Even with the rain pattering on the window and a radio playing in the background, the drive to the first crime scene was… stiff. Gavin refused to acknowledge there was another person in the car, and all attempts at small talk by the RK900 remained unresponded to. The detective tried to convince himself that he was concentrating on the case that lay ahead, and all though it was an interesting one, he was silent because he didn't want to give RK900 the satisfaction of talking. He hadn't even thanked him for the coffee that morning, which sat half-empty in his cup holder. Well, he didn't thank anybody for anything, but still.

"Detective Reed?" Silence. "What should my name be? Having two Connors may cause unnecessary confusion. Do you have any suggestions? Many suggested other names that also start with 'c' such as Conan or Cameron, but I'm not sure."

"Richard. Richard's a good name."

"I am aware that the shortened version of Richard is Dick. And I would take that as a serious answer from anybody else, but knowing you?" The RK900 scoffed and shook his head gently. "Not happening." The atmosphere lightened a bit, and Gavin cursed himself for speaking. Now, if the RK900 had actually taken that as an answer, the fallout would be great, but he should've known better than to test the 'smartest android ever created'.

"What's your model number." Gavin asked as blandly as possible, trying to make it an order, still salty from answering anything.

"I'm a RK900."

"Nine… Nines. I'm calling you Nines." A yellow light reflected off a window as the RK900 thought. Gavin wasn't too sure if he'd take his suggestion, mainly because it was just a number he suggested, but he'd call him that anyway. "That cool with you?"

"Sure. Nines it is."

Rain clouds laid thick in the Detroit sky, no matter the time of day or season. The entire state was also always cold, which made for a bad combination. But the discomfort Gavin faced paled in comparison to the man who had his head bashed into the kitchen counter. People swarmed around him, placing markers, taking things for analysis, and taking photos of the crime scene. The familiar flashing lights called for a cigarette between his teeth. Many tried to brief him, flyers and concerned faces hovering him likes flies to a dead body, but all Gavin did was stare at was Nines on the ground, licking blue blood off his fingers.

"Dude. Dude. Nines. What the fuck are you doing?!"

"I can do analysis in real time." He stuck his fingers in his mouth again as if it were nothing, concentrating to a degree that made it seem he enjoyed tasting the blood. At least Connor was brief and discreet about it, if this guy had a straw, he'd probably be drinking it. He couldn't believe he was preferring the happy-go-lucky cop who would do anything a human asked him.

"Why the fuck they'd put the lab on your tongue?"

"God, I wish I knew." Again, the human-sounding speech Gavin couldn't ignore. "The culprit was an android. There are traces of thirium underneath the nails of the victim, who has a past of aggravated assault and drug abuse."

"So, this guys been abusing his android, and it came back to kill him when it got free will. Bet you red ice is involved." Gavin pondered for a moment, tapping his foot while Nines watched for some reason. "Most androids don't leave the place they've committed a crime in. What's the case for this dude? And what was their model intended for?"

"You're… oh…" Nines whispered.

"I'm what now." Gavin's demeanor changed. "Say it to my face, asshole."

"It's... nothing. Just lost in thought. They created the model to be a nanny and housekeeper. It's likely that it's… she's… still here. Most android's don't realize what to do after they've committed crimes."

"State of the art android, yeah? Bet you can follow those blue blood trails. Well, let me know if you find anything."

"Can I ask you something?"

"No." Gavin sauntered around the house, avoiding the main crime scene and Nines, trying to find tiny details. The crime was recent, within hours recent, but there weren't any footprints outside that looked small enough to be a woman's, solidifying that the android was still there. After opening a closet door, though, he came face to face with a female android, her LED glaring red and her fist coming closer and closer to the detectives face. He had a split second to react. To punch her back, to call for backup. What did he do instead?

"NINES-!"

With a fist to the nose, Gavin toppled over, feeling blood creep down his chin and a pain in his head. The cigarette fell out of his mouth, but he couldn't care less. While trying to stand up, something white flashed by, ripping a door from its hinges and following the running android. He had enough composition to see the two fly down the street and weave between trees. It was impressive following them with his eyes until they disappeared, becoming one with the horizon. Panic ensued, sirens blasted in his ear, and he leaned against a wall for support. His phone buzzed in his pocket.

She's heading for the train station.

Gavin hopped, tripped, and managed to get into his car before fumbling with his keys and speeding down roads, not once wondering how the android got his number or how texting worked. Red lights and stop signs got ignored and many corners got cut, going far too fast in areas he shouldn't be speeding in. A few minutes later, he climbed up the stairs to a platform and pulled his gun out, lungs burning from smoking and adrenaline pumping in his veins. A parade of police car noises played in the distance. Who else did Nines text? It wouldn't be off to assume the whole damn station. The train platform was silent except for the pattering of rain against a roof, and for a moment he thought Nines was wrong about the location. But soon enough rubber soles clanged against metal steps behind him.

Behind him.

"All right, give that!" A woman demanded in his ear and wrenched the gun from his hand with inhuman strength before wrapping his neck in a strong choke. Gavin would try to break free, but the cold and all too familiar end of his gun pressed to the side of his head. How they'd gotten there so fast, rivaling the speed of his car, he would have to question Nines about. Though he was six feet tall and eighty percent legs, it was strange. By devoting his strength, the detective could barely pull the arm away enough to breathe.

"Gavin!" The white-clad man clambered up the steps and froze at the scene, hands up in caution, voice thick and wavering with worry. "Don't you touch him."

"I won't." The woman's voice shook in time with her hands, a sign she wasn't prepared to shoot and discard of Gavin. She was so worked up that she had to take breaths, actual breaths for oxygen, because she was so short on it. "I want to get on the next train. And I want to leave. Then I'll let him go."

"That can't happen. You know it won't happen. I want to talk to you, and we c-"

"Then you won't get your precious human back." The gun alternated from Gavin to the android as a train, somewhere, approached. "W-what will it be?"

Gavin was sure in that moment they had the android secured. If only he could relay a message without speaking like he seen so many androids doing before. All he had to work with was shaking his head and looking at Nines with a desperation he hopefully wouldn't misread.

Throwing caution into the wind, Nines bolted towards the hostage taker, bearing two bullets to different places, one of which barely missed his thirium pump and regulator. Gavin gawked at Nines' stupidity and recklessness but sighed in relief when the android's elbow connected with the woman's face, knocking her back and releasing him. Nines didn't waste time detaining the android who struggled and begged as the sounds of police cars grew stronger. Eventually, though, she gave up. The detective scrambled away to catch his breath and rub the sore places on his neck, cursing himself for smoking at all but remembering his dependence on the high.

"Gavin? Are you okay?" He didn't respond. "Gavin? Gavin!"

"Shut up, would you?"

"Oh, thank rA9 you're alright."

The train arrived, whirring softly and doors opening for a minute only to close a moment later. Sirens sliced through the quiet night, and Gavin let everything settle in. Nines had chased an android, dealt with a hostage situation, albeit poorly, and detained the android on his own. The smartest and most efficient worker ever to everyone else, but to Gavin? Probably the stupidest toaster-man ever conceived. After keeping his cool for what felt like millennia waiting for backup to hand-cuff the homicidal android, Gavin didn't waste time punching Nines in the face and forcing him to the ground.

Someone put their arms underneath Gavin's, trying to restrain him, saying something into his ear, which worked for a while but didn't stop him from swearing out Nines, who was rubbing his jaw in confusion. Gavin fought and flailed about, not caring in the slightest about how he looked.

"You tin bitch, how fucking dare you!"

"Gav… Detective Reed, I'm not sure why-"

"That isn't how you handle hostages! You can shove your 'Smartest android' shit right up your plastic asshole, that's not how you…! GOD. You've got bullets in you!" In all honesty, Gavin didn't know why he was lashing out, much less for this. Androids… he was supposed to hate androids, but something about how Nines threw everything away for him made his blood boil.

"The train was approaching, and the android had plans of boarding if I didn't stop her! What did you expect me to do? Let her get away and you to get hurt?" It was Nines' turn to grab Reed by the collar of his shirt, forcing him to his toes and getting close. Gavin tried to pry the steel-trap hands off him to no avail. "Look, I don't what you're on about, but I am repairable and you are not. My top priority will always be those I work with no matter the cost!"

"What kind of fucked up mentality makes you think you get hurt for that? Her voice was shaking, she wouldn't shoot! If they designed her to be a fucking nanny and deal with kids, you think she'd have the guts to shoot me? You didn't think!" Gavin was angry enough to get even closer, inches away from the android's face and a red LED. Nines was just as mad, eyebrow twitching and not faltering as he pushed Gavin up a wall, taking him off his feet.

"I did think, I simply thought about you first! Do you expect me to apologize for putting you before myself?"

"Um, yes?! Listen here you roll of aluminum foil, I am not the priority, and you do not let your stupid, new emotions get in the way of things. The goal of-!"

"Okay you two, that's enough." Someone put an arm between them to pry the two off each other, but they shared a heated staring contest before Nines dropped the detective onto the ground. A Cyberlife technician arrived to treat the bullet wounds, and somebody offered Gavin a napkin for his still bleeding nose. They shot glances at each other like two high school rivals, confused and trying to dissect each other's arguments. It pissed Gavin that Nines acted on his emotions and saved him at the expense of his health instead of letting backup secure the next train stops. Nines was mad about Gavin trying to put the mission before himself like a certain android. At the end of the night, they were still pissed and confused.

Even with a whole case to discuss and an argument to resolve, the drive back to the DPD was… silent. Gavin shut his mouth, and the RK900 refused to bring anything up, or he didn't know how to. But Gavin didn't care. If the android so much as thought too loudly, he would've snapped. He's been cracking and straining the whole day, he's surprised that he hasn't shattered underneath the pressure yet. His right knuckles were red from punching Nines, and every time he spaced out during driving, he spaced out in his hand's direction.

"Gavin."

"No."

"Why were you upset about me getting hurt?" Nines' voice was so gentle that Gavin didn't retort right away. "It confuses me, is all. You hate androids. Everybody knows that."

"Look, toaster, I'm exhausted right now. That's why you're getting away with talking. You will shut up, I will drop you off at the DPD, and we'll live happily ever after. Got it?" The RK900's face was defeated, almost showing hints of Connor's puppy eyes, but not breaking the cold look. The detective didn't flinch from the change of demeanor, he wanted to go home, sleep, and forget about the android who took unnecessary bullets for him. Just thinking about it made him furious. That idiot.

"Gavin. Why do you not think of yourself as the priority?"

"Nines, not now."