an hour, Markus."

"Right."

Connor made a cybernetic log of the software issue and noted the intense migraine that resulted from a nasty side effect from the flawed design. Luke did the same thing, his L.E.D. cycling back to blue and pulsing rapidly as the report was made. Meanwhile, the deviant leader breathed a sigh of relief and turned to face the deviant twin brothers standing behind him.

"Luke, thank you for everything. And Connor," Markus addressed the deviant detective in an appreciative voice. "I'm glad that you came so quickly. I had been so distracted by everything else that I didn't even notice that one of my friends was in trouble."

"It's okay." Connor dismissed the guilt with a simple comment. "It happens from time to time."

"I never thought about what could happen if Simon became ill or damaged. He's the only round-the-clock technician in the entire tower."

Luke looked at Markus and shook his head. "I believe humans have a phrase for this particular scenario: 'Who doctors the doctor?'"

"Yeah. We had become so reliant on Simon that it never occurred to me that-"

"Markus." Connor interrupted sharply to keep Markus from needlessly kicking himself around for the single mistake. "It's okay. The problem has been solved."

"Right, yeah."

Discreetly Connor communicated to the deviant leader with a simple glance that he knew about North's poor reception of Luke. "Do you want to talk?"

"N-No." Doing his best to remain calm Markus took a deep breath and gave Connor a simple nod. "No. It's fine. I swear."

"Very well." Despite Markus's skeptical tone Connor respected his answer. "If you do need to talk, you know where to find me."

"I do know, thanks."

"Let's go, Luke." Recognizing Markus's cue Connor looked over to Luke and motioned toward the door. "We should get you back to Skye Tower. You can inform Dr. Wilson of this issue with the update and ensure that any other deviant who had downloaded the beta software can be treated if necessary."

"That's a good idea." Luke agreed to take his leave of New Jericho to head back to Skye Tower. He was happy to help Simon, but he didn't want to linger in New Jericho Tower any longer than necessary. "I'll finish filing the report as soon as I have all the details."

---

After taking Luke back to Skye Tower for the night, his big brother returning to the secret room to get some rest in private, Connor returned to the house in time to catch Hank letting Sumo back inside through the backdoor for the evening. The senior detective was exhausted from his heavy workload as the precinct Captain, and he was ready to head off to bed after enduring such an emotionally exhausting past few days. Even so, the man had always refused to go to sleep until he knew Connor was home and safe where he belonged. Some paternal instincts were just unable to be turned off once they were active. It didn't matter that Connor was an adult and capable of taking care of himself, he was still Hank's son.

As the deviant joined him in the kitchen Hank pulled the orange box of dog treats down from the top of the refrigerator and gave one to Sumo, who eagerly accepted the treat from Hank's hand. Everything seemed calm, casually and entirely routine in spite of the recent unusual events.

"That took longer than I expected." Hank quipped as Connor passed through the backdoor and locked it behind himself. "Anything wrong?"

"My apologies. Luke and I took an unexpected trip to New Jericho Tower."

"Now what happened?"

"Simon had been incapacitated by a software update. Luke was able to assist him."

"That's good. I'm glad Luke has no problem going to New Jericho and helping out other deviants in need." Replacing the box of treats where they belonged, Hank stretched out his back and yawned a little. "Simon's okay, right?"

"Yes. He was suffering from a migraine, but Josh is taking care of him as he recovers."

"That sucks. Migraines are worse than hangovers."

"I agree. I remember the severe pain that comes from a migraine."

"Did you talk to Markus while you were there?"

"Briefly." Taking off his shoes and his blazer, Connor carried his garments under his arm as he walked toward the hallway but stopped behind the couch. "I sensed something is upsetting him, but he didn't want to discuss it."

"Lover's quarrel. Don't get involved."

"What is a 'lover's quarrel'?"

"It's a fight between spouses and no one else's business but their own."

"If Markus and North are fighting-"

"Connor." Hank held up a scolding finger as he passed by the deviant to get to the hallway first. The gleam in his eyes spoke enough volumes to make sure Connor knew he was serious. "Do NOT get involved. Those are disagreements that the married or bonded couple need to work out by themselves."

"Very well, I will keep my distance."

"Good. Go to bed." The senior detective urged as he was more than ready for bed himself. It was a long and exhausting day for both detectives and Hank was ready for the day to be over. "It's late and we have a double-shift tomorrow. Lance and his wife are working things out, and I want to give him a fair chance to make amends and save his marriage. Idiot shouldn't have cheated to begin with, but... whatever!"

"All right." Turning to follow after Hank down the hallway Connor opened up his bedroom door as he bid Hank a goodnight. "I'll see you in the morning, dad."

"Goodnight, son." The nightly routine and pleasantries seemed like they had been a part of Hank's life for decades, not just a handful of years. "We'll check on Luke tomorrow while on break."

Sumo promptly let himself into Connor's bedroom by pushing open the partially opened door with his nose and jumped up on the foot of the bed. As Connor entered the room after the massive dog, he rubbed Sumo's ears and spoke to the dog playfully.

"It'd be polite to ask first, Sumo."

The massive dog wagged his tail as Connor slipped off the rest of his uniform to prepare to enter rest mode. As he changed his clothes Connor fed the fish in his aquarium, then glanced up at the painting on the wall opposite of his bed and let out a weary sigh.

"I'm glad you're back, Lucas."

Connor stated out loud as he laid down in his bed and tucked his arm under his head beneath his pillow.

"I will miss having you to talk with during my dreams or when I'm injured. Your guidance was invaluable, but I suppose now it's my turn to help you with your journey through deviancy just as you helped me."

Sumo whimpered softly as he pressed his chin down against Connor's right knee and wagged his tail at the mildly saddened deviant.

"It's okay, Sumo."

Lightly Connor placed his free hand down on Sumo's ears and gave the loyal dog a gentle pat as they settled in for the night. The deviant was ready to stop worrying about the world for a few precious hours.

"Everything will be fine, you'll see. It'll just take some time for everyone to adjust to all these sudden changes."

---

Keeping busy at his desk while sorting through his rather simple cases Connor fidgeted with his coin over his knuckles and stared intently at the glowing terminal screen before himself. A few reports of deviants being affected by the beta software created by Digital Sentience had been confirmed, but fortunately none of the affected deviants had suffered any permanent damage, including Simon. Aside from a few minor cases of mistaken identity or paranoid delusions from still bigoted humans and deviants alike, there were no violent or murderous cases that required Connor's immediate attention. He had quite some time to work on other matters without slacking in his responsibilities.

Cybernetically cycling through android rights, laws and privileges, Connor continued to search for legal loopholes regarding androids having the right to a family and made sure that Luke would be able to live his life without any obstacles. Having someone who had been legally declared dead revived and registered under a new model and serial number was rather tedious.

"Excuse me, Lieutenant?" Jack approached Connor's desk and stood at his side. The young deviant was slowly showing more emotion on his face and carrying it in his voice as he continued to grow and adapt as a free individual. "There is a reported case of a breaking and entering at an abandoned CyberLife research facility on the outskirts of town."

"Oh?" Turning his gaze away from the terminal screen Connor locked eyes with the blond deviant addressing him, his coin continuing its graceful dance with perfect rhythm over his knuckles. "Who reported it?"

"A security camera programmed to record any and all movement sent an alert to the precinct by default."

"Why did the security footage alert this specific precinct of the break-in?"

"Since CyberLife revolved around androids, and this particular precinct is still the only one in the jurisdiction handling android and deviant related cases, the alert was automatically sent here for proper investigation."

"Interesting." Such strict specifications were certainly worth investigating. "Where is the security footage?"

Jack's blue eyes closed and his blue L.E.D. flickered to yellow briefly. "I have just uploaded the footage to your terminal."

"Thank you."

"Will that be all, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, that'll be all. Good work."

Taking his leave of Connor's desk Jack resumed his normal routine and met up with Chris at their own desks a few feet away. The two officers were becoming fairly good friends and were showing promise as a great team.

Connor returned his attention to the terminal screen and located the uploaded video footage that Jack had provided. Initiating playback on the provided footage the focused detective identified the facility as the single structure outside of the city limits within milliseconds. The facility had been abandoned the morning after the Revolution and a majority of the research had been left behind as per Elijah Kamski's instructions. It was also the facility that housed the grotesque abomination of an android that had been left to guard the property and had nearly killed Connor when he and Kara had searched the place to locate the cure for a virus that was causing significant emotional unrest in deviants.

As the footage played out and revealed the face of the intruder Connor felt the coin on his hand falter as his heart skipped a beat in his chest.

"...North?"

Turning off his terminal screen Connor quickly made his way to Hank's office and pushed open the door without knocking first. Cybernetically, he engaged the frost over the glass walls of the office to ensure that he could speak with Hank in total privacy.

"Kid?" Lifting his gaze from his own terminal screen Hank watched the deviant approach his desk from the office doorway. "What's up?"

"There's a problem." As he pocketed his coin Connor stood before Hank's desk and forced himself to speak in a calm, level voice. "A big problem."

"Now what?" The gruff human detective replied with a somewhat annoyed lilt to his voice as he leaned back in his chair. "There aren't any more rumors about the new mayor is there?"

"This is more important than that."

"That can't be good." The strange gleam of guilt in Connor's soulful brown eyes made Hank anxious. Leaning forward against his desk Hank studied Connor's gaze very carefully. "Tell me what's happening."

---

Being polite and understandably worried for his friend's health, Markus had checked in with Simon that morning and was informed by Josh that the blond technician was resting well, but still suffering the ill effects of his migraine on a minor level. Keeping himself distracted to prevent himself from worrying too much about Simon's health on top of his other problems and responsibilities, the deviant leader tried to reach out to North cybernetically, but she was being stubbornly quiet and refused to acknowledge the attempted communications. Markus hadn't been able to speak to North since she stormed out of the tower the day before, and he was becoming frightened for her wellbeing.

The deviant leader had lied about North's return to ensure she had plenty of space and time to cool off. Now he was beginning to believe he had made a mistake and should've gone in search of her the moment she left the tower for her own safety.

'North, please.'

Nearly begging Markus cybernetically spoke to his bondmate and hoped that she'd be willing to listen to his words. Taking the elevator to the ground floor of New Jericho Tower Markus avoided contact with any other deviant as he tried to speak with North.

'I lied to Hank and told him you came back to the tower yesterday afternoon so no one would ask too many questions, don't force me to ask for help from the precinct now that you've gone quiet.'

North still didn't reply. The other end of the line remained silent and somehow cold.

'Come back. I love you and I need you.' Speaking honestly and directly from his heart Markus tried to convince North to come back to the tower so they could talk things out in person. 'I'm worried. At least let me know that you're okay. We need to talk this out and not just harbor anger toward each other.'

Nothing.

Swallowing his pride Markus stepped through the parted elevator doors and outside of the tower where he stood in front of the large doors. With his arms crossed over his chest Markus began to pace about anxiously as he closed his eyes and cybernetically reached out to Connor for help in a desperate bid to locate his missing bondmate before anything happened to her.

'...Connor,' as much as Markus hated to admit to what was happening, he knew he needed help. 'I think something has happened to North.'

---

Through Connor's cybernetic contact with Markus the deviant detective was able to relay the information regarding the break-in at the abandoned CyberLife facility and North's strange behavior to Hank. In an effort to ensure that New Jericho wasn't labeled as a mistrustful or deceitful entity masquerading as a sanctuary, the two detectives kept the information private and decided to investigate themselves. With Markus being too close to the situation through his relationship with North, he too stayed back and kept things quiet for the sake of keeping the fragile peace in the city intact until they knew exactly what they were dealing with and why North was being so difficult.

Putting their heads together Connor and Hank went over the details that they had and tried to form a theory behind North's odd behavior. It wasn't like North to do anything reckless now that the Revolution was over. It was even stranger that she'd leave the tower without Markus and venture anywhere that was so negative toward androids.

"Something set North on edge." Hank keenly deduced as he sat back in his seat and gave Connor a studious stare. "Why do I get the feeling that she's either been threatened or feels threatened?"

"I wish I could confirm your suspicions one way or another."

"Did you tell Markus about the security footage?"

"No. I didn't want to affect his judgement or accidentally tempt him into seeking out North himself."

"Good. I want you to go out to the warehouse alone and figure out what the hell she's doing."

"Alone?"

"North doesn't trust anyone, not that I can blame her." Hank explained in a rather logical and collected manner. "I think if you go and find her by yourself it'll make things play out a little smoother."

"Understood." Not mention how he suspected North wouldn't trust him either, Connor accepted his case without any hesitation. "I will do so."

"And as long as she hasn't stolen anything, vandalized anything, or did anything that can have negative repercussions toward New Jericho, you get her out of there and back to the tower. If she's fucked something up then bring her back to the tower all the same, and then I'll handle it off the record."

The prospect of North doing something illegal wasn't something Connor wanted to contemplate, but he knew that as impulsive and hotheaded as North could be then he needed to accept the fact that the fiery deviant could in fact do something illegal and irredeemable.

"Right. I'll handle it."

---

It didn't take Connor long to arrive at the abandoned CyberLife facility outside of the city and it took even less time for him to send the confirmation text via cybernetic communication to Hank back at the precinct. It was the same facility that Connor had located when he and Kara worked together to locate a cure for the odd virus causing deviants to go berserk and the same warehouse where the deranged former CyberLife technician had taken Connor after abducting the deviant detective to hold for ransom. The discovery of the illegal lab beneath the abandoned facility had been swept under the rug by the F.B.I. and was known only to the officers who had a reason to investigate the warehouse during the initial crimes.

Using discretion to his advantage Connor parked his Corvette behind the facility and away from the road to avoid prying eyes, and then set about investigating the mysterious and intimidating structure on foot. In a matter of seconds Connor's keen eyes and his scanner located the broken backdoor that North had used upon her entrance to the facility and from the doorway Connor located the reactivated security cameras that gave away her position. Cybernetically Connor disabled the cameras before entering the facility himself and managed to follow the faint shoe prints on the dusty floor to track down North and confront her.

"One set of fresh shoeprints leading into the warehouse."

Connor noted in a low voice as he confirmed that the single set of steps were only a few hours old, belonged to a feminine style of shoe, and there was no matching trail of the same shoes leading back to the door from where they originated.

"No shoeprints leading out."

Kneeling down Connor scanned the shoeprints more closely to determine their age and size.

"Two hours and nine minutes old, size seven. The time matches North's intrusion, and the size also matches her body proportions."

Standing back up Connor's eyes followed the footsteps that only his eyes could see and walked along North's path in an attempt to locate her. The trail led to the single elevator that had been left to rot and used to take the former occupants into the depths of the building. There was no faltering or hesitation in North's steps as she entered the elevator, which meant she knew exactly where she was going and made her way to the gruesome lab hidden beneath the building.

Retracting the artificial skin from his hand Connor pressed his now exposed palm to the electronic panel to activate the dormant elevator and reestablished cybernetic communication with Hank back at the precinct.

"Hank," the deviant verbally sent his message to the senior detective back at the precinct. "I believe North is in the research lab of the warehouse."

'Why the hell is she in there?' Hank was more confused than ever before. 'That's the lab where you tore apart that giant monster of a deviant, and I know you didn't leave anything important behind.'

"Unknown as to why she's down there." Stepping inside the summoned elevator through the parted metal doors Connor began his descent into the horrific lab to search for the missing leader of New Jericho. "I suspect she is looking for information regarding other android models that CyberLife had kept hidden."

'Now why in the hell would she be snooping around for information like that after all this time?'

"Perhaps she's attempting to locate any and all potential CyberLife threats that could result from inactivated androids being reactivated post-Revolution."

'Do you think she's a threat to Luke?'

"No. But I don't think she can be considered an ally toward him, either."

'Yeah, I get that. Keep me posted.'

"Will do."

The elevator reached the hidden lab quickly and Connor stepped out of the small lift and into the dimly lit corridor beyond the opened doors. Pausing in the middle of the corridor Connor ran another scan and picked up North's trail as she wandered into the depths of the lab by heading straight down the path rather than taking one of the branching paths.

Following after her quietly Connor used stealth and patience as he attempted to track down the elusive and assertive deviant who had disappeared from New Jericho the day before. As he reached a junction in the middle of the hallway Connor froze mid step and ran a more thorough scan of the floor. North's footsteps continued heading straight forward but a second set of footsteps had emerged from the western corridor and began following after her. The footsteps were that of a much larger person and without a doubt they meant North harm as they followed after her at a rather hasty pace.

"Hank," thinking quickly Connor reestablished contact with Hank to give him an unsettling update knowing that there was no interference between him and the rest of the city. "someone else is here."

'Who?'

"Unknown. But I fear North may be in danger."

'Fuck. Okay, keep me updated. I'm heading out there right now.'

"I will locate North and bring her out of the building as soon as I can."

Following North's trail with a hastened pace of his own Connor noted that the pursuing stranger had caught up to North quickly and there was a faint sign of a struggle. North in turn began to run, her longer strides between her steps indicative of running over walking, and the second set of footsteps mirrored her hastened gait perfectly. The enigmatic pursuer had chased after North quickly and had apparently caught up to her at an alarming speed before she had the chance to reach the end of the corridor.

Connor knelt down on the floor as he ran his fingertips over an evaporated but still fresh smear of blue blood on the wall of the corridor to begin an analysis on the sample. Pressing the small amount of blue blood to his tongue Connor confirmed the identity of North's model and serial number causing him to swear to himself as he stood up again.

"Damn it." Glancing about the corridor in attempt to pick up North's trail again, Connor gave Hank yet another update. "I can confirm that North has been injured."

'How bad?'

"I cannot say at this time. I found a smear of her blood, but I have yet to locate North herself."

'Keep looking, kid. Don't be afraid to open fire on anyone if necessary. I'm heading out the precinct doors right now and I'll be there in about ten minutes.'

Reaching under his blazer and around his back Connor removed his gun from its holster and held it in a firm grip. Rushing after the footsteps as quietly as possible Connor found the signs of a second struggle; additional evaporated Thirium stained the nearby walls and floor and all of it belonged to North. Someone had assaulted her in a violent, needless manner, and taken her deeper into the hidden lab.

Squaring his jaw Connor ran a more thorough scan of the area and noted two distinct figures in his current proximity. Both of the figures were androids, one was injured, and approximately two-hundred feet away; their vital signs were weakened and their processors temporarily knocked offline. The second set of vital signs was moving about slowly and approximately six-hundred feet in the exact opposite direction from the location of the first android.

"She has to be this way."

Homing-in on the injured party Connor followed the faded trail of blue blood to a large metallic door at the very end of the western corridor and confirmed that the injured android was inside the room. Pressing his exposed hand to the electronic panel beside the door Connor unlocked the door with only a few seconds of hacking to override the security protocol that was keeping the door sealed. As the door slid open with a soft 'hiss' Connor stepped inside the now unsealed room and froze immediately at the sight before him.

"...North?"

The missing deviant leader was laying on her back over a metallic exam table with her arms and legs secured beneath thick metal cuffs. A trail of blue blood ran down from the corner of her mouth and her nose. Her left eye was swollen shut under a navy blue bruise and a second equally dark bruise marred the left side of her jawline. Numerous cuts scarred her hands and her forearms, as well as her knees, and all the way down her legs to her ankles. The dark purple blouse she was wearing had been torn open over her abdomen and near her chest. Even the black leather jacket over top the blouse and her dark blue jeans had been torn up from her assault.

Connor holstered his gun as he approached the table and very lightly placed his hand on the center of North's chest to check her pulse. She was still alive but she was barely breathing and unresponsive. Very gently Connor put his hand to the side of North's face and left his palm there to assure her that she wasn't alone.

"North, please open your eyes." Still unable to get a response from the wounded deviant Connor shook his head and resumed contact with Hank. "I found North. She is injured and is currently unconscious."

'Can you move her?'

"If I can free her, yes. But I don't know who did this to her or why."

'Get her out of there first, then look for the person responsible.'

"Should I inform Markus?"

'Fuck no!' The response sounded as sharp as it was certain. 'I'm almost there. Just hold tight and get her out of there.'

"Right. I'll do everything that I can to help her."

Moving to the restraint around North's arm Connor tested the lock under his strong grip. The restraint's lock was secured but weak from years of neglect and could be forced open. Applying pressure to the metallic hinges of the restraint Connor was able to break the restraint from the support mount and free North's arm as a loud metallic 'snap' echoed in the room. Repeating his method for the other three restraints around North's opposite arm and both of her ankles, Connor continuously scanned the area to ensure that the violent being lurking about the lab didn't sneak up on him as he rescued North.

"North?"

Connor spoke to her softly as he checked her limbs for structural damage and ran a scan over the rest of her body. She had suffered a significant blow to the middle of her back and to the left side of her head from blunt force trauma. Though unconscious, she wasn't in immediate danger of shutdown.

"Please look at me."

The mysterious figure lurking around the depths of the secretive lab suddenly turned from where it had been stationary in another room in the eastern corridor and made its way toward Connor and North. Sensing the danger Connor quickly rushed back over to the door and sealed the electronic lock with a heavy encryption code to prevent the door from being opened again. As the door sealed with another audible 'hiss' and 'click' Connor caught the sound of a low moan of pain emanating from the table behind him.

"North?" Turning back to the table Connor approached his ally and returned his hand gently to the side of her face. "Open your eyes, but do not move."

"Hmm..." Letting out another groan of pain North's head lolled slightly away from Connor's palm as her pain filled cinnamon brown eyes slowly opened. It took her a moment to focus on the face looking down at her but soon enough she recognized her ally. "...Connor?"

"You're damaged. Do not move."

"Wh-Why are you here?"

"I should ask you the same question." Running another scan over North's body Connor noted a significant portion of damage to the spinal support column in the middle of her back. Six support discs in North's support column had been fractured and were internally hemorrhaging Thirium. "How were you damaged?"

"S-Someone attacked me from behind." Testing her arms North let out a gasp of pain as she tried to support herself upright in a sitting position, but Connor gingerly pushed her back down to lay flat against the table. "Fuckin' coward hit me from behind. Chased me and knocked me out."

"Did you see their face?"

"No. But I know it was tall, strong and had glowing red eyes."

"...Red eyes." Connor's own soulful brown eyes slipped shut as he remembered his encounter with the 'XM' model, and how it had been so strong that it nearly destroyed Connor's heart with a single blow to the chest. "I need to get you out of here."

"Do you know what that thing is?"

"I have an idea." Holding up his palm Connor showed North the image of the 'XM' model stored in his memory and sighed. "It could be this."

"No, I don't think so. Whatever it was that attacked me wasn't a normal android that had been modified." She noted despondently. "There was something very strange about it."

"Strange how?"

"I can't explain it, but it was like it was feral."

"Feral?"

A loud 'bang' against the sealed door made North jump and Connor turn around quickly as he unholstered his gun and instinctively pointed it at the locked door defensively. "It can't get in, but that also means we can't get out."

"Shit. Can we use the emergency escape tunnels?"

"There are none. Any CyberLife structure that was a public building didn't house any secondary passages; they were deemed a potential security risk."

"Fuck! What now?" North dragged her hand over her lips and nose to remove her dripping blue blood as she again tried to sit up on the table. "I'm sure as hell not going to let that 'thing' get me twice!"

"Hold still, I'm going to let Hank know what's happening." Slipping off his gray blazer Connor draped it over North to keep her warm as he made cybernetic contact with Hank once more. "Hank," speaking verbally and cybernetically again Connor was able to keep North somewhat in the loop as he spoke. "we're going to need some help getting out of the facility."

Still calm and composed Hank responded to the request for help with a level tone. 'What's happening, kid?'

"There is a high probability that the 'XM-700' model that I had previously encountered has somehow been rebooted and is currently stalking us through the corridors. I also suspect that the model is responsible for damaging North."

'Is she conscious?'

"North is conscious and coherent, but she has suffered damage to her limbs and to her spine. She cannot move on her own."

Suddenly Luke's voice cut-in through the conversation as he addressed Connor sharply. 'Where is the location of the damage to her spine?'

"Luke?" Connor was surprised to hear his big brother's voice speaking alongside Hank. "Why are you involved?"

'Hank has informed me of what's happening and is aware of our conversation through his phone's text screen. Please allow me to assist.'

"Right. Any help is greatly appreciated." Sensing North get tense at the mentioning of the name of the revived deviant Connor shrugged it off and answered his brother accordingly. "She has suffered blunt force trauma to the center of her spinal support structure two inches below her shoulders. Support discs seven and eight have been fractured and are hemorrhaging internally; but I need to get a more direct scan for additional details regarding the other four damaged discs."

'Check North's legs. Tell me if she is experiencing any numbness or limitations in her range of motion.'

"North?" Connor re-holstered his gun and carefully put his hands down on her ankles and began applying a steady pressure. "Can you move your legs for me?"

"...N-No." For the first time since Connor had known her, North was showing some modicum of fear and uncertainty. She tried and failed to shift her strength to her legs to try to move the limbs, but they didn't budge. "I can't even feel your hands. I can't walk!"

"Luke, she can't move her legs." Another loud 'bang' against the door reminded Connor that he needed to be quick and stealthy. "I'm going to have to carry her to safety."

'No, Connor. Do not move her, otherwise you could make the paralysis permanent. Listen to me carefully.'

Connor's hands froze quickly as he realized the gravity of North's injury. "...I'm listening."

'Roll her onto her right side, do not let her move from that position and keep her spinal structure perfectly straight.'

"Okay, I can do that." Connor quickly explained what Luke had instructed as he put his one hand beneath North's head and his other hand against her shoulder. With precise motion Connor slowly and gently rolled North until she was resting on her right hip and slipped her arm from the sleeve of her jacket. Lifting up the cotton fabric of her blouse Connor exposed her back and stared at the large blue bruise with utter disdain in his eyes. "Now what do I do?"

'Run a scan and identify the Thirium lines, plastimetal frames panels and biocomponents that have been damaged.'

Doing as he was instructed Connor noted that the main Thirial line that ran along the center of North's core, stretching from the base of her cranium and down to base of her waist, had been pinched off and damaged by the physical damage she had sustained.

"Main ascending Thirial line has been compromised; slow leak, not lethal. The plastimetal support frame has suffered fourteen distinct fractures to six of the fourteen support columns. No biocomponents have been damaged."

'Run your hand very lightly down the length of her spine. Do you feel anything shifting under your palm?'

As his palm pressed with a gentle pressure against the center of North's back Connor could feel the plastimetal frame at the center of her back shift slightly and North let out a loud gasp of pain causing her entire body to tense up within seconds.

"Her spine is damaged and can no longer support her full weight. How do I move her without making the damage worse?"

A third loud 'bang' made North hold her breath while Connor wisely retracted his hand to ensure he didn't accidentally jostle her.

'You'll need to use a support brace to keep her spine straight and keep her weight away from the fractures. Is there anything you can use to your advantage?'

"No. This lab was used for experiments only, never repairs." Thinking quickly Connor looked at his blazer still resting over North's legs and then down at the leather gun holster strapped around his shoulders and the middle of his back. A fourth loud 'bang' resonated through the room as the metal door began to buckle from the pressure being applied from the other side. "...I'll manage something. How far away are you, Hank?"

'About five minutes. Hold on, son.'

Taking the blazer from North's legs Connor sat down on the table beside her and carefully propped North back up so that her back was pressing against his chest. Folding the blazer into a smooth rectangular swath of fabric, Connor pressed the thick material to the middle of North's back beneath her blouse like a bandage. Letting her full weight press against himself Connor then unholstered his gun and tucked it into the back of his jeans before he removed the leather holster from his back and shoulders, and loosened the support straps to their full length.

"I'm going to wrap this around you." Connor stated calmly as he slipped the holster into place over North's shoulders and around her back. Tightening the straps of the holster enough to keep North's back from moving, and to hold the padding in the form of the blazer in place, Connor scanned the door and estimated that the structural integrity of the door was dangerously low. "I'm going to have to pick you up. When I do let me know if I'm hurting you."

"Yeah, sure." North had no reason to refuse the idea. "Let's just get the hell out of here."

"Okay." Repositioning himself away from North and back toward the door Connor placed his arm around North's lower back to support a majority of her weight while he slipped his other arm under her legs. With great ease he scooped the injured deviant into his arms and held her against his chest while she wrapped both of her arms around his neck in a tight hold. "I'm going to stand beside the door. When the figure breaks it down, I'll run through the door and find a way back to the elevator to get us out of here."

"Can you move that fast?" North asked as she tightened her arms around Connor's neck as much as possible without hurting him. "I'm mostly deadweight at this point."

A fifth loud 'bang' followed by a groan of warping metal filled the room with an ominous warning.

Connor took his position and gave North a simple answer. "We're about to find out..."

Pressing his back up against the wall beside the door, using the shadows and a complete lack of motion to his advantage, Connor waited for the next strike that would inevitably cause the door to finally give way. The offending being loudly burst through the compromised door with a powerful presence after the final strike. As it stumbled forward through the crumpled remains of the battered door toward the center of the room, Connor managed to slip out of the room and into the corridor without being detected by the unknown being.

'Hank?' Connor cybernetically contacted the senior detective again as he located a room far away from the intrusive and violent entity to duck out of sight and slipped inside the space silently. 'We need to get to the elevator to meet you, but the violent being is searching for us. It will take an unknown amount of time to get to the elevator in a timely manner.'

'I'm outside the warehouse right now.' Hank confirmed as he continued to send voice-to-texts to Connor. 'I'll meet you at the elevator as soon as I can, but don't do anything that'll put you two at risk.'

'I'll be cautious.' Holding his breath to steel himself Connor looked down at his wounded ally and let her know what was going to happen. "We need to get to the elevator."

"Then let's go!"

"We cannot move without drawing the unwanted attention of the intrusive being. We have to wait for a moment until it moves away from our location."

"Fuck..."

"We'll make it."

Connor knelt down on the floor and let North rest against his chest as comfortably as possible. Lifting up his hand Connor brought up the security footage of the warehouse that had been uploaded to his terminal at the precinct and began checking through the images displayed on his palm for any sign of the threatening being. A grotesque, shadowy image appeared on the footage as the camera tracked North's movements through the corridors just before Connor arrived.

"Found it."

North craned her neck a little to look at the image being displayed on Connor's palm and shuddered a little. "Yeah, that's the thing that attacked me."

"It is an android, but it's not like any I've ever encountered before."

"And I hope we never do again."

The footage played out showing the strange entity stalking North before attacking her from behind directly in the middle of her spine without provocation. As North was chased then subdued with a single strong blow to her back, her face hitting the wall and then the floor as she was knocked unconscious, the strange being hovered over her as if trying to figure out who she was or where she came from. After it lingered over her for almost five minutes the entity finally grabbed on to her by her forearms to drag her down the corridor.

The being dragged North to the room where Connor had found her and threw her up onto the exam table and then, as if acting on instinct, secured the restraints over her limbs. Backing out of the room the being, still draped in shadow, hunched down as if becoming submissive to a superior that only it could see and hear, then disappeared down the other corridors and rooms to resume its unspoken patrol.

"North," Connor stopped the footage playback and returned his hand to her legs to support her weight. "why did you come here?"

"Don't worry about it."

"I have to know."

"Why?"

"Because if it's reported that a leader of New Jericho had broken into an abandoned CyberLife facility it could bring negative publicity to our cause. And if that happens then I will have no choice but to arrest you for trespassing, breaking and entering, theft and anything else you may have done before I located you."

"You'd fuckin' arrest me?"

"If it becomes necessary, yes." Connor confirmed that no one was getting any preferential treatment. "I won't let my alliance with you deter my judgement in protecting the city as a whole."

"You are such a fucking tool!"

"No, North. I'm loyal." Without any hesitation Connor countered her claims with a declaration of his own. "Why do you think I came out here alone to find you?"

"You're not alone, Hank and Luke are hovering over you."

"Hank remained at the precinct until I notified him that you were possibly in danger. I don't know why Luke has chosen to become involved, but he is trying to help you as well. By interfering with my actions to try and move you, he prevented you from suffering permanent paralysis."

"That doesn't mean I owe him anything."

"You're right, it doesn't."

Shaking her head a little North gave Connor a deeply annoyed glare. "Why do you have to do that?"

"Do what?"

"Always have to be so damn docile all the time."

"Amenability is rather a noble trait. Perhaps you should try it yourself someday." Giving the fiery deviant a somewhat annoyed stare of his own Connor ran another scan of the corridor to track the location of the threatening presence pacing about the rooms and corridors. It was still too close to move just yet. "You need to stop being so cold."

"...Did you just insult me?"

"It was more like unsolicited advice. Very good unsolicited advice, I suggest you strongly consider it."

"Asshole."

"How's your back?" Ignoring the insult Connor quickly changed the subject to keep the already tense deviant from getting too worked up. "Are you in pain?"

Pausing for a moment North told Connor the truth. "...I can't feel anything."

"Once you're back to New Jericho Tower I'm certain that Simon will be able to repair the damage."

"Uh-huh... Whatever."

"North." Connor tried again to get her to admit the truth. "Why are you here?"

"Don't I have the right to remain silent, Lieutenant?"

"You also have the right to a lawyer. I would also like to remind you that until the android laws are fully accepted by everyone, not just law enforcement, your chances of a fair trial in court are still quite unfavorable."

"Is that a threat?"

"It's a warning."

"Fuck off!"

"No. I'm not going to leave you alone or drop this matter. It's serious, and I must know what you're doing here."

"You really want to know why I'm here?"

"Obviously I do, yes."

"All right, fine..." Dropping her arms from Connor's neck she folded them defensively over her chest as she finally told him why she broke in to the facility. "I came here because this is where I came from. I wanted to see if there were any other models like me that had been left behind, just like there was a model of you left behind in Miami."

The revelation made Connor's demeanor soften as his brow furrowed. "Why were you being so mysterious about the whole affair?"

"Why did you keep Luke a secret?"

"I kept Luke a secret because I didn't want him to be locked up in New Jericho Tower or torn apart out of an unjust paranoia." Connor nearly snipped his reply as he refused to feel any guilt or remorse for what he had done. "I was protecting someone who was entirely defenseless and needed to be protected. It's my job as a detective and my responsibility as his brother."

"Do you trust him?"

"Yes. I have no reason to mistrust him and unless that moment ever comes, I will continue to trust him. Luke is my brother."

"It's that simple, huh? You just trust everyone until they betray you?"

"No. I didn't trust Hank when I first met him and had only begun to trust him after he stopped me from endangering myself by taking part in a pursuit across a busy highway. CyberLife had ordered me to hunt down deviants at any cost, but Hank ordered me to stay put to prevent myself from becoming damaged or even destroyed in the line of duty." Such a moment had been key in unlocking Connor's deviancy. "He didn't want me to be destroyed because he saw me as a person, not as a tool. He always treated me like a rookie cop, and he always treated me like my life actually mattered even before my life had been recognized."

"Is that what you really believe?"

"That's what I know."

"What made you trust Markus? When he didn't shoot you at the church, or when he gave you the green light to go on your little 'suicide mission' to the tower on the night of the Revolution?"

"I trusted Markus after he kept his word and protected our people during the Raid. Not before."

The abrupt and firm answer gave North pause. She had never considered that Connor allied himself with Markus before even trusting him or that anyone would be willing to risk such an alliance under any circumstances. "You sided with Markus all the same."

"I gave him the chance to prove himself as a leader and as someone worthy of trust. Only then did I truly ally with him. After he kept to his word and led the Revolution peacefully, did I fully trust him."

North didn't have a response to that. She hadn't even considered how she and the other leaders had to earn the trust of their people.

"We need to keep moving to avoid that thing." Standing up slowly Connor waited for North to return her arms to his neck before moving through the doorway and back into the corridor. "The elevator is just back down the eastern corridor and to the south. If we remain silent, we should be able to make it without drawing the unwanted attention of that thing stalking us."

"What is that thing anyway?"

"I suspect it is another 'XM' model of android, but there is something unusual about it. I can't explain why."

"Don't ask it any questions." Tightening her grip around Connor's neck North braced herself as the deviant detective carried her down the corridor to the safety of the elevator. "Just get us out of here."

Moving as smoothly as he did silently, Connor reached the elevator down the two corridors with a seamless grace and proceeded to adjust his arms to reach for the electronic panel beside the elevator door without jostling North or dropping her in the process. As the elevator doors opened Connor heard a horrific screech of mechanical strangulation from behind himself. Turning around Connor eyed a massive lumbering creature rushing toward him with an awkward but threatening gait behind it's jarring movements.

"Shit." Without waiting, Connor stepped away from the elevator and placed North down on the floor beside the doors before approaching the charging being on his own. Drawing his gun from his jeans Connor aimed the barrel at the charging form while also trying to run a scan over it and identify it at last. "Stop! Detroit Police."

The being didn't stop. It didn't even seem to recognize the words being shouted at it. The monstrous being never slowed its pace as it charged at Connor with an utterly animalistic presence of snarling, howling and shrieking that echoed down the corridor as it ran.

Unwilling to harm what he didn't know Connor fired a single warning shot into the floor but it failed to deter the enraged being in the slightest.

"STOP."

Firing a second shot the bullet pierced the misshapen left shoulder of the animalistic being as it barreled down on top of Connor and tackled the deviant detective to the floor with a painful 'thud'. The gun fell away from Connor's hand with a metallic clatter as Connor used both of his hands to push back against his assailant's shoulders to try to push the violent being away from himself before it could inflict any damage on his person.

"Connor?!" North shouted as she watched him fighting back against the massive attacker after being disarmed. She couldn't move her legs and didn't dare to even try to fight back on her own. "What is that thing?!"

"Unknown!" Connor shouted as he did his best to get the vicious android away from him. "I'm trying to figure that out!"

The violent entity was a monstrously deformed android.

Another victim of Zlatko's experiments.

The android had been of a larger build designed to work construction but had subsequently been physically altered with grotesque malformations of its back. Both of its hands were altered to make its fingers like sharp talons or claws, almost like a bear. Its face had been disfigured to look like a human skull complete with blood red glowing eyes that never blinked. Its jaw was hanging lower than normal by elongated hinges and its humanoid teeth had been replaced with teeth that were more reminiscent to that of a carnivorous beast.

It was scared. Psychotic. Confused. And worst of all, it was dangerous.

As the barbaric android clawed at Connor's chest, tearing into the fabric of his white dress shirt with its razor sharp extremities, Connor used all of his strength to hold the dangerous android at bay as much as possible. The violent android let out pained and frightened shrieks as it tried to tear into Connor's body, but the deviant detective wouldn't let it get too close to his chest and refused to let it go.

"Hank?" Connor made another cybernetic and verbal call to the senior detective to give and get an update on the situation at hand. "Hank! I need help! I'm being attacked by a deranged android! North can't move or get to safety, and I've lost my gun!"

'The damn elevator is jammed; we can't get to you.'

"The elevator doors are opened," Connor managed to state logically as he scanned the area without taking his eyes from his assailant. "what's the problem?"

'The elevator car is stuck between the floors.'

Looking up at the opened elevator doors just above his head Connor estimated the distance between himself and the elevator. It'd be entirely possible for him to get the android in the opened elevator shaft below the stuck elevator car, but he'd have to let the android go in order to get back up to his feet long enough to move away and get into position. He'd also have to move very quickly in order to reclaim his dropped gun in time to arm himself before the beastly android was back on him.

Pressing the sole of his boot against the center chest of the attacking android, Connor kicked it backward with all of his strength as he quickly rolled to his side to make a grab for his gun, only to feel the weight of the attacking beast begin crushing down on him once more atop his shoulders. Turning the barrel of the gun around so it was facing over his shoulder Connor squeezed the trigger twice. Firing two shots into the attacking android's abdomen allowed Connor to break free of the android's clawed hands and position himself in front of the opened elevator doors to face off against him. As expected, the menacing android snarled and then charged him again by rushing forward on all four of its beastly legs. However, Connor managed to duck down just as the snarling android leapt toward him as if to tackle and pin Connor to the floor once more, and he avoided the damage.

Slipping out of the elevator doors as the beast crashed into the far wall of the opened elevator shaft Connor slammed his exposed palm over the electronic panel beside the elevator and easily hacked the power level feeding into the elevator. The power fluctuation caused a massive surge of power to flow through the elevator and Connor heard the elevator car begin to slide free before plummeting down through the shaft at an alarming speed.

The brakes had failed.

Just as Connor was readying himself to back away from the elevator the beastly android shrieked and howled again. Sharp, searing pain in Connor's left side and over his chest caused Connor to let out a loud gasp of pain as he was forced to the ground onto his back and side as the beast stretched out its arm and used its claws to slash into Connor's person before he had the time to react.

"Connor?" North had seen the attack and saw the beastly android's claws tearing into Connor's side and chest. "Shit!"

Pressing both of his hands to his bloodied, torn open left side, Connor dropped his gun and laid on his back and watched as the elevator car slammed down onto the body of the deformed android, crushing it to death under the massive weight of the metallic box in only a few merciful seconds. A thunderous 'crash' echoed violently through the corridor as the entire facility shuddered violently from the fatal impact of the fallen elevator car and a cloud of aged dust plumed into the air in sickening and choking cloud.

Only the android's clawed hand was recognizable as it reached out from beneath the warped remains of the metal elevator car. What had once been an abomination to android kind was now a crumpled pile of scrap metal hidden beneath a wrecked elevator car.

The chaos ended as soon as it began. What once was thunder was now silence. What was once chaos was now peace.

"N-North?" Connor wheezed as he lifted his head up to look at the wounded deviant sitting on the ground on the other side of the elevator. "...Are you all right?"

"I'm no worse than before." Eyeing the blue blood soaking into Connor's clothing North winced with a visible grimace on her face. "What about you?"

"L-Looks worse than it is." Glancing down at the blue tinted blood seeping through his fingers and soaking into the fabric of white dress shirt, Connor just sighed and laid his head back down on the floor. "...No damage to my biocomponents. Just Thirium lines and gouges into the plastimetal frame."

"How're we going to get out of here now?"

"I'll ask for help." Closing his eyes Connor clutched at his bleeding left side and cybernetically sent Hank another message, but used verbal prompts to once again keep North in the loop. "Hank, the android has been destroyed, as has the elevator."

'Don't worry, son. There's a hidden staircase used in the event of a fire leading down from the ground floor to the basement.' Hank was clearly on top of things and never once lost his cool. 'It'll take a while to get down to you, but it's happening. Are you and North holding up okay?'

"North's condition has not changed and is apparently still stable. I have suffered lacerations to my upper left quadrant and left side of my abdomen, as well as my chest. I'm bleeding but it's not serious."

'Wait just a moment longer. You'll be out of there soon.'

From the top of the elevator shaft Luke's voice echoed down relatively loudly as he called out to his brother and reluctant ally. "Connor? North?"

"We're here." Connor replied as loudly as he could muster with his chest now damaged. "We're both right beside the elevator."

"I'm going to drop down some supplies." Luke called down again as he maintained verbal contact with his stranded little brother. "Can you reach them?"

"I... I can try."

"All right. Heads-up!"

Connor used his left forearm to pull himself along the floor on his side toward the still opened elevator doors and looked at the crumpled remains of the metal elevator car. From beneath the mangled debris a pool of the beastly android's blue blood oozed and collected within the base of the elevator shaft and the android's claw-like hand was limply laying away from the metallic ruins into the corridor.

A loud 'tink' sounded off as a strong metal box containing emergency android supplies crashed against the top of the ruined elevator car before bouncing out and onto the floor of the corridor coming to rest just centimeters from Connor's fingertips. The box was metallic and pale blue in color. A faint logo with the label 'Skye' in faded white text was scrawled over the lid along with a supply number.

"I have the supplies."

Next Hank's voice boomed down the elevator shaft in a collected tone to address the two trapped deviants below him. "Connor, North, just wait a few more minutes. Help's on the way down."

Fumbling with the box under his bloodied fingertips Connor managed to unclasp the lock and push open the lid. Inside the box was a bundle of white android unique gauze, extra Thirium, orange incrassation compound and an emergency power supply disc. It wasn't much, but considering that neither Connor or North were seriously injured, it was ideal.

"North." Connor picked up the roll of gauze and tossed it over to her. North easily caught the thrown item as Connor continued to speak with her. "Use it to wrap around your back. It'll keep your fractures more stable."

"You're bleeding." North argued logically as she held the gauze in her hands and made a subtle gesture as if she were going to throw the gauze back to Connor to keep. "You need this more than I do."

"My injuries are minor compared to yours. Use it."

"Then at least use the incrassation compound on your side." Unrolling the gauze North clumsily, but successfully, wrapped the white fabric around the leather holster and jacket over top her blouse to add a second support layer around her damaged back. "You're bleeding pretty badly."

"It's not a lethal wound." Grabbing onto the bottle of the orange tinted liquid Connor opened the lid before pulling open his tattered white shirt. After exposing the wound Connor poured the compound over the bleeding lacerations and visibly winced with a noted hiss. "B-But it is admittedly painful."

"Can you get up?"

"I'll just require a moment to rest and recalibrate after losing twelve percent of my Thirium volume."

North's eyes lowered toward the floor guiltily as she glanced about and realized how much she screwed up and how close she came to doing something irreparably stupid. "...It's a good thing Hank brought the supplies for us to use."

"He didn't. Luke did."

"How do you know it was Luke?" Still being combative North challenged the claim with a needless aggression. "He just dropped it down."

"Because the supplies came from Skye Tower, not from the precinct."

Defiantly and stubbornly North shot Connor a stern glance from where she sat as they awaited their rescue. "That doesn't mean I'm going to start trusting him."

"I didn't ask you to do so." Connor stated flatly as he closed his eyes and breathed slowly through his pain. "And I won't ask you to do anything you don't want to do. I never have and I never will."

North crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at Connor. "You think I'm a cold heartless bitch, don't you?"

"No. You're by no means heartless and I'd never call you a bitch." Connor replied quickly and honestly, though he never looked up at her. "You are very cold at times, and it makes it difficult to get close to you as a friend, and all the more difficult to trust you."

The final comment struck a chord with North and made her shoulders slump a little. "...You don't trust me?"

"No." Opening his eyes again Connor looked up at North and shook his head a little. "While I respect you and everything you've accomplished for our people, I do not trust you."

North was obviously surprised by the admission, but she didn't try to question it or defend herself. As she sat on the floor, her legs still numb and heavy, she heard a distinct wheezing sound coming from Connor as the deviant detective began to struggle to breathe through his painful injury.

"You sound like you're having trouble breathing."

"It's fine." He lied quickly to keep North from trying to move. "I'm okay."

"No you're not. You can't-"

A doorway concealed behind a perfectly blended false wall beside the elevator opposite from where North was sitting opened quickly. Luke and Joel both entered the corridor and checked over the two wounded deviants laying on the floor.

"Connor?" Joel pressed his hand down on Connor's shoulder and checked over the bleeding wound in his left side. Moving his fingertips to the side of Connor's neck the technician counted his pulse. "Are you still conscious?"

"Yes." The deviant detective confirmed in a reassuring voice. "I'm completely aware and coherent. Why are you here, Joel?"

"Hank told me that you might need a little help, so I tagged along."

"I'm glad you're here, I could use all the help I could get."

"Always happy to help." Smirking a little the precinct technician resumed the quick external examination of Connor's wound without applying too much pressure to the affected areas that were still bleeding. "Are you capable of moving?"

"Yes, I'll just need a minute."

"Even better. Luke?" Turning his attention to the accompanying technician-in-training, Joel motioned at Connor as he took a step back and headed toward North to check on her next. "Help Connor get up the stairs. I'll take care of North."

"Shouldn't I carry North?" Luke argued logically as he ran a scan over North's spine and noted her weakened structure. "I am stronger, and I can walk much smoother than you can."

"Normally I'd say yes, but-"

North spoke up suddenly and stopped Joel mid sentence. "It's okay. I know what you're trying to do." Giving the human technician a knowing glance she swallowed her pride and permitted Luke to help her. "I can't afford to be picky right now, can I?"

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. Let's just get the fuck out of here."

"You'll get no argument from me." Joel returned to Connor's side and knelt down again. Carefully he helped Connor to sit upright on the floor and then pulled the deviant's arm around his neck and let the wounded deviant lean against him. "It won't be easy, but as long as we walk slowly then we can get up the staircase and back to the ground floor, and then we can get the hell out of here."

Connor winced again as he shifted his weight and let Joel guide him to the staircase. "Did you summon an ambulance for North?"

"Yeah, it'll be here in a few minutes, and it'll take her to New Jericho Tower. You should get treated at the tower, too."

"No. I'll be fine."

"As your friend and your friendly neighborhood precinct technician, I insist that you get your injuries treated before going back home."

"Perhaps you're right." Taking a moment to run a self-diagnostic Connor decided that he indeed needed some technical attention since the four gauges in his side were quite deep. "I will do so."

As the duo began their awkward ascent up the staircase Connor looked back and saw Luke carefully pick North up from the floor and hold her in his arms with a controlled strength. She reluctantly wrapped her arms around Luke's neck to hold on to him as he proceeded to carry her up the staircase and to safety. The climb was slow, painful and awkward for both of the affected deviants, but at least Connor had found North, and they were both well on their way back to the city and away from the horrid structure that still held relics of a dark time for all androids.

Hank was waiting up on the ground floor and was all too relieved to see Connor emerge from the staircase with Joel at his side and Luke carrying North right behind him. Granted, Connor was covered in his own blue blood and the orange incrassation compound, but at least he was alive.

"There you are." Peeling back the tattered fabric of the ruined dress shirt Hank eyed the wounds and let out a soft sigh of sympathy. "Damn, that has to hurt."

"I assure you that it looks worse than it is."

"I sure as hell hope so. You two are going to New Jericho Tower for treatment, no arguments."

"Even if I wished to argue," Connor flinched a little as Joel helped him to stand fully upright before Hank. Luke followed after his brother with North secured in his arms and stood beside him as if waiting for their next move. "I believe I'm outnumbered at the moment."

---

Though still recovering from his previous day's migraine and a little low on energy, Simon managed to treat North's wounds with Luke's assistance in the emergency repair bay of New Jericho Tower without any difficulty. Connor sat shirtless on the exam table next to North as Joel volunteered to treat the deviant detective's opened lacerations and wrap them up in fresh gauze with the tower's supplies in Simon's stead since he was already quite busy. Standing against the far wall Hank watched with a sense of pride as Connor was patched up and Luke proceeded to treat North without any sign of hesitation in his hands despite her overall reluctance to let him help her out whatsoever.

Markus was holding North's hand as the two exchanged apologies as his opposite hand lightly ran through her hair as he spoke softly to his beloved fiery and stubborn bondmate. It wasn't the first time the couple had argued, and it wouldn't be the last considering they were both very passionate deviants. Fortunately, the couple always managed to work out their disagreements over time.

"So, Joel," Hank watched as the technician finished tying off the bandages around Connor's chest and offered Connor back his tattered formerly white shirt and then his gray blazer to put back on. "how's he looking?"

"He'll be fine in two days. One day for his damaged Thirium lines to mend, and the second day for his plastimetal frame and artificial skin to regenerate." Joel wrapped his fingers around Connor's wrist to measure his pulse one more time. "How's your breathing? I could hear you wheezing a little back at the warehouse."

"I'm okay." Connor pressed his hand to the left side of his chest and sighed a little. "I think the injury knocked the wind out of me for a moment. That's all."

"If you have any more problems with your breathing go see a technician and have your ventilation biocomponents examined."

"I will do so."

"Connor," Hank changed the subject to one of slightly more importance. "what exactly attacked you down in that basement?"

"It was... monstrous." Holding up the palm of his hand toward the senior detective Connor showed Hank an image of the beast taken directly from his memory to view. "I believe this android was one of the dozen or so that had been experimented on by that Zlatko, the very man that Kara had escaped from just prior to the Revolution. There was no sign of true awareness in its mind, only basic functions and instincts."

"And its instinct was to attack you?"

"Its physiology had been horrifically altered, almost as if Zlatko had attempted to splice humanoid designs with that of an animal. That cruel abomination was the result of the experiment."

"Why was is it in the warehouse?"

"Unknown. Perhaps Zlatko had been given special privilege by CyberLife to conduct his experiments at the lab or had been permitted to store his work in the warehouse for further study. Whatever was housing it must've lost power long enough for it to escape. The citywide blackout last summer could've allowed such an escape without anyone noticing."

"Was it just left there to rot?"

"I do not know. The fact that it has survived all this time suggests that the warehouse had been designed to house such a being for an extended period of time, and I suspect that after CyberLife went bankrupt it was left behind out of fear. Perhaps even safety concerns."

Hank could see the remorse in Connor's soulful brown eyes and patted his shoulder. "Kid, you killed that thing in self-defense, and as far as I'm concerned it was a mercy killing. That's no way for anyone to live."

"That doesn't make it any easier to accept."

"Yeah, I know."

Luke joined Joel and Hank by the exam table and nodded at Connor. "North is going to be fine. Using your holster gave her spine the support she needed to prevent permanent paralysis."

"That's good."

"I suggest you go home to rest now. I will return to Skye Tower for the remainder of the day, and I will check in on you tomorrow."

"Thank you, Luke." Connor managed to slip on his shirt over his arms and shoulders with Hank's help, then rebutton it slowly. "I appreciate you coming to my aid today."

"You're welcome. You're my little brother," Luke grinned with genuine pride. "I was happy to help you."

North had overheard the conversation and let out a defeated sigh from where she was laying. "...Thanks for saving both of us, Luke. I mean it."

Luke turned his head to look at North and nodded his head appreciatively at her comment. "You're welcome."

With a gentle pat of the shoulder Hank motioned for Connor to come with him to head back to the precinct. "Let's get that case file wrapped up and make sure CyberLife pays for their crimes against the mutilated androids that Zlatko gave over to them."

"I'll enjoy that." Connor stated as he slipped on his gray blazer and straightened his black tie around his white shirt collar. "I'd also like to clarify that North had gone to the facility in search of other potentially missing, captured, or wounded deviants."

"Right, let's get going." Understanding what Connor was getting at Hank nodded in approval. Looking over to Joel to let him know they were ready to leave Hank motioned with his thumb for the technician to follow after them. "C'mon, Joel. You can help with the details."

"Gladly." Despite his laidback demeanor Joel wasn't going to let an opportunity to wound an already crippled company. "Anything to get back at CyberLife for their cruelty."

"Luke?" Hank called out to the technician still in training as he lingered in the emergency repair bay. "You coming with us?"

"No. I'll stay here for a while longer to ensure North is stable. I'll take an autonomous taxi back to Skye Tower this evening."

"All right." Trusting Luke to keep his word Hank had no problem leaving the deviant behind to fend for himself. "See ya' later, son. Be sure to stop by the house some time, too."

---

It didn't take long for Connor to finish his unusual report, attach the grotesque security footage as evidence, and add Joel's personal testimony of the illegal laboratory within the warehouse to solidify their complaint against the defunct, yet still cruel, company. The imagery of the mutilated android had been grainy in the security footage but the images from Connor's memorybank and through his eyes provided far more vivid details to be deciphered. With those details came a damning amount of evidence that was indisputable in any court of law. Further analysis on the android after a scheduled apportionment only helped make the case as undeniable as it was brutally damning.

The android had in fact been an 'XM' model that had been experimented on in a cruel and cold manner. The alterations to its hands had resulted in appendages that were reminiscent to that of bear claws, and its lower jaw had been altered in a similar manner to match that of a bear. Unfortunately, it seemed as though the beastly android had become just that - a beast. Something that was a grotesque hybrid between a 'TR-400' and an 'URS12' prototype model.

The return home was tiring but necessary. Standing in front of the mirror in his bedroom closet Connor unwrapped his chest from the bandages and examined the large lacerations to his artificial skin as he gingerly pressed his fingertips against the wounds. The damage was healing slowly but each wound was still sore. The bleeding had stopped, and the deep lacerations had been properly disinfected as well, but that didn't do much to ease the discomfort.

Hank knocked on Connor's opened bedroom door and stood in the door frame as he spoke to him. Sumo was sitting beside his leg and wagging his tail a little as he looked in at Connor as well.

"Hey, kid. How do you feel?"

"A little sore, but I'm not in critical condition."

"Of course you're not. If you were, I wouldn't have let you leave the tower." Noticing the actual length and width of the four deep lacerations along Connor's left side Hank let a grimace lay over his face. "Jeez, I'm surprised Joel didn't stitch you up this time."

"The wounds had stopped bleeding rather quickly. If they had continued to bleed during my arrival to New Jericho, he would have done so to prevent external matter from contaminating my interior lines and plastimetal frame."

"It seriously looks like you were attacked by an animal."

"It felt like it, too. I'm glad it didn't kill North or leave her crippled."

"I hate to ask this but I kinda' have to." Walking over to the bed Hank sat down on the edge and patted his leg to call Sumo inside and was met with Sumo's chin pressing down atop his knee. "What was North actually doing out there?"

"She told me that she was seeking out any other potential androids with a model similar to that of her own that could've been left behind."

"Do you believe her?"

"Honestly? Yes." Replacing the bandages around his abdomen and chest Connor sat down on the bed beside Hank and began rubbing Sumo's ears. "She is often very cold and always has her guard up, but I know she wasn't lying. I could feel it."

"Detective's intuition." Hank smirked as he admitted that he too believed North's story. "Trust those instincts."

"This incident is my fault, but I didn't intend for Luke's presence to be so unsettling and cause unrest within the tower."

"I don't think Luke did either. Everything will be okay, son. And it's NO ONE'S fault." From within his pocket Hank's phone 'buzzed' and he pulled out the device to examine the text message now displayed on the screen. "Speaking of being unsettled, I don't think we'll have any major problems with City Hall for a long time."

"What has happened?"

"I just got a message from Chris. While I was out dealing with all that weird shit at CyberLife our new 'acting mayor' had stopped by to chat with me, and I missed the meeting."

"Who is the acting mayor?"

"A former police captain from Grand Rapids. He had retired about eight years ago and began a career in politics with the intent of making it more efficient for first responders to get proper funding and protection from psychotic criminals. His name is Roy Mason."

"Do you think he'll be an ally to androids or a foe?"

"A foe?" That question made Hank lower his phone and flash his son a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"Politicians have a nasty habit of utilizing the lingering fear of androids to gain favorable numbers with xenophobic humans."

Hank laughed a little as he put his hand on Connor's shoulder in a supportive manner. "I hate to break it to ya' kid, but politicians have been using fear and bigotry as stepping stones looooong before androids were created. All we can do is wait and see."

Connor's jaw twitched a little just seconds before his brow furrowed and he pressed his fingertips to his right temple.

"Something wrong?"

"A new update from Digital Sentience has been completed. Simon had volunteered as a beta tester and had reported any and all ill effects he had encountered. The update has been appropriately improved and is ready for download."

"And?"

"This update is an improvement over the previous one that gave androids more humanoid responses to illness and pain."

"You mean that one that lets you sweat and lets your skin get pale and all that other shit?"

"Correct."

"How'd they improve it?" Hank was undeniably curious about how human androids could truly become. "Please tell me android sweat isn't going to have body odor like humans."

"Nothing quite so olfactory, I assure you."

"All right, sorry." The man laughed a little at the sarcastic reply he received. "What makes this update so special?"

"This will give androids distinct D.N.A. that will identify us as individuals and make it much easier for the deviants who have been assaulted in the streets, or even murdered, the chance to have their cases properly solved in the future."

"Sounds pretty cool. Are you worried about another issue with side effects?"

"Yes. However, it's an important update that I must utilize for the sake of my people and for myself."

"There's something else bothering you about it, isn't there?"

"To be completely honest, I'm still not ready to be so... human." Connor admitted as he pressed his fingertips along his sore side to test his pain threshold. Dealing with pain was one of the sensations that deviants and humans shared. "Not yet."

"Maybe you can use the update for a couple days or however long it takes to get your D.N.A. on the record, then you can uninstall it if you don't like it or feel too uncomfortable with it."

"That feels like I'm cheating the system."

"In what way? You're free to decide what happens to you and your own body." Hank countered with logic as he reminded Connor of his rights to full bodily autonomy as a deviant. "No one else can tell you what to do or how to do it."

"I suppose you're right."

"Damn right I am." Casually Hank stood upright from the bed and stretched out his tired back. "Are ya' going to do it?"

"Yes. I do not have a shift tomorrow, so it'll be the ideal time to install the update. If there are any complications then I won't be out in the field or working on a case. I'll be here." Connor nodded once as he patted Sumo's head and rubbed his ears. "Safe."

"Are you SURE that you want to do this? You're not feeling pressured, right?"

"Regardless of my feelings it's necessary."

"Connor, don't-"

"I understand what you're telling me, but as you so eloquently stated, it's my body and my decision." Connor accepted that his willingness to push aside his personal discomfort for the sake of his people was too important to be pushed aside. "I've decided to go for it."

"All right, son." Proud of the response Hank supported Connor's decision entirely. "Get some rest so your body can finally heal, and I'll see you in the morning. I just hope we don't get called in over any political problems or some other bullshit. It's not often that we both get a day off anymore."

"Perhaps you should take a vacation."

"Yeah, I get the feeling a weekend at the cabin is just what I need." Stretching his shoulders a little Hank yawned and rubbed his hand over is still short hair as he made his way down the hallway and into his own bedroom. "Goodnight, son."

"Goodnight. Sleep well."

As Hank took his leave of the bedroom Connor proceeded to change into his gray sweatpants and black t-shirt, careful of his bandages over his chest in the process, and he received a cybernetic message from Luke in the process.

'North is healing well and she already has some feeling back in her legs.'

'That's good to know.' Sprinkling some flakes of food into the aquarium Connor admired his healthy and colorful fish for a moment before walking over to his bed to lay down on his back. The sudden abundance of smaller fish that showed up a few weeks after he took in Skye's fish could only mean one thing, but Connor didn't dare to mention it. 'I'm glad that she'll recover.'

'Tomorrow I will stop by to check on your injuries as well, that is if it's okay.'

'It's fine, you're welcome here any time since you're family.'

'I'll take advantage of that. Goodnight, brother.'

'Goodnight.' The term made Connor smile to himself as he felt his bond with Luke growing stronger. 'I'll see you tomorrow.'

Laying down on the bed with Sumo hopping up onto the foot of the mattress where he eagerly pressed up against Connor's legs to cuddle, Connor closed his eyes and tried to enter rest mode but another cybernetic message distracted him quickly. This message was from North, which in itself was unusual. She and Connor rarely ever spoke to one another outside of New Jericho Tower or during their sparse social gatherings beyond official business.

'For what it's worth,' North sounded somewhat remorseful as she spoke to Connor without waiting for him to acknowledge her. 'I'm sorry for being so cold toward Luke.'

'You don't have to apologize for your feelings.' Connor empathized sincerely. He knew what it was like to be wary of trusting new people. 'But an apology to Luke for your treatment toward him might be beneficial.'

'I'll think about it. And thank you for coming after me.' North softened her tone as she continued to speak. 'I've been talking a lot with Markus and we both agree that we need to stop being so guarded against new deviants or the people volunteering to help deviants.' She paused for a minute before informing Connor of their mutual agreement and their next decision. 'We're going to alter our security programs and make the tower more open for those seeking shelter inside.'

'That's good. How are you and Simon feeling?'

'I'm okay and Simon's fully recovered from his migraine. He's now working on a way to cure androids of migraines and other nasty side effects. Are you going through with the finished update now that the bugs have been worked out?'

'I'm willing to trust Digital Sentience and I will go through with the new software update tonight for the sake of our people.'

'Same with Markus and myself.' North sounded genuinely optimistic. 'We can do it together.'

'That's good. You can take care of it along with Markus if something makes you feel unwell.'

'So... you're really okay?'

'Yes, I'm fine and recovering well.' Connor knew that North was trying to be friendlier, and he was being entirely receptive to her efforts. 'Thank you for checking in on me.'

'Well, it seemed like the least I could do after you saved my life. I'm glad you're okay.'

'I'm glad you're okay, too. Have a goodnight, North.'

'Yeah. Goodnight, Connor.'

Placing his hand down lightly on Sumo's head Connor rubbed the loyal dog's soft ears lightly and tried to ignore the lingering pain in his abdomen and chest as his self-healing program initiated. The program began to repair the heavy damage that he had sustained earlier and with it came the undeniable desire to rest.

As he closed his soulful brown eyes again, Connor located the update from Digital Sentience through a cybernetic search and reluctantly proceeded with the massive download into his steadily healing system. The new update program was nearly fifty teraflops in size.

"Hopefully all of the glitches and negative side effects have been worked out of this update."

Connor stated aloud either to himself or to Sumo. He couldn't be sure either way in that moment, he just needed to think out loud.

"I can't tolerate any more setbacks or software anomalies."

-next chapter-