A/N: Hello, so I have another confession to make. I am currently writing two stories at once; this one (obviously) and an original story I am doing for NaNoWriMo. So please be patient if these chapters aren't coming out as fast as you'd like. I am committed to finishing this but I've been wanting to write this original story for ages. I fully intend to post that story on Wattpad once I am done, so I'll let you know when that happens if you're curious. And I'd just like to finish this slightly longer author's note by saying you are all amazing, every one of you. It baffles and humbles me that anyone at all wants to read my weird internal imaginings, but God bless you, you are. So thanks, and thanks for sticking with me. Without further ado I'll leave you to it, please read, review and enjoy! :)

Chapter 14

"God damn it. Another crappy lead. I honestly don't know why I am doing this to myself."

"It is your job Detective. Giving up now would only be a waste of government time and resources. Besides, we haven't spoken to the suspect yet, they might yield promising results."

Gavin glared at his unwanted partner, an open case file on his lap. He was parked outside a rundown house, it looked like it hadn't been looked after for a long time. The screen door was hanging on its hinges and the wooden slats were covered in rot and graffiti. The neighbourhood was in a similar state to the house. Rubbish lined the street and there were several dishevelled and quite obviously homeless people wandering around.

"That's easy for you to say." Gavin grumbled as he scanned the unsavoury street outside the windshield of his police issue electric car. A few of the downtrodden occupants were casting curious looks at the vehicle. He turned his attention to the house again. He had been given the address by one of his informants who claimed they saw a group of injured men dragging a damaged android into the house. It was a tentative lead, but a lead none the less.

Gavin scanned the graffiti on the depleted walls. Large, aggressive letters blared out No Androids, and Human rights for humans. A heavy sense of dread settled in the Detective's stomach as he glanced at his very conspicuous partner. As a fully controlled android it was required to wear its Cyberlife issue uniform. Not ideal in a place like this.

"Maybe you should stay here." Gavin said, warily eyeing the machine next to him. It turned its icy gaze towards him, sending a shiver up his spine.

"Out of the question Detective. I am assigned to assist in your cases, so I am obliged to accompany you in all lines of your work." He still wasn't used to the way it spoke. Detached and cold. It almost made him miss this android's dorky predecessor.

"Fine. Just…try and keep a low profile. I don't think you'll be very popular around here." He slid the car door open and stepped out. The street in this small back water town somewhere outside of Detroit had an unpleasant atmosphere. It only got worse as the RK900 followed him out of the car and moved to stand by him. Suddenly Gavin felt eyes boring into him from every side as he walked towards the garbage filled front garden of the house.

"Who is the lead?" The android asked in a mechanical tone. Gavin had spent as little time with it as he could sensibly manage and he point blank refused to give it a name. Unlike a lot of his colleagues, and especially that sad sack Lieutenant, he still only saw the androids as machines. He understood why the sappier people would feel empathy towards them; they looked like humans after all. Perfect, stronger, creepier humans but recognisable, sure. But they were computers at the end of the day. Filled with wires and switchboards, not blood and bone, it was a fact and you couldn't argue with those.

"A fella called Henry Cavendish. Just need to ask him about the android he was seen dragging into here. Pretty standard stuff." He spoke with a nonchalant air. There was a weighted pause somewhere near his right shoulder, then a frosty voice responded.

"You know you're going to have to tell me the details of this case at some point Detective. I am your partner after all." Another shiver ran up Gavin's spine. It had a way of making even the most mundane phrases sound like a threat. He swallowed his unease and felt the familiar prickle of his temper as he reached the swinging screen door.

"You're not my partner. You're just a walking pocket calculator. Useful for facts and figures but nothing else." He spat the words out with venom but there was a definite note of fear in his voice. He hated himself for it and glowered at the screen door as he yanked it aside and hammered on the rotten wood behind. The android didn't respond but he could feel its artic gaze on the back of his neck.

"Open up, Detroit police!" He yelled. There was silence on the other side. Gavin growled under his breath and thumped the door again. The force of his blows made flakes of old paint and softened wood rain down on them in a flurry. "I said open the up!" He tried again. Still nothing.

"God damn, maybe they skipped town already." He muttered beginning to turn away. His eyes landed on a gathering of homeless people now blocking their exit, all staring up at him and his very obviously android partner, their eyes flashing with hostility.

"May I try?" The object of their new audience's enmity asked with mild annoyance. Gavin glared at the gaggle of poorly dressed, mal-nourished people, reaching for his gun slowly. As much as he didn't want to get hurt protecting this plastic monstrosity, it would still come out of his pay check if anything happened to it. The crowd shifted as one, the air around them instantly becoming charged. His hand inched closer to his gun, his eyes locked on the angry mob.

"Detective?" The android queried again, his tone impatient.

"Yeah sure, go ahead." Gavin shot back, his attention completely taken up with the escalating situation behind them. The RK900 flicked a disinterested glance towards the volatile humans then lifted its foot casually and slammed it into the door. There was a loud crash as the weakened wood gave way beneath the androids polished shoe. Splinters flew through the air along with a cloud of dust as the remnants clattered to the floor inside the house.

"What the fuck?!" Gavin exclaimed whirling round to assess the newest development to this dicey situation.

"I have gained entry Detective. Is that not what you were trying to achieve?" It answered coolly, lifting an eyebrow.

"Not like that you dip shit." Gavin said thrusting his hands into the air. Before he could register fully what his crazy robotic partner had done there was an angry shout from inside the house, and a shadowy figure marched towards them.

"What do you think you're doing you useless tin can!" The shadow materialised revealing a broad shoulder man. His hard chin was covered in rough stubble and his shoulder length hair was tangled in a messy ponytail. He looked the RK900 up and down as he came to a halt inches from it. Despite his obvious height he still had to tilt his head back slightly to stare it in the eye.

"Detroit police, we have some question for you." Gavin smoothly interjected holding up his badge. The angry occupant glanced at it briefly before continuing to square up to the android.

"You got a warrant?" The man asked in a deadly voice.

"We don't need one. The door was rotten and broke when we knocked." The RK900 replied fluidly without hesitation. Gavin's eyes widened at the blatant lie, but he wasn't about to correct it stuck between an angry mob and an even angrier man.

"Yeah, it just disintegrated beneath our hands when we were knocking. You need to look after this place." He said. The man glared at him, his large arms bulging underneath his dirty shirt as he folded them across his chest.

"What do you want?" He asked. Gavin cast a look over his shoulder at the gang of people still watching the show play out on the porch. He felt a rush of frustration at his partner's lack of interest in all the hostile stares it was receiving. If anything it looked bored.

"Just want to ask a few questions about a missing android. Can we go inside?" He gestured to the crowd behind him. "Don't really want to discuss personal details with all these curious ears do 'ya?" The man grounded his teeth together looking over their shoulders as if seeing the crowd of homeless gawkers for the first time.

"Fine. But watch yourselves. Especially you." He spat, jabbing a finger at the RK900. The android simply stared at the man's finger, a look on his face that suggested it would very much like to snap the appendage off. The man stalked off into the dank, dark house and the Detective and android followed behind.

"You lied to him." Gavin murmured. A pair of ice blue eyes shone in the gloom as they turned towards him.

"It seemed necessary to proceed." A monotone response came back at him. He huffed and focused on the man who was now stood in a mouldy looking kitchen that Gavin wouldn't eat in if you had paid him.

"What you want to ask? And make it quick, I don't like strangers." The man's sharp eyes settled again on the RK900. The android narrowed his eyes.

"Are you Henry Cavendish?" Gavin asked, hoping to divert the man's obvious resentment towards his partner. Although he didn't blame him.

"I might be."

"I'm gonna' take that as a yes." Gavin replied sourly, taking out a data pad.

"What have I done exactly?" Henry had turned his heated attention to the Detective now.

"There were reports of a stolen android being brought into this address a few nights ago." Gavin kept his gaze on the pad in his hand as he spoke. It wasn't a lie as such, more of a redirected truth. An android had been seen getting dragged into the house, but it hadn't been reported missing. After listening to his informant Gavin was sure it had been a deviant and that the men had taken it from a group of other deviants heading for Detroit.

"No androids here, except the one you've brought in." Henry said, his tone deadly. Gavin sighed, pinching the bridge of his crooked nose.

"As much as I would love to trust your word Mr Cavendish I would still like to have a look around."

"Would you now?" Henry took a two steps towards Gavin, his muscles flexing under his tattered shirt. "And I would like you to leave now if you've no more questions."

The Detective narrowed his eyes at the unpleasant man. He didn't like the atmosphere here at all. Not that he had a problem with people who took a disliking to androids but there was something about this guy that rankled Gavin. There was no sign of anyone else and the whole place felt like it hadn't been lived in for months. His gut told him there was a whole gang of them hiding somewhere in the house, most likely along with the android Henry claimed wasn't here.

"Yeah, well unfortunately for you we don't always get what we want in life." Gavin said with a sneer. He flicked a glance towards the RK900 which had been silently watching the exchange, probably recording it all as well for later use he thought bitterly. "You wanna help? Keep an eye on this low life while I have a look around."

The android nodded. "Of course Detective." He replied in a polite voice, but his eyes stabbed at Gavin's flesh making him turn hastily away. It was an ingenious plan if he said so himself, not only would he be able to keep the nosy hunk of junk out of the real investigation he was conducting, but robo-thug would keep that scruffy arsehole from obstructing him while he snooped around.

"Like hell you will." Henry growled in outrage, taking another step towards him. A strong arm suddenly intersected them, holding back the aggressive man. He glowered at the android now staring forebodingly down at him. "Get your filthy plastic hand off me." He hissed but the RK900 didn't flinch. Instead it balled its hand into a fist, grabbing Henry's shirt firmly and lifted him into the air. His face turned puce but Gavin was unsure if it was from rage or lack of oxygen, as he was dangling by the neck from his shirt collar.

"Well, seeing as you're otherwise engage Mr Cavendish I'll just take a quick look around." The Detective flashed him a fake smile and moved off to examine the rest of the house. It would appear having a robotic heavy around could have its benefits.

The rest of the house was more depressing than the kitchen. It stank of mould and human faeces. Only a really desperate group of people would opt to stay here but then he remembered the misplaced bunch outside and a small tug of pity pulled at his heart. It wasn't their fault they had been kicked out of their homes with nowhere to go.

After a frustrating ten minutes of sod all Gavin was about to head back downstairs and write this off as another waste of his time, when something white and plastic looking caught his eye in one of the bedrooms. In amongst the garbage and rotting furniture was an android hand. Tentatively, Gavin snapped on a forensic glove and picked the appendage up. He would have to ask his walking barcode scanner to identify it as there were no discerning marks on it, in fact it looked like the serial number had been scratched off. He glanced back down where it had been and saw a scrap of paper with a rough scrawl on it. It was splattered with drops of blue blood and had been hidden by the hand.

There was a crude drawing of Detroit and the roads leading into it. Gavin frowned, turning the piece of paper over in his hand. On the back was a short barely legible message. South less guarded. Use river as cover.

He straightened up, folding the paper and stowing it in his jacket pocket. He was contemplating where to put the android hand when he was pulled backwards by a strong force. He slammed into one of the crumbling walls, the air leaving his lungs in a grunt. Already weakened, the wall collapsed under the impact, chunks of plaster and wood raining down on him from his new position on the floor.

Swearing loudly Gavin struggled to sit up, looking around wildly for his attacker. It was hard to locate them through the slowly settling dust cloud but a quick shadowy movement caught the Detective's eye and within moments he had his gun drawn.

"Don't fucking move!" He yelled, before proceeding to cough violently from the bits of wall he had inhaled. The shadow ignored him and lunged towards him. A man emerged from the gloom, his hands outstretched. He was just as dishevelled as the low life downstairs, his clothes dirty and tattered, and there was a nasty cut on his forehead which had been hastily stitched up. At least he was human, Gavin thought sourly as the man bared down on him, there was a chance he would be able to fight him off. His attacker wrapped his meaty hands around the Detective throat before he could get any further with his hopeful thought process. Gavin gurgled as his grip tightened, his gun now pressed uselessly against his chest.

He was heavy; too heavy to wrestle off from his disadvantage position on the floor. He tried to free his weapon but his attacker caught wind of his intentions and pressed his weighty body into him driving the last of whatever breath he had had out of him. Black spots began to form around the edge of his vision and his eyes were just starting to roll back in his head when the weight was abruptly gone and another wall in the already larger room was destroyed with a loud crash.

Gavin leant to the side, coughing violently, although this time it was more to expel the excess carbon dioxide than the new cloud of debris. Once he could see clearly again he looked up trying to see what had happened to his new friend. The wall opposite now sported an impressive hole where his attacker had been thrown. He was slumped against the remains of the partition, obviously unconscious. In the middle of the newly renovated room stood a towering, rigid figure, its pristine white Cyberlife jacket covered in a fine layer of grey dust. Even through the smokescreen Gavin could still see its ice blue eyes staring down at him, a look of disdain evident on the RK900's face.

"Detective." It stated simply, the scorn dripping from the word. He stared up at the android, gathering his scrambled thoughts. He was grateful it had saved him, but at the same time he fucking hated it for it. The RK900 took a step towards him and held out its hand. Gavin growled under his breath as he knocked the hand aside, hoisting himself out of the mess of splintered wood and plaster. The android raised one perfect eyebrow at him as he dusted himself off and glared back at the condescending prick. Its unsettling eyes slowly slid down the length of him and back up. A cold anger spread through Gavin's gut as he realised what the machine was doing.

"Stop scanning me. I'm fine." He snapped. The RK900 didn't respond, simply completing its languid assessment of him, that eyebrow still raised as if in challenge. "I said…stop fucking scanning me." He snarled, closing the distance between them and grabbing two fistfuls of its jacket. It stared impassively down at him, the height difference rankling Gavin further.

"I am simply analysing your injuries Detective to ensure you are not in need of medical attention." He stretched up on his toes to bring his face inches from the android's.

"I don't need your help." He hissed. To his amazement the corner of its mouth quirked up slightly and with slow but deliberate strength it gripped his hands and loosened their hold on its jacket.

"My evidence suggests otherwise. You were approximately 5.2 seconds away from passing out when I intervened. Therefore I think my help is needed in this scenario." Gavin's mouth dropped open and he was about to retaliate with a barrage of insults when it spoke again, turning away from the seething Detective as if the matter was resolved. "What did you find up here to provoke such an aggressive reaction?"

"Not much." He grudgingly replied once he had got his shock and outrage relatively under control. "Apart from an unmarked android hand and this." He removed the scrap of paper from his jacket and held it out for the RK900. It took it and turned it over a few times, its intense blue eyes racing back and forth as it took the information in.

"It appears to be a map of Detroit and a note on the best way to enter." Gavin nodded, pushing a hand through his dusty hair.

"That's what I thought. But why would this band of nobodies want to risk their asses in that place? They'd be outnumbered easily." The android tilted its head, giving him a sideways look.

"Maybe it's not just them." It said. Now it was Gavin's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Maybe." A sudden thought sent the adrenaline rushing round his body. "Hang on. If you're up here with me, who's watching our suspect?"

The RK900 stared at him blankly. "I knocked him out when I heard the sound of combat." The Detective tugged on his hair in frustration.

"You did what?! Shit, now we can't bring him in for questioning. The Captain won't be happy if we assaulted a suspect with no evidence. Great job robo-genius." Gavin clenched his jaw and turned to move back downstairs. For a second he was sure he saw a fleeting look of anger on the android's face, but it was gone before he could look back at it.

"Come on then partner. We'd better get back even though we have literally nothing. Another wasted trip." He began to stomp downstairs with his mechanical shadow close behind. They lapsed into blissful silence for the journey back to the precinct, but Gavin's thoughts were anything but quiet. He had a funny feeling those guys had been from the same group that bitch had been a part of. And according to that poorly hidden note, they were planning some pretty heavy shit. It may not help in his search for Cyberlife's connection to the Chosen but it was certainly something to chew on.

"In my honest opinion, I think you should talk to her."

Connor frowned at Markus. "I've been trying, but she's so busy with Lola and I'm focused on planning this infiltration with you that I never seem to have time." His leader rolled his mis-matched eyes. In truth he had been trying since that awkward encounter on the roof, but every time he had tried to speak with her she had always managed to avoid him. Hank had been nagging him in a similar fashion for days now, his mood towards the android souring more and more as time went on.

"Connor, you need to make time. I still don't know what happened but this argument you're having is only distracting you." Markus said, eyeing his friend sceptically. The RK800 let out a sigh and put down the data pad containing intel Markus' spies had gathered.

"I'm sorry. I just don't know how to approach her. What happened it was…well, it was unexpected." Markus' eyebrows rose at his enigmatic response, but he knew better than to press the android. Connor had been built to catch deviants and assist Detectives, if he didn't want to reveal something there wasn't a machine alive that would be able to extract it from him…willingly at least. It was one of the many traits he had brought over from his machine days; along with his coin and his inability to get rid of his uniform.

Markus' brow furrowed as he remembered his constant conversations with Connor before all this had started, insisting he let go of his Cyberlife issue clothes and wear something more human. He assessed his friend now, he was still wearing the clothes he had adopted to go undercover in Becca's group. A navy button down shirt, a weathered leather jacket and a pair of dark jeans. The LED on the side of his head was also still mysteriously absent. Connor caught him staring and cocked his head to one side quizzically.

"What's wrong?" He asked, confusion clouding those honest brown eyes of his. Markus gave him an odd half smile.

"You've been back in Detroit for a month now, why haven't you changed your clothes?" The Jericho leader found a direct question was usually the best approach with Connor. The RK800 paused for a moment, Markus could almost hear the cogs whirring in his head.

"I…I don't know." Connor's uncertainty made Markus smile. If it was the last thing he did on this earth he would help his friend come to terms with his new thoughts and emotions.

"You're worried Becca will be unnerved if she sees you in your uniform?" Connor looked at him sharply, his eyes turning hard.

"No." He answered abruptly, but Markus was better at this that he was.

"You sure?" He asked, crease lines appearing by his eyes as he held back the mirth at Connor's stunned expression. Before he could respond however, the door to Markus' office flew open and Hank burst in, his already wild hair sticking up as if he'd had a fright.

"God damn it all." The old man grumbled as he stormed into the room, completely ignoring the conversation the two androids had been having seconds before.

"What is it Hank?" Markus asked, apprehension clear in his tone. He wasn't sure how much more drama his circuits could take. What with planning a break in to a high security Cyberlife plant, maintaining the peace between the androids and the two humans now in his care and playing Agony Aunt to Connor, there wasn't much room for whatever Lieutenant Anderson wanted to get off his chest.

"No offence, but that she-devil you call a partner has put me under house arrest. I didn't come here to be kept hostage, I'm trying to help." The small amount of face that wasn't covered by grey, shaggy hair turned red as his voice rose.

"What did you do?" Connor asked. Grateful for this diversion from the probing path their discussion had been taking before. Hank's blue eyes flashed as he turned on his friend.

"Nothing. I was helping Josh with the equipment he's been prepping for the plant and she said I couldn't go out to get supplies with him." Markus pinched the bridge of his nose. Androids didn't get headaches but if he had to listen to one more of Hank and North's fights he was likely going to be the first in history to experience one.

"I'm sure she had her reasons. To be honest having you or Becca out of City hall isn't an ideal situation." Hank's mouth pulled into a disgruntled line.

"Well Lola's taken Becca out to the South limits to help a new group of refugees just come in. So why didn't North stop her? It's discrimination Markus, god damn discrimination." Connor flicked a worried glance at Markus. He could feel the tension coming off the android. Lola was capable but the limits were notoriously dangerous at the moment.

"Why don't you just ask North why she won't let you leave?" Connor asked, his voice light but there was a strain behind the façade that both Markus and Hank picked up on. Hank however wasn't in the mood for delicacy.

"You can talk kid. Pussy footing around that girl for the past week, too chicken shit to go say sorry to her. I'll talk to that harpy when you finally admit to Becca how you feel. I've got no more time for your bullshit."

Connor flinched as if he had been slapped. His friend's hostility taking him by surprise. He wanted to talk to her, he truly did, but what had happened between them was hard to explain and highly disturbing. Probing was an unpleasant, intrusive action to perform on an android. It forced the subject to relive past memories and put a lot of stress on their internal circuits. To do it to a human, well…apart from being technically impossible it was also incredibly traumatic for both the parties. Connor had seen a glimpse of Becca's past life and all the emotions attached to it. He had lived through her husband's gruesome death with her, and had mourned with her too. It had been an accident, but also a gross abuse of her privacy. It wasn't something he could just forget and nor, evidently, could she. A line had been crossed and he wasn't sure he could return to the other side.

"Hank…that's enough." Markus cautioned, fixing the Lieutenant with a serious look. The old man ran a distressed hand through his hair, making it stand to attention even more. He opened his mouth, not done with his rant, but they were interrupted yet again by another unannounced visitor.

Simon's eyes were wide and filled with fear as he stood in the open doorway. He stared at the trio, scanning each individual face until his gaze landed on Markus. The leader of Jericho straightened, his face growing taunt as he took in Simon's panicked terror.

"What is it?" He asked, his words staccato. The PL600 seemed frozen in place, unable to move or speak for a moment. Then he jolted forward, his voice tense and loud as a gunshot in the quiet room.

"We're under attack." The three men stared at the android, the news slowly settling on them like snow.

"What do you mean?" Markus spoke again. Simon let out a shaky breath as his system tried to cool itself down.

"There's a whole army of them."

"Who's them?" Hank asked, his Detective mode kicking in.

"We don't know. The android's that survived long enough to alert us didn't manage to ID them." Simon's tone was acid as he informed them of the gravity of the situation.

"Where?" This time it was Connor who spoke, his voice stretched tight like an elastic band.

"They're coming from the South. They started attacking the guards at the limits and they're advancing on Detroit." The atmosphere in the room was suddenly heavy, pressing down on the assembled androids and human as Simon's words registered. Hank and Markus both looked at Connor with the same expression of alarm. The RK800 was looking at the floor, his brow creased in the deepest frown they had ever seen on it. His eyes two sharp points of bronze. No one spoke; Simon looked in sudden confusion at his leader who was staring at the ex-Deviant hunter with a mixture of fear and pity. For whatever reason Connor had decided not to return his LED to his temple, but Markus was sure if it had ben there, it would be spinning a frantic, furious red right now.