Warning 1: Racist language directed towards androids.
Warning 2: Alot of swearing.
Yes: There is a Batman reference. I had to think up of surnames. Sue me.
If you liked this first part, please leave me a comment! I've got some...steamy scenes in mind for future parts.
This does have a proper story though! It'll be slow burn but when it gets going…it'll get going. If you...know...what I mean ;)
Chapter Summary:
Connor and Gavin are assigned an undercover case at Detroit's top College. Will they be able to work together, or will prejudice get in the way?
CONNOR P. O.V
Connor was starting to get restless. It had been a surprisingly quiet few days, with no real homicides for him and Hank to take a look at. He knew it was likely just the calm before the storm, but that didn't help his current predicament. With nothing else to do, and Hank preoccupied with his own paperwork, he'd resigned himself to making his way through the mountain of paperwork files stored on his desk terminal.
Being so efficient normally served Connor well, but it had seemed to backfire on him quite spectacularly. He'd ended up getting through the files in less than an hour, and found himself with nothing left to do. Nothing other than sitting and staring up at the ceiling. It was maddening, and the silence of the sparsely staffed station made it seem almost eerie.
Most of the officers were out on the street, or working their own small cases. Which left Hank, Connor…and Gavin. After glancing at the grouchy Detective, Connor looked away- suddenly grateful that the place was silent. Though the other man had been avoiding him of late rather than antagonising him, Connor was still reluctant to start up any kind of conversation.
Especially seeing as the way he viewed Gavin had changed. He'd not thought much of him before, given the man's attitude towards him, but recently…he'd found that the Detective was on his mind more often. Connor couldn't figure out why. Why his gaze lingered on Gavin long after the man stormed away from him. Why it made his chest ache every time the man made a crude comment about Connors lack of humanity. Every new day, every new encounter, brought forth questions that Connor couldn't figure out the answer to.
He knew he could have asked Hank, but the Lieutenant was surprisingly focused on his files- and Connor didn't want to disturb him.
"Connor! Gavin! In my office!" Fowler's loud voice startled Connor out of his thoughts.
Surprised, Connor and Hank looked up, frowning- with Gavin having a similar reaction. Why had the two younger Detectives been called up, as opposed to Connor and Hank?
"You going to be alright in there, with that asshole?" Hank looked up, concerned.
"I can handle Detective Reed." Connor spoke confidently.
Truth be told, he didn't want to have to deal with Gavin at all, not until he discerned why he was feeling a myriad of emotions when he saw the Detective. But Connor knew it was also unavoidable.
"You sure, Connor?" Hank pursued.
"I'll be fine, Lieutenant." Connor reaffirmed.
Smiling slightly as he rose to his feet, Connor deftly sidestepped out of Gavin's way, just before the Detective stormed past. The brash motion was definitely impolite, and Connor couldn't deny that it hurt…but it was a vast improvement on how the man had acted on their previous encounters.
Choosing not to let it get to him, Connor followed after Gavin, occasionally glancing back at Hank before they arrived at the door to Fowler's office.
Almost as soon as they stepped in, and closed the door, Connor could feel the tension rising- and Gavin's eyes on him. Awkwardly smiling, Connor took a seat at one of the chairs by Fowler's desk, waiting patiently as Gavin took a seat in the other. Pointedly moving his chair further away from Connor, the Detective focused on Fowler.
"We've got a case." Fowler started.
"Someone kick the bucket at a sex club?" Gavin smirked.
As the corner of the Detective's mouth twitched into the familiar cocky grin, Connor felt the same ache in his chest return. Averting his gaze from Gavin's face, Connor refocused on the Captain.
"No." Fowler took a deep breath. "Two students have gone missing from Detroit's top College over the past month."
"Then why's this the first we're hearing about it?" Gavin frowned.
"They wanted to sweep things under the rug. But rumours started circulating." Fowler continued. "So the President of the College reached out to me."
"If I may, Captain." Connor leaned forward. "Why have you called us in?"
"I was just getting to that." Fowler exhaled slowly, clearly agitated. "He doesn't want us to run a typical investigation. Got too many donors with too much fucking money invested."
"They don't want…" Connor paused. "Captain Fowler, I'm not certain I understand."
"They want to keep things quiet, and we're understaffed…so…" Fowler braced himself. "You two are going undercover."
The reaction was immediate. Gavin rose to his feet faster than Connor had ever seen him move, face flushed. Clenching his hands into fists, the Detective pointedly avoided looking anywhere in Connors general direction.
"I am not working with this asshole!" Gavin spoke adamantly.
Connor remained silent, knowing that whatever he said could end up escalating the already brimming tension. He wanted nothing more than to stand up for himself, and figure out why the man was so opposed to working with him, but he could tell when to pick his battles.
"Gavin-" Fowler took a deep breath. "Don't start. I am not in the mood for your crap."
"Captain-" Gavin protested. "I'm not working with a fucking piece of plastic!"
Piece of plastic. An insult that had become synonymous with the brief encounters between the two of them. It hurt, more than Connor would ever be able to express. He could say he was more than a piece of plastic, because he knew that what Gavin said wasn't true, but Connor couldn't quite bring himself to speak up.
"Reed-" Fowler exhaled slowly, tearing Connor out of his thoughts.
"I won't-" Gavin protested, face still flushed.
"Sit the fuck down." Fowler spoke bluntly.
A moment passed in tense silence, as Fowler and Gavin stared each other down. The loud protest from the other Detective seemed to have drawn some attention from outside- Hank was looking worriedly in their direction. Truth be told, Connor was also concerned. He knew that Detective Reed could be extremely volatile, and was prone to more violent outbursts.
Especially where Connor himself was involved. Something that seemed to increase the unidentifiable ache in Connors chest.
"Fuck." Gavin cursed, after a few seconds.
Reluctantly, the man sat back down in his chair, though he leant back and crossed his arms- anger written clearly into his expression. Displeasure radiated from the man, and with every second that passed, Connor could almost feel the heat of the rage emanating from the Detective.
"Now that's out of the way…" Fowler shook his head. "I've chosen you two because you're our youngest Detectives. So you'll blend in a hell of alot better."
"Understood." Connor remained calm, despite his building nerves.
"Smartass." Gavin muttered under his breath.
"Moving on." Fowler took a deep breath. "You'll be taking the two students' places."
"May I ask what course we'd be taking?" Connor enquired.
"It's…" Fowler seemed amused. "Love in Literature."
"You want to run that by me again?" Gavin leaned forward.
"Love in Literature." Fowler repeated. "Some type of fancy crap."
"Just when I think this couldn't get any worse." Gavin slumped back in his chair.
"I think it could be interesting." Connor tried lightening the mood.
"You think? That's rich." Gavin grumbled.
"Gavin, don't fucking test me. I've had enough of your bitching." Fowler spoke bluntly. "Now. The President has provided you with temporary accommodation. You'll be sharing an apartment-"
"I've got to live with this piece of shit?" Gavin leaned forward again.
Exhaling slowly, Connor forced himself to focus. He knew that Detective Reed didn't like him, but to hear him vocalise it so strongly affected him. In ways he could never have expected.
"For as long as it takes to solve the case." Fowler sent an apologetic glance in Connors direction. "The President has also been generous to provide us with funding. You'll need to buy some new clothes."
"Really?" Gavin huffed.
"It's one of the top funded Colleges in the country. A Lot of rich kids prancing around." Fowler shrugged.
"When do we start the case?" Connor turned the conversation around.
"Right now." Fowler answered. "I'm letting you off early. You'll do some research, go on your fucking shopping trip, and you'll start tomorrow."
"That seems…" Connor paused.
"I'm not happy either." Fowler sighed. "But we can't pass this up. Think you can suck it up, Gavin?"
"Yeah." Gavin groaned. "Whatever."
"Alright then." Fowler nodded. "I'll send you both the necessary files. Here's the keys to the apartment. There's a prepaid card in there."
When Fowler handed him a thick white envelope, Connor glanced in Gavins direction. The man was clearly less than pleased with their current predicament, anger radiating from him with every minute movement.
"I'll be checking in to make sure you don't get each other killed." Fowler concluded. "Don't disappoint me. There's families out there that want answers."
"Understood, Captain." Connor nodded politely.
As Gavin rose to his feet, Connor gripped the envelope tighter. A moment of tense silence passed, before either of them spoke.
"Come on, tin can." Gavin headed for the door.
As they walked, Connor found his gaze lingering on the Detective's back. It was, as usual, covered by a worn leather jacket…but he couldn't bring himself to look away. Just as he found his eyes wandering further down, Connor averted his eyes. He had more important things to focus on than Gavin's…back. When they arrived at the Detective's desk, Gavin took a seat- mumbling under his breath as he did so.
Noting the man's bad mood, Connor quickly pulled up a chair, so they were sitting on opposite sides of Gavin's desk. Despite his obvious distaste for Connor, the Detective was the first to speak up.
"Let's get to work." Gavin leaned forward.
Stunned by the change in mood, Connor frowned. He was just about to speak up when Hank approached, with a face like thunder.
"The fuck did you do?" Hank focused on Gavin.
"Nothing." Gavin acted nonchalant and cocky, as he always did.
"Connor?" Hank turned to look at Connor.
"We've been assigned a case, Lieutenant." Connor spoke calmly.
"Not my idea." Gavin smirked, raising his hands in mock surrender.
"Why can't I-" Hank started.
"Captain Fowler requires us to go undercover. He believes we are the ones best suited to solve this case." Connor forced a smile onto his face.
"Hear that, Hank?" Gavin leaned backwards in his chair, casually.
"You prick-" Hank clenched his hands into fists.
"What? Jealous I get to spend time with your plastic pet?" Gavin taunted.
The way he said the word pet sent chills down Connors spine. He couldn't work out if they were a good thing, but he did know that he couldn't let the man talk about him like that.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about me in that way, Detective." Connor decided to speak up.
"I hurt your feelings?" Gavin raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, I'd like it if you stopped." Connor remained firm.
Seemingly surprised by Connor talking back to him, Gavin elected to remain silent, though his expression conveyed he was deep in thought. Satisfied that the situation had been neutralized, Connor turned to face Hank properly, though he could feel his artificial heart pumping ever faster.
"You going to be alright?" Hank pursued.
"I'll be fine, Hank." Connor smiled reassuringly.
"I'm over there if you need me to kick his-" Hank started.
"Lieutenant." Connor spoke firmly.
"Alright." Hank exhaled slowly.
When Hank finally wandered off, Connor reluctantly turned back to look at Gavin. The Detective was staring at him curiously, though he averted his gaze soon after Connor noticed the obvious stare. He wanted to ask Gavin why he despised him, but Connor knew that asking such a question could end up antagonising the Detective. And so he decided to remain silent. Until his curiosity got the better of him.
"Can I ask you a question, Detective?" Connor spoke up.
"No." Gavin spoke bluntly.
"If we are going to solve this case…" Connor exhaled slowly. "We need to work together."
"And?" Gavin raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
"I'd like to know if there's any particular reason you despise me." Connor concluded.
To Connors surprise, Gavin didn't respond back immediately with a crude comment, as he normally did. Instead, the Detective seemed to think on Connors words, expression neutral. Several moments passed in silence, before the other man spoke.
"Why the fuck do you care?" Gavin questioned.
"I…" Connor paused.
When Connor neglected to continue, Gavin frowned, but returned to examining the terminal on his desk. Watching the man type, Connor reluctantly decided to scan him. It was obvious that the Detective wasn't going to spill any personal information, or indicate why he hated Connor- so he had to do it. Focusing on Gavin's face, he executed the scan. It revealed nothing too in depth. Only the man's date of birth, and that he had no criminal record.
Facts Connor already knew. Leaning forward slightly, he focused again. He couldn't access Gavin's sealed records, nor did he want to- whilst the man despised him, Connor didn't want to pry.
At close quarters, he could see the Detective's face in greater detail, and became acutely aware of the scar lying jagged across the man's nose. It was deep, but slightly faded, indicating it had been obtained some time ago. Connor wondered if the backstory behind the scar had anything to do with why the man despised Androids.
It wasn't until Gavin cleared his throat, that Connor realised he'd been staring. Rather sheepishly, he looked away, focusing on their surroundings for a moment…until he could gather the courage to look at the Detective again.
"You running low on batteries or something?" Gavin questioned mockingly.
"No." Connor spoke, perhaps a little too quickly. "I'm listening."
Satisfied, Gavin shrugged, before leaning back in his chair. Following the man's gaze, Connor looked at the desk terminal. On it was the homepage for the College's website- clean and pristine. It showed some minor details alongside a collection of professionally shot photos. In the pictures was a large variety of people.
"Wonder if they take plastic dolls now." Gavin smirked.
Clenching his hands into fists, Connor exhaled slowly.
"Stop." Connor spoke simply.
"Stop?" Gavin frowned.
"If we're going to solve this case, I need you to listen to me, Detective." Connor started.
"The fuck-" Gavin started.
"I am alive. And I'd appreciate it if you recognized that fact." Connor fought the nerves building within him.
"So what I've been saying bothers you that much?" Gavin seemed surprised.
"It does." Connor closed his eyes for a moment.
He could feel tears building in the corners of his eyes, out of sheer frustration, but he fought to keep them at bay. After a moment, he opened his eyes, and saw Gavin staring straight at him.
"Shit." the man cursed.
Tapping his fingers on the desk, Gavin shook his head slightly, seemingly at war with something inside him. It took several agonising minutes for the other man to speak up.
"Tin-" Gavin stopped himself. "Connor."
Hearing the Detective say his name so gently made the ache in Connors chest grow further. The odd tenderness was incredibly uncharacteristic, but he forced himself to listen. Gavin was unlikely to repeat whatever he was about to say.
"You're really going to make me say it?" Gavin groaned.
Raising an eyebrow, Connor waited patiently. It was clear that Gavin still harbored some resentment towards him, but he refused to let the man continue to insult him.
"I didn't know you…felt things...like that." Gavin seemed to be struggling to speak, for some reason. "I, uh…"
It became clear to Connor that the Detective wasn't entirely comfortable with exuding too much emotion, so he sat silently- waiting patiently for the other man to speak.
"Look, I'm sorry." Gavin looked away.
The apology was spoken hurriedly, leaving the slightest of flushes on the man's face, but it was sincere. Or, at least, it seemed to be.
Connor smiled slightly.
It still didn't tell Connor why the man had been so volatile towards him, nor why he seemed to hate androids in general, but…
It was a start.
"Stop smiling." Gavin huffed. "It's fucking creepy."
Fighting the urge to laugh, Connor reluctantly stopped smiling, though he could tell Gavins words were half hearted. There was no longer any malice behind them.
"Moving on." Gavin sat up straight. "There's not much on the website."
"They probably wouldn't advertise the fact that two of their students have gone missing." Connor pointed out.
"True." Gavin agreed.
"Let's see if we can find the missing student's social media accounts. It might tell us more about them." Connor suggested. "Check the files Captain Fowler sent us."
After a brief moment of scanning through recent emails, Gavin returned to the terminals search engine.
"We know they took the same course. It's likely that they had similar interests." Connor leaned forward.
"Found one." Gavin smiled slightly. "Damian Wayne."
"19 years old." Connor read off the screen. "He likes classical music, guitar, and…old romance novels."
"So he's a hipster." Gavin shrugged.
"It would seem so." Connor agreed. "There's not much to go on."
"Maybe the other one will tell us more." Gavin began typing again.
After a moment, the Other students social media accounts popped up on the terminal.
"Kaitlyn Bennett. 20 years old." Gavin read.
"Her interests are markedly different to those of the other victim." Connor surmised. "She likes rock, heavy metal, and…science fiction novels."
"Completely different interests." Gavin agreed. "Nothing to indicate they knew each other."
"With such dissimilar interests, they probably didn't. Despite being in the same class." Connor continued.
"There's nothing tying the two victims together." Gavin leaned back in his chair. "That's just fucking great."
"I'm sure we'll be able to learn something once we start tomorrow." Connor remained positive.
"Maybe. " Gavin shrugged. "Let's take a look at the other files. Could be we'll learn something else."
After a further few minutes, with the two of them reading through the files Captain Fowler sent the two of them, they both sighed heavily. Leaning back in their chairs, they exchanged glances that lasted perhaps a few seconds longer than either of them intended.
"I got nothing." Gavin cleared his throat.
"I can't find anything useful. They didn't have any criminal records." Connor agreed.
"Doesn't mean they didn't get into trouble." Gavin pointed out. "They just didn't get caught."
"Maybe." Connor frowned.
"Don't think we'll learn anything else from these files." Gavin concluded.
"We could talk to their families." Connor suggested.
"It's a start." Gavin shrugged.
After a moment of awkward silence, the two of them rose to their feet, neither of them knowing what else to say. As they turned and headed out of the precinct, Connor found himself staring at Gavins back…
And found that his eyes were wandering a little lower than before.
Surprisingly, Gavin didn't have a fancy, flashy autonomous car like most of Detroit. Instead, like Hank, the Detective had opted for something now considered extremely old fashioned. Even by Hank's standards. The car was, after a quick scan, revealed to be a 1969 Dodge Charger. A retro sports model, painted in sleek black and edged with shining silver. It had been well taken care of, looking brand new despite its age. It was also clear it held some sentimental value for the Detective. The sleek car was strangely different to Gavin's rough, edgy exterior. An oddly beautiful contrast.
"It's an impressive car, Detective." Connor spoke up as Gavin turned the keys in the ignition.
A slight smile crossed the Detective's face, and Connor felt the strange ache in his chest return tenfold. With the slight breeze ruffling Gavin's hair, and the oddly peaceful expression on the man's face, he looked vastly different to the man Connor had seen in Fowler's office.
There was definitely still an underlying tension, and many questions had been left unanswered.
But, as Connor had thought to himself before, it was a start.
As soon as they pulled up to the first victims house, Gavin's entire demeanor changed. The peaceful calm Connor had seen in the car had been replaced by a furrowed brow and sense of deep concentration. Surprised at the change in demeanor, he attributed it to the fact that they were now officially starting the case. Talking to both victims parents was a common starting point, and could end up giving them the vital information they needed. Choosing to remain optimistic, Connor exited the vehicle, waiting patiently as Gavin locked the doors.
After allowing themselves a moment to collect their thoughts, they headed towards the large steel gate that blocked off a gargantuan mansion. It was tall and imposing, with thick concrete walls lining the entirety of the mansions exterior. Whereas all the other homes in the road appeared somewhat lived in, this particular home was perfect.
Almost too perfect- sterile, with every single detail carefully positioned…almost like it had been taken straight out of a magazine.
"Who's there?" a voice from the gate's intercom startled Connor out of his thoughts.
"Detective Gavin Reed from the Detroit Police. I'm here with my…partner, Connor. We've been asked to look into your son's disappearance." Gavin spoke calmly, and matter-of-factly- the complete opposite of the way he normally talked.
"Oh. Of course. Of course. I'll let you in." the voice sounded.
When Connor saw the frown on Gavin's face, he walked closer to his new partner. The man seemed disturbed, as if deep in thought.
"Is something wrong, Detective?" Connor questioned.
"They didn't sound worried." Gavin answered. "Son's missing, and he sounded like nothings happened."
"They weren't expecting us." Connor pointed out. "We may have disturbed them."
"I don't give a shit if we disturbed them." Gavin folded his arms.
Before Connor could speak up, the gates slid open- opening up the long driveway ahead of them. Still confused as to why Gavin seemed so standoffish, Connor followed after the Detective- noting that the man's fingers constantly ghosted over the gun in his holster. Something in the person's voice had unsettled Gavin- but Connor chose not to question it further. The strange peace they'd brought about between them was fragile, that much Connor could tell.
And he didn't want to do anything to jeopardize that. Not while they had a case to solve.
Not while Connor was still questioning the reason behind the ache in his chest.
Besides, Gavin was a good Detective. And, if he was suspicious, it wouldn't be without a good reason.
Adjusting his jacket, Connor moved to stand beside Gavin as they arrived in the mansions colossal doorway. It was just as pristine and immaculate as the rest of the homes exterior. The sheer perfection was unnerving, so much so that Connor began to understand Gavin's suspicions.
He'd keep his guard up, just in case.
When the doors opened, they were met by an older gentleman in a freshly pressed tuxedo, his receding hair combed back, with not a single hair out of place. Despite the perfect exterior, the man flashed a crooked smile, appearing to be warm and friendly.
"Mr and Mrs Wayne will be with you in just a moment. I've been asked to escort you to the main living room." the older man bowed his head slightly.
"I'm sorry, but we really must speak with them." Connor spoke politely. "It's highly important."
"You're here regarding Master Damian's disappearance, yes?" the older man surmised.
"We are." Gavin confirmed.
"Terrible bit of business, that." the older man shook his head. "He was always such a well mannered young man."
"We need to talk to his parents." Connor insisted.
"They're busy." the older man spoke quickly.
"Too busy to talk to the cops?" Gavin frowned.
"I'm aware you must have your hands full with this case, gentlemen. But they're in a meeting. There's nothing I can do until the meeting concludes." the older man sighed. "Please, follow me to the living room."
As they were shown through the palatial foyer, Gavin and Connor exchanged glances. Connor could see that the Detective was uneasy, likely for reasons beyond the case, but held those questions for later. Remaining silent, he moved to gripping a familiar coin in his hands, finding that the familiar habit dulled his nerves…to a degree.
Once inside a large living room, furnished with glaringly modern architectural pieces that looked like something straight out of a modern art museum. Much like the exterior of the mansion, the interior almost didn't look real. There was no potted plants or knick knacks anywhere to be seen- the place just didn't look like it was lived in.
"I don't like this." Gavin kept his voice down. "Something's not right."
"I agree. There's something unsettling about this place." Connor agreed.
"Too sterile." Gavin continued. "Like…"
Gavin stopped himself before continuing, folding his arms as he exhaled slowly.
"Like what, Detective?" Connor enquired, curious.
"What?" Gavin frowned.
"You said this place was too sterile. Like…something." Connor repeated. "Like what?"
"Like…nothing." Gavin looked away.
"Was that too personal, Detective?" Connor flicked the coin between his hands.
"Too personal." Gavin reaffirmed.
"I didn't mean to offend-" Connor started.
"Just leave it, alright?" Gavin looked furious. "Fucking plastic."
Noting the return of a familiar insult as a response to his question, Connor took the hint, and allowed the room to slip back into silence. He was disappointed, in more ways than one, by the way Gavin had referred to him, but he could also surmise that he'd asked too personal a question. He'd gone too deep. Their relationship definitely wasn't at the point where they'd be sharing their pasts.
Yet, Connor told himself. Yet.
There was hope they'd one day be able to work together properly, without tension.
"Detectives?" a voice startled Connor out of his thoughts.
The elderly man in the tuxedo had reappeared in the living room doorway, with two new people behind him. One was a middle aged woman, wearing a cleanly pressed suit and severe expression. The other was another older man, wearing an equally perfect suit and neutral expression. They looked calm, severe…nothing like the worried parents Connor and Gavin had expected.
"You didn't tell me one of them was an android, Charles." the woman spoke harshly, not caring to keep her voice down.
"I'm sorry if my presence disturbs you." Connor remained calm, despite the vitriol in the woman's words.
"You're damn right it does." the woman turned to face Connor, before glancing at Gavin. "At least one of you is human, I suppose."
"Maybe the android should leave." the older man turned to look at Gavin. "It's disturbing my wife."
Before Connor could even talk, Gavin was moving closer to the couple, arms hanging at his sides as his hands clenched into fists.
"It…has a name." Gavin remained calm. "Connor."
"I don't give a damn what it's name is. It's in my home, and it's disturbing my wife." the man took one of the woman's hands in his own.
"Listen, prick-" Gavin stepped closer.
"Perhaps I should-" Connor tried speaking up, wanting to diffuse the tension.
"Don't you say another word!" the man let go of his wife's hand. "You plastic asshole!"
In a few steps, he was standing in front of Connor, and before anyone could react, the man was stretching out his arm. In one swift motion, he backhanded Connor across the face, with enough force to break his nose. The resounding crack startled the room into silence.
Tears building in his eyes, Connor dropped his coin, bringing his hands up to his broken nose. As he felt the thirium seep through his fingers, he found himself looking towards Gavin.
The man looked positively furious.
He was shaking with rage.
Just as he was stepping towards the older man, Connor spoke up.
"Don't…" Connor's voice shook. "Hurt him, Detective."
"Connor-" Gavin took another step closer to the older man.
"Please." Connor spoke firmly, though his voice was muffled.
"You sure? Because I'd like to give him a piece of-" Gavin started.
"Detective." Connor bent down to pick up his coin.
As he straightened up, moving his hands to cradle his broken nose again, Connor observed the Detective reaching into a pocket in his jacket, before withdrawing a set of chunky, modernised cuffs.
"Mr...Wayne, right?" Gavin smirked.
"Yes." the man who struck Connor frowned.
"You're under arrest." Gavin stepped forward.
"For what? Hitting a glorified plastic doll?!" Mr Wayne scoffed.
"For assaulting an officer." Gavin hastily pulled the man's arms behind his back.
As the Detective cuffed the man, Connor couldn't deny that the ache in his chest had grown. And it wasn't entirely down to the searing pain in his face, either.
"Let's get out of here." Gavin roughly pushed Mr Wayne towards the door.
"Get your hands off of my husband!" the woman, now identifiable as Mrs Wayne, protested.
"I suggest .off." Gavin bit back.
"I could question-" Connor remembered they hadn't questioned the wife.
"I'm not leaving you here with these assholes." Gavin spoke firmly. "Got it, dipshit?"
Smiling slightly, despite the tears threatening to fall, Connor followed after Gavin, not even sparing Mrs Wayne a second glance. He wanted to stay and get more information, but Connor also knew when to walk away. It was unlikely, after the brief debacle, that he'd get anything out of her.
The walk down the drive to the car was thankfully brief, with Gavin pushing Mr Wayne every few steps to urge the man to walk faster.
As Gavin started pushing Mr Wayne into the backseat, behind the safety bars, Connor paused. Before he could speak up, he found an overwhelming sense of dizziness overtake him- as the thirium continued to drip down his chin.
"Shit." Gavin's voice startled Connor.
"Yes, Detective?" Connor looked down slightly to face Gavin.
"You doing alright?" Gavin frowned.
"I'll be able to repair the damage myself." Connor answered.
"That's not what I meant, dipshit." Gavin raised an eyebrow.
"I'm…used to having insults thrown my way." Connor smiled slightly.
Truth be told, the racist comments had cut him to his core. They hurt worse than anything he'd ever heard from Gavin. After all, the words Mr Wayne had spoken were full of unbridled fury and hatred. His words made Gavin's past insults look like nursery rhymes in comparison.
"Shouldn't be." Gavin folded his arms.
"I know." Connor exhaled slowly.
"Anything I can do?" Gavin asked.
"No." Connor answered again.
"Uh…alright." Gavin cleared his throat. "Let's get the fuck out of here."
"The other victim-" Connor started.
"Can wait. This asshole…I want to make sure he gets what's coming to him." Gavin nodded.
"Very well, Detective." Connor exhaled slowly once more.
As Gavin headed round the car towards the driver's seat, Connor found himself smiling despite the intense pain.
If you'd told him earlier that Gavin Reed, of all people, would be looking out for him…
He wouldn't have believed it.
But, Connor thought to himself, as the ache in his chest returned…
It was definitely a welcome change.
Maybe they'd be able to work well together, after all.