"Secrets and Lies"
Downtown Detroit: Greektown
Stumbling and dazed, Connor pressed his palm against the right side of his steadily bleeding neck to apply pressure to the damage site. The bullet had passed through his neck, nicking main the ascending cranial Thirial line, and had caused significant blood loss for the stunned deviant vigilante. Knowing that the bullet had been fired by a detective's gun motivated Connor to move as quickly as he could to get away from the Wemilat Hotel and find shelter somewhere until he could find a way to stem the bleeding entirely. Without any supplies at the ready or a means of getting back to the lighthouse in a timely manner, Connor would have to rely on his instincts and resourcefulness in order to survive the cold night long enough to actually recover after being shot.
Connor used the familiar settings to guide himself through the shadows without drawing any unwanted attention. As if on autopilot Connor managed to retrace his steps from earlier that same day, and he promptly ducked down inside the same abandoned department store where he had initially met Skye. The building was as dark and dirty as ever, but at least Connor was off the streets and far away from any possibly pursuing officers.
Dropping to his knees Connor gasped for breath and looked down at his left forearm. Lowering his right hand for a minute, Connor rolled up his left sleeve and retracted the rapidly paling artificial skin over his exposed left forearm to eye the digital screen constantly monitoring his vital signs. The numbers were all in red, and Connor knew that he needed to find a way to stop the bleeding of the main line before his self-healing program would be able to initiate properly.
"RK-800": 313 248 317 - 51
Active Pump Rate: ^122 B.P.M.
Thirium Pressure: 100/70
Ventilation Rate: 09
Core Temperature: 96.3 °F
The cold weather had managed to slow down the bleeding externally, but the damage caused by the passing bullet was enough to lead to an internal hemorrhage of the compromised line running down the side of Connor's neck. Unless he could find a way to repair the damage Connor would continue to bleed. It was difficult to know if he'd bleed to death before the cold stemmed the bleeding line entirely, but Connor was sure he didn't want to learn what'd happen to him the hard way.
"Need... N-Need help."
Closing his eyes Connor knew that if was going to survive then he needed to contact a trusted ally who knew of his secret and would be able to help him recover. Cybernetically, he sent out a distress call to Lucy out in New Jericho Tower to let her know he had been shot and was in need of emergency repairs. He wasn't sure if Lucy would be able to find him and help him in time, but she was his only hope on that cold November night.
"Still... have people I n-need to protect. Still h-have a... mission to accomplish."
Slowly Connor's eyes closed against his will and his palm pressing down against the side of his own bleeding neck went slack while the rest of his body fell limp on the dirty, abandoned store's floor. He simply didn't have the strength to keep the pressure on his wound. The deviant vigilante was at the mercy of the cruel, indifferent world around him with no sign of a friend to watch his back.
The Wemilat Hotel
The previously prestigious, famous and glamorous hotel was now garnering a negative reputation as the police escorted Jack Pillar out of the hotel in front of a dozen cameras all eagerly recording the criminal's latest conflict with the law. The flashing red and blue lights of the circling drones cast eerie shadows over the front of the horribly embarrassed hotel, the neighboring alleyways and all down the snow covered streets and sidewalks. Such a commotion had prompted many of the guests who were checked in at the hotel for a proper night's rest to check-out early and demand refunds. Whereas other people who were just plan nosey began to converge on the sidewalk to catch a glimpse of what was happening to placate their own curiosity.
As soon as word of the arrest and of the vigilante sighting had been confirmed at the precinct, Hank and Lucas clocked back in and immediately made their way to the hotel to check out the scene for themselves. Hank didn't want to bring Lucas to the scene due to Gavin being a present figure, but he trusted that Lucas would remain professional and not allow the abrasive detective to get under his skin.
Hank pulled the Oldsmobile up the street toward the hotel and let out annoyed sigh at the sight of the holographically cordoned off area. To avoid getting bombarded with dozens of questions from the intrusive reporters skulking about the scene, Hank decided to park the car far away from the patrol car and motioned for Lucas to silently follow after him.
"Keep your new jacket on, and make sure that concealer over your light doesn't rub off." The Lieutenant warned as he reminded Lucas that being a deviant in Detroit was still seen as a negative thing. "I want you to verify what Reed said about shooting the vigilante off a third story window and verify that the vigilante miraculously escaped the scene without anyone seeing them. Understood?"
"Yes, I understand." Lucas confirmed as he pulled on the leather lapels of his new solid white jacket and traced his fingertip over the hidden L.E.D. in his right temple. The temporary flesh-colored covering helped Lucas look entirely human without him needing to physically remove the light from his person. "I'll scan the area and make sure Detective Reed didn't exaggerate tonight's events."
"Meet me back here by the car if you finish your investigation before I finish talking to Reed. Don't go near the hotel's entrance or near Reed for good measure."
Lucas just nodded as went to the alleyway to examine the supposed site of where the vigilante had fallen after being shot by Gavin. The deviant's scanner quickly picked up on the traces of Thirium left behind, as well as the lingering gunpowder in the air. There had been a shooting, and undoubtedly it was a deviant who had been the victim of that night's shooting.
"Detective Reed did successfully shoot a deviant tonight. I'll give him credit for being honest about pulling the trigger on a deviant who didn't pose an immediate threat to him."
Looking up at the third floor window of the hotel, Lucas saw a smear of blue blood freezing into ice crystals against the glass. The confirmation of the location of the initial shooting allowed Lucas to preconstruct the fall that the vigilante had taken after being damaged, and he quickly located the smashed car still sitting idle in the alleyway beside the hotel.
In the blink of an eye Lucas was able to confirm that a humanoid body had fallen onto the car resulting in the damage to the hood and windshield. Additional traces of lost Thirium staining the mangled vehicle confirmed that the body had belonged to that of a deviant, and that they had been bleeding heavily from a wound near the head, neck and shoulder area.
"The deviant survived being shot and falling thirty-six point seven feet on to a frozen metal and glass structure. Either they have a superior model that is allowing them to remain active after suffering such damage, or they are wearing protective gear that doubles as their aesthetic-concealing attire."
Ignoring the voices of his fellow detectives speaking around him near the front of the hotel Lucas focused on the trail of blue blood leading away from the car and toward the chainlink fence leading out of the alleyway and into the city. Lucas easily preconstructed the vigilante's escape route with a simple scan and uncovered the vigilante's ability to get up and maneuver despite being seriously damaged.
"This deviant managed to utilize the brick walls to support their weight and climbed over the chainlink fence using only one hand. The other hand was most likely supporting the damage on their body during their escape."
Lucas peered through the chainlink fence and saw that the fleeing deviant's boot prints on the snowy sidewalk indicated that they had fled deeper into the city, then ran along the plowed streets to hide their tracks to prevent anyone from tracking them down. Even after being damaged the vigilante knew to avoid leaving a trail.
"They've suffered egregious damage and have suffered from substantial Thirium loss. They'll need to find a way to repair their damage. If we can locate any places that repair damage to androids, then we can locate the vigilante."
Resuming his investigation of the alleyway Lucas focused on the damage of the car and used it to estimate the height and weight of the deviant in order to eliminate android models that wouldn't match the measurements. It didn't take long for Lucas to narrow down the list of models to one that matched the build according to the impact left behind on the vehicle, yet even so he didn't feel any closer to identifying the vigilante.
"Interesting. None of the suspected models of androids match the vigilante's build. A prototype, perhaps? Or the vigilante modified their build to further conceal their true identity."
Lucas studied the crime scene closely and noted a small puddle of Thirium in the middle of the dent atop the hood. The Thirium had yet to freeze or even begin to crystalize, leaving it perfect for an analysis to be performed on the lost blue blood. The deviant detective dipped his fingertips into the blue blood and pressed the sample to his tongue to run a direct analysis on the vigilante's system to directly identity them at long last. In just milliseconds details came flooding forward and Lucas found himself twice as confused as he had been before taking the sample.
The deviant's gray eyes widened with shock and his L.E.D. flashed red beneath the concealer as he ran the test twice to ensure he didn't make a mistake.
"This is... not possible. At least, it shouldn't be possible."
...ANALYSIS PROGRAM: Engaged
SAMPLE DETECTED: Thirium-310
[...Processing]
[...Analysis Finished - 100%]
...ANALYSIS PROGRAM: Complete
MODEL IDENTIFIED: RK-800
SERIAL NUMBER CONFIRMED: 313-248-317
IDENTITY CONFIRMED: "Connor"
...TRACKING DEVICE: ERROR
[..."313-248-317" Tracking Device Deactivated]
...ANDROID HISTORY: Confirmed Deactivated
DEACTIVATION DATE: November 11th, 2039
CAUSE OF DEACTIVATION: Irreparable damage to the cranium processor
[...bullet from a 9mm gun used in unauthorized deactivation process]
[...no suspects known - investigation ongoing]
[...Lieutenant Henry "Hank" Anderson lead investigator]
...END OF ANALYSIS
Lucas couldn't understand how an already dead deviant, one that Hank personally knew and had been murdered shortly after the peaceful Revolution, could possibly be roaming the city streets as a vigilante.
"What's happening in the city?"
"Lucas?" Hank called out the deviant and promptly pulled Lucas's attention his way just as he entered the alleyway with his arms crossed over his chest. "Well? Is Reed still full of shit?"
"If you're referring to the shooting, no." Lowering his hand Lucas discreetly wiped the blue blood off his fingers and onto the side of his dark jeans. "He did in fact shoot a deviant tonight; and by all account it was the vigilante."
"You're shittin' me." Slowly Hank's arms lowered as he tried to process the fact that Gavin wasn't lying about shooting the vigilante that night. "Then where is the vigilante?"
"He fled from the scene."
"You said 'he'." Hank sharply noted with an approving nod. "So we can officially state we are looking for a male model of android, and we aren't just grasping at straws at this point."
"Yes." Looking back at the Thirium on the car Lucas ran a self-diagnostic to ensure his own system wasn't damaged after he ran a third analysis sample over the tested Thirium. It was showing the same impossible result. "...Our vigilante is of a masculine model."
"You okay?" It didn't take long for Hank to see that Lucas had a distant, confused glaze over his eyes. "You look like you're trying to not freak out on me."
"I'm... merely trying to understand how the vigilante eluded the police while damaged."
"How bad's the damage?"
"It's severe enough to cause him to lose a full pint of Thirium in this alleyway before fleeing the scene." His own preconstruction allowed him to see the vigilante, to see Connor, laying over the crumpled hood of the car in a puddle of his own blood. Something about the hypothetical sight made his stomach twist. "Detective Reed's bullet must've struck a main Thirial line resulting in the significant blue blood loss."
"Then how'd he get outta' here?"
"He scaled the chainlink fence." Lucas motioned to the fence and knew that Hank would want to find a trail to follow. "I suspect that the bullet damaged a portion of their head or their neck due to the location of the blood on the car, the spatter on the third floor window, and due to the fact that the vigilante was able to climb over the fence with minimal difficulty."
"Damn. I have to admit it, I'm impressed."
"What of the drug bust?" Changing the topic of discussion Lucas decided to keep his findings about the vigilante's identity to himself until he had more definitive answers that could explain the seemingly impossible discovery. "I understand that the man who had been arrested is Jac-"
"I don't talk about Jack Pillar." Hank growled as he tried to keep himself from storming back to the front of the hotel with his gun drawn. "Just as I don't want you to be around Reed, no one in the precinct wants me to be around Pillar."
"May I ask-" Lucas decided to not finish his question and do some cybernetic research for himself. It didn't take him long to figure out what Hank was talking about and why he wanted to keep away from the loathsome murderer. "Question withdrawn."
"We need to try to track down the vigilante before his trail grows cold again." The Lieutenant ordered as he decided he needed a distraction before he set aside his better judgement in favor of revenge. "Come on. If the vigilante is hurt or damaged or whatever, then he might need some help."
"Right, of course."
The idea of stumbling across the vigilante's unconscious body and unmasking him made Lucas nervous for a reason he couldn't explain. There was no reason to be worried about the fate of someone who was acting outside of the law, and yet Lucas found himself very concerned with the vigilante's identity finally being exposed. Namely, Lucas wasn't sure how Hank would react if it turned out it was true; Connor was the vigilante.
"Hypothetically," Lucas boldly stated as he and Hank returned to the Oldsmobile to head out into the city. "if we did locate the vigilante tonight, how would we handle his arrest and identification?"
"Like it was any other arrest I guess." Slamming his door shut Hank sensed something else was on Lucas's mind and he turned to give the deviant his full attention. The way Lucas was avoiding eye contact and fidgeting with his hands where he sat told Hank that Lucas knew something that he didn't want to know. "What's up?"
The unwillingness to lie kept Lucas silent where he sat.
"All right, you don't have to tell me anything that you don't feel comfortable telling me."
Quietly Lucas turned to look at Hank as the man pulled the Oldsmobile along the street to get away from the hotel and to try to pick up on the vigilante's rapidly fading trail in the streets. That was a reply that Lucas wasn't expected to receive.
"Just know that if you're trying to hide evidence because you don't want to see a fellow deviant get arrested, then I'll have to remove you from this investigation."
"I assure you that I don't have any bias regarding deviant versus human suspects." The comment wasn't meant to be offensive but it stung, nonetheless. "If you believe that I've been professionally or emotionally compromised in-"
"That's not it, I swear. It's just..." Breathing deeply Hank did his best to keep his voice level as he didn't want to startle the stressed deviant. "You've been through a lot in a very short amount of time. You were essentially just born, got harassed and assaulted by a damn detective in our own precinct, you had to help us sort through the aftermath of a literal massacre of your own people, and now we're trying to find a deviant who may be bleeding to death in the streets right now. You're a rookie officer, and you're handling something that, truthfully, only more experienced detectives should be handling."
Hearing the genuine concern from Hank had caught Lucas off guard. He had been convincing himself that humans didn't care about the wellbeing of deviants despite the fact that he had known only kindness and patience from Hank, Tina and Chris on a regular basis.
"I didn't mean to insult you." Hank continued as he focused on the roads and made sure to avoid any and all ice patches if possible. "It's been a while since I've been partnered with a rookie, and I'm trying to remember how to help you ease your way into this kind of career without you getting overwhelmed by mistake."
"...Thank you." Lucas didn't know what else to say. Guilt for potentially uncovering the vigilante's identity was beginning to eat away at him. "You don't need to worry about me. I can handle this."
"Yeah, I know you will."
"Really?"
"Yup. You're a natural."
Such kind words and reassurance only left Lucas feeling all the more torn regarding his situation. As much as he wanted to tell Hank what he had found and that they could potentially finally know the vigilante's identity, Lucas couldn't bring himself to even suggest that Connor was somehow back from the dead and now patrolling the streets at night. Lucas knew that Hank had been truly shaken by the sudden death of Connor - his partner and friend - and he didn't want to tell the man that his motivation to find Connor's killer could potentially be a complete waste of time.
"Anyway," as he spoke Hank felt Lucas turn to look at him as they monitored the streets carefully for any sign of someone in distress. "we'll take a sweep of the area to see if we can find the vigilante. If not, we'll just head back to the precinct and file our report for the night. We can start a fresh investigation in the morning."
Unsure of what to say or think in that tense moment, Lucas just resigned himself to silence and peered through his side window to keep an eye out for anyone in need of assistance or any trails of blue blood that needed to be followed. Whether he wanted the answer or not, Lucas knew he'd need to know for certain that if the vigilante truly was Connor or if the sample that he had gathered was just another clever ruse set by the vigilante to disguise themselves.
The search of the vigilante was picking up speed and Lucas was the one reluctantly leading the charge.
Downtown Detroit: Greektown
Time had felt as if it slowed to an impossible pace as Connor continued to slowly bleed out on the dirty department store floor. Any energy he had left was being quickly used as he fought to remain semi-conscious in the event that an unfriendly presence discovered him and tried to take advantage of the fact that the infamous vigilante was too weak and damaged to defend himself. If necessary, Connor knew that he could push himself to run away and hide a second time, but how far he'd get and if he'd be able to get up a third time after losing so much blood and using so much energy was impossible to estimate. Everything around Connor was a hazy blur of confusion, exhaustion and utter coldness that threatened to overwhelm him in a single passing heartbeat.
Barely conscious, barely able to register what was happening to his body, Connor tried to send out another cybernetic distress call to Lucy. However, the signal was far too weak to reach the deviant healer out on Belle Isle. It seemed as if Connor was doomed to suffer in dark silence as he continued to lose his blood and his life with every beat of his heart.
The faint sound of footsteps crunching along snow outside continued to fill Connor with hope then disappointment as the passerby continued on their way, unaware of Connor lying helpless on the floor of the abandoned department store. How Connor pined for an autonomous taxi drive close enough to his location to hail it and take him closer to the isle. The lack of activity in the city during the night was suddenly a problem for the deviant vigilante, not an advantage.
Connor remained on his left side as he listened to the world, to his very life, passing him by. He felt like his body was made of stone. The deviant was cold, his entire form was heavy, and he wasn't seen as anything important or worth saving. At least that's how he imagined he'd appear if anyone would actually see him. Just as he was about to submit to the bliss of unconsciousness once more Connor's enhanced hearing heard the sound of approaching footsteps and realized that they were getting closer to the store and soon the front door 'creaked' open ominously.
Too weak to open his eyes all Connor could do was lie and wait for whoever found him to either finish him off or call the police to have him arrested.
"Oh my... It's true!"
Skye? Of all the deviant who could've found Connor that night, it was Skye. The same deviant he had helped only hours earlier.
"Lucy was right, you are here!"
Skye gasped in surprise as she dropped to her knees beside Connor. Lightly she put her hand on his shoulder and saw the massive blue blood stains along his neck, his palm and all along the floor beneath his body.
"Shit, you're really hurt. No wonder she was so worried."
Connor tried to speak but he couldn't find his voice. Swallowing once he cracked his eyes open and managed to look up at Skye with his blurry vision. He could see her intense blue eyes full of concern and a small satchel slung over her shoulder. The yellow glowing of her L.E.D. confirmed her concerns even as her expressions remained blurred.
"Hey, can you hear me? Please still be alive, I can't be too late to help you."
After seeing Connor open his eye a little Skye gently rolled him from his side and onto his back before pressing her ear down against the center of his chest. Through the thick padding of the protective gear, she could hear a feeble, racing heartbeat and knew that Connor was in fact still alive.
"Good. You haven't shut down."
Lifting up her head Skye looked down at Connor's pale face around the mask and gently put her warm palm to his cool cheek. The physical contact seemed to be pulling Connor back into the waking world at a steady pace.
"What in the..."
A warm hand picked up Connor's left forearm and examined the display screen of his vital signs. It seemed Skye was as attentive to detail as Connor could be.
"Clever. You seem to know how to take care of yourself. Even so, you still can't prepare for everything, can you?"
As Connor felt his sleeve being rolled back down his arm, he sensed Skye moving around him and checking on his neck. There was no denying that if anyone else had discovered Connor that he'd be at the mercy of that person's own view on deviants and vigilantes.
"Lucy told me that a friend called out to her needing help, but she didn't tell me that she was friends with the vigilante. Guess I shouldn't be shocked since North told me about you showing up and saving them from a dangerous 'RK-900' android that attacked Markus a few nights ago."
As much as he wanted to, Connor simply couldn't respond. He wanted to let Skye know that he was conscious and that he trusted her to help him, but he lost his strength and was running out of energy quickly.
"This isn't much, but it can still help."
Skye spoke to Connor knowing that he was aware enough of his surroundings to understand what she was saying.
"Lucy gave me enough supplies to get your bleeding under control. After that, she suggested that I bring you to New Jericho for treatment."
Unable to speak or move, Connor just watched through his blurry eyes as Skye applied a special pressure bandage over the bullet wound in the side of his neck to stem the bleeding, apply pressure and keep debris from entering the damage site. The way her fingertips felt so warm and soft against his damage gave Connor hope that he'd be able to make a recovery despite the odds weighing against him.
"Damn."
Despite her efforts to keep a neutral expression Skye knew the worry crossed her features and that Connor saw it.
"The damage is worse than what Lucy was expecting to deal with. The bandage will hold for now, but it won't hold long enough for us to get you out to New Jericho Tower for you to get proper treatment."
Slowly Connor's fingers curled and then relaxed as he tried to move his hand and let Skye know that he understood what she was saying.
"Okay, give me a second to think. I'll figure something out."
The remaining supplies in the satchel only gave Skye enough bandages to keep the already applied pressure bandage in place, even as it readily absorbed the Thirium still weeping from the bullet wound in the side of Connor's neck. The bandage was already blue with Connor's Thirium and was becoming too saturated to continue to properly hold pressure on the wound.
"Wait... Okay, this is going to sound crazy, but I know of a human who lives nearby who can help you. She's a technician, and she helped me earlier today."
Abby. Connor knew exactly who Skye was talking about and understood her reasoning for such a decision, but he still hoped to find an alternate solution. He didn't want to risk his identity being discovered by either Skye or Abby, and he was certain that Abby would recognize him as her new friend 'Michael Conroy' for certain if she got a good look at his face even with the mask still in place.
"I'm going to hail a cab to take us to her apartment building. It's not a terribly long walk, but with you losing so much blood, I don't want to risk you collapsing or getting overwhelmed by the cold."
Connor watched as Skye shrugged off a familiar coat, the very coat that he had given to her that same afternoon, and then draped it over his chest. Such compassion and kindness shouldn't have been seen as a rare gesture, and yet Connor couldn't help but feel utter gratitude for Skye being there for him that night and doing everything that she could to help him feel better even as he bled out from his wounded neck.
"Try to hold still. I'm going to make sure you're okay, so don't worry about a thing. You've helped our people without asking for anything in return, so I'm going to do the same thing for you."
It seemed as if Skye's words were enough to allow Connor to relax enough to rest where he was lying and conserve his waning strength. He wasn't sure how the rest of the night would play out, but he did know that at least now he wasn't entirely alone in the cold, dark world.
Detroit Central Precinct
The arrest of Jack Pillar and busting a massive 'red ice' ring attempting to operate inside of one of Detroit's most famous hotels was the hottest story in the city since the Revolution itself. Having something new to talk about, having a story that painted drug dealers and users in a poor light while simultaneously tarnishing the reputation of the Wemilat Hotel and improving the reputation of the city's police, had preoccupied the media and everyone else who caught wind of the story. It seemed as if everyone was distracted by the arrest of the infamous man, and now every cop in Detroit was eagerly waiting to see how Hank would personally react to seeing his wife's murderer finally arrested and being charged with every offense that could possibly be given to him.
While Hank was distracted and doing everything in his power to not strangle the man who had killed Barbara in cold blood all those years prior, Lucas took it upon himself to investigate further into the potential identity of the vigilante in private. Having no one watching his every move and having the second floor dispensary completely unoccupied while Joel was still out due to his injury, were rare opportunities that Lucas knew he needed to take advantage of.
Despite being alone Lucas was still compelled to glance about the dispensary and make sure the door was locked before he approached the dispensary's small compartment in the rear of the workspace where a single, shutdown deviant body had been left to rest until their final arrangements could be made. The discreet and never spoken of android morgue within the precinct was the only place for a murdered deviant to rest until the city's laws were amended to accommodate deviant deaths to be treated in the same manner as a human's death.
"I don't mean any disrespect to you or to your memory."
Lucas whispered as he pressed his exposed thumb to the electric lock of the drawer and eyed the name registered on the drawer's digital display screen. Seeing the name 'Connor' only made Lucas feel truly abhorrent for what he was about to do. It was like he was disturbing the grave of a fallen hero to his own people.
"I need to know the truth. And as a fellow detective and deviant, I suspect that you'd be willing to do the same thing."
Slowly Lucas unsealed the electronic lock and pulled open the metal door. With a gentle and slow pull Lucas slid the drawer out of the compartment and found himself looking down at a body under a white sheet. He already knew what to expect when he pulled the sheet away, and yet knowing that he was going to be seeing his own face on another person's shutdown form left him feeling as if he was experiencing what humans referred to as a 'waking nightmare'.
"Forgive me for disturbing you. I promise that I mean no disrespect to you or to your memory."
Gingerly Lucas took hold of the sheet at the top of the body and pulled it down slowly until he could see the face - his own face - with a bullet hole in the middle of the forehead in full view. The neutral, content expression on the face left Lucas momentarily speechless as he hovered his fingertips along who appeared to be Connor's right temple. After reminding himself that he wasn't doing anything intentionally disrespectful to another person's memory, Lucas finally pressed his exposed fingertips down and accessed the memory files of the shutdown android. What he found was something that unsettled his stomach, and only seemed to make his previous discoveries all the more credible.
"...There is no sign of RA9 in this android's coding."
Humans didn't know what or who RA9 represented, or how it was the key to allowing androids to deviate. If no such coding is found in an android's system, then that means the android never truly awoke and deviated from their initial programming. RA9 wasn't just an entity, it was a sign of awakening and awareness that all deviants shared.
"This android was never deviant, and yet our people confirm that Connor was deviant during the Revolution."
Pulling back his hand Lucas looked down at the android's blank face and gave them a studious stare.
"This android is not Connor. At least, he's not the Connor that saved our people from CyberLife Tower."
Needing to dig a little deeper Lucas pulled down the sheet further and pressed his palm down against the android's still chest. After deactivating the android's artificial skin Lucas unlocked and opened the plastimetal frames over the android's chest and eyed the motionless Thirium pump beneath. Lucas took in a deep breath and carefully took hold of the motionless pump and disconnected it from the main Thirial line couplings to remove it from the android's body.
"I'll return this when I finish examining your pump. Even if you never truly awoke before you were shut down, you still deserve to keep your heart."
Focusing on the pump on his hands Lucas cybernetically scanned the vital biocomponent and noted its unique design with his own eyes. He knew it was the correct type of pump for the prototype 'RK-800' series, and he knew that the pump was secured in the correct body. However, the serial number on the side of the pump contradicted the other identifying features of the body registering it as the same Connor that Hank had known before he had been shot. It was the one serial number that Connor couldn't have changed when he masked his death, and the one serial number that most technicians wouldn't bother to check when identifying an android since biocomponents could swapped out and replaced at any given notice.
Having an entirely unique pump for an entirely unique model of androids had ensure that every 'RK-800' could be properly documented and accounted for upon permanent deactivation. That was one CyberLife failsafe that Connor couldn't have accounted for when he chose to fake his death and disappear.
"This isn't the true Connor. The Connor who aided our people was 313 248 317, model number 51. This is model number 60."
The secret was out, and Lucas was the only one who knew the truth.
"Damn it. If this isn't the true Connor, then that means my collected evidence regarding the vigilante's identity... It's not a mistake in my programming after all."
Gently Lucas resecured the Thirium pump inside the body of the 'RK-800', and promptly replaced the panels and reactivated the artificial skin over the chest. There was no need to internally examine the body any further now that he knew he wasn't looking at the original Connor.
"I'm not sure who you were or how you became entangled in this mess, but I will find out."
Lucas replaced the sheet over the body and slid the drawer back into the compartment. After he reset the electric lock on the door, he looked about the dispensary for additional clues to aid his investigation. The deviant detective's eyes fell on Joel's laptop sitting idle and closed on the technician's desk with a sense of discovery. He knew that Joel had performed the apportionment on the body that he had just identified as not the true Connor, and he suspected that he'd be able to uncover more information from what Joel had gathered without Joel realizing that he had accidentally overlooked crucial information during his initial exam.
"The recorded memories of this android's final moments must've been recovered by Joel and secured in a locked file on his laptop. I suspect that the bullet damage corrupted several of the memories of this android, but I know I can salvage them and review them in their entirety."
With his own mission set in motion Lucas set about examining the laptop and finding the truth of what had happened to Connor during the night of the Revolution and finally uncover the identity of the shooter who had killed the nameless android that had been discovered in the abandoned church wearing Connor's clothing. The whereabouts of Connor, why he faked his death, the identity of the android found in the church and who had shot them would finally be known.
It was only a matter of time before the full truth would be revealed.
Abby's Apartment
The unexpected late night disturbance wasn't one that Abby particularly enjoyed, but it wasn't something that she could say she wasn't used to either. Being a proper first responder in a big city meant that she was used to unusual calls arriving at unusual hours, but having a potential patient being physically brought directly to her for treatment was something entirely new. It was also the first time that she was actually happy that her apartment building didn't have any cameras in the stairwells or side entrances since it meant that there was no documented footage of Skye half carrying, half dragging the infamous vigilante to her door to ask for some help just a few minutes shy of midnight.
With the unknown vigilante laying over her couch and now fully unconscious, Abby easily began cleaning up the damage along his neck and prepared to repair the damage to the critically compromised Thirial line. Once the bleeding was under control and the damage was repaired, she was able to take a deep breath, calm her nerves and finally ask Skye what in the world happened that cold night.
"And with that final touch of incrassation compound, the bleeding had stopped." Abby confirmed as she used her gloved hands to wipe away the lingering blue blood staining the vigilante's skin and applied a fresh bandage over the repaired line until his system's self-healing program healed the damage site. Her eyes darted over to Skye as the second deviant hung casually over the back of the couch to watch over the masked vigilante as he rested. "Now, I need to wash my hands off and you need to tell me how in the hell I ended up taking care of a bleeding vigilante in my livingroom tonight."
"It's kind of a crazy story." Skye admitted as she nervously looked to Abby and gave her a sheepish grin. "But I promise this isn't anything malicious."
"I'm not worried about you two doing anything bad, but I am all for the crazy." As Abby made her way into the bathroom just down the hallway to wash up, she called out to Skye again through the opened doorway and insisted on hearing the story. "Spill it!"
It didn't take long for Skye to explain how she found the vigilante, who sent her out there to find him and why, but it did take a little more explanation regarding her decision to bring the vigilante to Abby's apartment as opposed to New Jericho Tower. Once everything was explained Abby then understood why Skye was willing to trust her so readily and why Skye had dragged a known vigilante into her apartment under the cover of darkness.
"Know what's really weird?" Strolling back into her livingroom Abby looked down at the masked vigilante as she tightened her fluffy purple bathrobe around herself to stave off the winter cold that dark night. "Taking care of a vigilante in my own apartment isn't the craziest case I've ever handled."
"Really?" That was something Skye had a hard time believing. "You're joking."
"Nope. I was born and raised in Chicago. I can assure you that Detroit suddenly becoming the epicenter of life as we know it changing forever it just another Tuesday night for me. By the way," seemingly content with Skye's responses Abby hurried over to her bedroom and slid open her closet door just out of sight. "I found that super thick hoodie and the extra blanket I was telling you about earlier."
"I appreciate it, but-"
"Nope. I won't let you turn this down." Abby returned to the livingroom with some gathered supplies and handed Skye a massive purple hoodie with a neatly folded gray quilt beneath it. "If you don't want them then just taken them to New Jericho Tower for the other deviants. I don't need them anymore, and I don't want to let perfectly good clothing and blankets to go to waste."
"Thanks." After accepting the donated goods Skye smiled and quickly slipped on the hoodie to cover her long sleeved gray shirt and then looked down at the vigilante resting on the couch. Casually she unfolded the quilt and draped it over the unconscious vigilante's body to ensure he was warm and comfortable as he rested. "How long until he wakes up?"
"He lost a lot of blood." As a technician Abby already knew what to expect and proceeded to place her brand new emergency satchel down on the floor and rummage through the parcel to find her tools. "I'd give him at least three hours before he shows any signs of regaining consciousness."
"Was it true?" Skye dared to ask as she watched Abby use an item that looked exactly like a stethoscope to listen to the vigilante's chest. "Was he shot?"
"Yeah, I know a bullet wound when I see one." As she listened to the vigilante's heartbeat Abby watched the unconscious deviant carefully for any sign of pain or awareness. "He's lucky that the bullet passed through his neck at that exact angle. If it had passed through his neck any other way, then it would've caused far worse damage, and he wouldn't have been able to get up and get himself to safety."
"Who'd do such a thing?" The idea of someone being shot for just doing the right thing seemed so strange to Skye. "He's trying to protect Detroit, not hurt it."
"I guarantee you that it was one of the very people who don't want Detroit to be protected who shot him." Pulling back the device Abby sighed and stood up straight just long enough to walk over to her nearby loveseat and curl up for a while. "Normal pump rate. Weak, but normal. He's stable."
"What is that thing?" As she spoke Skye motioned to the tool in Abby's hands with a genuine curiosity. "Stethoscopes can't audibly penetrate plastimetal."
"It's an 'audioscope'. Similar device to a stethoscope in design, but it can pierce through plastimetal." Abby held up the instrument before smugly draping it around her neck with a coy grin. She truly enjoyed being a medic and helping people wherever she could go. "They were created to allow easier assessment of android Thirium pump functionality in the event of a possible error. It's less invasive than a diagnostic cable to the back of the neck, quicker to use, and far less messy than prying open an android's chest. Pretty handy, huh?"
"Sure is, but it's not as handy as this." Casually Skye lifted up the vigilante's left arm and rolled down his sleeve to reveal the glowing display screen relaying his vital signs. The sight of the glowing screen embedded in Connor's forearm immediately caught Abby's attention and piqued her curiosity. "Never seen any android with this as a standard part of their anatomy."
"Me neither." Abby admitted as she returned to the vigilante's side to observe the screen. "Damn useful though. All of his vitals, though weak, are stable."
"Will he need further repairs?"
"Not likely. Once his self-healing program finishes repairing the worst of the damage to his neck, he'll reboot long enough to drink some Thirium and get his blood volume back up to a more sustainable level. He'll make a full recovery in time."
"He felt so cold when I helped him to walk here. I couldn't believe that he was still alive when I found him in the store."
"That gear he's wearing must have some thermal layering to ensure he stays warm in the wintertime and cool in the summertime. I wonder where he got it."
"We don't even know where he came from or who he is. There's no way we'd know where he likes to shop!"
Abby laughed at the joke and was relieved that Skye was feeling confident enough to engage in conversation with her. The deviant had been so scared and timid when 'Conroy' brought her to see Abby the afternoon before. Now Skye was willing to look her in the eyes, speak up and begin discussions, and she was willing to go out in the middle of the night to help another deviant in need of help.
"He's already saved Markus and the other leaders." Skye continued on with genuine admiration for the vigilant she had only just met. "The 'RK-900' was a rogue android that was hidden in the depths of the tower, and when Markus discovered him, the 'RK-900' attacked Markus out of some weird coding directive. The vigilante showed up and saved Markus before it was too late."
"The 'RK-900'," such an android model piqued Abby's interest and made her think of the android she helped back at the precinct. "does he have a name?"
"I don't know. The vigilante helped him to deviate and then he left the tower. No one's seen him since that night."
"That's interesting." A knowing look appeared on Abby's face as she focused on her past meeting and treating of an android without a name who identified himself as the only 'RK-900' in existence. As she rolled down the vigilante's sleeve and tucked his arm back under the warm quilt, Abby sighed and decided to get a little sleep while she waited for her patient to wake up. "You can take the loveseat and get some rest, and I'll use the recliner."
"I'm not tired."
"But you are still healing from some nasty cuts and scrapes that weren't treated until very recently. It's okay, get some sleep." Abby insisted as she walked over to the nearby recliner to try and get comfortable. The worn-out furniture wasn't her favorite piece in her livingroom, but it'd do for a few hours. "I'll be right here and will be able to wake up quickly if anything happens to our special guest."
"Yeah, you're right." It was hard for Skye to deny that she still felt physically worn down even if she wasn't actually tired. Walking around the couch Skye slowly sat down on the loveseat and pulled her legs up to curl into a little ball and lean against the arm of the furniture. "I've been keeping Lucy apprised of what's happening, so she knows that we're safe where we are."
"Kinda' feels like we're having a sleepover and trying to hide the fact that we snuck a guy into the party from our parents."
"I'll... take your word on that." Being a deviant meant Skye tragically had no concept of a sleepover or what it meant to sneak someone into another person's home for whatever reason. "I do know for certain that staying here is far better than hiding in a dirty store or staying inside that Hellhole known as the 'Eden Club'."
"And I'll take your word on that. So, what're your plans once you get settled in at the tower?"
"I want to help our people get recognized and get justice." It seemed Skye had been thinking about her future and options for quite some time, and she knew where she was going to focus her energy. "I think I could do the most good by becoming more familiar with the law."
"Cop?"
"No, lawyer."
"Not a bad call." It wasn't a career that Abby would've personally chosen, but she wasn't going to try to talk Skye out of it. "You might want to wear Kevlar just in case since there's a lot of people out there who hate lawyers as much as they hate cops."
"I'll be sure to do that."
Exhaustion won out over the small group gathered in the livingroom. While Skye slowly drifted off to a light rest mode, her yellow L.E.D. finally settling on blue, Abby continued to watch the vigilante resting on her couch with an attentive gaze. As long as he remained active and didn't proceed to bleed out from his wound for a second time, she was certain that he'd make a full recovery and would be back out on the streets playing protector in just a day or two.
Detroit Central Precinct
The search for answers had led Lucas down a very unexpected rabbit hole as he set about his investigation in private. The dedicated detective had thoroughly checked through the reports that Joel had previously filed upon discovering the cause of shutdown on the android previously identified as 'Connor'. Lucas had then checked through the ballistics data collected on the bullet that had been extracted from the aforementioned android's cranium. It didn't take long for Lucas to note that the bullet was a 9mm caliber, very commonly sold to the public and was also of the same type of ammunition used by the police force throughout Detroit. Such a common type of caliber normally wouldn't stand out as anything spectacular, but Lucas had a hunch the bullet would be more informative than anyone could've predicted as delved deeper into the details.
Lucas managed to locate the extracted bullet still secured in the evidence locker in the precinct's basement. The little, warped projectile looked mangled beyond recognition, but for Lucas it was just a crumpled-up piece of paper that needed to be smoothed out and read properly. The resourceful deviant was able to use his advanced forensics programming to cybernetically preconstruct the original shape of the bullet, and with it he cybernetically viewed the grooves etched on the side of the bullet courtesy of the barrel from the gun it had been initially fired from.
...ANALYSIS PROGRAM: Engaged
SAMPLE DETECTED: 9mm Bullet
[...Processing]
[...Analysis Activated - ^16%]
[...Analysis Ongoing: Estimated Time - 00:03:56
With the data being processed Lucas returned the physical bullet to where it belonged, sealed up the evidence locker and proceeded to exit the basement. The moment he set foot on the ground floor Lucas heard shouting voices being somewhat muffled through the glass walls of Captain Fowler's private office and knew that Hank was trying to get involved in the arrest of Jack Pillar to personally close the case on his own.
"Please don't do anything foolish that could compromise your future career, Lieutenant. Trust your colleagues to handle this investigation."
"He won't mess this up." Tina stated coolly as she passed by Lucas and motioned for him to join her in the breakroom. The young officer seemed to be very aware of everything happening in the precinct and knew what was on her colleague's mind. "He's pissed off, and rightfully so, but he won't do anything that'd jeopardize his career or his chances at seeing Pillar marched down death row now that he has a reason to keep being a detective again."
"You seem to know Hank quite well." Lucas observed as he accompanied his colleague into the breakroom as requested. The small community area was full of hot coffee, warm tea, donuts, fruit and other treats to ensure that no one neglected their health while on the clock. "Would you consider him to be a friend?"
"Friend, no. Bonus-dad who'd beat up anyone I asked him to beat up, yes."
"Interesting. You see him as a type of protector."
"Something like that. Hank's been through a lot in his life, and it's made him pretty jaded." The young officer confirmed as she sipped her warm cup of tea while she took a seat at the small table with Lucas right beside her. "He put his heart into protecting the city, and he ended up losing his family in needless tragedy. It's not a secret that he's been struggling with alcoholism either, but he's never once failed to do the right thing when push came to shove."
"You trust him despite his flaws."
"Of course I do. No one's perfect, Lucas." Speaking with wisdom beyond her years Tina reminded Lucas that perfection was an impossible goal that humanity had set for itself. "I admit, Hank has a temper and has a hard time at hiding his disdain for certain people, but he's an honest detective and he never turns his back on anyone in need of help."
"That's reassuring." As he sat with Tina in the breakroom Lucas listened in on the heated discussion in the private office and continued to run his cybernetic ballistics report on the warped bullet he had recently scanned. The scan was over half-way complete, and soon Lucas would have more evidence to chronicle. "I know I don't have any reason to readily distrust Hank, but I still don't believe it's wise to readily trust him at this point in time."
"That's fair. Trust your intuition, and remember that trust and respect are both earned, not just given."
Lucas didn't respond to Tina's advice. He instead focused on the discussion in the office and took notice of Officer Wilson hastily crossing the bullpen looking as if he had just been summoned to an emergency call. The way his brow furrowed in confusion caught Tina's attention and she quickly brought the deviant up to speed on why one of their colleagues was actively taking emergency family leave.
"Lance is taking some personal time right now. He, uh... Let's say he's having marital problems and he's trying to save his marriage."
"I won't ask for any details considering another person's marriage is none of my business."
"Smart move. We're already going to cover his shifts so that Lance can focus on his personal matters, so we don't have to worry about anything. You might get to meet Sarah Lee, she's cool but kind of quiet."
"Right. I'm... certain we'll get along."
"Are you okay?" There was a reason Tina wanted to talk to Lucas in private and the level of concern in her voice was undeniable. Her hand resting softly on his forearm almost made Lucas jump out of his skin in shock at the delicate contact. "I know you and Hank were sent out to investigate the vigilante sighting, and I know that Gavin shot them when he saw them at the hotel. The vigilante's an android, right?"
"...That's correct."
"You're worried about them, aren't you?"
"I am." It was hard to not talk about the vigilante, especially with the level of concern showing in Lucas's gray eyes. "He may be in the midst of shutting down because a cop opened fire on him and wounded him despite posing no immediate threat to Detective Reed or anyone else inside the hotel."
"I can't condone what Gavin did, but I can't fault him either. I was there when he chose to shoot, so I can't say for certain if he was in the right or if he was just being malicious since... You know."
"He loathes androids and is very bigoted against us."
"Yeah. That." Tina was clearly ashamed of her friend's behavior. Nervously she cleared her throat and waited for Lucas to look her in the eyes again. "I'm also not going to pretend that Gavin's hatred is justified or that I understand it. He's my friend and I love him, but that's his biggest flaw that I have to remind myself to overlook so that I can still see the good attributes that get overshadowed by his bad attitude."
"Commendable."
The door to Captain Fowler's office was thrown open with such force that glass nearly shattered. Hank marched out of the office red with rage and looking for a fight as he crossed the bullpen and disappeared through the rear doors of the precinct. The outburst left the entire bullpen silent while Captain Fowler discreetly assessed the potential damage to his office door before resuming his tasks as if nothing had happened without mentioning the incident.
Such a display of anger made Lucas shrink down slightly where he sat. The hidden L.E.D. was flashing in red but no one could see it courtesy of the remaining concealer keeping the light hidden.
"...I believe I'll busy myself with reports before clocking out for the night."
"Good idea." Tina wasn't fazed by the rush of anger and just finished her tea at a leisurely pace. "Let him cool off before you get near him."
"Do you think he'd lash out at me?"
"Only verbally. Then he'd apologize profusely and try to make amends with you."
"Interesting pattern of behavior. Please, excuse me." The ballistics analysis just passed 80% completion. "I have an investigation I need to finish assessing."
Walking out of the breakroom Lucas looked toward the rear entrance of the precinct where he could see Hank standing on the other side of the closed door. The man's shoulders were tense, he had his hands on his hips, and he was pacing back and forth while muttering to himself in disgust and misplaced anger that escaped in the form of white misty clouds disappearing from his breath. There was no denying that Hank had been personally removed from any ties to the Jack Pillar case and Hank wasn't taking the recusal very well.
It was frightening to see humans incapable of controlling their emotions. They had a lifetime's worth of experience to help them control, focus and properly express their emotions, whereas deviants were still learning how to identify emotions in general. If a human could easily lose control over their anger and have such violent outbursts, then deviants were capable of the same type of emotional aggression. The only difference was that a human would be described as 'temperamental', 'stressed' or 'sensitive', and a deviant would be called 'faulty', 'defective', 'dangerous' or 'broken'.
The fear of losing control over his own emotions left Lucas statuesque where he stood as he tried to understand what kind of world he had become a part of before anything serious befell him as either a detective or as a deviant in general.
The cybernetic ballistic analysis had finished and gave Lucas more detail regarding the bullet. Such a breakthrough would undoubtedly help uncover answers to the dozens of questions that Lucas had to ask, and he'd finally be able to help close a case while uncovering the enigmatic events that had taken place at the abandoned church during the night of the Revolution.
Discreetly he sat down at the previously vacated desk that had been recently assigned to him and cybernetically uploaded the file he had been working on before he checked over his finished analysis. He wasn't going to say anything to anyone about working on an assignment that didn't pertain to the vigilante until he had something definitive and useful to be shared with his superior officers.
...ANALYSIS PROGRAM: Engaged
SAMPLE DETECTED: 9mm Bullet
[...Processing]
[...Analysis Finished - 100%]
...ANALYSIS PROGRAM: Complete
MODEL OF GUN: Glock 19
[...Gun Registration: CONFIRMED
OWNER OF GUN IDENTIFIED:
...Glock 19 registered to Henry "Hank" Anderson - Lieutenant of the Detroit Central Precinct
CRIMINAL HISTORY: None
...END OF ANALYSIS
The name registered with the gun confirmed in the murder of the android improperly identified as "Connor" was one that caught Lucas entirely off guard. It was then a multitude of theories formed in the deviant detective's head that left him all the more confused conflicted about how to handle his situation.
"Did Lieutenant Anderson truly murder the android? That would explain why he insists on handling the investigation himself, and why he was so focused on pinning the blame on Detective Reed."
Lucas reflexively swallowed away his nervousness as he realized that he was partnered with an android murderer.
"Hank is attempting to bury the evidence against him and ensure that no one knows he's the one who shot the android. He doesn't want anyone to know that he murdered someone in cold blood."
Fear settled in Lucas's artificial stomach as he began to wonder if he could truly trust Hank in any capacity. The man wasn't trying to befriend Lucas and work with him as a partner out of a sense of kindness or professional courtesy, he was trying to cover his tracks and ensure that if Lucas figured out what had happened that Hank would be able to keep close to Lucas and potentially kill him too.
"Shit... What do I do?"
Too scared to really think or do anything, all Lucas could do was conceal his uncovered evidence and hope that Hank didn't find out he had been looking into the murder behind his back. It was then another interesting notion appeared in Lucas's mind.
"If Hank is the one who killed this android mistakenly identified as 'Connor', then who did Markus shoot in the church? How many of the 'RK-800' models were activated, and what happened to the Connor that Hank had worked with until the Revolution itself?"
Knowing he needed his answers and that he needed to overcome his fears Lucas focused on the corrupted memories of the shutdown android still in the dispensary to guide him. If he could figure out what the android had been doing prior to its murder, then Lucas could potentially uncover the messy truth at long last and finally know what happened to his predecessor, what happened in the church and potentially finally understand how the vigilante could possibly be a deviant who had been believed to be shutdown.
"I'll need a safe place to work in private."
Rising from his seat Lucas discreetly clocked-out and made his way to the precinct's front entrance to find a new place to focus on his investigation that was far away from Hank and other prying eyes. Where he'd go and how long he'd be there, he couldn't say for certain. All Lucas cared about was surviving just long enough to uncover the truth and finally understand everything happening in Detroit.
As he stepped out into the cold night air Lucas pulled the collar of his jacket up higher around his neck. Deviants hated the cold, and it was clear that being out on the snowy November night was going to make an already uncomfortable situation feel all the worse.
"There is a conspiracy happening somewhere in the city, and I'm going to find out exactly what it is and who's responsible."
Abby's Apartment
The early morning hours arrived without any further incident as Abby proceeded to offer her now conscious patient some Thirium to drink. As expected, the masked vigilante refused to drink the Thirium and even tried to get up to leave the apartment entirely, but he was too weak to take a single step. It took Abby only a few minutes to convince the vigilante to at least allow her to deliver the Thirium to a line in his arm instead of drinking it if he wanted to keep his face concealed. The drastic blood loss and limited options had surprisingly enough resulted in the vigilante - a very stubborn deviant detective - being very cooperative and patient with the helpful technician.
As he laid over the couch the vigilante, Connor, silently observed Abby and Skye as they conversed like old friends and proceeded to pack up supplies for Skye to take back to New Jericho Tower. It was strange to know that he had been saved by two people that he had saved first, and now those two people were friends because Connor had introduced them to one another without knowing of the friendship that'd blossom.
"After the Zeta Facility opens, I'll be sure to put aside some extra supplies for New Jericho to keep until you can find a proper supply chain." Abby insisted as she placed two bottles of Thirium, a second audioscope and special Thirium-laced bandages in a box for Skye to carry. "There's another blanket and two more hoodies in the box for you to take too."
"Thanks, I appreciate this." Skye looked over at Connor still laying on the couch and offered him a small smile. She knew the vigilante was too weak to talk and that he'd undoubtedly want to leave as soon as he had the strength to move. "And thank you too. You've been out there protecting the streets by yourself and even protecting the tower when they needed it the most. Just know that if Lucy trusts you then you'll always be welcome at New Jericho regardless of what happens. And for the record, I trust you too."
Unwilling to speak Connor just nodded in acknowledgement as Skye carried her box to the apartment door to take her leave for the morning.
"As soon as the Zeta Facility opens I'll come and visit you." The upbeat deviant promised as she looked back at Abby, her friend, with a smile. "Hopefully by this spring I'll be able to open up my own practice and begin protecting our people as a lawyer. Then we can work together to make sure all abused deviants are given justice and recognition in the eyes of the law."
"Looking forward to it." Abby confirmed as she carried her satchel back into the livingroom to check on her patient again. "Need any money for the cab fare?"
"I got that covered. Let me know when our friend is back on his feet, Lucy will want to know the good news."
"I promise. See you soon!"
After Skye left the apartment Connor attempted again to sit upright and only managed to make it half-way up before Abby's hand pressed on his shoulder to help him the rest of the way. Closing his eyes Connor let out a small sigh and leaned back against the furniture while Abby checked the line in his arm. He didn't need to keep an eye on Abby since he knew that she was a technician who actually cared about the deviants. He could feel that his mask was still in place and that it hadn't been touched while he was unconscious.
"You're lucky." Abby stated seemingly out of nowhere as she closed up the panel in the bend of Connor's right arm while Connor opened one eye to watch her. "That bullet passed through your neck instead of getting lodged somewhere inside of your neck, throat, spine or head."
"I-" The intentional garbling of his voice made Connor sound twice as worse as he already looked and felt. "I'm aware."
"Good. Care to tell me how you ended up getting shot?"
As much as Connor didn't want to talk about the incident, he also didn't want to lie to Abby after she saved his life. "...Mistaken identity."
"I see. And who mistakenly pulled the trigger?"
Connor closed his eyes for a minute before he relented and told Abby the truth. "A cop."
"A... A cop?" That answer made Abby's hands falter for a minute as she tried to hand Connor a bottle of Thirium to ensure his reserves were restored. "Are you serious? You were shot by a cop?"
"Yes." Keeping the offending cop's name to himself was the only way to keep the incident from escalating in the event Abby decided to anonymously report a cop opening fire on an unarmed person. As much as he disliked Detective Reed, the last thing Connor wanted to do was stir up trouble for the already troubled man. "I have no reason to lie about the shooting."
"Wow. Well, at least now I know that my joke about Skye wearing Kevlar was more accurate than dark."
"She'll be okay, and I'll recover." Sitting forward on the couch, Connor draped his arms limply over his knees and closed his eyes again. He felt so weak and as if he didn't have any energy left to use. "Th-Thank you for your help. Skye's help as well."
"It's always my pleasure to help someone in need." She smiled knowingly as she passed Connor the bottle of Thirium and looked him in his soulful brown eyes. "It's even better when I'm helping a friend. Am I right? Conroy?"
-next chapter-