"Worlds Collide"

Detroit Central Precinct

It didn't take long for every detective and officer in Detroit to undergo a thorough interview and personal investigation by each precinct's Internal Affairs divisions after the confirmation that former and disgraced mayor Walter Nero had been assassinated in cold blood. The evidence being collected and stacked up against the F.B.I. agents actively in the city was showing a damning pattern of abuse of authority and power that was an absolute ignominy that paralleled the infamy of their recent failure regarding the deviant's peaceful Demonstration and subsequent peaceful Revolution. The repeated unprofessionalism and abuse of power for self-serving and corrupt means had effectively turned everyone with even the slightest shred of dignity, honesty and morality against the visiting agents in a very tangible and righteous manner.

Rumors began swirling that Nero had been able to get away with so much illegal activity within Detroit for so long due to having a personal connection within the F.B.I. itself. Such rumors held enough truth and viability - those very rumors strengthened with each new piece of evidence that was collected by honest investigators - and in return a majority of Detroiters were now unexpectedly siding with the deviants after experiencing a sense of deception and wanton lack of protection over selfish and outdated ideologies.

The ongoing investigation regarding the assassination had resulted in a deeper dive into the F.B.I.'s activities. Perkins had been thoroughly interrogated by Captain Fowler for his complicity with the assassination that had taken place the night before, while Captain Keller interrogated the actual assassin in the Eastern Precinct. Neither agent was being cooperative, and in return Captain Fowler had to relent and allow the F.B.I. Director to take custody of Perkins and keep him on a form of house arrest at a local hotel for the time being.

"This is bullshit." Hank grumbled as he sat in the community breakroom with Lucas sitting beside him. The man hadn't taken his eyes off the deviant since Perkins had been arrested and personally escorted back to the precinct during the night. "Perkins gets to sit on his ass in a five-star hotel room while we have to clean up his mess. The fuckin' Director is just in town to make sure he doesn't get his ass burned too."

"I suspect that you're correct. Director Jayden has been very inactive on this investigation despite the infamy of the incident revolving around and reflecting poorly on the entire bureau." Lucas agreed as he kept his head down and refrained from looking at anyone who wasn't already a familiar and friendly face. "I believe that he's going to try to sweep this mess under the rug, so to speak."

"We're not going to just look the other way on this shit. We know that Perkins is guilty of genocide from the night of the Revolution, and we know that he's connected to Nero's assassination." An empty coffee mug slowly spun on its base between Hank's tense hands as the man fought the urge to smash the inoffensive object against the wall in frustration. "The feds have been covering up their own crimes for far too long. We're not going to let them walk away from this mess and go about their lives as if they aren't corrupt pieces of shit."

"What do you recommend that we do?"

"For now, we're going to sit back and remain quiet." It pained Hank to admit that they were better off keeping a low profile during the initial investigation, but it was a necessary evil if they were to succeed in getting the corruption out of Detroit. "We're going to observe everything, keep track of everything, and ensure that no pieces of evidence are conveniently 'lost' or overlooked. Then we're going to submit our own evidence to the highest court in the country to guarantee that the feds can slink away and hide like the rats that they are."

"That seems reckless to take on a personal investigation without express permission." Nervously Lucas offered his own opinion on the matter and hoped that Hank wasn't disappointed in his lack of enthusiasm. The yellow tint of his L.E.D. didn't go unnoticed, but it did go unmentioned. "I'm not sure if I want to be part of such a delicate and important investigation."

"Are you afraid of retaliation for doing the right thing?"

"Yes." Despite his timid nature Lucas was able to respond honestly to Hank's understandable question. "I'm also afraid of failing my people by being unable to ensure that the human responsible for so many deviant deaths will be appropriately punished for his crimes."

"You're not the only one who wants to see that fucker burn for what he did. I understand the pressure you're feeling."

"I'm aware I'm not alone in my desire to seek justice, but I am the only deviant detective who has been assigned to this particular investigation." Lucas countered with a heavy slump of his shoulders. It was as if the entire weight of the investigation had just hit him in that one instant. "I don't think you truly comprehend how I'm feeling right now."

"Know what? You're right." Lightly Hank patted Lucas's tense shoulder then leaned back in his chair just enough to peer around the breakroom doorway and to Captain Fowler's office. The private space had the frosting effect over the glass walls making it impossible to see who Captain Fowler was currently speaking with. "Try not to worry about it too much, son. You won't be investigating this mess alone, and I'll do everything I can to see you through this with your honor intact."

"Yes," despite the bode of confidence Lucas didn't look or sound entirely convinced of Hank's reassurance. "I know."

Hank couldn't fault Lucas for being skeptical of the entire investigation or how it could possibly end. The deviant detective was feeling the immense pressure that stems from handling such an important and historic investigation, and he knew from personal experience how one little mistake could unravel the entire case in a way that could allow a guilty person to walk free.

"Since we can't really do anything about the investigation right now, we should take a break." The protective Lieutenant insisted as he corrected his posture and grabbed his empty mug with a firm grip. "By which I mean, you're going to go take it easy back at the house while I use my personal connections to get some insight into this active investigation. I want you to stay away from the feds until they're all locked up or out of the city, got it?"

"Stay away? I can't do that." The very idea of standing idle why others worked on the investigation caused Lucas to tense up anxiously where he sat. "This case is far too important for me to not be an active part of it from beginning to end. I have to handle this case, Hank. I need to do it for my people."

"Son, this shit is getting really-"

"It's been dangerous since the beginning. I'm not going to back down or walk away now." Being adamant in his decision, Lucas rose from his seat and excused himself from their ongoing and seemingly eternal break. "I'm going to gather statements from the deviants who had been sent to the recycling camps and survived their ordeal from the night of the Revolution. Their testimony can help guarantee Perkins is adequately punished for his crimes."

"Those deviants have refused to talk to any cops despite the recycling camps being deemed entirely illegal and cruel." Hank quickly tagged on as he accompanied Lucas into the bullpen as the determined deviant headed toward the precinct's front doors. "If you can get them to finally tell their stories and reveal what happened inside those camps, that'd be an amazing advancement in our overall investigation."

"Then I won't fail to get their statements. I'll be out at New Jericho Tower until further notice."

"I'll give ya' a ride out there."

"Thank you, but I'll be fine on my own." Lucas insisted on handling his own assignment without Hank being involved. The deviant detective was determined to prove to himself that he didn't need to rely on Hank to handle a simple investigation. "I can take an autonomous cab out to the isle. I'd also like to point out that many deviants are still wary of humans, and they may not respond positively to your presence."

"Right, yeah. Good point." The protective man didn't want to let Lucas out of his sight even for one moment, but he knew that Lucas was smart and could handle himself in a tense situation. He needed to show Lucas that he was trusted and try to convince the deviant that he wasn't as worried about the F.B.I.'s activities as he truly was in order to keep Lucas from becoming too afraid to continue the investigation. "Contact me when you have some statements, and then we'll build a second file to tag on and strengthen our evidence against Perkins. Sound good?"

"Yes, that is acceptable." After slipping on his white leather jacket Lucas cybernetically hailed an autonomous can and proceeded to head toward the precinct's front entrance to begin his own personal investigation. "I'll reach out to you as soon as I have anything definitive to work with."

The idea of Lucas going out on his own made Hank nervous. He didn't want to see the deviant get in over his head or intimidated out of doing the right thing by anyone for any reason. The man's experience as a detective told him to keep his guard up and to always keep an eye on Lucas.

"Reed?" Needing a distraction Hank focused on the younger detective as he sulked behind his desk with his head in his hand. The abrasive detective had been virtually silent since his probation had been enacted. "We're up for our patrol. Move it."

Gavin barely responded to Hank as he looked up at the Lieutenant with glassy eyes. Despite being given a second chance Gavin was still acting as if he was about to marched to the gallows. With a recently grown and unkempt beard, shaggy hair that needed a proper cut and an exhausted facade, Gavin's internal struggles were blatantly plastered all over his face.

"I'm driving." Hank stated firmly as he motioned to the front entrance with a pointed thumb over his shoulder. "And I'm choosing the radio stations, no arguments."

There was no reason to speak as Gavin had nothing to say. Standing up slowly Gavin just crossed his arms over his chest as he prepared to brace for the cold air waiting for him outside and trudged along after Hank without a single protest to his assignment.

Seeing Gavin so meek and defeated actually made Hank feel sorry for the younger detective. Normally having Gavin quiet and cooperative would've been a massive success in Hank's eyes, but now it looked far more pitiful than he could ever describe. It was as if Gavin was truly broken by his own past mistakes and was suffering in a truly painful manner.

As the two detectives stepped out of the precinct and into the brisk December air Hank felt a chill creep up his spine that had nothing to do with the weather. It was as if his instincts as an experienced detective were trying to warn him of an impending disaster that he couldn't quite identify.


Riverside Park

Needing a moment to think without being too isolated from the rest of the city, Connor made his way out to the peaceful park and stared out at the Detroit River flowing beneath the Ambassador Bridge in the distance. Wearing his usual disguise made the deviant vigilante feel all the more out of place since he could see only a false face looking back at him whenever he glanced down at his reflection on the surface of the dark churning water of the river just a few feet beneath where he was standing. The blond hair barely visible under the black beanie, the fake glasses and the entirely humanoid fashion of clothing made Connor look so much like an average human being that he felt like he was lying to himself about his own identity.

Living a life in the shadows was beginning to take a toll on Connor's mental health. The deviant was becoming increasingly lonely with each passing night. Seeing and hearing the social lifestyle of the deviants out in New Jericho Tower just a few hundred yards from his own lighthouse and witnessing direct interactions in the city itself only seemed to magnify Connor's sense of isolation.

Despondently Connor looked away from his reflection on the water and cybernetically reached out to Markus knowing that the deviant leader would be made aware of Nero's murder at the hands of a corrupt F.B.I. agent. It was important to keep his ally in the loop regarding the dangerous political landscape that had formed within Detroit even if he couldn't actually meet with Markus in person to talk to him face to face.

'Are you staying out on Belle Isle as I had suggested?' Connor asked curiously as he continued to observe the very limited number of cars passing over the bridge in the distance. Ever since the assassination, access to the Canadian border had become very restricted. 'Despite no one outside of our very small group of trusted allies knowing of your intentions to run for mayor, I believe you'd be better off remaining on the isolated isle for your own safety.'

'I'm only going to remain here for the day, then I must return to my home to be with Carl.' Markus's love for his father overrode any fear that he might have regarding an assassination attempt aimed in his personal direction. 'Carl's home has had its security increased ever since the incident with Leo, and because of Carl's steadily declining health. I know that North, Simon, Josh, Lucy and Skye can handle everything here without my constant direct input.'

'I strongly suggest that you limit your traveling to only moving between the isle and Mr. Manfred's residence until the F.B.I. have vacated the city.'

'Considering how audacious they've been with their behavior as of late, I suspect that your caution is entirely warranted.' As the leader of the deviants Markus knew it was important to remain visible to his people as much as possible, and he proceeded to stroll around the tower without any sign of fear on his face. 'How long do you think they'll stay in the city?'

'It's difficult to determine any kind of timeframe.' Connor leaned heavily against the metal railing barring direct access to the river as it flowed alongside the lovely public park. 'I can only imagine that they'll try to leave as soon as they can to avoid any further scrutiny. According to Lucas, agent Perkins - the very agent who led the Raid on Jericho and approved of the recycling camps - is connected to the assassination and being kept on house arrest in a local hotel.'

'It seems like the F.B.I. is more concerned with keeping one agent out of sight and out of mind than they are with actually doing their jobs.'

'Agreed.' Slowly Connor stepped away from the railing and began walking along the river with his hands casually tucked into his pockets as he took in the sight of the city employees now adorning the area with decorative lights and ribbons for the upcoming holidays. 'I imagine that Perkins had forged paperwork permitting him to handle the mayoral investigation as a means of hiding his own connections to the mayor, and now the F.B.I. Director is trying to cover-up this error on their bureau's part.'

'That's what Lucas theorized.' Markus confirmed that he was in fact keeping in touch with Lucas and was true to his word in allowing the deviant to wander through New Jericho Tower without any restrictions or discrimination. 'He's been attempting to get the deviants who survived being condemned to the recycling camps to tell their stories.'

'He wants to collect additional evidence against Perkins.' Connor deduced sharply with that single statement. 'That's a very wise move on his part.'

'He's still in the tower. With Josh's help he's been able to talk to a few of the survivors during their group therapy sessions.'

'Thank you for treating Lucas like he belongs in the tower and isn't a threat.' Connor's own personal experience with seeing the fear and hatred in the eyes of his own people who still viewed him as the 'Deviant Hunter' stung. One benefit to everyone believing that he was dead meant that he was able to escape such a painful, judgmental gaze on a regular basis. 'Even after reassuring him that he hadn't done anything wrong and that he was merely behaving according to his programming, he still feels immense guilt for what had happened.'

'He has no reason to feel guilty, neither do you. I'm just grateful that you were able to get him out of the tower and awaken him when you did.'

'Thank Lucy. She knew that I was nearby and that I could physically restrain him.' Despite his willingness to trust other people Connor still wanted to keep his safe haven of the lighthouse entirely secret. 'Be sure to keep the isle on lockdown until further notice. If the F.B.I. is willing to murder a prime suspect inside of a secured and occupied police precinct, then they'd undoubtedly attempt to swarm Belle Isle an effort to execute any deviants who could condemn them for their actions.'

'We'll resecure the tower once Lucas finishes his interviews.' From where he was walking Markus could see the opened community area on the ground floor and watched as Lucas compassionately spoke to several survivors to get their statements. There was no denying that Lucas was a purehearted deviant and belonged with his people. 'What about you? Are you safe?'

'Considering everyone believes that I'm dead and wouldn't look twice at a human wandering the city, yes, I'm currently safe.' Connor set foot on the sidewalk leading into the park and began his way back to Belle Isle. He had no further business in the city and decided it was time to get some rest. 'I'll meet Lucas at the drive to the isle so we can speak in person and compare notes. I know that he can handle this investigation and prevent our people from being denied justice.'

'You're right. I'll speak to you again soon, take care, my friend.'

Connor hesitated for a moment as he contemplated how Markus referred to him as a friend, but soon responded kindly. 'You do the same. I'll be in touch.'

The bright morning made it difficult to see the darkness swarming all throughout Detroit. If there hadn't been a palpable tension smothering the city and making the citizens feel edgy, then no one would've known that anything was amiss. Even the media's deplorable efforts to stir up commotion as much as possible in the name of ratings couldn't do the controversy enough justice. Having the F.B.I. murdering the mayor and then trying to cover up the assassination was something that'd go down infamously in the city's history and actually overshadow the global impact of the peaceful deviant Demonstration and Revolution simply because people tended to cling more to negative stories than anything positive.

With his hands still in his pockets Connor made his way out to Belle Isle on foot. During the day Connor was just another everyday citizen in Detroit who was just trying to go about his life and make the best of things. But at night, Connor could flourish and unleash the true potential of being one of the most advanced androids ever designed by CyberLife and fight for true justice for the weak, the innocent and the deserving.

The looming holidays only made the situation feel all the more tense as people struggled to find something good to celebrate while trying to go back to a familiar life that had been permanently changed all thanks to a single historic night and an army of determined deviants who just wanted their freedom. What other historic moments were just waiting to unfold could only be speculated as time ticked forward at an unending, fickle pace.


The Isolated Drive: Belle Isle

The tension smothering the city didn't spare Belle Isle or New Jericho Tower. Then again, it was hard to differentiate the tension from the political debacle and the F.B.I. presence from the tension that cowering deviants emitted whenever they saw Lucas - the 'RK-900' who had publicly attempted to murder Markus in cold blood due to his initial programming - wandering freely through their secured sanctuary. It didn't help matters that even most of the deviant leaders were leery of Lucas's presence. Despite the confidence and warm welcome that Markus had given Lucas when he initially arrived, the inhabitants of New Jericho were going to remain on their guard while in the presence of anyone who had direct ties to CyberLife or to the police.

Lucas managed to convince only four deviants to tell their stories of being rounded up from Jericho after the Raid and being forcibly transported to the recycling camp out at Hart Plaza. While it didn't seem like a major accomplishment the four interviews were in fact an invaluable piece of evidence. They were four more pieces of evidence that could put Perkins away for life, and it could possibly encourage other deviants to come forward with their own stories that needed to be told.

Mindful of the remaining ice underfoot Lucas walked down the lone drive connecting Belle Isle to the rest of the city and watched as the towering concrete barricade automatically lowered itself into the surface of the asphalt to allow him to pass over. The moment he was on the other side of the barricade it rose back up behind the deviant and continued to protect the isle and bar passage from anyone who wasn't a verified ally to New Jericho and its people. It was as if the towering concrete monoliths were reminding Lucas that while he could access the isle, he'd never be a trusted or welcome figure among his own people.

"The deviants who were terrorized and traumatized by Perkins are struggling to just find the words to express their experiences. How could anyone with even the faintest concept of emotions willingly and purposely do that to another living being?"

The very notion of intentionally bringing pain and suffering to another person left Lucas feeling physically ill. The guilt he still felt for attacking Markus despite being a mindless machine still gave him the occasional nightmare. How anyone could in good conscience continue to live their lives as if their hostile behaviors and decisions didn't have such a drastic impact on the world around them was an absolute mystery.

Lucas reached the end of the drive and noticed someone slowly walking in his direction. At first, he was on his guard, but soon he relaxed once he recognized the approaching human as a friend and ally.

"Connor." Meeting with Connor along the walkway just outside the drive, Lucas greeted his friend with a relieved grin. An idling autonomous cab just down the street created a low ambience that echoed down the mostly vacant area. "I'm glad to see you. I was worried that because you had reported the assassination that you had been targeted and might be in danger."

"Perkins only knows that the vigilante reported the murder, but he still doesn't know who I am or how to find me." Connor's sharp eyes fell on Lucas's L.E.D. as he noticed that the little light had settled on an anxious yellow hue. Any color beyond blue was one for concern when it came to deviants. "I'm safe as of the moment. I'm more worried about you."

"Me?" Lucas was about to ask for clarification but didn't need to after he trailed Connor's line of sight to his right temple. The damnable L.E.D. always betrayed what a deviant felt in their heart when they wanted to pretend that there wasn't any emotional turmoil or confusion tearing them apart. "I'm all right, I'm just overwhelmed by the intense emotional responses that I received from the deviants I interviewed. It's difficult to comprehend such extreme emotions sometimes."

"Emotions are very complex, there's no denying it." Connor immediately thought of his previous night's discussion with Hank at Hart Plaza. It was difficult to speak to the man without giving away his identity or revealing too many details that would've jeopardized his efforts to remain nameless and faceless as the vigilante. "I've recently experienced by own emotional challenges as of late. May I ask how you and Hank are connected to the investigation into Nero's assassination?"

"Hank has requested that we keep our distance from the investigation for the time being. He's worried about potential retaliation against my person just for being a deviant."

"I fear his caution is warranted."

"How so?"

"The abundance of F.B.I. personnel and their disregard for discretion tells me that they're desperate to destroy evidence." The sound of a police drone passing by overhead drew Connor's gaze to the sky above. He visually trailed the drone and noted that the police had altered their usual patrol routes. "Interesting. Normally police drones don't patrol this street until after sunset."

"Captain Fowler requested additional drones at the precinct as well. The number of drones actively patrolling Detroit has doubled."

"That is an understandable reaction." Returning his focus to Lucas standing before him Connor noted the idling cab a few yards away and wondered who had hailed the cab and what they were doing in the area. "What of your own patrols? Have they become limited?"

"I've been barred from patrols until the F.B.I. vacates the city. Hank is currently on patrol with Detective Reed."

"That's reassuring." The notion of two clean detectives who couldn't be bribed patrolling the city gave Connor the confidence to believe that Detroit wasn't entirely corrupt. "Detective Reed has been given a second chance to redeem himself after his mistake. Everyone deserves a second chance to prove that they can learn from their mistakes and grow into a better person."

"Agreed. One moment..." Lucas's brow knitted for a heartbeat as he received an incoming cybernetic call from Hank requiring his immediate attention. "Yes, Hank. I'm free to talk."

'Hey, son. Got some news for ya'.' The Lieutenant sounded as confident as ever as he continued his patrol with Gavin at his side. 'Director Jayden is personally watching over Perkins in his hotel room, and Jayden's identified the agent who pulled the trigger on Nero down in the holding cell. A former police Lieutenant from Pittsburg Pennsylvania, and a former associate of Jayden himself, Agent Carter Blake. He's the one who took out Nero.'

"Agent Carter Blake." Speaking out loud and cybernetically, Lucas kept Connor in the loop while focusing on Hank at the same time. "What was his connection to Director Jayden?"

'I was hoping you could do the research for me. I get the feeling you can do that a hell of a lot quicker, easier and without needing to worry about another crooked cop snitchin' on ya'. It's way harder to check an android's personal search history compared to checking on a precinct terminal.'

"Understood. One moment, please." Lucas cybernetically delved into the man's background while Connor did the same. The two deviant detectives reached the same conclusion and knew that Nero's connections had indeed reached far and wide. "Carter was arguably humiliated by Jayden when Jayden succeeded in identifying and apprehending the infamous 'Origami Killer', later identified as Scott Shelby, back in 2009 when Shelby was in the midst of another killing spree."

'Yup. Word is that Jayden offered Blake a cushy job in the bureau when he heard that Blake was having a hard time restoring his reputation after he failed where Jayden succeeded.' It was clear Hank had done his own homework on the man before he contacted Lucas. 'It turns out Blake was waiting for an opportunity to lash out at Jayden and get some personal revenge on the man even after Jayden did him a major favor.'

"Carter Blake has a confirmed history of assault and battery, intimidation tactics, abuse of power, framing innocent people to pad his arrest record, slander, extortion, corruption, conspiracy, wrongful imprisonment, harassment, vandalism and even vigilantism among another myriad of self-destructive tendencies."

Connor held his tongue as he too researched the man who had been confirmed as the gunman who had murdered Nero. Considering Blake has a sordid reputation of physically intimidating suspects and even witnesses, it was no surprise that he'd stoop so low as to murder a man who couldn't defend himself to keep that man from testifying in open court.

"It seems that Blake went by the alias of 'Scott Shelby' - the name of the very serial killer that he had failed to stop - and that name is on the mayor's list of cohorts that he wanted to blackmail." The motivation had been uncovered and now Lucas as well as Connor understood the cause for the brutal murder. "Blake was the connection between Nero and Perkins. He's the reason that Perkins was able to run wild during the F.B.I.'s initial visit to the city."

'And now Blake is going to sing like a bird in order to save his ass from death row.' Hank confirmed as he brought Lucas up to speed. 'While on patrol me and Gavin went to the hotel to speak with Jayden in person, and Jayden confirmed that Blake is more concerned with saving his own ass than anything else and will be happy to throw Perkins under the bus when the trial begins. Apparently, Blake was supposed to kill Nero after Perkins disabled the precinct's security cameras, and then taser the two cops guarding the cell then taser himself to make it look like all three had been jumped by a fake killer. Perkins just drove off and left Blake alone to take the fall on his own.'

"Perkins set Blake up and now Blake wants revenge. That seems like an advantage in our favor. Even so, we should remain cautious while Perkins is still in the city despite being on lockdown." As he spoke Lucas began walking away from the drive and aimed to cross the street to venture deeper into the city. The idling cab suddenly turned on its headlights in automatic response to a person walking in front of the vehicle. "There are more deviants who will testify against Perkins once I can convince them to talk. They're hiding all over the city, but I know that I can find them."

'Just be careful, son. A lot of times victims that go through something that traumatic can become a little unstable and hostile once anything regarding the source of their trauma is mentioned.' There was no denying that Hank was speaking from his own personal experience and could see from the corner of his eye as he spoke that Gavin shifted uncomfortably where he sat in response to his words. 'I don't want to see you get hurt for trying to do the right thing.'

"I'll be very cautious." Lucas promised as he prepared to end the call with Hank and speak to him again later. "I'll talk to you once I've finished collecting my next round of interviews. I'll see you in a few hours."

Connor could only enviously listen in on the conversation as he pined to have direct contact with another person as he set about his own investigations during the night. Speaking with Lucas about their mutual interest in specific investigations could only do so much to placate his need to socialize, and he didn't want to put Abby at risk by bringing the kindhearted technician into a dangerous situation by mistake. Even with Lucy living in New Jericho Tower on the same isle as his lighthouse wasn't enough to quell his sense of mounting loneliness.

The life of a vigilante was truly alienating.

"Connor?" Lucas turned to look at the disguised deviant standing on the sidewalk a few feet behind him. When Connor made eye contact Lucas spoke up again. "I know that you're trying to keep a low profile, but I could use your help. Can you assist me with finding additional deviants who survived the recycling camps?"

"The deviants may not take kindly to seeing someone who appears to be human asking about such a horrid event." Connor replied honestly as he remained on the sidewalk and didn't notice the autonomous cab pulling away from the side of the street and angling itself in Lucas's direction. "I want to help, but I-"

The screeching sound of tires filled the air just seconds before the autonomous tax barreled down the street at an unnerving speed. The front bumper smashed into Lucas's right side, causing the deviant's body to bend to an uncomfortable, painful angle to wrap down against the hood of the car. Lucas's right temple, cheek and eye smashed against the glass of the windshield with enough force to break the window and send tiny shards of needle thin glass all over the street. Seconds after being struck by the speeding taxi Lucas's body crumpled and rolled up and over the front of the taxi, only to roll off the side of the car's roof and land hard on the unforgiving pavement with an echoing 'thud' on his right side.

Everything happened so quickly that in Connor's eyes he had been forced to watch the impact in slow motion.

The speeding taxi suddenly lost control after striking Lucas and skidded out of control on the icy street and only stopped when the vehicle struck a lamppost on the corner. The metal post shuddering with a 'groaning' echo after the bumper damaged the fixture and caused the glass of the lightbulb overhead to shatter after being shook so violently by the impact. The engine sputtered then stopped as oil began to slow drip down out of the mangled vehicle's hood.

"L-Lucas?!"

Connor sprinted toward the limp body lying in the middle of the street just as the patrolling police drones returned to the area and began recording the accident while reporting the car accident to dispatch. Two of the drones were circling above Connor as he dropped to his knees and ran his hands along Lucas's head, neck and back while simultaneously running a cybernetic scan over the deviant's system to determine how severely he'd been damaged. Another drone was circling above the wrecked taxi to monitor the destroyed vehicle.

"Lucas, wake up for me!"

The pleading in Connor's words matched the shaking of his hands. Very gently Connor rolled Lucas from his side and onto his back to look at the deviant's face. The amount of Thirium smearing over Lucas's face confirmed that he had taken a massive impact to his head, namely around his right eye, and had his L.E.D. destroyed after he had been struck. The impact had damaged the side paneling along Lucas's chest, dislocated his right shoulder, broken his right arm just above and below his elbow, and broken all of his fingers on his right hand. It was also evident that Lucas's right leg had been dislocated from his hip joint, causing the leg to rest at an uncomfortable angle.

"Damn it... Lucas?!"

Connor shouted as he made a move to press his fingertips to Lucas's L.E.D., only to remember that it no longer existed. Instead, he chose to press his palm down flat against the center of Lucas's chest to manually monitor his vital signs.

"Please wake up! You need to talk to me!"

A weak cough escaped Lucas's lips causing a small splatter of Thirium to erupt out of his bloodied mouth. The damaged deviant could only open his left eye, and even so, the white of the ocular relay unit had turned black while his gray iris turned a glassy, opaque sky blue color.

"Lucas." Fear was evident in Connor's voice. The sight of Lucas being struck and horribly damaged by the speeding taxi made Connor feel suddenly and violently ill to his stomach. "Talk to me. I need you to respond."

"I... I-I'm here." Lucas's voice was marred by an electronic reverb that made his words sound all the more pitiful and weak. "It... It hurts."

"I know! I know..." Connor kept his palm in place and felt Lucas's heart thundering under his touch. Every so often an irregular beat echoed under Connor's hand and confirmed that Lucas's system was struggling to function after suffering such severe damage. "Just remain awake for me. I'm going to get you some help."

"N-Nowhere... to go." Even while in horrible pain and suffering from numerous internal injuries, Lucas was still coherent enough to recognize his limited options. "I c-can't go to... the tower. N-Not enough... s-supplies. Pr-Precinct can't h-h-handle this... level of d-damage either."

"Then I'm going to take you to the Zeta Facility, and I'm going to take you there myself." Connor sent out a cybernetic signal requesting another autonomous taxi to the scene while he sent a distress call out to Abby begging her to go to the facility. It was the only way to save Lucas from permanent damage and shutdown. "You need to trust me on this. I will save you."

"A-Always... trusted you." Lucas's eye began to droop shut as a steady stream of Thirium oozed from the corner of his mouth to collect in a puddle beneath his bloodied, aching head. "T-Tell Hank that I... I'm p-proud to... be his partner a-and honored... to be h-his friend."

"You'll tell Hank that yourself once you've been repaired and you're recovering." Connor promised as he shrugged off his own coat and draped it over Lucas to try to help him feel a little warmer while lying on the icy street and actively losing his own blood. "Just hang on. The cab will be here soon, and Dr. Grayson will take care of you. As will I."

"Th-Thank you." A weak smile graced Lucas's lips as he looked up at Connor for as long as he could remain conscious. "Y-You're a good... friend. S-Sometimes I think you're m-more like family... to me."

"Then that's what we are." The sight of the approaching autonomous cab renewed Connor's desire to save Lucas's life and gave him the energy he needed to scoop Lucas up from the street to hold in his arms before placing him in the back of the idling vehicle. He felt Lucas's body go limp as he lost consciousness again. "We're family, Lucas. And family looks out for one another."


Downtown Detroit: Hart Plaza

What should've been a quiet afternoon quickly devolved into a panic induced nightmare for Hank. Just as the Lieutenant was about to return to the precinct to give Captain Fowler an update on his own investigation into the mayor's assassination as well as the F.B.I.'s involvement in the murder, dispatch confirmed that there was an incident just outside of Belle Isle revolving around a deviant android and an autonomous taxi. The circling police drones were able to record and confirm the identity of the victim and quickly relayed the information to the police for their own personal records. The moment Hank realized that Lucas had been struck by the speeding vehicle and was on the verge of shutdown, he turned the Oldsmobile away from the direction of the precinct and sped to the Zeta Facility. Fortunately, one of the police drones trailed after the second cab after Connor carefully put Lucas inside of the vehicle to be transported and was able to confirm the location of the damaged deviant in real time.

Hank had a white knuckled grip on the steering wheel as he made his way to the facility to check in on Lucas with his own eyes. The man knew that the Android Emergency Care Facilities were designated as emergency care clinics for androids and were designed to emulate a hospital setting, but even so, he was too worried about Lucas to even try to consider the fact that Lucas was actively in the care of a technician and being helped.

Gavin wasn't sure what to say about the emergency situation. He didn't particularly hate Lucas, although he didn't consider the deviant to be a friend either. It was hard to dislike Lucas considering he had saved Gavin from his own suicide attempt, took care of his apartment and his pet kitten, and had managed to keep the true nature behind Gavin's previous hospitalization a secret. The deviant was a good guy even if Gavin didn't want to admit it.

The moment the Oldsmobile reached the Zeta Facility parking lot Hank slammed down on the brakes threw off his seatbelt. The preoccupied man didn't even notice that Gavin had to reach over and shift the Oldsmobile properly into park to keep the car from rolling away. As soon as he muscled open the front doors of the still fully inactive facility, Hank found himself standing in the middle of a dimly lit and entirely vacant waiting area. To say it was eerie would've been an understatement.

"Lucas?"

Hank's voice echoed off the clean, bare walls with an unnerving resonance. Refusing to stand idle and wait for someone to magically appear and give him some answers, Hank marched across the waiting room and passed through the large set of doors separating the main corridor from the front of the building. Without any idea of where he was supposed to go Hank marched down the corridor and didn't stop until he saw a light shining beneath a set of doors at the far end of the corridor where he could also hear a pair of voices speaking to one another.

"Lucas!?"

Calling out again Hank made his way to the doors only to be stopped by an electronic lock barring access to anyone who wasn't a properly registered employee within the facility. He tried pressing his hand over the lock, but he didn't have the biometric clearance to enter the room. As he stood outside the locked door Hank put his hands to his hips and glanced about the area in search of inspiration of what to do next. It was then he noticed a large observation window overlooking the interior of the locked room and Hank immediately walked over to the window and peered through the glass.

"Oh, shit... Lucas."

On the other side of the window was the emergency repair bay where Lucas had been taken for treatment. The heavily damaged deviant had three wireless leads secured to his chest and synched to a nearby Thirial activity monitor, and he was laying over the supportive exam table with only a white sheet draped over his body to spare his modesty as a familiar female technician wearing purple scrubs held some type of digital screen up and over Lucas's head to scan the damage to the right side of his face. A second person, a young blond male wearing dark red scrubs, black rimmed glasses and a paper surgical mask over his face, was carefully cleaning the numerous bleeding cuts all along Lucas's body with some kind of bright orange liquid and clean white gauze.

"Hey!?" Hank shouted loud enough that his muffled voice carried through the glass and caught the male's attention. Through the glass Hank saw their eyes widen as they fought to keep their attention on Lucas under his care and off of Hank. "I'm a detective! Lucas is-"

Swearing to himself Hank pulled his badge from his pocket and pressed his shield up against the window to prove that he wasn't a threat and wanted to know what was happening to his partner and friend.

"My name is Lieutenant Hank Anderson, and I-"

'I remember you. I'm Abby Grayson, the E.M.T. you interviewed after I was rescued from a fire by the vigilante.' Abby confirmed as she turned to look out the window and pressed a small receiver button on the nearby wall. It allowed her to communicate far more clearly with people on the other side of the window without needing to yell. 'Hank, I'm too busy assessing Lucas's condition to give you an update right now. Just sit in the waiting room.'

"No fuckin' way!" Hank refused to move as he slipped his badge back into his pocket. By then Gavin had tracked him down and was standing beside him with a horrified look on his face as he saw Lucas's bloody body through the window. "I'm not leaving him alone!"

'Then stand in the hallway as long as you like but stop talking to me.' The technician practically ordered as she worked with her unexpected assistant to keep Lucas from shutting down and succumbing to his damage. 'I need to concentrate right now.'

Gavin finally spoke up and briefly patted the side of Hank's shoulder with his palm to get his attention. "She's right. There's nothing you can do to help Lucas right now. Just stay close by and talk to him once he's awake again."

As much as Hank wanted to argue and shove Gavin away, he couldn't do it. He couldn't deny that Gavin was right about everything. There was nothing that Hank could actually do considering he wasn't a technician and only knew the basics of emergency first aid for humans. He couldn't even hazard a guess as to what could be done to help Lucas after he had been battered by the speeding taxi.

"Come on." Gavin gave Hank's shoulder a quick tug as he led the man away from the observation window and over to a row of chairs to sit down. "We can wait right here for everything to finish. I'll even call Fowler and-"

"No. I'll talk to Fowler; you just stay here and help me make sure that no one else tries to fuck with Lucas." Hank nearly growled as he refused to let Gavin even try to help him out. "Got it?"

"Yeah, sure." Slumping down in his chair Gavin crossed his arms over his chest and prepared for a long wait for an update. "I have nothing else going on anyway."

Within the emergency repair bay Abby turned off the intercom so that she and Connor could speak without Hank eavesdropping on what was being discussed. Abby could tell by the way Connor reacted upon noticing Hank's presence that he was desperate to keep his identity concealed without leaving Lucas behind to suffer.

"Don't worry, he can't hear us." Abby reassured her friend and temporary assistant as she returned her full focus to Lucas. The deviant detective was drifting in and out of consciousness despite sustaining such a brutal head injury. "Lucas, we're going to turn off your external pain receptors while we work on your damage. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Y-Yes." Lucas took in a deep shuddering breath that made the fractured frames along the side of his chest shift slightly. There was a horribly dark blue bruise all along the fractures since the damage caused the Thirium lines beneath to begin leaking at a slow pace. "I... I u-understand."

It pained Connor to hear Lucas's shaking words. Doing his best Connor cleaned up the opened wounds along Lucas's body and used the orange incrassation compound to stem the bleeding. Only when Lucas couldn't feel any pain to his broken body did Connor even try to set each of the breaks in Lucas's arm and fingers before securing the damaged limb in a plastimetal splint.

"Your right arm was dislocated at your shoulder joint, the arm itself broken in two places, and all five of your fingers were broken along the joints." Speaking softly Abby kept Lucas up to date on his own condition since she knew that he was unable to run a self-diagnostic over his own system. Lightly Abby used her audioscope to listen to his chest as Lucas struggled to ventilate properly. "The breaks have been realigned, and your arm will be popped back into the joint soon. We'll do the same to your right femur when the hip joint's been stablized."

"M-My eye." As he spoke Lucas licked at the drying blue blood on his lips and didn't flinch when Abby gently used her gloved thumb to wipe the blood away as he spoke. "I... I c-can't see out of it."

"Your right ocular relay unit was completely destroyed by the impact. I can reverse engineer an identical replacement during your recovery." Lifting up the audioscope Abby draped the instrument around her neck and eyed the Thirium pressure cuff secured around Lucas's left bicep. The deviant's Thirium pressure and his volume were getting uncomfortably low. "Your right ventilation biocomponent isn't functioning fully, so when I put you in stasis mode to give your internal biocomponents a visual assessment, I'll have to put you on an external ventilator to keep your core cool. Understand?"

"Y-Yes." Lucas let out a small, pained grunt despite having his external pain sensors disabled. It seemed his internal damage was too potent to be ignored, and having his external sensors disabled only amplified his internal discomfort. "Dr. Grayson... m-my abdominal area is... v-very painful. It... It h-hurts to even... breathe."

Connor's soulful brown eyes widened with worry as he put his palm down on Lucas's hair and waited for Abby to examine Lucas's abdomen. Discreetly Connor slipped up the glove covering his palm and pressed his now exposed plastimetal hand to Lucas's head to directly connect with his system. A sudden jolt of pain shot through his own abdomen stealing Connor's breath and causing his eyes to water empathetically.

"Thirium pump regulator." Connor managed to gasp as he pulled his hand back and returned his glove to its proper place. The Thirial activity monitor that was recording Lucas's vitals began to screech as the deviant's vital signs began to deteriorate. "It's begun leaking Thirium within its internal chamber housing the main Thirial line. It'll need extensive repairs."

"Shit, okay." Taking in a deep breath Abby prepared for an internal repair procedure that'd require a lot of patience and delicate work to pull off. "Lucas, we're going to put you in stasis mode right now. We're going to give insert an external Thirium line and ventilator down your throat, but you won't feel a thing."

Inconspicuously, Connor took hold of Lucas's undamaged hand in his own and held tight. There was no denying that Connor was intensely worried for the deviant and didn't want Lucas to be afraid of what was happening to him.

"Michael." Despite knowing that Hank couldn't hear them talking anymore, Abby still addressed Connor by his alias just in case Hank was watching more closely than she was expecting and could possibly read her lips through the window. "I'll need you to help me with the repairs. I'm entirely unfamiliar with Lucas's model, and you're the only one who can make sure that I'm not making any mistakes."

"I understand." Connor continued to hold Lucas's hand until Abby finally placed the damaged deviant into stasis mode to spare him any further discomfort by gently pressing an electronic device to Lucas's right temple. Only then Connor reluctantly let go of Lucas's hand and prepared for the emergency repair procedure. "I'll cybernetically monitor is condition and guide you through the procedure based on what his system diagnostic is telling me."


Two long hours passed by at such a slow pace that Hank felt as if he had entered a horrific purgatory designed just to test his patience. The man had no choice but to keep waiting and watching through the window for an update on Lucas's horrific condition. The only details that he had learned of the accident came from the police drones that were at the scene just outside Belle Isle and recording the area. Having the visual recording of 'Michael' rushing from the sidewalk and to Lucas's aid, tending to his injuries, and then carefully placing Lucas into the back of a second autonomous taxi did very little to ease his worries. The amount of Thirium Lucas lost at the scene and mangled image of the wrecked taxi only made Hank feel sick.

Gavin had been given more details thanks to Tina keeping him apprised of the investigation. Only when he read that the autonomous taxi didn't malfunction and run down Lucas in a freak accident did he find the courage to speak up and tell Hank the details that the man deserved to know. There was far more to the accident and those details were enough to put both detectives on edge.

"The autonomous taxi had been carjacked?" Hank repeated incredulously as he paced back and forth before the observation window with his arms defensively crossed over his chest. He had every reason to be edgy and he wasn't going to let his guard down until he could check in with Lucas personally. "Who's the fucker that carjacked the damn taxi?"

"Tina said that she and Lance arrested the carjacker shortly after Lucas was taken from the scene. Get this," as he spoke Gavin double-checked the text on his phone to ensure he didn't misspeak by mistake. "fingerprints and photo identification confirm that the carjacker is Benjamin Perkins."

"...Perkins."

"Yeah, Richard, or DICK'S," despite his own foul disposition Gavin couldn't stop himself from getting the obvious insult in. "own son is the one who ran Lucas down."

"Son of a fuckin' bitch!"

"Director Jayden immediately asked for Fowler to lock the brat up and have his phone calls monitored closely." Gavin confirmed in a cynical tone as he watched Abby finally close up Lucas's abdomen and begin cleaning the damaged deviant up to begin what was sure to be lengthy recovery process. "This little stunt has guaranteed that Perkins is going to burn."

Stopping abruptly Hank peered directly through the window and watched as Abby and her assistant carefully and meticulously bandaged of Lucas's broken body, secured his relocated arm in a supporting sling against his repaired abdomen while the limb recalibrated itself, put his right leg in a splint, and kept his missing right eye covered under thick gauze wrappings. The fact that Lucas was still alive was a truly amazing feat in the tired Lieutenant's bloodshot eyes.

Abby sighed, glanced up at Hank watching her through the window, and rubbed her hand along the back of her tense neck as she approached the repair bay door. She finally stepped outside the secured room to talk to Hank while Connor, still hidden under scrubs, glasses and a surgical mask, carefully wheeled the gurney holding Lucas's body out of the repair bay and to a private recovery room just down the hallway. When Hank attempted to follow after Lucas to check in with his partner and friend, Abby stepped in between Hank and the gurney to stop him for a minute.

"Lucas is going to be just fine." Abby promised as she gingerly put her palm against the center of Hank's chest to keep him from walking any further. "He's extremely lucky that he got help as soon as he did."

"How bad is it? He looks..." Trailing off slowly Hank watched as Lucas was gingerly wheeled into the recovery room with the second technician remaining loyally by his side. Lucas wasn't moving and the monitor still recording his vital signs showed unnervingly low numbers in yellow tinted digits. "I thought he was already dead when I got here."

It took Abby only a few minutes to relay all of the details regarding Lucas's damage and current condition to the righteously worried Lieutenant. The broken arm, the broken 'ribs', the lost right eye, the dislocated right femur limb and the internal damage to the Thirium pump regulator were all enough to keep Hank on his toes. It seemed as if the gory details were even enough to make Gavin wince sympathetically for Lucas's current plight.

"When can I see him?"

"Very soon." The empathetic technician promised as she remained fully honest with Hank. "Once my assistant gets Lucas situated in his room you can go and see him for as long as you like."

"And why are you even here treating Lucas?" In spite of everything Hank's instincts as a detective told him to keep asking questions, especially about an emergency care facility that wasn't supposed to be operational seemingly being open for business. "This place isn't supposed to open until March."

"It's not fully opened yet." The clarification was accompanied with a tired sigh as Abby began daydreaming about a hot shower to relax her stiff neck muscles. "This facility, the Gamma Facility, and the Delta facility are taking in emergency cases as a form of a trial run before having the facilities open to the public and fully operational. I've been here checking on equipment and my assistant's been helping me with security measures for the past few weeks."

"That's how your assistant knew to bring Lucas here." Hank missed the wide-eyed surprise from Abby as she feared that Hank had figured everything out. "He was the one who saw Lucas get hit and knew exactly where to bring him to get treatment. I'd like to thank your assistant for saving Lucas's life."

"I'm sure he'd appreciate it, but Michael's a little wary of cops."

"Can't say that I blame 'im. At least not while the feds are running wild in the city."

"Don't worry, we have a strict 'No F.B.I. Allowed' policy in effect until further notice."

"Good policy."

"If you're going to stay with Lucas, which you're free to do for as long as you like, you might want to get some coffee first." Lowering her hand from her stiff neck Abby directed Hank toward the facility's breakroom and lounge, and promptly invited him to help himself to some caffeinated salvation. "The coffee won't be the freshest, but it's still hot and helps keep the headaches at bay."

"Yeah, good idea." Turning around slowly Hank looked at Gavin standing quietly against the wall and sighed at the sad sight. He knew that Gavin wanted to be more active in the investigation but simply wasn't permitted to do so. "Reed, stick around for another hour or so to get Doctor... uh..."

"Grayson." Abby answered sharply as she withheld an amused smirk. She couldn't fault Hank for not remembering her name despite her helping Lucas once before in the past inside the Central Precinct's own bullpen. "Dr. Abby Grayson, but you can just call me 'Abby'."

"Right. Get Abby's statement about everything that happened and get a copy of her documentations of Lucas's injuries, then head back to the precinct. If Fowler has a problem with you working solo tell him to come find me so I can show him my ass personally before I tell him to kiss it."

"Uh, sure." As Hank strolled to the lounge and gave his shoulder a single passing pat, Gavin looked to Abby and addressed the woman as professionally as he could. It had been quite some time since Gavin was given the chance to talk to someone who intrigued him in a personal manner. "So, Abby, care to tell me what happened today?"

"In a minute." Turning to peer over her shoulder Abby watched as Connor stepped out of the private recovery room and gave her a subtle nod letting her know that Lucas was comfortable, and that Connor himself was going to be leaving the facility soon. "I need to check on my patient, then I can give you all the information you want, Officer Reed."

"Detective, actually. I'm Detective Gavin Reed." Feeling a little out of place Gavin tried to lighten the mood and seem less gruff than he currently appeared. It was crucial to appear friendly and approachable thanks the F.B.I. making all cops and detectives look corrupt and vicious. "But you can just call me 'Gavin'."

"Gavin it is. I'll talk to you in about five minutes, until then, help yourself to some coffee or tea in the lounge."

"Yeah, sure."

Gavin watched as Abby walked toward her assistant and exchanged whispered words before 'Michael', as he was called, went on his own way. There was something unusually familiar about the blond assistant, but Gavin couldn't put his finger on it. Not that it mattered anyway, since after all, he helped save Lucas's life. However, the way 'Michael' gave him a strange side-eye made Gavin wonder if his poor reputation was going to haunt him forever.

With a heavy drop Gavin returned to his previous seat and silently waited for Abby to return. He may have been stuck on probationary grunt work, but Gavin was going to make sure the work was done properly and that the person who hurt Lucas rotted away in prison for the rest of their miserable life.


The Wemilat Hotel

The carjacking that resulted in the brutal attack on Lucas was the top priority for the Central Precinct and for F.B.I. Director Norman Jayden to personally handle before the case went cold or got out of hand. The hotel had been put on a type of temporary lockdown considering their 'star guest' had managed to cause problems out in the city streets despite being kept secured in a private room on the top floor. While no one could directly link Perkins to his son's actions, no one was going to take any chances and give Perkins the opportunity to orchestrate any other stunts. The hotel room's personal phone had been removed, the internet access had been cut off, and Perkins had himself and his personal possessions thoroughly searched for any kind of communication devices by Jayden himself.

The secured room was being monitored by two F.B.I. agents standing guard outside the locked door while Jayden stayed inside the room to keep a direct eye on Perkins at all times until it was time to fly back out to Washington D.C. and have the man brought up on numerous charges before standing trial. Even a change of city would be unable to spare Perkins from the charges being laid against him by Detroit and its deviant citizens, and in time Perkins would answer for the genocide and calculated murder that he had committed.

The cold December evening quickly turned to night and bathed Detroit in darkness. While Perkins sat in a chair near the window with the curtains drawn and his eyes fixated on Jayden as his superior sat at the desk with his laptop open, he remained blissfully unaware of someone stalking him from outside the hotel. Being on the top floor gave the disgraced agent a misplaced sense of security within the warm, properly lit room.

From outside the window, perched atop the narrow ledge, a masked and very angry vigilante dressed all in black cybernetically monitored everything happening inside of the room. Connor's ability to locate and isolate specific heat signatures and human identities made it a snap for him to locate Perkins's hotel room and observe the man through the window without giving away his presence.

Inside of the room Jayden sighed and rubbed his fingertips against his tired and sore blue eyes before securing his laptop and closing it up. Leaning back in the chair Jayden looked over at Perkins and silently scoffed at how quickly the man threw away his own career because he couldn't handle his own sense of authority and went on a ludicrous power trip.

Norman Jayden was sixty-two years of age, and he was still considered a man of great importance and he was a semi-celebrity in some circles of the world. Slim in build and of a rather tall at six foot two inches in height, the man had a faint scar running vertically along his right cheek, and his previously dark brown hair had lightened with a generous amount of gray streaks running through the aged locks. The man's blue eyes were alert yet fatigued from a long life of hectic work and personal vices getting the better of him far too many times than he'd care to admit.

"Our flight is set for five o'clock in the morning. You better get some sleep and enjoy sleeping on a proper bed for as long as you can." Jayden lamented as he rose from the desk and proceeded to enter the bathroom just a few feet away. His faint New England accent was still prevalent as he spoke due to his prolonged career on the east coast not taking him too far away from home. "I also recommend that you start rehearsing your story before you even get to trial. Your lawyer would appreciate it."

"You know those charges aren't going to stick to me." Perkins replied smugly just as Jayden turned on the bathroom light. "If I go down then the entire bureau takes the hit. Your ego can't handle that type of infamy."

"Uh-huh, I'm not the one with the ego. That was Blake's biggest mistake when he agreed to help you." Jayden returned the smug grin as he prepared to take a hot shower and get some sleep for the night. "If my ego was the case, then I would've been the one handling the deviant Revolution, not you or anyone else. I strongly suggest that you rethink your attitude and think about every word you want to say before you actually say it."

Perkins tried to hide the fact that he was now worried about what could happen to him once the trial commenced, but the fear in his eyes couldn't be denied even as he kept a stoic mask over his face. The man defiantly crossed his arms over his chest and kicked his feet up on the edge of the bed as he watched Jayden enter the bathroom and close the door behind himself. There was no escaping the fact that Perkins had officially ended his own career through arrogance and violence.

Just as the man was about to let his guard down and relent to his future as a felon, he felt a cold breeze pass along his back seconds before a strong, gloved hand that felt like it was made of ice and stone wrapped around his throat and pulled him out of his chair. Perkins grabbed desperately at the hand choking off his air supply as he was pulled through the forced open window and left to dangle over the edge and hang a dangerous fifty-two floors above the unrelenting pavement just over six-hundred feet below.

"Wh-What... FUCK!" Perkins shouted in fear as he kicked his feet and struggled to catch his breath. He looked around frantically then finally peered down at the hand wrapped around his throat and trailed his eyes up the attached arm until he saw the masked face of the vigilante glaring back at him. "HOLY SHIT!"

"Richard Perkins, you're a threat to society." Connor growled in his disguised voice as he easily held the abhorrent excuse of an agent out over the street with just one hand. His other hand was holding tight to the window frame to ensure that neither of them slipped and fell away from the icy surface by mistake. "You've committed genocide, murder, have extorted innocent people, harassed and assaulted innocent people, and you abused your authority. You've even corrupted your own son into committing attempted murder. Give me one good reason to not drop you and spare the citizens further heartache."

"Please! D-Don't!" Perkins begged pathetically as frightened tears rolled down his cheeks. He was left to hang in the dark, snowy air as the people below had no idea that his life could very well end within a few precious seconds. "I have a family!"

"One that you've poisoned with your hatred." As he spoke Connor felt his grip tightening around Perkins's throat and the urge to just squeeze until he felt cartilage crushing under his hand was almost too tempting to resist. "Your own son has been arrested for attempted murder. It's only a matter of time before you're connected to his actions and are found guilty of orchestrating the entire event."

"N-No! It's not-"

Perkins could only gasp as Connor applied more pressure to his throat and cut off his words before he could even try to lie again.

"All I need to do is let go. They'll find your body on the sidewalk and find the window forced open when they come up here to investigate." Connor growled with a noted viciousness that he hadn't shown before. "Your death will be labeled as a tragic suicide to avoid being punished for your crimes, and no one would think twice about it."

"I would." An unexpected third voice chimed in and soon had their hand on Connor's forearm as the deviant actively clung to the window frame. "It's unprofessional of me to admit this, but I agree with what you just said."

Connor turned to look at Jayden and noted that the man wasn't armed and didn't seem at all aggressive. It was almost as if Jayden had been anticipating someone retaliating against Perkins for his numerous crimes.

"This man has disgraced his title and the responsibility of being an agent representing the F.B.I., and he's corrupted several people alongside him." There was no point in trying to deny or sugarcoat the vile truth. "As much as I want to believe that justice will prevail and that he'll receive the appropriate punishment for his crimes, I know that people who have such deep running corruption rarely ever get what they truly deserve."

"A person who commits genocide deserves only death." The raw hatred in Connor's voice was audible even as it was garbled by the electronic reverb of his protective and obstructive mask. "True justice comes from the punishment reflecting the severity of the crime. If Perkins doesn't land on death row, then justice will never be served."

"I won't argue with that one. I have the same mentality whenever I stumble across a sick fucker who preys on kids." Jayden's years of experience allowed him to stay impressively calm under pressure or when in a highly stressful situation. "I get that you don't want to rely on potentially corrupt, if not completely archaic justice system. Deviants have been recognized as living people, but until their rights are fully enacted in March there's a chance that someone with more authority than me could look the other way and let Perkins off the hook."

At that admission Connor's grip tightened even further and Perkins was starting to turn blue from not just the cold but from having his air supply choked off. The man was struggling to shout for help and his fingers were becoming too numb to wrestle out of Connor's strong grip.

"You're the vigilante the city's been gossiping about, right?" Jayden never let his grip on Connor's forearm falter as he spoke to the deviant with respect and patience in every word. "You're also a deviant. I can only guess at what motivated you to become what you are, but I know it's for a good reason that you'll never have to justify to me or anyone else. You have a strong sense of justice too. That's why you're here and are willing to take on the burden of ending a person's life to spare countless other lives from suffering."

"Perkins's death alone would solve many problems." Connor stated coldly as the snowy wind whipped around his head. For the first time in his life, he didn't see all lives as equal to one another. He saw Perkins's life as a burden that had only one means of remedying it. "If I must live the rest of my life with the blood of one guilty man staining my hands, then I'm willing to do just that."

"As someone who's had to kill to save another life, I can assure you that bearing such a burden is easier said than done. Killing Perkins isn't worth your sense of peace and the nightmares that follow." Slowly Jayden extended his other hand out toward Perkins and used his eyes to communicate with the desperate man to either cooperate or fall to his assured death. "Don't kill him and spare him the miserable existence of his life. Let him suffer with the knowledge that he'll never have any form of life beyond a prison cell."

Connor slowly returned his focus to Perkins and saw the cowardice flashing over his eyes as the man desperately reached out to Jayden to take his hand. While he didn't want to rely on a slow-to-adapt, and often manipulated justice system to decide Perkins's fate, Connor felt as if he could somehow trust Jayden. The man didn't see Connor as a threat despite seeing and hearing him menacing over Perkins, and he never once drew his weapon on the vigilante. The F.B.I. Director was treating Connor like a person and not a criminal or a lesser being despite his appearance, actions and being a deviant.

Letting out a deep breath Connor reluctantly agreed and pulled Perkins back toward the window where Jayden was able to take his hand and help the man return to the hotel room. Connor remained on the ledge and watched with restrained amusement as Perkins dropped to the floor on his butt and scooted away from Connor like a child thinking they saw a monster lurking under their own bed.

"Thanks." Jayden released his grip on Connor's forearm and took in the deviant vigilante's appearance. "I'm going to guess that today's incident with the carjacked autonomous taxi was your breaking point. An innocent deviant detective got rundown by Perkins's own kid for no reason... It'd be hard to not take it personally."

"You're correct." Connor didn't want to give Jayden too much information, but he was going to remain honest with the F.B.I. Director. "I will admit that my reason for targeting Perkins tonight did have a personal motivation."

"That's good. It means you're not numb to the world around you no matter how much it pushes you to your breaking point."

"Talking about your own personal motivations?"

"Something like that. Here." Casually Jayden reached into his blazer's interior pocket to hand Connor a personal business card. "Keep this on you, it's the last one of my original cards I had printed when I got promoted. If you ever get busted or just get into serious trouble and need some extra help, contact me."

"You'd knowingly assist a vigilante?"

"I'd knowingly assist a citizen dedicated to protecting their city and their people." Holding the card between his two fore fingers, Jayden waited for Connor to accept the card and keep it for himself. "Check it for yourself. You'll see it isn't bugged with tracking or recording devices. I don't believe in such dirty tactics. Not that I would even know how to use that stuff anymore. I kinda' backed off of using anything other than the A.R.I. program, and even then, I use it very rarely these days."

Connor cybernetically scanned the card and confirmed that Jayden was being honest. With a slow movement Connor accepted the card and decided to keep it more or less as a souvenir than anything more important. The card was slipped into a very thin pocket running along the interior of his left forearm for safekeeping.

"Don't worry about this incident. No one will believe anything Perkins has to say anyway, and I won't say anything since you didn't do anything more than scare him enough to make him piss his pants." Without any worries Jayden shrugged his shoulders and made it clear that he wasn't going to do anything to Connor. "Besides, you're just running around Detroit protecting innocent people, not causing problems. It's the city's decision to do anything to you, not mine."

"When are you leaving the city?" Connor didn't want deal with the F.B.I. any longer than necessary. "Perkins and Blake have caused numerous problems for Detroit long enough."

"We're leaving the city starting tomorrow morning, and everyone will be gone by tomorrow evening." There was no offense in Jayden's tone as he leveled with Connor and told him the truth. "And I know that Blake shooting you the other week didn't help matters. There was no reason for him to open fire on an unarmed person, even if he did suspect that you were doing anything illegal."

"Then it wasn't a lucky shot, it was intentional." The realization left Connor momentarily stunned. The F.B.I. was openly targeting deviants despite everything that had already happened. "It was Blake who spotted me and attempted to kill me."

"Unfortunately, yeah. Blake was bragging about wanting to take down the vigilante and get some credit to the other agents. Don't worry, I'll tag on his attempted murder of you on his other numerous charges. He won't go unpunished for what he did it to."

"I... appreciate it."

"So what're you going to do now?"

"Resume protecting my people. Like you said, you won't be leaving until the morning, which means the F.B.I. will still be patrolling the streets."

"Good point. I know I can't do anything to just convince you to take me at my word, but I want you to know that not everyone who represents the F.B.I. is an egomaniac looking for an excuse to shoot someone in cold blood. For what it's worth, I want to apologize on behalf of the entire F.B.I. for what happened to the deviants on the Jericho freighter."

"That commendable and appreciated. For the record, not every deviant sees human authority figures as the enemy. However, we do know that human authority figures still see deviants as the enemy."

"I'll keep that in mind. If you'll excuse me, I have a terrified agent that I need to debrief. He won't be bothering anyone in Detroit anymore."

Connor just nodded as he pulled the window shut and resecured the emergency locks to hide his tracks, not that too many people would be examining the exterior windows of the hotel's top floor. Satisfied that Perkins and Blake would no longer be a threat to Detroit or its people, Connor carefully began his steady descent down the side of the massive hotel until he was able to retreat into the shadows and venture deeper into the city.

Normally Connor would either patrol the area or simply return to the lighthouse to get some rest. However, at that particular moment there was another place he needed to be another person that he needed to check on.

"I'll make sure that you recover and can resume your career as a detective, Lucas. I promise to look out for you not as a friend or as a detective..."

The emotionally rattled vigilante was still struggling to process his complicated feelings and overwhelmed thoughts, but soon he found the word he had been looking for as he ventured out to the Zeta Facility to watch over the building until Lucas was able to return home to recover in peace.

"I promise to look out for you as your family; as your brother."

-next chapter-