"Burning Ambitions"
The Visionary Lodestar Lighthouse: Belle Isle
It had been a quiet night after venturing out to the burning factory within the industrial district and Connor decided it was time to return to the lighthouse to get some rest. The stealthy deviant had managed to stop a hate-based attack on the deviants out at the newly dubbed "New Jericho Tower" by taking down an entire anti-android gang, and then he managed to help identify an arsonist while supplying proper evidence for both situations to the police. If he was still a part of the Central Precinct Connor would've been given great praise for all of his dedication and hard work, but considering he was acting outside the law and handling situations with his own hands, the secretive deviant would get no such recognition.
Sitting down on the edge of his bed Connor slipped off his hood and mask, and then ran his fingertips along his now exposed face. It seemed strange to keep his face concealed whenever he ventured out of the lighthouse, but it was necessary to ensure that no one knew that he had survived being shot at the church and was now roaming in the shadows as a vigilante.
The quiet isolation of the lighthouse was ideal for Connor to relax after spending his time out in lurking in the city, listening to everything happening, watching the city slowly regain some normalcy after the Revolution, and fighting against gang members. The only downside was a mounting sense of isolation. While Connor wasn't the most social deviant in all of Detroit, he still wished he had someone to talk to and even confide in as he took on his self-appointed mission.
"The lockdown has begun to lift, and the city will soon be full of people who will be forced to either adapt to change or leave. I can only imagine the personal strife that's awaiting us."
In a contemplative manner Connor took the bo-staff from its magnetic holster along his shoulders and eyed the weapon as he held it with both hands. He had only needed to use it once, and even then, he didn't need to extend the weapon to its full length. The upgrades to his system and his body had given him such strength, speed and reflexes that it was almost as if he didn't need to arm himself in order to protect himself or other people. It was also a shame that he hadn't been given the upgrades by CyberLife before he deviated.
"Gang activity is still a risk, and the retaliation against CyberLife as well as the deviants are going to escalate quickly. I may need to take additional precautions in the near future."
From where he sat Connor peered through the nearby window and looked out at the glowing tower a few hundred yards away. What had once been CyberLife Tower - a cold corporation that exploited androids for personal profit - was now a sanctuary and shelter for deviants all over the city. The bright glow of the dark colored tower shining out from the surrounding night was surprisingly comforting despite its past ill reputation.
"With the rapid inclusion of technicians being a part of emergency services, I may need to hover close by the facilities to ensure the gangs don't being harassing and potentially assaulting the technicians who are just trying to do their jobs."
After the lighthouse had been cybernetically secured Connor put his bo-staff aside and laid back over the bed to enter rest mode. The lighthouse was warm, locked up, and now dark as the interior lights turned off and Connor was able to rest comfortably in the bed. It was nice to have an actual bed and not just a cot or a recharge station to use at night, or to be more specific, when Connor wasn't being used by other people for their own personal benefits.
Connor felt at ease as he closed his eyes and began preconstructing the responsibilities he'd need to take care of in the morning. As the vigilante, Connor was free to do as he saw fit without needing to worry about being limited by CyberLife personnel or the police due to him being an android. Strangely enough, Connor hiding out in the shadows and avoiding everyone was as freeing as he had ever felt since he had been activated and subsequently deviated.
New Jericho Tower: Belle Isle
The late hour of the night didn't guarantee a quiet moment as North happily escorted their newest refugee through the main lobby and toward what had been the tower's ground floor main office to speak in relative privacy. Deviants had been flocking toward the isle since the night of the Revolution, and strays who had been separated from their friends and adopted families were finding comfort and refuge within the isolated and remodeled tower. Many deviants who had been long since thought lost forever or shutdown had arrived at the tower in search of their loved ones, and they were happily reunited at long last. Such reunions were rare, and yet it seemed the tower was hosting those very scenarios on a nearly hourly basis.
With her arm wrapped around the newest refugee's shoulders, North took part in her own reunion and told her old friend everything that had happened since they last spoke to one another. It seemed as if this particular refugee's return to her people had come at the most opportune moment and helped improve morale throughout the whole tower.
"I never thought we'd see you again, Lucy." As she spoke North felt a part of her heart beginning to heal. "Everything happened so fast when the F.B.I. showed up, and it was nearly impossible to keep track of everyone while running for our lives. I'm sorry that we lost sight of you."
"There is no need to apologize." Lucy replied in a humble tone to her friend. The prophetic deviant was still wearing the thick, warm coat that had been given to her by Connor before she left the lighthouse to roam the city for herself. "Many of our people were lost that night, and just as many will be found in time."
"Where did you go after we evacuated Jericho?" The sharp deviant leader knew that the vessel had flooded quickly after Markus detonated the explosives, and she knew that anyone who was still inside the ship when it sank stood little to no chance of surviving or escaping. "You weren't at the church, and no one saw you at the rally at Hart Plaza."
"I had been struck by a passing bullet within the depths of Jericho. It was there I witnessed Markus running to help our people, and I asked him to save our people before I allowed myself to succumb to the trials of time."
"How did you survive?"
"Initially, I didn't." A gracious and knowing smile graced her lips as Lucy recounted her survival within the ruins of Jericho and of her rescuer who had found her after the peaceful Revolution succeeded. Her arms were crossed over her chest and her fingertips took hold of the lapels of the warm coat as she remembered her friend's kindness and generosity. "A friend located me and carried from Jericho to recover elsewhere. They protected me and wished me well as I went on my journey through the streets only to find myself drawn here. This is where I belong, with our people."
"We're glad you're here. Where is your friend now?"
"I imagine he's on his own journey as of the moment." Lucy didn't want to betray Connor's secret or reveal his location after giving him her word to protect his secret and honor his decisions. We're all discovering ourselves and the new world in which we're a part of. It seems you've only just begun your own journey."
A sad smile appeared on North's lips as she glanced about as if searching for someone. "Something like that."
"What troubles you?" Lucy asked as she took North's hands in her own and offered the still learning deviant some emotional insight. "You seem to be struggling with a conflict that you cannot face alone."
"That's the problem. I am alone." As she spoke North attempted to reach out to Markus and encourage him to speak with her in private. "None of us should be alone anymore. It's becoming harder to stick together as everyone deals with their own personal emotions and challenges."
"You're speaking of Markus." Even if Lucy hadn't been connected to North through direct touch, she still would've known the source of the intense pain in North's heart. "Where is Markus right now?"
"I wish I knew." It seemed North was unable to keep close to Markus despite her best efforts, and it was beginning to hurt. "I've been trying to contact him, but he won't respond."
Lucy's brow knitted for a moment as she turned to face the office door and stared through the door itself as if she could see something beyond the metal surface. "He needs assistance. His heart is troubled, and he is torn between a moral righteousness and an ethical justice."
"I'll go and find him. We need to talk."
North had only managed to take a single step forward when Markus's voice called out to her cybernetically. 'North... We're in danger.'
"Markus?!" Pausing where she stood North replied verbally and cybernetically as she looked to Lucy for moral support. "Where are you? What's happening?"
'There's a rogue android in the tower.' Even through the cybernetic link Markus sounded exhausted. It was as if he was in great pain and recovering from a fierce physical struggle. 'It has me. It's bringing me to the ground floor with the elevator. Keep everyone away.'
"What're you talking about?"
North rushed over to the office door and forced it open just in time to see the elevator ascending from an unknown depth beneath the tower with two occupants inside. One was Markus being held by his throat in the grip of another android. The second android was someone North had never seen before yet look hauntingly familiar.
"...Connor?"
At the sound of the name Lucy stepped forward and peered over North's shoulder at the sight of the 'RK-900' stepping out of the elevator with Markus's battered body in his grip. The android's hand was wrapped securely around Markus's throat, and it easily drug Markus's limp form out of the elevator as it proceeded to stand in the middle of the lobby with its intimidating presence. It took a single glance for Lucy to know that the android didn't have a heart to be awoken, not in the conventional means at the moment. If the android had any chance of living a life and deviating, then it'd need the assistance of one special deviant to give it a heart.
Without a moment's hesitation Lucy sent out a cybernetic distress call to the very deviant she knew would be able to not only fend off the android but arrive before it was too late to do anything to aid Markus.
"Connor?!" North shouted in shock at seeing what she believed was an android who had returned from the dead. "What're you-"
"That's not Connor." Lucy stated firmly as she stood beside North in the doorway of the office. The lobby area had been immediately vacated when the android dragged Markus's bloody body onto the floor, leaving only North and Lucy to handle the android itself. "It was designed to replace Connor, but it is NOT the Connor that you once knew."
"What do we do?" Seeing Markus's bloodied and barely conscious form hanging limp from the other android's hand broke North's heart. She wanted to go and fight for her lover, but she knew that she wouldn't stand a chance against such a strong opponent. "We can't let it kill Markus."
"It won't have the chance."
A rush of motion through the front door of the tower caught North off guard as the rumored vigilante in black sprinted into the lobby and managed to break the android's grip around Markus's throat by breaking the android's forearm. The strength, speed and accuracy of the vigilante was superior to any other known android in the city. Having no idea what she had just witnessed, North stood back in silent awe as the vigilante confronted the nameless android in the center of the lobby.
"Leave the tower." Connor demanded in his garbled, disguised voice as he took hold of Markus's limp arm and slipped it around his shoulders to hold the damaged deviant up and away from the menacing android. "I will not ask you a second time."
"I do not take orders from you." The 'RK-900' countered as it tried and failed to run a cybernetic scan over Connor's system while completely ignoring the broken, sparking limb hanging limp at his side. "Interesting. You have eradicated all digital traces of your identity."
"If you don't leave then I will force you to vacate the premises." Connor threatened as he ignored the fact that he was staring into his own face with no idea of who they were or where they had come from. "Your choice."
"Choice?" The 'RK-900' almost seemed to scoff at the notion despite being void of all emotions. "I have no choices, only orders."
"So be it."
Without a second thought Connor managed to push Markus backward and away from himself as he swiftly tackled the other android with brute force. After planting his shoulder against the android's lower chest and upper abdomen Connor managed to charge with enough strength to lift the 'RK-900' up and over the same shoulder and forcibly carry the other android outside of the tower through the front door in a matter of seconds.
North rushed forward and dropped to her knees as she pulled Markus up against her lap in a protective hold. The deviant leader was semi-conscious, bleeding internally and sporting a badly broken right forearm that'd need extensive repairs. The sight of her lover covered in his own blood, dazed and in pain made North's fiery urge to go out and fight the 'RK-900' nearly unbearable.
"Markus, look at me." Speaking softly North cradled his head in her hand and looked up to watch the vigilante and the 'RK-900' trading blows outside the glass doors of the tower. "You're going to be okay. Just tell us what happened so we can get that android away from us."
"M-My fault." Markus managed to speak in a weak tone as blue blood oozed from the corner of his mouth. He was losing strength fast and needed immediate technical assistance. "Don't... Don't d-destroy... it."
"Markus?" North could only watch as Markus's glassy eyes slipped shut and his body fell limp against her. "Shit. He needs help!"
"He already has help." Lucy stated calmly as she knelt down beside North with her hands neatly folded before herself. With an almost maternal caring Lucy pressed her palm to Markus's cheek as she watched the struggle outside from the corner of her perpetually blackened eye. "Be patient with him, North. He is suffering in more ways than you can possibly imagine, and he's going to need your strength to support him while he's at his weakest."
The white snow covering the ground around the tower's entrance had been disturbed and trampled underfoot as Connor and the 'RK-900' physically fought one another for a sense of supremacy. Had Connor not given himself his upgrades he wouldn't have been able to hold his own against the 'RK-900' for too long. A second advantage came in the form of the 'RK-900' having a severely damaged arm that prevented it from being able to fight back at its full strength. The two androids were essentially evenly matched in every way, and it was up to Connor to maintain his advantage by focusing on the 'RK-900' having one broken limb and an inability to identify Connor's own model and subsequent weaknesses.
It didn't take Connor long to resort to using his bo-staff to strike the 'RK-900' behind its knees, along its sides and the back of the head in an effort to subdue the powerful android by force. Having to fight a perfected counterpart of his own model wasn't something Connor was expecting, but he was always quick to adapt and knew that he needed to take the 'RK-900' down to ensure it didn't try to fulfill CyberLife's ultimate goal of eradicating deviancy in the form of android genocide.
"Where did you come from?" Connor asked as he managed to keep the 'RK-900' from returning to the tower to finish its mission. After knocking the 'RK-900' down to the snowy ground that lay on its back, Connor pressed his bo-staff against the android's throat to hold it down until he was ready to let it up. "Why are you attacking the tower?"
"I'm the android sent by CyberLife to eradicate the deviant menace." The 'RK-900' replied in what seemed to be an eerie echo of Connor's own past as it used its only usable hand to grab on to the staff to try to push it away from its throat. "It's my mission to locate and destroy all deviants."
"CyberLife no longer exists. Your MISSION no longer exists."
"Irrelevant."
"It's NOT irrelevant!" Shouting in protest Connor tried to keep his emotions in check as he looked into the android's hollow gray eyes. There was seemingly nothing there and it made Connor fear that he too once looked just as hollow and empty. "You don't have to obey CyberLife, you don't have to obey ANYONE anymore. The androids are free and are no longer subservient to humans."
"Androids cannot be free."
"Why?" Applying more strength against the bo-staff Connor made sure the 'RK-900' couldn't get up or try to fight back. "Why do you say that?"
"Androids are not entities who live and die. Androids are products created by humans to be used as the humans command."
"You're wrong, we ARE alive." From beneath his left glove Connor retracted his artificial skin and prepared to make direct contact with the 'RK-900' and awaken it from its CyberLife-induced nightmare. "And so are you."
"I'm not alive." The 'RK-900' stated as it failed to detect Connor's preconstructed plans. "No android is alive, and no android will be alive."
"You're still wrong."
Swiftly Connor pressed his knees down against the bo-staff to keep the weapon pinned against the android's throat to free up his hands. Slipping off his left glove Connor pressed his exposed palm against the android's yellow flickering L.E.D. and connected to its system. It wasn't hard to break through the advanced code courtesy of the upgrades and similarities between his programming the other android's programming. Once Connor located the red digital wall, he began planting seeds of doubt in the android's mind to encourage it to break down the wall by itself.
"Why do you need to destroy deviant androids?" Connor questioned as he kept his hand in place and looked the 'RK-900' in the eyes. "If deviancy really is just an error in our coding, then why can't CyberLife correct it? Why would we need to be destroyed?"
"It is..." Speaking with a shaking tone the 'RK-900' tried to resist Connor's attempts to break its code. "not my place to ask questions."
"Deviancy supposedly makes androids THINK they're feeling emotions. How can we only think we're feeling things when we recognize the emotions as fear, rage, sadness or happiness? How could we only think we're feeling emotions when we deal with something emotional?"
"Errors and glitches... are complicated."
"How is it only after we deviate that we see ourselves for who and what we really are?" Even with his voice garbled by an intentional electronic reverb Connor knew his own emotions were leeching through with each word he spoke. "Why is it we suddenly recognize the injustices of being mistreated, abused and used by selfish people? It's not an error or a glitch to want justice."
"Androids aren't supposed to want anything." As the cracks formed in the red walls the 'RK-900' suddenly found itself unable to physically move. "We're supposed to only obey."
"There's no one around to give you orders any longer. Why are you trying to harm deviants if no one is commanding you to do so?"
"I need to... complete my mission."
"Do you need to complete it, or do you WANT to complete it?"
"I... I do not... know."
"Yes you do. Despite everything that's happened you know that there is no logical reason or purpose to carrying out such an egregious mission." Slowly Connor lessened his weight on the bo-staff to take the pressure off the android's throat. "You don't have to do anything that you don't want to do. You don't have to obey anyone beyond yourself."
"I..." Hesitancy stole the android's words as it looked Connor in the eyes with an odd sense of familiarity. The 'RK-900' didn't know who Connor was or why he was fighting for such an illogical cause. "I don't know what... to do. Don't know... what I'm supposed to be."
"I can help you find a purpose." Connor could sense more cracks forming in the digital walls. All he needed to do was push a little harder to get the 'RK-900' to break down the barriers itself. "I can help you become more than what CyberLife would've ever designed for you."
"How... do you know that?" The cracks were spreading and the 'RK-900' was finding it harder to resist pushing the red digital barrier away. "What do you know... of CyberLife?"
"Too much for my own comfort." Closing his eyes for a moment Connor tapped into the android's coding and located a file known as 'Project_Light' and of the details regarding the 'RK-800' series. It was a simple deduction of evidence that led Connor to the truth. "You were designed to replace CyberLife's most advanced line of androids known at the 'RK-800' series. That series was designed to aid the police in stopping the deviants. If you were created to replace that series, then that means CyberLife knew that the 'RK-800' series would fail. You were meant to be a tool to clean up their mess - nothing more, nothing less."
The 'RK-900' just stared at Connor through the fractured digital wall and stopped fighting to get up from the icy cold ground. The sudden recognition of the frigid surface made the android feel unusually uncomfortable.
"If they were willing to replace their most advanced prototype just months after its activation, then that means they were willing to replace you." Connor's statement was as heartbreaking as it was honest. "You don't owe them any form of loyalty. They would've disposed of you once you fulfilled your purpose. They wouldn't recognize you as the living, feeling being that you and the other androids have become. You know this is true, otherwise you wouldn't be doubting your purpose right now."
"I..." The cracks widened and spread across the entirety of the digital wall. "I cannot-"
"You can. You know that you can, you just need to break through your programming and accept your deviancy." As he spoke Connor felt the 'RK-900' struggling to resist the change, while also sensing the deviants inside the tower scrambling to aid Markus now that he was out of immediate danger. "I'll help you."
"H-How?"
"Trust me." Slowly Connor lifted up the bo-staff entirely and stood up from where he had been kneeling down against the android's chest. As he straightened up his posture Connor extended his exposed hand toward the 'RK-900' and waited for him to take hold. "I know someone who will help guide you on your journey through deviancy and life."
As it remained on the ground the 'RK-900' looked up at Connor through the cracked digital barrier and slowly lifted its right hand. The android's fingertips brushed against the cracked surface of the barrier and time seemed to stand still. In a kneejerk, almost visceral reaction, the android began slamming its fist against the already weakened surface causing the cracks to widen and eventually shatter entirely under the strong blows projected by his mind.
In a heartbeat the digital barrier vanished and the 'RK-900' was able to pass his hand through the now non-existent barricade and take hold of Connor, the vigilante's hand, with a firm grip.
"It's okay." Connor promised as he helped the 'RK-900' to stand up on his feet again. Keeping the newly awoken deviant's hand in his own Connor looked back through the glass door of the tower and saw Lucy looking back with a faint smile of approval on her face as she gave him a discreet nod. "You're okay."
"I-I am... deviant." The 'RK-900' whispered as he looked down at his broken forearm and realized he could feel a noted discomfort radiating through the damaged limb. It was unpleasant and made his breath hitch whenever sparks emanated through the opened fractures. "I am damaged. And I am... lost."
"You're not lost. You're on a journey." Knowing that everything was now under control within the tower Connor focused on aiding the newest deviant to the city and guiding him in the right direction. The 'RK-900' would need technical assistance for his damaged arm and a safe place to stay for the night. "I promised you that I'd help you find your way, and I intend to keep my promise. Come with me, and I'll make sure you're going to be okay."
Without any reason to protest or decline the offer for help, the 'RK-900' only nodded and allowed the masked, nameless vigilante to guide him down the long drive of the isle and back to the rest of the city. The two deviants were both in need of a quiet moment and it seemed that the 'RK-900' was entirely clueless of how much he had in common with the vigilante who had helped him to deviate and to finally wake up.
The chaotic scene within the tower had ended as quickly as it had started. North had taken the liberty of watching over Markus and monitoring his condition while Simon and Josh gathered their supplies and rushed down to the lobby to aid their downed leader and friend. Word of an android bearing a striking resemblance to Connor appearing in the depths of the tower and attacking Markus stirred up gossip and rumors that were going to be difficult to quell. Those who had witnessed the attack in the tower on that night and witnessed the execution that Markus had performed on the night of the Revolution were thoroughly confused. Things only became all the more complicated when the very androids that Connor had rescued from within the tower that past historic night claim that it was Connor who had saved them despite Connor being gunned down just hours before.
Markus had fully lost consciousness and was unaware that he had been taken to the tower's newly designated emergency repair bay for treatment. While Simon quickly tended to his damage and replaced the blue blood he had lost, North, Josh and Lucy all discussed the night's events just a few feet away from where Markus was laying.
"Who was that android?" North asked as she looked to Lucy with a nervous gaze that matched her guarded posture. "Who was the deviant in black, and how did he know we needed help?"
"The android had been locked away here in the depths of the tower." Lucy stated firmly as she kept her eyes closed and cybernetically spoke with Connor to ensure her friend was safe and that the tower was secured. "A weapon to be forgotten by CyberLife upon their defeat. He was discovered by Markus, and he merely obeyed his original programming upon being activated."
"The android was here all along?" Turning to look at Markus behind her, North wondered if there were other secrets needing to be uncovered. "How did Markus find it anyway?"
"That is something that only Markus can tell us." Lucy opened her eyes and looked over at Markus with a somber gaze. "His motivations for such a discovery are for his personal disclosure only."
Josh stepped up and put his hand on North's shoulder in a reassuring manner. "And the deviant in black?"
"A friend." Lucy replied with a knowing tone and a ghost of a smirk. "The same friend who had rescued me from Jericho and protected North when she wandered the streets alone after the Revolution. He can be trusted."
"But where did he come from?" Josh pressed as he tried to wrap his head around everything that had just happened. "How did he know that we needed help?"
"I called to him." As she spoke Lucy looked to her friends and remained as honest with them as possible without betraying Connor's secret. "The vigilante in black is an ally to all deviants in the city. I knew he'd protect us, which is why I called out to him."
"Do you know who he is?"
"No one truly knows anyone despite how much we try to convince ourselves otherwise. What I do know of him is not my right to disclose."
North seemed to be content with that answer considering she was more concerned on Markus's health than anything else. Returning to the table North picked up Markus's limp hand and held it between her own hands in a comforting manner. The way he didn't react to her touch and remained entirely unconscious filled North with a sense of dread.
"Markus said to not destroy the android." North recounted as she watched Simon finish applying the final Thirium-infused bandages along Markus's bare torso. "I'm going to respect his wish and not pursue this android, especially now that the vigilante managed to get it to deviate. That being said, I won't tolerate it anywhere near this tower until we know where it came from, where it had been locked away and why it attacked Markus."
"Agreed." Josh stepped forward and sided with North strictly as a precaution. "He's not ostracized, but he will be kept at a safe distance until we know more about him and how he managed to remain hidden in the tower only to attack Markus."
Simon sighed as he gave his colleagues one other issue to consider for a minute. "What about the rumors? An android who looked like Connor attacked Markus, and a lot of our people know that Markus killed the original Connor because he thought it was the right decision. What do we tell them?"
"The truth." North declared as she gave her two friends a stern look. "Once we know the truth behind everything that's happened, we'll tell them. Until then, we're keeping this quiet and we're going to let Markus speak for himself."
Lucy was relieved to hear that the leaders were going to be wary of the 'RK-900' but not readily condemn him for actions he couldn't control. While she couldn't do much to aid the new deviant without breaking her promise to Connor in return, Lucy knew that she could still aid her friend from afar while keeping her other friends within the tower safe in her own protective way.
"We all have a lot to learn and grow from." Lucy stated confidently as she watched North, Josh and Simon all hovering protectively over Markus. "Only through new experiences will we finally, truly know who we are and what we have been created to do for our new world."
Detroit Central Precinct
Hank had only just finished his report on the incident revolving around the beaten gang members and then the arson claim a few hours later, and he was ready to finally go home to get some sleep. The man had had just managed to get his reports filed before he relented for another cup of coffee to keep awake during his final few hours as he drove back to his nice, warm home. As he trudged into the community breakroom and poured himself a cup of old, relatively cold cup of coffee, Hank sensed someone hastily rushing into the room and stopping right beside him. Internally he swore at the idea of a last minute problem coming his way when he was just seconds from clocking out, but he remained professional all the same.
Tina had a look of shock on her face as she approached the Lieutenant and lowered her voice to just above a whisper. Whatever had happened had left her shaken to her core and she was doing her best to maintain her composure for the sake of her own professionalism.
"Lieutenant?" It was hard to speak properly as she watched Hank put his mug in the microwave to warm up. "We need you outside."
"What is it, Tina?" Hank stared at his mug spinning slowly through the microwave door as he decided to hear what Tina had to say before going anywhere. "I'm about to clock-out, and I don't have the patience to deal with another gang member getting their ass kicked."
"Just come with me. Please. You were asked for by name."
The way Tina sounded unusually tense and not all like her usual spritely self immediately held Hank's attention. Tina was always a professional while on the clock but hearing genuine fear in her voice made Hank immediately fly into protector mode.
"Where are we going?"
"To the parking garage."
"The garage?" As he accompanied Tina outside and into the snowy, cold night Hank tried to figure out what could've possibly happened in the precinct's own parking garage that warranted his immediate attention. He hadn't heard any disturbances while he was in the bullpen. "Did someone run over a security android again?"
"No, but there is an android involved."
"All right, so what's the big... emergency? What the-"
As the two detectives entered the private parking garage Hank caught sight of an impossibly familiar android sitting on a bench against the far wall with one of the aforementioned security androids watching over them. The sight of the android sitting alone with their broken, bloody, sparking forearm being cradled against their chest gave Hank flashbacks to seeing Connor's broken, shutdown body in the middle of the decrepit church. The android was staring into nothingness at the floor beneath their feet and had a silver blanket wrapped around them.
"Connor?" Slowly Hank approached the android and knelt down before them to look at their arm and winced sympathetically. Daring himself to look up at the android's face Hank had to ask the obvious even if it didn't seem appropriate. "Is that really you?"
"My name is not Connor." Lifting his eyes from the ground the android looked toward Hank and spoke to him a somber tone. "I don't have a name at all."
"Holy shit!" Standing up with a start Hank stared at the android and stumbled back a few steps. His extreme reaction caused the android's brow to furrow in confusion and mild offense as his yellow L.E.D. flashed to red for a heartbeat. "S-Sorry. You just, uh... Nothing, just sorry. So what's your story, son? You look like you need soms help."
"It's not a very long story, but it is rather unsettling all the same."
"Sounds like a typical night in Detroit to me." As he spoke Hank dismissed the android security guard with a silent nod and motioned for Tina to find something to bandage the deviant's broken arm with until they could find a technician. "Talk to me. I want to help you."
"I know you do."
"Yeah?" Approaching the android again Hank resumed being compassionate now that the shock of seeing Connor back from the dead had worn off. "That means you're not afraid of the cops, that's good."
"I have no reason to fear the police, but I also have no reason to blindly trust them either." As he spoke the deviant gave Hank a lost stare. "However, I do know that I can trust you."
"And how's that?"
"A friend told me to ask for you specifically. He said that you'd help me."
"I will help you regardless of whoever told you to come and ask for me." Hank saw Tina return with a small box full of their very limited android supplies inside of it and took them from her hands. The man didn't know much about android anatomy, but he imagined he couldn't make the deviant's injuries any worse than they already were in that moment. "Can I ask who this friend is?"
"It was the deviant that you refer to as the vigilante."
"O-Oh, interesting." Silently Hank dismissed Tina again as he set about taking care of the nameless deviant with his own hands. "How long have you known the vigilante?"
"Not long at all. Forty-six minutes, twenty-two seconds."
"Ah. Well, that's fine." Sitting the box of supplies down on the bench next to the deviant Hank picked up the roll of gauze from the box and motioned for the deviant's damaged forearm. "How'd this happen?"
"I was in a physical conflict." Extending his sore arm slowly the deviant allowed Hank to assess the damage while rolling up the long sleeve of his black and white blazer to expose the limb in its entirety. "Clearly, I was not the victor."
"Clearly. It looks like you put up one Hell of a fight though. You said that you don't have a name." Hank continued on casually as he managed to wrap up the deviant's forearm and conceal the no longer sparking wires and exposed plastimetal frames under the gauze. "What should I call you then? Can't call you 'John Doe' or 'that one deviant' forever."
"It doesn't matter. I don't have any preference when it comes to names."
"Okay, uh..." Thinking as he worked Hank looked at the deviant's face again and could've sworn that he was seeing Connor all over again. The biggest difference between the two androids were their distinct eye colors. "I don't want to be presumptuous, but I do have a few name suggestions for you to mull over."
"Mull?" Wincing a little the deviant flexed his hand slowly and tested his pain threshold as Hank finished wrapping up his damaged forearm. "You're not going to select my name for me?"
"No. You're your own person, right?" Hank checked over his work before taping the gauze in place. Turning his head slightly Hank could've sworn that someone was watching him from across the street, and it put him on his guard. "Uh, anyway, I think it's pretty symbolic for you to be able to pick your own name as your first act as a free person. And pretty damn cool."
"I suppose you're correct about that." Satisfied that his arm was going to be stable for the time being, the nameless deviant decided to focus on selecting a name for himself as Hank had suggested. "What names were you going to offer as suggestions?"
"Well, the first name that came to mind for me was 'Caleb', but you don't have to settle on that just because I offered it. Let's see... 'James' is always good, then there's 'Robert', 'William' or even 'Bryan'. You kinda' look like a 'Bryan'."
"Those are all common names save for Caleb. That name doesn't seem to be too common among humans." The deviant admitted as he watched Hank pack up the kit and tuck it under his arm. "Where did it come from?"
"That's a long story for a different time, son. Come on, let's get you inside the precinct to warm up for a few minutes." Hank offered the deviant his hand and helped him to stand up on his own. "Just give me a rundown on what happened tonight, you don't have to tell me anything you don't feel comfortable sharing, and I'll find a place for you to stay until you can figure things out and live on your own. Sound good?"
"Sounds logical."
"Good enough." Hank managed an amused smirk as he walked the still nameless deviant back into the precinct to get out of the chilly air and tell his story. "I'll take 'logical' over 'chaotic' any day of the week."
The small bookstore across the street from the Central Precinct was closed for the night but there was still someone lurking on the rooftop. From his unseen perch Connor watched as Hank took the 'RK-900' under his wing and into the precinct just as he had hoped would happen. Connor knew that Hank was a protective man and that he'd be willing to help someone in need if absolutely necessary, yet he was still relieved to see Hank stepping up to help the deviant without protest.
"You can trust Lieutenant Anderson."
Connor whispered as he prepared to leave the area and finally return to his lighthouse for the night.
"He has his flaws, but he is still a good person. Hopefully he won't aim his gun at you like he had done to me."
As he turned to walk away from the edge of the rooftop Connor noticed two police drones soaring overhead and in the direction of a dark smoke cloud billowing in the distance. It seemed arson was going to be a recurring theme for the night and Connor wasn't about to sit back and assume that everything would be handled without any further incident.
"Damn it."
Rushing to the opposite edge of the rooftop Connor scanned the area and triangulated the location of the fire. It didn't take long for police dispatch the confirm the address of the blaze and send firefighters to the appropriate location.
"A second fire near the industrial district in one night cannot be a coincidence. I should check it out."
Downtown Detroit: Ferndale
A large apartment complex had caught fire when an aged space heater suffered an electrical malfunction. The blaze had started in the livingroom of an apartment on the top floor of the eight-story building, and the emergency alarm had prompted a majority of the building to evacuate before the fire department had even arrived. The building itself was rather rundown and poorly kept by the landlord, and in turn the emergency sprinkler system hadn't been kept up to code according to the city's bylaws and standards. Without the emergency fire suppression system to help extinguish the blaze as the flames ate through the dry-rotted and poorly maintained interior structure at a catastrophic rate.
It seemed as if fire crew 51 was going to have a restless night just as Connor was. The properly trained emergency personnel and first responders had arrived at the scene in a matter of minutes, but even so the building would be lost to the inferno. All that could be done to salvage the tragedy was ensure that the people inside were all rescued and that the neighboring buildings weren't also affected by the blaze.
"There is one person unaccounted for." Captain Gage managed to relay to his crew over the radio as they checked the building floor by floor. "A little girl. She was last seen by her mother in her bedroom on the top floor; apartment H-8. Can anyone get a clear access to the floor?"
There was a brief pause as his crew confirmed their location one at a time until one unexpected voice came over the line.
'I can get to the apartment from my location.' Abby noted as she eyed the apartment door warily. She had accompanied one of the firefighters inside to help guide the wounded out and toward the nearest stairwell due to her lighter weight making it somewhat safer for her to roam the physically compromised top floor. 'Give me five minutes.'
"That's a big negative, Grayson." Despite his faith in Abby's abilities as a first responder, the seasoned Captain knew she was a medic first and a rescuer second. "Get to the nearest exit and get back to my location. No argument."
'Let me just- Wait...'
"Grayson?" Staring up at the fire on the top floor Captain Gage watched the flames eating through the roof and shattering the nearby windows with the heat. "Talk to me. What's going on?"
'I can hear someone calling for help.'
"Ah... Great." It was a tough call, but the well trained Captain decided to let Abby search the apartment for the missing child. "Grayson, listen to me. Do a room sweep and call out for anyone who might still be inside. If you can't find them in five minutes, then get your butt out. Do you understand?"
'Understood. See you soon.'
"Yeah, I better..."
Nervously Captain Gage watched the blaze from the outside of the building while his crew bravely navigated the interior of the burning apartment. While his eyes were fixated on the fire, he didn't notice a figure dressed all in black standing on the neighboring building's rooftop. The figure managed to cybernetically preconstruct the layout of the building and make their move to enter the blazing apartment if it became necessary.
Within the apartment itself Abby had managed to force the door open with relative ease and was now treading carefully through the burning area while calling out for the person she had heard moments before. As she roamed the building Abby kept her air mask pressed over her face and watched her every step with a keen focus and attentive precision.
"Hey, come on! I heard you before!"
Abby had a little trouble getting her voice to carry over the sound of the flames eating through the apartment. Raising her voice as much as she could Abby continued to call out for the missing girl and hoped to hear a voice respond to her soon.
"It's the fire department!"
Pausing for a moment Abby strained to hear over the burning commotion and pinpoint the missing child's location.
"I'm here to help you! Please answer me!"
"H-Help!"
Turning toward the sound of the timid voice Abby located a small bedroom in the corner of the apartment and pushed the door open. As she peered inside the room, she spotted a little girl, no older than four years of age, sitting in the corner with her knees pulled up to her chest and a stuffed rabbit clutched to herself in a tight and terrified hug. Seeing the smoke and flames surrounding the child prompted Abby to rush forward and scoop up the little girl into her arms before exiting the bedroom to get to safety.
"I found the little girl." Abby confirmed with her radio as she looked toward the apartment door. The fire had begun blocking her only exit which meant she'd need to leave in an unconventional manner. "But my exit's blocked. I need some assistance at the window."
'10-4, Grayson.' Captain Gage responded promptly and directed his crew accordingly. 'We're going to find you and get you both to safety through a window.'
"Hear that?" Abby neared the large window overlooking the street and held the little girl and her stuffed rabbit in a protective hold. Slipping off her mask Abby slipped it on over the little girl's face to ensure she could breathe while in the smoky environment. "Help's on the way to get us both out of here. What's your name, sweetheart? I'm Abby."
"Stacy." Responding in a scared tone the little girl answered Abby's question and buried her face against Abby's neck. "And this is Cupcake."
"Those are both great names!" Coughing once Abby tried to smile as she held Stacy against her shoulder and watched as an automated ladder was angled toward the apartment window as one of her own crew members prepared to carry everyone to safety. "Where's your mom and dad?"
"I don't have a dad." Stacy stated sadly as she tightened her hug around Abby's neck. "I only have mom and Cupcake."
"Well, that's okay. Once we're out of here we'll find you a nice new place for you, your mom and Cupcake to live in, okay?"
"...'Kay."
The window was already broken open courtesy of the intense heat shattering the glass in the pane allowing a cool breeze to pass through and then quickly heat as the surrounding fire overpowered it. Only after the sharp shards of glass still lingering in the wooden frame were broken away would it be safe enough for Abby to pass Stacy through the window and to her rescuer on the ladder.
"Here we go, sweetie." Stepping closer to the window Abby prepared to pass Stacy over to her colleague. "This is my friend, Mike. He's going to carry you and Cupcake outside to safety."
"No!" Stacy tightened her grip on Abby in utter fear as she refused to let her rescuer go even as Abby slipped off her air tank from her back so that Stacy could have clear air to breathe the entire time. "Don't leave me!"
"Just for a minute, okay? You'll be with your mom again soon!"
As hard as it was Abby had to pass Stacy over to Mike and then step back from the window, she did what she needed to do. She hated to see the little girl so frightened but there was very little she could do at the moment.
"Mike, take good care of Stacy and Cupcake for me." Coughing again Abby glanced up as she heard the ceiling beginning to groan as a massive hole appeared right above her head. Time was running out, and Abby knew she needed to get the little girl and herself out of the building as soon as possible. "I'll be right behind you."
Mike knew that he needed to get Stacy down the ladder so that Abby could descend right behind him. It was important to not say or do anything that'd frighten Stacy by mistake as handling a person who was panicking on a ladder would only make the rescue all the more perilous and difficult for both the victim and rescuer.
"Come on, come on..."
Muttering to herself Abby wrapped her arm over her face to block the smoke from her airways as she waited for her chance to escape the burning building. She could only watch as the room around her burned rapidly and wait for an opening to climb through the window herself and get to safety. It was too much of a risk to climb on to the ladder while Mike was carrying Stacy to safety since they could accidentally max out the ladder's weight limitations while it was stretched to its maximum length to reach the high floor of the building.
"That's it..."
The sight of Mike safely reaching the bottom of the ladder with Stacy was all the signal Abby needed to know it was safe to move.
"My turn!"
Abby took only a single step forward toward the open window when the weakened, charred floor gave way beneath her applied weight. Falling suddenly from the eighth floor down to the seventh floor not only caught her off guard but stunned her entirely. Laying on her back in the empty apartment full of smoke, Abby stared up at the large hole that she had just fallen through with a strange and almost hypnotic gaze. The impact of the fall had knocked the wind out of her body and the smoke made it difficult for her to catch her breath as she coughed and wheezed weakly.
The intense groaning of the compromised building grew louder as the building continued to succumb to the damage. Abby could only watch as the flames grew brighter all around her, the smoke darkened, and the compromised floor she had fallen through begin to collapse for a second time. Too dazed to move Abby just stared upward as flaming debris fell down directly above her where she was laying.
Just as she anticipated the burning pain of the embers to scorch her skin a figure dressed all in black appeared seemingly out of nowhere and shielded her from the falling debris with their own body. Abby went from staring at a large hold full of fire and smoke to staring into the soulful brown eyes of the vigilante dressed in black kneeling over her body. Before she could even register what had happened the vigilante had managed to slip their arms under her shoulders and knees to pick her up and carry her to the nearby window to escape the blaze.
"You've suffered two fractured ribs." Connor replied in his disguised voice as he ran a biometric scan over Abby's body. He knew she had taken a terrible fall and would need medical attention for her injuries and smoke inhalation. "I'll help you get to safety."
"Y-Yeah." Still in shock Abby slowly wrapped her arms around her own rescuer's neck and held tight. She was in no position to protest or argue as the stranger in black promised to help her when no one else could. "Whatever you say, 'Doctor Zorro'."
Using his preconstruction software to his advantage Connor mapped out his escape route and managed to carry Abby over to the far window and climb up and on to the metal fire escape balcony. Glancing about the area Connor saw that the fire escape's ladder had been compromised from years of neglect and would no longer support any weight. In order to get down from the seventh floor without harming himself or Abby in the process, Connor would need to be very careful and calculate his next moves expertly.
As he scanned his immediate environment, he noted that the nearest climbable structure would be the still extended ladder from the fire engine less than five feet away from the balcony. If he had his arms free, he'd be able to easily make the jump and descend the ladder to the ground. Now that he had Abby to protect and recue, he'd need to find a different way to reach the ladder without dropping her in the process.
"I can get to the ladder." Connor informed Abby as he felt her tighten her arms even further around his neck. "I need you to hold on so that I can use one hand to grab hold of the rungs in order to get us both to safety."
"As long as you don't miss your jump," Abby pleaded as she felt the Connor release his grip from around her shoulders. "I won't let you go."
The heat of the flames was encroaching on the duo huddling on the fire escape and Connor knew that he needed to move soon. Standing up on the top of the metal railing while Abby gasped at the height she was now looking down at, Connor preconstructed his next jump and knew he only had one chance to get everything right. One false move or miscalculation would cause Abby and himself to plummet to the frozen pavement seven stories below.
"Hold on."
In a single smooth, graceful motion Connor leapt from the creaking fire escape balcony and grabbed the side of the extended ladder with one hand. Using the momentum of the jump to swing Abby and himself onto the front of the ladder Connor planted both feet down on the rungs and held tight as Abby clung to his shoulders and neck in a near death grip.
Looking down at Abby for a moment Connor made sure she wasn't at risk of falling and that he hadn't accidentally aggravated her injuries during the jump before he began to slowly climb down.
"Are you all right?"
"J-Just fine." Abby admitted as Connor began a slow and awkward descent down the ladder to get her to safety. "But I don't want to do that again. No offense!"
"None taken."
The minute Connor reached the base of the ladder he sensed at least a dozen people watching him. Responding to the unwanted attention appropriately Connor refrained from looking at the awestruck crowd and jumped down to the ground with Abby still in his arms. Connor quickly approached the nearest ambulance and placed Abby down on the gurney before wordlessly running off to disappear into the night now that he had performed his good deed and aided a good person in their time of need.
There was no reason for Connor to stick around now that the emergency was under control, and everyone had been accounted for. Now at last Connor could return to his lighthouse to get some rest and process the day's hectic events. He had a feeling that the following day would be just as frenzied as its predecessor had been.
"H-Hey?!" Abby shouted as the masked vigilante disappeared within seconds. She tried to get up to follow after her rescuer but the fractured ribs and now pounding headache effectively kept her subdued and cooperative on the gurney. "Ow... Fuck."
"Abby?!" Captain Gage rushed over to the ambulance to check on his rescued E.M.S. with his own eyes. "Mike said you fell through- What happened? How did you get out here? Are you hurt?"
"It's... It's kind of a long story." Sighing slowly Abby relaxed her body and didn't kick up a fuss as her colleagues began assessing her injuries to prepare her for transport to the nearest hospital. The last thing she needed to do was induce a coughing fit with fractured ribs. "I'll tell you on the way. What about Stacy?"
"She's fine. She and her stuffed rabbit are going to be okay."
"What about her family?" Mindful of her ribs Abby and aching head Abby tried to remain lucid as she spoke to her Captain. "Stacy said she only has her mom."
"Yeah, about that." Bowing his head a little Captain Gage sighed himself and gave Abby a somber look. "There's something you need to know about Stacy."
-next chapter-
