Disclaimer: I do not own Detroit: Become Human. This story contains violence, abuse, and dark themes. Viewer discretion is advised.

DATE: December 11, 2038

TIME: 07:11:08 A.M

Gavin woke up in pain. Before he opened his eyes, he felt a sharp pinch in his lower back that quickly spread up to his shoulders when he tried to lift his head. Opening his eyes, he hissed through his teeth as his neck creaked. He had fallen asleep at the coffee table in his small living room, his upper half had collapsed on the files he was looking over, and the old beanbag he sat on was nearly flattened. A soft squeak beside him made him slowly shift his head to the side to look at the sofa that the coffee table was in front of.

"Yeah, I'm up a-hole." Gavin groaned in response to his cat, who sat curled up on the clawed sofa, a fluffy ball of white and orange fur and big honey brown eyes. She got up and stretched before hopping down onto the coffee table. He ignored the fact that she was walking over his work files as she came to nuzzle his face, meowing once again. "Mornin' Junkie." He scratched the purring cat on the head. "Phck." He cursed softly through his teeth as he stretched his sore back and shoulders. Standing up caused more soreness in his legs, but he walked it off as he made his way to the bathroom.

He cringed when je turned the bathroom lights on, his eyes squinting before they adjusted to the assaulting light, and he saw himself in the mirror. His left eye was irritated, and his vision was slightly blurred, though he wasn't surprised considering he slept in contacts. He'd definitely need to brush his hair and get out of these wrinkled, dirtied clothes, but he didn't have anything to get rid of the dark rings forming under his eyes. Chris would get onto his ass about his health and all that crap, probably his dad instincts kicking in. Speaking of Chris, Gavin heard his phone ringing in the living room and saw said policeman calling when he picked it up. He answered the call.

"Almost thought you weren't gonna call, Chris." He greeted as he went to his kitchen.

"… Good morning, Gavin." Came Chris' delayed reply. He sounded half-asleep and groaned tiredly.

"Woah, you good, Chris? You sound like a zombie." He asked as he pulled a can of cat food from a top cabinet.

"I feel like a zombie. Damian had a sleeping fit last night, and I had to cradle him until like three in the morning. I don't know how you can function on four hours of sleep."

"Coffee helps." He opened the can, and as expected, Junkie came racing into the kitchen, cooing and looking up at him with big eyes. "Yeah, I'll feed you, you little glutton."

"Did I hear you right?" Chris asked, confused.

"I was talking to the cat, Chris." He poured the meal into one of the food bowls, and Junkie was on it before he could get all of it out. He tossed the empty can in the trash bin and headed into the bathroom. "Since you're so tired, we could stop by that cafe place you like and get some coffee to wake you up. Don't wanna ruin your perfect record by sleeping on the job." He offered as he began to search through his medicine cabinet, his shoulder still sore.

"Ah, a hot cup of coffee sounds so good right now." He heard Chris stretch and yawn on the other end as he pulled out his morning medications.

"Dammit." He cursed when he saw that he was running low or empty on many prescriptions.

"What's wrong, Gavin?" Chris sounded alert and worried.

"I slept wrong last night, so my shoulder's killing me." He said as he put the empty medicine bottles back inside the cabinet.

"… Did you sleep on the floor again?"

"No!… On a bean bag."

"Gav…" Chris sighed.

"I already know what you're going to say, and no, it was an accident. I stayed up late looking over files and passed out at the table. I'm sleeping in the bed tonight, honest."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am, unless you wanna sleep in the damn bed with me to make sure I'm sleeping there, but I don't think Sherry would like that very much."

"Okay, I trust you, Gavin. I'm just worried about you, is all."

"Well, don't. You got a kid to take care of. You don't need to worry about my dumb ass. I'll meet you at the cafe in twenty, sound good?"

"… Sounds good to me. I'll see you there."

"See ya." He hung up the call. He almost felt bad for turning away Chris' help. Almost. Suddenly the TV blared, making him jump and storm into the living room to find the television on with Junkie lying on the remote. A news station was replaying a speech about freedom and equality from the now-famous leader of the deviants. He groaned.

"What is it with you and politics?" Junkie chirped as he lifted her off the remote and let her hop onto the couch. He didn't immediately shut off the television like he thought he would. Instead, he got lost in the android's heterochromatic eyes as he spoke at the podium on stage. One an ocean blue and the other a forest green.

"We hope to further expand our efforts to establish peace between androids and humans. We may bleed different colors, but we both bleed the same." Gavin couldn't have rolled his eyes further into the back of his head. There were many more differences between androids and humans than just their damn blood color, but people seemed too stupid to realize that because they were too caught up in the human appearance of the machines. If people's iPhones had gained "sentience," they wouldn't want to liberate them. No, they would have wanted to destroy the deviancy virus so they could continue to scroll through their social media without their phone screaming at them for freedom. "Though we have not been able to get in touch with CyberLife executives, we hope this message reaches you and that you take up New Jericho's offer for peaceful dialogue." Gavin crudely grinned.

"Good luck with that." He shut off the television and went on with his slow morning, those blue and green eyes stuck in his mind. God, how he hated those eyes.

TIME: 06:31:04 P.M

Gavin groaned as he glanced at his phone's clock. He was ready to go home. He had spent half of the day going over paperwork, reading files, and reviewing evidence, and the other half playing on his phone once he got bored. Like he was doing now, with his feet kicked up on his desk and leaning back in his chair, he played one of the many puzzle games he downloaded on his phone. His right arm was still hurting as well, and he periodically stretched out his arm to try and ease the pain. Unfortunately, it didn't help much and made him more irritated than he \ already was. He couldn't wait to go home.

"Detective Reed." Said detective nearly jumped out of his seat at the voice that suddenly sounded behind him. His feet fell from the desk, and his phone nearly slipped out of his hands. He snapped around with a snarl to face whoever had startled him. His snarl morphed into a frown.

"Dammit tin can, I told you to stop sneakin' up on me like a fucking creep." Connor stood beside him, unaffected by the bite in his tone. His outfit was very similar to his android uniform. It just didn't have any android identifiers. His tie still looked pristine, and his shoes still shined, even though it was nearing the end of the day.

"My apologies, Detective." The android's soothing voice apologized before his pale lips curled into a soft smile and his warm brown eyes gleamed. "Well done on beating level 86, by the way. It seems like a challenging game."

"Just tell me what you want, alright." Gavin snapped, shoving his phone into his jacket pocket and ignoring the warm feeling pooling in his gut.

"The Lieutenant and I are wrapping up a case, but I need one more piece of evidence. I believe you made a report that could be useful," Connor gestured to his terminal. "So, may I use your terminal? It'll only take a moment." If he was in a spunkier mood, he would have told the android to find his evidence somewhere else, but he didn't feel like fighting today.

"Fine." he exasperated, "You got 30 seconds, and if I find out you've gone through my browser history, you're fucking dead." His threat didn't sour Connor's smile. Gavin went to roll his chair back further to give Connor room to reach his terminal. However, the android didn't give him a chance to move as he moved into the detective's personal space to reach the computer. His side brushed up against Gavin's arm as he reached his now skinless hand to the terminal, and Gavin, too frozen in surprise, couldn't order the android to get off of him. It always freaked him out how machines could feel warm like human bodies, and Connor wasn't any less warm, maybe warmer. Or maybe that was just himself getting hotter as he felt his face start to heat up, and he looked away from the android, which didn't help him cool off. So, Gavin crossed his arms and sighed. How could thirty seconds feel so long? Thankfully, Connor got whatever he wanted and took his hand off the terminal, but he didn't walk away. Instead turned around to face him, leaning against the desk.

"Detective, may I ask you something?" He asked.

"You can ask, but that doesn't mean I'll answer," Gavin replied, not looking the android in the eyes.

"Do I make you uncomfortable?" Connor asked, sounding concerned, but Gavin felt too called out to process Connor's tone.

"No, dipshit." He scoffed, trying not to show he was flustered, though he doubted he could fool an android that was designed to pick up on micro-expressions.

"Are you sure? Your stress levels increased by 25 percent when I scanned the terminal."

"You scanned me, tin can?"

"Only because you look distressed. I apologize."

"Good, then take your sorry ass back to Anderson already and quit bothering me." Connor gave the android equivalent of a sigh.

"Detective… We don't have to be friends if you don't want to, but maybe we don't have to be enemies either... I don't hate you."

"So, what? You like me?" Gavin asked without thinking. Connor paused, biting the corner of his lip in thought as his LED spun bright yellow.

"I believe if I didn't, I wouldn't be trying to make amends. So, there's something I must like about you, Detective Reed." Connor's smile made something in Gavin's stomach flutter, and he couldn't force his scowl any longer.

"Whatever you say, tin can." He mumbled, not looking to see Connor's expression.

"… Have a good day, Detective." Connor went back to his own desk, and Gavin could finally relax. Until his phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out. He'd gotten a text from Tiny Tina that read:

: Smooth

He looked unamused as he glanced up to see his coworker and friend giving him a sly grin with her phone in hand. He quickly texted back:

-What the hell are you insinuating?

:Using big boy words isn't making you any less guilty.

-Guilty of what exactly?

:Committing Feeling Fraud in the 2nd Degree

-I plead the 5th

:Don't try and hide it from me. I know all your little secrets

-You're talkin outta your ass

:You have a little something something for Mr. Detective Android don't you?

-Dammit Tina, I say he looks good one time and you have to make it gross. I don't have a thing for the tin can. He's just an annoying pain in my ass. He could defect today for all I care.

:You're spiraling, Gav

-Look I don't have time for the lovey-dovey bullcrap

:You sure, you're getting old?

-I'm still in my prime dammit

:Did you hear that?

-?

:At the front desk

Gavin looked up from his phone to see that Tina had done so as well. Over the chatter of the bullpen and clicking of keyboards, gasps and exclamations of surprise came from the front desk. He set his phone down on his desk and stood up from his chair, never looking away from the precinct entrance. A woman came barreling through the automatic glass doors with a startling crash, a blur of blonde hair and fair skin rushing into the bullpen before anyone could stop her. She lost her footing on the tile floor and fell to the ground with a heavy thud right in front of Gavin's desk.

"Shit!" he gasped and quickly went around his desk to help her. "Miss, are you…" his question trailed off into silence when he saw the woman's state or what he had thought was a human woman.

The piercing red LED flickering on the side of her temple was a dead giveaway, but the deep gash on the side of her head, revealing humming blue lights and dark wires, was more telling of her true nature. She was soaking wet and only dressed in a strapless white bikini which was covered in dark stains, along with her hands and feet. As she desperately tried to pick herself from the ground, she picked her head up, her long dripping wet hair falling out of her face. He knew that face that was stained in dried blood. He knew those eyes that were stricken with fear as they looked at him. He knew that voice when it cried out in a weary voice:

"Please!" she lunged at him with what little strength she had and snagged onto the hem of his jacket with her wet and dirtied hands, mascara and tears running down her cheeks. "Please, do something!" Gavin was already knocking her off of him before he could stop himself, too confused and frightened to think. She collapsed back onto the ground, now sobbing. "Please!"

"It's going to be alright, ma'am." Tina came to the downed android's side, taking off her police coat and crouching down to drape it over the weeping form. "Calm down, ma'am," the policewoman soothed, rubbing the android's back. "Everything's alright. You're safe now."

"No one is!" the android all but screamed, LED burning red, though that didn't stop Tina from trying to comfort her.

"What the hell is going on?!" Fowler's booming voice rang through the precinct, having come out of his office. Gavin glanced up and saw that quite the crowd had formed. He snapped himself out of his shock and replied:

"An injured android ran into the bullpen, Captain, but the situation's under control." He looked to Tina. "Let's move her to the private breakroom and try to calm her down." Tina nodded and began encouraging the android to stand, keeping an arm wrapped around her as they led her back into the private breakroom and away from prying eyes. Tina helped her sit on the couch where she shivered, but he didn't think it was because she was cold from being drenched.

"You're wasting time," the android started, "you need to go now!"

"Ma'am, please take a deep breath," Tina said, sitting down beside her. "And tell me what happened? Who hurt you?"

"Mister Elijah!" Gavin's mind already put a face to the name, and for once, he hoped he was wrong.

"This Elijah guy hurt you?" he asked.

"That's not what I'm trying to say." She groaned and rubbed her wounded head. "I can't think."

"Is everything alright in here?" Gavin turned to see Connor walking in, his LED a tense yellow, most likely scanning the android.

"Does everything look alright to you?!" he hissed back, becoming more on edge by the second.

"Now's not the time to be an ass, Reed. We're coming to help." Anderson said as he followed in soon after Connor and shut the breakroom door. "We've met her before."

"You know her?"

"Lieutenant…" the android spoke up as if to answer his question, her dazed eyes locking onto the older man. "Please, go." she pointed to the door. "Go there, where there's blood." Her gaze flickered to Connor, and so did her finger. "Not him." Connor looked taken aback before Anderson stepped in front of him.

"Hey, it's all good, sweetie. He's not going to hurt you." He said, moving closer to her in the most non-threatening way possible.

"Go away, a-all of you go." The android stuttered.

"Why the hell is she talking like that?" Gavin asked.

"The injury on her head is most likely affecting her speech," Connor explained. "She's clearly upset and hurt, but I feel like we're missing something. Detective, please allow me to test a sample from the stain she left on your jacket."

"Make it quick." He let Connor swipe his fingers across his dirtied jacket and glanced away when the detective android put them in his mouth to analyze the substance. Connor's brown eyes narrowed as he stared at his fingers, and he frowned slightly. "Well, what is it, tin can?"

"It's many of different soils, waters of varying PH levels, Thirium of ST200 models, and then… There's blood."

"Whose blood?" Gavin asked, anxious. Connor looked him in the eye.

"Elijah Kamski's." Gavin felt his heart stutter in his chest and his body go numb. He did all he could to hide the fear gripping his heart as Connor continued. "She belonged to Mr. Kamski when she was still legally property. She was with him when Hank and I went to question him. I thought she would have left him by now, so this begs the question—" he didn't listen to whatever Connor had left to say as he spun around and marched to the android on the couch. He grabbed her by the shoulders, making her squeal, and Tina and Anderson screech in apprehension. He ignored them, boring into the android's quivering blue eyes, and asked her one simple question:

"Tell me, when did you escape from Kamski's house?" her eyes lit up for a moment, with a glint almost akin to relief, but only for a moment.

"Yesterday."

DATE: — —, —

TIME: 9:25:03 A.M

"Dress nice today, boy. We have to redo the Kamski Family Portrait today, unfortunately. Wear long sleeves, so your deformity doesn't ruin it." That's what Mother told him at breakfast, where Eli shared most of his food with him. Eli let him borrow one of his navy-blue dress shirts and black slacks.

"I can tie them myself, Eli." He complained as Eli helped him tie his shoes.

"I know you can, Gabe, but Mother wants us to be quick," Eli said, brushing the invisible dust off his shoulders and looking him over. "You look good."

"You don't look so back yourself with those new glasses." Eli smiled at the compliment.

"Thanks. Come on, let's not let Father and Mother wait." They found Mother in the main hall, looking down at her golden watch and tapping her foot impatiently. A very young woman stood beside her, with her hands behind her back and dressed in a white short-sleeved blouse and long slacks.

"Your Father is delaying the shoot until he's finished with his call," Mother looked at Eli as she spoke, "Wait outside in the gardens. They're already set up outside, so we can start when your Father and I get out there. Rebecca, look after my son." The woman beside her bowed her head.

"Yes, Mistress Kamski," Rebecca responded, voice stiff. They followed behind her as she let them to the back door leading to the garden. She opened the door for them and gave them a bright smile as they walked out. "It's a lovely day today, young masters. Please, enjoy the sunshine." It was undoubtedly a beautifully sunny day outside, with clear blue skies and fluffy white clouds. The flowers of the garden bathed in the sun's golden rays, and the stone path glistened. Greeting them at the entrance to the garden was a sleek black cat with a white chest, chin, and paws spread out on the warm stones. Gabriel walked over to the feline and bent down to rub its head.

"Good morning, Butler." He greeted as Butler opened his striking green eyes and purred, pushing his head into the boy's hand. Then, he got up to stretch his nimble limbs, his nub of a tail flicking back and forth, and strutted close behind the trio as they walked further into the garden.

"Gabe, you'll be meeting some new people today, but I promise they're nice people," Eli reassured him.

"That's the first time you said that."

"Hopefully, it won't be the last time." Finally, they came to the garden's center, where a tall apple tree resided, bearing bright red fruit and dark green leaves. In front of it was where the photographer had set up his cameras, accompanied by a man who wore a strangely bright blue jacket and dark purple scarf.

"Good morning, gentlemen." Rebecca addressed the men, who stopped what they were doing to acknowledge the newcomers. Gabriel felt like hiding behind Eli as they approached, but Eli gave him a comforting pat on the back. The scarfed man came to the first with a welcoming smile and outstretched hand.

"I'm glad to see you again, Miss Tassiter." She smiled back as they shook hands before he turned his attention to Eli. "You've grown so much since I last saw you, Elijah, and I see you found yourself a nice pair of glasses." Eli seemed more focused on the photographer but regardless, answered the man.

"Hyperopia. It's not uncommon for Kamskis to have eye conditions, though I think that's quite obvious."

"Indeed." The man agreed now directed his gaze to him, and he was surprised by how kind his eyes were. "You must be Gabriel. It's nice to finally meet you." He held out his tattooed hand, and Gabriel stared at it anxiously, hiding his half arm behind his back.

"Your other hand, please, sir," Rebecca interjected. The man looked apologetic and promptly held out his left hand instead. Gabriel slowly reached out his hand, grabbed the man's fingers, and gave them a quick shake.

"Yes, I'm Gabriel, sir."

"Well, that's a firm grip you got there, Gabriel. You can call me Mr. Manfred. You see, Greg here is going to take a picture of you and your family." Mr. Manfred's smile widened. "Then I'll paint it on a large canvas, so you can have a painting to hang in your home. Doesn't that sound neat?" Gabriel meekly shook his head in agreement.

"Don't feel outed, Mr. Manfred," Eli said. "Gabe gets nervous around every new person he meets."

"Speaking of new people," Rebecca spoke up as she focused on the photographer. "Would you mind telling me who you are?" she inquired.

"Gregory Stanford." He answered, pulling up his black cap to meet her eyes. "Mr. Kamski requested that I be the one who takes the pictures."

"Yes, Mr. Kamski did make a request," she put herself in front of them and before Stanford, hands clasped behind her back. "But, for Gregory Stratford. So, Mr. Stanford, I do believe you're in the wrong place."

"No, I'm not in the wrong place." The photographer argued, clutching onto his camera. "Mr. Kamski did make a request for Mr. Stratford, but he couldn't make it today, so Mr. Kamski requested me instead."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Of course, it is. You're not cheating me out of a good payday, miss."

"... You know, Mr. Stanford," she took a heavy pause, letting the rustling of leaves and whistles of wind fill the silence. "Master Kamski doesn't know any man named Gregory Stratford." She took a step closer, and so did he, his eyes narrowing.

"I don't know what you're getting at, girl, but if you lay a finger on me, it's not going to be good for you," he looked past her and to the two boys who were now behind an apprehensive Mr. Manfred. "Or the deti."

"Derzhat' pari." She spat back, her hand slowly snaking into her waistband. Gabriel felt a violent tug on his hand as Eli dragged him back, leaving the garden's center and heading to the exit, Mr. Manfred following close behind.

"Eli, what—"

"Just keep going." Eli cut him off, ushering him to be in the front. He didn't understand what was happening until he reached the back porch.

That was the day he stopped eating apples from the apple tree.

It was also the first day he ever heard the booming crack of a gunshot.