Connor readjusted his tie and ran a hand through his hair to make sure all strands were still in place. With the way the weather was picking up, the rain was beginning to drag the locks out of place. Expression relaxed, the android kept his eyes forward, picking up his pace slightly when the glowing letters of "Jimmy's" was finally within sight. It was still a good distance away, but he was close. If Hank wasn't there, then he would have to go to the man's house again, which would have been nothing more than another inconvenience.

'I'm going to get drunker.' Yeah, he was fairly positive Hank would have come here.

He rubbed his hands together and glanced in either direction as he went, wondering why there wasn't quite as many people as one would have expected. It wasn't that far out of the ordinary, it was during the week after all. Though, that never stopped the Lieutenant from his indulgences. He'd definitely have to have a word with the man about this later. The lack of professionalism was nothing short of astounding.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he noticed someone stumble out the door of the bar. There was something familiar about the man. It was too far and dark to know for sure, but he could at least be sure that it wasn't Hank… he was far too young. Connor straightened up and never allowed his attention to waver from the form as it staggered and nearly tripped. They didn't pose a threat as far as he could determine, but he knew the man, he was sure of that much. He attempted to scan the man's face, but with the low lighting and haze of rain, the software was useless.

It wasn't until the other finally lifted his head enough for the android ro recognize him, and he hesitated slightly at the sight, especially after their interaction earlier. Although it hadn't caused any discomfort, he still glanced to his right shoulder. Despite that, the animosity he sensed towards himself was nearly tangible.

"Hey!" Gavin called out, for the first time he seemed steady on his feet. "You're that fuckin' android that's always following Hank like a lost puppy…" That stability was short lived when he went to take another step towards Connor.

"What's the matter...lose yer owner?"

The other didn't react right away. But, when the man took a few more steps and stumbled again, he automatically reached out to prevent the officer from falling. "Excuse me," Connor started in that calm and collected tone, "but you appear to be heavily intoxicated. Perhaps it would be wise if you would allow me to as-"

"Get yer goddamn hands of me, ya asshole!" Gavin bit out, trying to push himself away. However, the android didn't let up and he kept a firm hold.

"My apologies, but I feel I am obliged to assist. It would be irresponsible, regardless of your feelings towards me, if I were to allow you to wonder in your current condition." He hefted the man up, making sure there was no chance of him slipping from his grasp and injuring himself. "I'm afraid I can't help you get to your house just yet though, I still have another matter to attend to. I must ask that you be patient until then."

Gavin mumbled something slurred and incoherent under his breath as he shifted in the other's hold, still trying to pull away. "Damn hunks of plastic…always think they know what's best." He calmed down for only a few seconds before yanking one more time, this time managing to slip free. "Get the fuck off me!"

Connor didn't get the chance to process what was happening before the gunshot sounded out, causing him to instantly reel back and put some distance between the two of them. Blinking, the artificial man glanced down at the spreading stain of blue on his side. Calmly, he straightened back up, eyes darting from the other's face and down to the gun. His finger was still placed over the trigger as the barrel trembled every so slightly.

"What are you doing, Detective Reed?" He tilted his head marginally, brows knit as he watched the man's features. Waiting, searching for any signs of another attack. "You aren't thinking straight, perhap-"

"Shut the fuck up!"

Another shot. Luckily, due to his unsteady hand, the bullet missed its target. Connor tried to watch his movements, to predict his next movements. But, the man was all over the place, reading him was proving to be problematic."Detective, your judgement is simply hindered; you are not thinking straight. Now, if you would lower your weapon and consider what you're doing, I'm sure you will come to realize-"

"I said shut your goddamn mouth!"

Third shot wasn't as off the mark as it grazed over Connor's shoulder. Swiftly, brown orbs flicked over to assess the damage. Nothing too major, but he was painfully aware of the rising threat this man posed with each pull of the trigger. His priority instantly changed from finding Hank to de-escalating the situation.

"All of you are so damn annoying," Gavin rambled, stumbling a little bit closer, weapon waving in the air as he spoke. "You all waltz around the place, thinking you're all so fucking perfect. Never wrong, always acting like you're better at our jobs than we are. I'm sick of it!" he spat, swinging his arm around, handle of the gun aimed at Connor's head. Instantly, he raised his arm and easily blocked the attack.

Grabbing Gavin's wrist with his free hand, the android paused, calculating his next words carefully. "Please, listen to reason, Reed. Damaging or destroying me will accomplish nothing. It will only be wasted money, time, and resources. You would be compromising the investigation. I don't believe that's something either of us wants, is it?" Slowly, he loosened his grip on the man, gauging his movements as he gradually pulled back. Tension in the human's muscles was still visible, but he nonetheless lowered the weapon. "I knew you were capable of making the right decision."

He offered what he presumed was a reassuring smile, and after straightening his jacket, he went to turn back around. Out of the corner of his eye, a split second too late, he caught the unmistakable glint followed directly by another 'bang'. Connor didn't need to see where this pullet struck. He could tell even before his diagnostics could alarm him of the damage by the way his left leg buckled underneath him; the limb completely unable to support any weight on it.

Connor raised his head only to look down the length of the pistol, trained at his forehead.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just end it right here and now," Gavin demanded, moving his hand until the metal was touching.

"Doing so would jeopardize your sense of duty, detective. It is as I said, if I am destroyed, another Connor will step in and continue where I left off." He was aware of it, aware that the more he talked, the more Gavin's expression scrunched in anger. "I thought you were smarter than this."

Too far. He knew it was too far before he thought about saying it.

Connor heard the impact of the gun against his face as the force of it knocked him to the ground. The vision in his left eye wavered, flickering until it gave out completely and was veiled in blackness.

"Get up…get the hell up!" Gavin commanded, waving the gun in front of Connor's face. Not knowing what else to do, the android complied, slowly rose, leaning heavily on his still functioning leg. The other scraped uselessly against the concrete.

"Be reasonable. Someone was bound to hear those shots, it's only a matter of time before the cops are contacted," he warned, hoping the bluff would be enough to deter the guy's pursuit.

The man simply scoffed as he pressed the barrel against the back of Connor's head. "Yeah, you think they'll care about a damn machine? You think I'm scared if the police show up? Are you forgetting they all know me?! Half of them hate the lot of you!" He pushed the gun, forcing the other to hobble forward. Slowly, he was directing the android closer and closer to the ally.

It was becoming more and more clear that talking his way out of this wasn't a viable option. The man was too inebriated to listen to reason. If this kept up, there was a dangerously high chance of him being killed. He couldn't let that happen, he couldn't risk parts of his memory being lost. Especially not when they were finally making some headway on the deviancy cause. This man, he could potentially ruin their momentum. All because of some unreasonable grudge he clung to.

His eyes darted to the alley, just a few more feet, and it would likely be his last moments in this body. There had to be something, some way out of this, anything. Just a few more steps, and still, he could see nothing that could help. The gun was threatening to tear right through him with the pressure that was added.

"Will you hurry the hell up?!"

Connor couldn't help but reply with that one. "I would have no problem doing so, but in case you have forgotten, you shot my knee, rendering the part useless." There was more bit in those words than he intended, and he was swiftly rewarded with another hit to the head. If his optical unit wasn't busted before, there was no doubt about it now. Another hit and he was down again. He didn't get the opportunity to get back up as his collar was grabbed and Gavin resorted to dragging. For this small moment, the gun was no longer aimed at Connor. It was grasped loosely in the detective's and as he focused on hualing the android into the ally.

It was now or never.

There was no time to consider his options, he snatched the gun from the man's hand, and with it in his hold, Gavin instantly released his hold and backed away by a couple feet.

"You won't fucking shoot," he said, shaking his head. "You're not allowed to, you're not programmed to harm a human. Now, be the good dipshit you are and hand that over. We both know, you hurt me...and it's all over, there won't be a chance in hell of you ever coming back."

He was right, Connor knew he was, but, he didn't move. "I won't shoot, and I will return this. But, only once you let me go and accomplish what I came out here to do. I do not wish to take this further than I must. I didn't want it to get as far as it did, but you gave me no choice."

Carefully, the android eased his way back up, using the wall as support. "Listen, I'm heading to Jimmy's bar, when I reach my destination, I will place this on the ground, and then you can retrieve it and head home. We can leave it at that, and no one has to know what took place here." He could almost read the man's thoughts as he scanned down, his gaze lingered on Connor's injuries. They both knew there was no hiding all the damages.

There was a low and hate-filled, primal growl as the man charged at Connor, colliding with him and causing him to roughly collide with the brick surface behind him. The force jarred him, and for a split second, everything went hazy as his body was violently jostled.

However, there was no mistaking the sound of the gun going off once more.


"Thanks, but I think it's time I head out," Hank called back, waving a hand as he pulled the door. The light sprinkling instantly struck his face, dragging an annoyed sigh out with it. Just what he needed, some damn rain. Grumbling to himself, the Lieutenant pulled his coat closing and yank the collar of it up to cover as much of his head as he could. Though, it did little good in keeping him dry. In fact, it was borderline useless in accomplishing its job as an umbrella. But, that didn't stop him from keeping it up.

He just wanted to get home and forget this day never happened. They managed to let two deviants escape, and now he was starting to question why any of this was as big of a deal as it was. All of this was bound to happen, this is what happens when man depended on machines so much. It shouldn't have been a huge surprise that things were going awry.

Hank bowed his head as a throb, either from the stress catching up or the alcohol, began to radiate from the back of his head. He swore, this whole case was going to be the death of him one way or another. Closing his eyes, he tried to clear his head. There was no way peace would find him for very long, but whatever little time he could get would be welcome.

He took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes again. As soon as he did so, he halted dead in his tracks. Even in his drunken state, he knew something out of place when he saw it.

"What the…?" The lieutenant crouched down and slowly dipped two fingers in the blue liquid before him. It didn't take much thought to know exactly what it was.."Blue blood," he nearly whispered with a hint of bewilderment.

He instantly sobered up as he followed the trail of it, inwardly cringing at how it built up to more and more the longer he followed it. He paused when he was a few feet from a back street.

"Hello?" he called out, listening closely and hearing nothing in return. He knew he probably shouldn't, but his curiosity soon got the better of him. "Dammit," he muttered, abandoning all sense of self-preservation. "Anyone out here? If ya are, why don't ya make this easier for the both of us and come on out."

Hank jumped when something clattered to his right, and he spun on the spot, jolting again. His breath caught in his throat when he recognized that grey jacket and the blue band that contrasted heavily with it. There was no mistaking that outfit, there was no other android that wore it.

"Shit! Connor, you scared the hell out of...Connor? Connor!"The android's back was turned to him, but he just knew it was him. The older man was on his knees next to the android in less than a second. "Hey, hey, what happened?" His hands hovered over the brunet, not knowing what he should do, what he needed to do to help. How was one supposed to help someone made of plastic, metal and wires? But, he supposed he should at least assess the situation.

A gasp escaped before he could stop it. "Holy...Connor…" His focus was immediately brought to the mess that was his left eye. A few sparks still flew from the caved in piece. That entire half of his face was drenched in thirium, blue liquid that still freely flowed from the socket.

"I...I didn't mean to, Hank. I-It was an accident, I didn't do it on-" He stared at his hands, which were also stained with his blood.

"Slow down, son. What are you talking about, what happened?" The moment he questioned, he saw it...the blood on the other's clothes. Blue stains, but not just that...red as well. He looked just a little bit farther passed Connor, and he found what the problem was.

"Fuck," he whispered, noticing the unmoving form of Gavin Reed. Only a few inches from him was his gun, cast aside."Fuck...FUCK! Connor, what the hell did you do?! What happened?" He threw his hands up and spun around to stepp a couple feet away. "Shit! Do you have any idea what you did? You realize you just signed your death sentence! Do you kno-" His words got caught in his throat, the sounds of sirens in the distance stole them away. There was no telling what they were for or where they were going, but he didn't want to stick around to find out.

Without a word, he grabbed Connor's wrist, "Come on, we can talk later, right now, we need to go." However, the android wasn't getting up.

"Dammit, Connor, this isn't the time to be stubborn, get the hell up!" Without a word, the younger man looked down, beckoning Hank to follow his gaze, to settle on the small blue puddle around his knee. "Can you get up? Look, I hate to rush you, but we really need to go." Less than gently, the Lieutenant leaned down and pulled one of Connor's arms over his shoulder, not caring about all the substances he was getting all over himself.

For some reason, there was the feeling he was supporting most of the guy's weight, it was like he wasn't even trying to move on his own. Frustrated, Hank just began tugging, not giving a single damn about if he was being harsh or not. A quick glance back, and he saw Connor's attention still glued to the lifeless body just a few feet away. There was a red flickering just above his right eye. Immediately, Hank let up slightly with his forcefulness. Despite the dire circumstances, he instead tried to approach from a more comforting approach. Or what was considered calmer for him.

"I know, it was an accident, now fucking move, will you? You're heavy and I can't carry you all the way back." He tugged up, trying to guide the younger man, eliciting a stiff inhale out of him.

"Of course," the android muttered. The sound was barely audible, and there was something about the tone that made Hank's chest constrict uncomfortably. "I'm coming. Hank." His fingers gripped the older man's jacket, and finally he straightened up, walking what little he could and depended on his partner to handle the rest. The officer allowed himself to relax marginally as the LED finally faded into a more warm yellow hue.

"It'll be alright. We're going to get you back to my place, get you cleaned and fixed up, you can explain everything that happened. and then we'll figure this out. Everything is going to be fine." He wasn't sure if his mind was playing tricks on him or not, but there was no mistaking the slight tremble he felt running through Connor. All he could think to do was keep reassuring him and make sure the both of them kept moving. Hell, at this point he wasn't sure which one of them he was trying to convince.

Connor really fucked up this time.