Chapter 3/20: Tension


"You son of a bitch!" - Gavin Reed


...in which Nines' true purpose at the DPD is revealed and Gavin gets more than he bargained for.


NINES

~ NOV 9TH, 2038 * PM 12:15 ~

Opening his eyes, RK900 found himself standing in the peaceful artificial oasis of the Zen Garden. He could see Amanda in the distance and took the left-headed path as it was closest to her.

He'd never explored the Zen Garden, as it was unimportant to his mission, but he didn't fail to see a rather peculiar device on the way. A construction with a blue light emerging from it. He frowned and approached. It seemed as if it required fingermarks and or fingerprints. He pulled one of his hands out of his jeans' pocket and retracted his skin to reveal his exoskeleton. In all honesty, he didn't expect much when he gingerly pressed his palm to it, but whatever it was had his program do a scan of some kind. As if uploading his memory.

CyberLife hadn't told him of it, so either it was unimportant, or they didn't know of its purpose and or existence. Either was a high probability considering that Kamski was the one to design this place.

Some form of jolt struck him. He immediately did a scan to make sure his programming was left unaffected to find that it was.

His frown deepened.

Eventually, he flagged it off.

It didn't take long before he was by Amanda's side.

"You've done well, RK900," she said, a professional smirk on her lips. "CyberLife made the assumption that having two units in the field simultaneously would be a waste of resources, but you've proven otherwise. Connor never did see the connection between these homicides and red ice despite their reappearance in so many of these cases. An overlooked, but important, detail. I'm pleased to see you being more attentive."

"Expect no less, Amanda. With my expertise, I can assure you this case will be solved within the next few days."

"I'll hold you to that," she replied. "You've been assigned as Detective Reed's android and is fully aware of his obvious distaste for CyberLife. I understand that he as a partner will be... difficult... to work with."

"Despite our differences, he's a competent detective that sees how useful I am to the investigation. I'll take care of it if he becomes an issue."

Amanda stepped up to him. "I'm certain you've already figured out that your presence at the DPD is more than a mere test-drive."

"I suspected as much, yes. I specialize in combat. Not detective work."

"I'm about to share with you some classified information, RK900," she replied, clasping her hands together. "CyberLife, together with Kamski, unintentionally created deviancy. 'RA9.' A simple code with disastrous consequences. We had already mass-produced and sold off thousands of androids before we realized. The code - an executable program - lies dormant behind red firewalls, but at every android's expression of empathy, one of those walls would be removed. At every expression of apathy... a wall would be added."

She rose her chin. "Once every wall had broken down, the deviancy code would execute. Androids could decide to go against their programming. We can't have that. With the newfound information, we created the RK800 and set the uprising in motion. CyberLife programmed Connor in a way that would allow us to regain control of his program. All deviants are lost without instructions and would follow just about anyone willing to make their decisions for them. Connor would become their leader, and through him, CyberLife would control everything."

"I take it something changed."

"A minor setback," she said, eyes narrowing. "Kamski disagreed with CyberLife wanting to control them. Unfortunately, we had no choice but to dismiss him... but Kamski didn't take it lightly. With the knowledge we'd shared when he was still part of CyberLife, he modified Markus, already having gifted him to Carl Manfred. A close friend and a man full of empathy. A way to kick-start Markus' deviancy. Before we knew it, Markus became the leader that Connor was supposed to be."

"A deviant you couldn't control."

"Markus is a threat to everything we've strived for. If Connor fails to deviate and the revolution is quelled by the termination of all deviants, we'll have him deactivated, and you'll be transferred to the State Department as an advisor to the president. If you come across Markus first, however, you're free to neutralize him and lead the deviants in his place. Until then, gain your partner's trust. Make sure to convince him and everyone around you that deviants are incapable of emotion. It will only raise the probability of succeeding in your mission."

Her smirk returned. "Continue your ongoing investigation, keep an eye on Connor's progress, and proceed as if you know nothing of what I've told you. I'll inform you when the time is right. Meanwhile, I'll be awaiting your next report."

"Understood, Amanda."

He shut his eyes.

Blinking them open, he was back at the DPD, hands clasped behind his back as he stood next to Gavin's desk.

"...and he's back!" Gavin said, tone mocking. "Got better Wi-Fi service up there or what?"

"I was making a report."

"Then sit the fuck down, tin can. You're blocking the light."

He considered a witty comeback or ignoring him entirely. Amanda's instructions to gain Gavin's trust had been quite clear, but he needed more data to determine the best approach. Gavin didn't like people that allowed themselves to get stepped on, but neither did he like to be talked back to, so RK900 figured that he needed to find a middle ground.

Gavin Reed was... complicated.

He knew that much.

Pulling up Officer Chris Miller's chair, RK900 placed it by Gavin's desk before sitting down. Leaning back, he squared an ankle over his knee and crossed his arms. Gavin arched a brow and regarded him from top to bottom while Tina - the officer who appeared to know Gavin better than anyone else at the DPD - made a 'not bad' face as she gazed up from her pad.

Gavin gave her a glance. "Would you look at that... at least this one doesn't sit like a twat."

RK900 narrowed his eyes.

"So what did you find out about this Zlatko dude?" Tina asked.

"Androids. Big surprise," Gavin replied, the sarcasm obvious. "He apparently had this whole, uh... Sid from Toy Story thing going on."

Gavin laughed at his own comparison and Tina's jaw dropped as her smile emerged.

"You're joking, right?"

He shook his head.

"May I?" RK900 asked, gesturing to an unused pad.

Tina handed it over while Gavin gave him a mildly annoyed look.

"Give me the deets," she said.

"He had this operation where he programmed his Roombas to get out there and collect new test subjects. Gave 'em a promise of safe haven," Gavin replied, leaning back and crossing his arms. "They turned against him, beat him to a pulp in his own backyard and peaced out. That guy was weird, man - fucking psychopath - and don't even get me started on the transformed sex bot in his bedroom. I mean, who in their right mind would fuck that?"

"I don't know, Gav... it's the closest thing you're ever gonna get to a stable relationship," she teased.

"The victim was a red ice dealer," he replied. Considering his quick change of topic, it was a sore one. "Nines suggested we investigate all victims involved with the drug. Locate their burner phones and track down other dealers that way."

RK900 squinted at the given name, but made no comment.

Tina beat him to it. "'Nines,' huh?"

It was technically a wordplay of his model number, he was aware of that, and yet it held some significance. CyberLife hadn't given him a name because he was unimportant. A replaceable model. Something Gavin was either unaware of, simply found the name more convenient to say or didn't think much of. 'Nines' did, however. It was indeed convenient. He kept it.

"Sure as hell not gonna say RK-whatever-the-fuck every time we're forced to communicate."

There was his answer.

"Valid, but I digress," she replied, before resuming the conversation. "Most people destroy their burner phones after one use."

"Most people destroy their burner phones after one use, though," Tina pushed on.

"Zlatko didn't. People fuck up. Not to mention that they sure as hell hadn't expected to get jumped by their housemaids before being able to," he said, giving Nines an idea. Nines pulled up his chair closer to the desk and had to reach over his partner to get to the terminal. "What the -?"

"I'm simply terminating a suspicion, detective," he replied as he found the file, scanned and closed it again before pulling back. "Proceed."

There was a mix of both annoyance and confusion on Gavin's expression, but he remained quiet.

The AX400 he'd registered back at Andronikov's place was known as 'Kara.' She had apparently hidden in a squat and scratched her shoulder on a wire fence - explaining why there was blue blood in the bicep region of the coat he found - a case assigned to Lieutenant Anderson. Deviants didn't use red ice, and thus, his suspicion was that some of the androids had arrived to pick up a package of the illegal drug for their owners as it would explain their numbers. For Kara, it didn't add up. The AX400 had been reported missing days prior and would have no reason to carry out her owner's demand.

Nevertheless, Connor was yet assigned to the case and thus he decided not to investigate further.

Tina continued the debrief. "How many androids do you think he had?"

"Judging by the huge ass cells in his basement and all the footprints, I'd say a couple dozen," Gavin replied.

"...and they thought Zlatko would help them? Jeez, I suppose deviants really are that naïve. Just look at Shaolin - kill a guy, hide up in the attic for weeks and then refusing to talk? It takes a whole new level of stupid to do that."

"Could be playing the victim on purpose. The tin cans simulate emotion to get sympathy and it's working. Public opinion is just that 'cause they refuse to open their eyes," he replied. Not paying attention, Nines' full focus was on the pad. Gavin snapped him out of it. "Hey, plastic! Make yourself useful and bring me a coffee."

Nines clenched his jaw. Nevertheless, he put down the pad, graciously rose to his feet in a single motion and set out towards the break room.

He could hear Gavin mutter a "Prick" on his way over. At this stage, it was a common occurrence showing no signs of changing. That didn't mean that he had to put up with his attitude. Nines wasn't programmed to follow Gavin's orders.

The coffee machine had a simple interface, drinks ready with the press of a button, so there was no hassle whatsoever aside from dragging one's feet towards it. Gavin was far from lazy - being quite clearly fit - and so that wasn't the case. Nines suspected it was a power thing that he had going on. That aside, it could also have been more of a test - a 'is this machine obedient or should it be disassembled' kind - being the more rational guess. Gavin might be short-tempered, but 'childish' wasn't a word he'd used to describe him.

Nines held up the cup and did a scan, finding out that the temperature was warm but that there would be no risk of burns.

Returning to the desk, Gavin's eyes were set on the computer. He didn't spare him as much of a glance and Nines didn't need him to. Instead of putting the cup down, Nines gingerly reached over.

"Your coffee, detective."

Tina looked disappointed with him appearing to have given in.

Nevertheless, she soon learned he hadn't.

Her entire demeanor changed the moment Nines flipped the drink upside down in his partner's lap. Gavin shot up from his chair with a look of utter horror, Tina's maniacal cackle following.

Nines put the empty cup down. "I'm a combat unit, not your personal housekeeper. You're fully capable of getting your own coffee."

"You son of a bitch!"

In a flash, Gavin bundled his fist together and made a move to deck him in the chin. Nines, however, effortlessly grasped his wrist before it reached its goal. An erratic wave of different emotions washed over the face before him - shock, disbelief, realization, anger - before Gavin made an attempt to free himself. Nines kept his arm trapped. Meanwhile, Tina had to cover her mouth to maintain her laughter slowly dying down.

"I'm aware you told me not to offer suggestions, but I doubt that you want to make an ass out of yourself in front of your coworkers - ending up with a cheek pressed up against your desk - so please, I suggest you reconsider."

The moment he even remotely let up his grip, Gavin bolted back and straightened his jacket.

He seemed to be considering whether or not to shoulder-deck him as he pushed past, but thought better of it - probably realizing he'd surely end up on the floor once Nines dodged him - making a beeline for Fowler's office whilst voicing profanities. Nines gave him the deadpan side-eye as he nearly tore the office door off its hinges. Inside, Gavin palmed his hands to Fowler's desk and made himself vocal enough for certain words such as "plastic prick" and "reassign" to be deciphered through the glass.

It was clear that Fowler wasn't taking any of this as he stood up and shouted right back. Gavin didn't budge, however.

This must've been a common occurrence.

Registering Tina reaching out for a fist-bump in his peripheral vision, Nines didn't waste a moment to return the gesture.

"You're all right, Nines," she said, grinning. "You're all right."

Approaching footsteps clinking in the far distance, Nines looked up to see Hank enter the precinct trailed by Connor. Connor took note of Nines' presence almost immediately, narrowing his eyes and tilting his head.

He noticed the coffee spill second.

Hank barged into an abrupt halt. "What the hell?"

"Hello, Lieutenant Anderson. Connor," Nines said, giving them a curt nod.

Turning to his partner to do a double-take, Hank was only to see Connor looking just as confused.

"After what happened last night, Chris got relieved of duty," Tina explained, gesturing to Nines as he pocketed his hands in his jeans. "This guy was sent by CyberLife to step in and have his unit evaluated."

"Oh," Hank said, approaching them. "So... he's like Connor?"

"Improved," Nines clarified.

Connor gave him a polite smile. "Hello. What's your name?"

"I have no name," he replied. If his eyes didn't betray him, a hint of sadness touched Connor's fading smile. "Be that as it may, Detective Reed has taken the liberty of addressing me by 'Nines.' I suppose that's a name as good as any."

"Reed, huh? Godspeed," Hank said, raising his chin. "How's that working out for you?"

Just as he'd asked his question, the office door flew open again.

"Oh, perfect. Everyone's favorite buddy cop duo's here," Gavin said with sarcasm, stepping between them and Nines. "The fuck do you want?"

"Just, uh... debriefing with your new partner," Hank replied, a low chuckle under his breath as he saw the coffee spill on Gavin's thigh.

He ignored Gavin's death glare.

"He can be... difficult," Nines answered Hank's previous question. Judging by the puzzled expression on Gavin's face, he hadn't heard what he was responding to. "He's unpleasant, rude, aggressive, and quite frankly... kind of a bitch. I've personally assigned myself a secondary priority of making Detective Reed as miserable as possible."

"Are you fucking serious?" Gavin rebuked, eyes wide in offense.

Tina was grinning again.

Hank pointed to him. "I like this guy."

After clapping Connor's shoulder, ignoring the, "Hey fuck you too, grandpa" and a few more insults Gavin threw his way, Hank turned to his desk as he gave Gavin the finger over his shoulder.

"I'm glad to meet you, Nines. Welcome to the DPD," Connor added with a smile before falling into Hank's steps.

Such kindness was unprecedented. It was the first instance he'd been exposed to it.

At the moment they were left to their own devices, Gavin turned to Nines with another glare. He just stood there as if attempting to stare him down and looked like he was waiting for something.

The close proximity did open up Nines' perception to a few more details on the detective's face.

Although the scar across his nose was prominent, it was only now that he saw that it ended not on his bridge, but about an inch above the left corner of his mouth. He knew it had been caused by a sharp object because a broken nose would've left the scar at the top of the bridge and not the middle. Anyone could see that Gavin was someone who got into a lot of fights. Aside from incidents at duty, it possibly happened at bars across Detroit, sporting a rather common form of entertainment. Those fights usually didn't have knives involved, though.

He supposed one, in particular, got rather heated.

His eyes of which he'd originally assumed were grey had hints of both browns and greens in them. It was difficult to decide on a defining color. According to statistics, the detective's appearance was considered well-above average.

When he didn't budge at the attempted stare-down, Gavin appeared somewhat uncomfortable as he shifted.

"Well?" he snapped, finally giving in. Dark grey fell briefly. "You gonna clean this up or what?"

"I believe you already know the answer to that question, detective."

Gavin held the glare - lip curling to see the tip of his lower canine - before pushing past him with more force than necessary. It was already obvious that he wasn't planning to do anything about the mess himself, so Nines had expected him to order one of the PC200 police units to do it for him. He was right.

With that, Gavin grabbed the cup and cursed repeatedly as he headed for the break room to get a refill.

"Don't take it personally," Tina commented, Nines following him with his eyes. "He's like that with everyone at the DPD. Android or not."

"You don't supposedly know why that is, officer?"

"Got me," she replied with a shrug, Nines redirecting his attention to her. "Detective Douchebag is a closed-off guy. The core is that he doesn't wanna lose his job, and let's face it, those concerns are justified with you R2D2's walking around. Gavin's a cop. He's been downtown, seen how bad it can get when you don't have a steady income, and I guess that scares him. He'll never admit it, though. No doubt there's more to it."

"Blaming androids for their existence is like blaming the cashier for a failed product. If there's anyone humans should blame, it's CyberLife."

Tina smiled lightly. "That's the rational thought, yeah, but it's only human to shift the blame to the easier target. CyberLife is kinda off-limits and Gavin isn't exactly that keen on sending a complaint letter to the higher-ups, either."

"No, that would be entirely out of character," he deadpanned.

"Shoot first and ask questions later. There's Gavin Reed for you. Underneath that shitty attitude, however - if you look really, really hard - is a good guy who went out of his way to save a puppy. I wouldn't hang with him if he wasn't. I know it's gonna be a challenge, but... I'm optimistic. I mean, shit, you've lasted longer than Connor did. Maybe you'll even earn his respect," she said, hearing her phone ping. Tina turned to look at it before she pushed from the desk. "I need to get back to it. You guys have fun, all right? Fuck up some red ice dealers for me."

"That's the plan. Have a good evening, Officer Chen."

"Ey, that's 'Tina' for you."

"Got it," he replied, nodding once. "Have a good evening, Tina."

She winked and clicked her tongue, heading for the exit. Nines turned his attention to the pad again albeit letting it rest on the desk surface. Locating the video from the Stratford Tower that contained Markus' speech - a video that he didn't have the chance to see earlier - he swiped across the touchpad and played it back on a low volume.

#

"...We ask that you recognize our dignity, our hopes, and our rights. Together, we can live in peace and build a better future, for humans and androids. This message is the hope of a people. You gave us life. And now the time has come for you to give us freedom."

#

| ANALYZING... |

.

RK-SERIES PROTOTYPE RK200

* Registered as 'Markus'

* Gift from Elijah Kamski to Carl Manfred

Model Identification

#

Nines already knew who he was, but no report had mentioned the deviant leader's identity and even an RK800 unit should've easily been able to figure it out. Suspicions arose that his predecessor had purposefully withheld the information.

Good, he mused.

It appeared that Connor was on his way to deviancy. With luck, he would get close enough to Markus in order to put him down. Nines, however, could use this information to build trust between him and Gavin.

No better way to do that than snitching on an android.

Moments after, the voice of the man in question had his attention directed elsewhere.

"Hey, plastic, get the fuck over here!"

Brow arching, he turned to see Gavin standing in the doorway of the break room. The moment he recognized Nines had seen him, he re-entered, and Nines began to move his feet towards him. His gaze turned briefly Connor's way who sat by Hank's desk. He could ask about the speech later, but as of now, whatever was up with Gavin was his first priority.

He understood what all the fuss was about the moment he approached. Gavin was staring up on the TV screen, lips drawn together and brows furrowed in concentration. There was a live news report.

"Dispatch, this is patrol 457... I've got a lot of androids down here... I dunno... Hundreds? Thousands? They're marching... Yeah, they're marching down the street... Fuck if I know!"

#

The deviants were doing a freedom march, and at the front of the march, the deviant leader - Markus - led his people. His heterochromiac eyes stood out. Meanwhile, several other officers collected around the nearby screens.

#

Markus spoke up. "We came here to demonstrate peacefully and tell humans that we are living beings. All we want is to live free."

"This is an illegal gathering. Disperse immediately or we will open fire."

"We're not looking for confrontation. We've done no harm - we have no intention of doing any... but know that we are not going anywhere until we have secured our freedom."

"I repeat: this is an illegal gathering. If you do not disperse immediately, we will shoot!"

#

Closest to the deviant leader, there was a PL600, a PJ500 and a WR400 model. Nines did a scan and registered them as Simon, Josh, and North. Simon - a caretaker - was reported missing all the way back to February 16th, 2036. North - an Eden Club sex android - on October 4th, 2038. Josh's date of deviancy was unknown considering that no one had filed a report on him, but he'd been a university lecturer.

North approached Markus but her words were indecipherable. The WR400 unit was scared judging by her wide-eyed expression under lush eyelashes. Josh was the next to speak up, and then Simon, all of them appearing to confine in their leader.

#

"This is your last chance! Disperse immediately or you will all be killed!" the SWAT officer warned again.

#

Appearing more and more uncertain, heterochromiac eyes darted. North was growing desperate as she tugged at Markus' sleeve with clear conflict on her face. Assaults rifles were directed their way.

#

Markus rose his hands. "DON'T SHOOT!" he said, stepping forward. "Don't shoot. We're leaving..."

#

The body language of both Josh and North told him they disapproved, but Simon appeared relieved, eyes closing briefly. The deviants turned their backs and began to disperse. It was a tactical retreat as they could regroup, obtain a permit to demonstrate legally at a later date and try again. He could tell that Kamski knew what he was doing when he programmed him.

That wouldn't get Markus out of this situation, though.

#

"ON MY ORDERS!"

#

The deviants barged into a halt at the officer's demand and panic reflected in wide eyes. The officers had their weapons at the ready and it was only a matter of time before a hail of fire would be issued.

#

"RUN!" Markus called.

#

Gunshots went off and several deviants fell to the ground. As they dispersed, more and more of them were mowed down, all of them shot in the back. It became a massacre.

Nines didn't bat an eye.

"Fucking androids," Gavin muttered, pushing away.

"I'm inclined to agree," he said, still looking at the screen. Gavin barged into a halt and stared at him as if he was crazy. "Frankly, their attempt to demonstrate without a permit was pathetic. Deviants are without direction and need to be controlled."

For a moment, Gavin was silent. He eventually let out a scoff before he headed back outside.

It appeared as if many deviants survived, their numbers certainly greater than if they'd chosen to stand their ground or attack. By gunning down the dispersing deviants, however, the humans - more specifically the authorities - were put in a bad light. This event would increase further sympathy for the deviants just as CyberLife wanted.

The authorities they sought to control were unintentionally doing their job for them.


GAVIN

~ NOV 9TH, 2038 * PM 01:03 ~

Gavin didn't know what to think of Nines. He was Connor, yet not, being just a tad bit more tolerable. Connor had immediately ended up on his 'most hated' list with his 'let's be friends' attitude. He still found himself thinking back to the break room where he literally forced Connor onto his knees and the prick didn't even defend himself. Connor had certainly ignored his order of getting coffee to end up on the floor in the first place, but nothing told him he had to follow Gavin's orders. The confusion that spread on Connor's face after was only proof that he had no idea why Gavin got angry.

He was naïve - downright gullible - and yet perfectly capable of taking his job. It was infuriating. Nines? He'd spilled that coffee on him. They even needed to make a pit stop to Gavin's apartment so he could change. Plastic Prick 2.0 had audacity, he'd give him that. Nevertheless, Nines was still following his programming and that didn't exactly coerce any respect from him.

A group of pigeons was spotted in the distance, snacking on something they'd found on the asphalt. Someone sat on a nearby bench and was feeding them. Gavin even had to shoo a couple of them away in order to clear the scene.

He stared down at the bodies in the road - android models of all kinds - blue blood littering the pavement. He couldn't help but feel uneasy. Gavin knew they were machines, not living and breathing human beings, but he couldn't deny the striking resemblance. Several of them had removed their LEDs and that made them indistinguishable from humans. Although he could recognize some of the models, he couldn't recognize all, and there was a point when he wondered if humans had accidentally ended up in the crossfire until he saw that they'd bled blue.

Nines didn't even seem mildly disturbed.

Of all the androids Gavin had seen, his partner was by far the most mechanical one. He hadn't failed to register how Nines referred to an android as 'it' and not 'he' or 'she,' something that not even Gavin did. 'He' or 'she' was far easier and minimalized confusion. Compared to Connor, Nines was a mere husk executing a program.

Guess CyberLife really did upgrade him.

"Detective Reed."

"Fucking hell," he startled, moments away from decking him. "Make some sound, dipshit. Your program doesn't tell you not to sneak up on a cop?"

"I wasn't."

"What do you want?" he asked, turning his attention back to the massacre as officers had started the cleanup.

"Neither of these deviants appears to carry any information that could help us. I suspect the location they reside is something shared by the use of memories or wireless communication, but these models are in too poor condition to be reactivated. If their bio-components were only partially damaged, we could afford to retrieve new ones, but their current state is irreversible. The incompetence of your riot officers is laughable."

"The fuck am I supposed to do about it? I'm a detective, not head of fucking security."

"It complicates your investigation. Your say must have some significance."

"If the higher-ups actually gave a shit about 'my say,' I wouldn't've been partnered up with a glorified toaster," he replied, Nines having the nerve to roll his eyes. "You got an input that actually helps?"

"Back at the precinct, I reviewed the deviant leader's speech from the Stratford Tower. Connor was present during said investigation, is that correct?"

"Why?"

"...and they never registered the model."

"Get to the point, plastic."

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," he deadpanned, looking as unimpressed as ever. "RK200, the deviant leader registered as Markus, was a gift to Carl Manfred from Elijah Kamski. A prototype. Just like any model in the RK-series, there's no one like it, explaining why it isn't registered to the public. It could blend in with humans without any issues whatsoever, but my predecessor would've been able to identify it by the broadcasted speech."

That changed things.

Gavin's face fell ever so slightly. "You're saying Hank's plastic pet is dirty?"

"There's a high probability that Connor might be compromised."

"Shit..." he said, fishing up his phone to give Fowler a call. "The fuck didn't you tell me earlie -Hey watch it, asshole!"

The guy who accidentally bumped into him in passing made an abrupt halt. He wore a baseball cap and grey military jacket with patches on it, looking to be in his late twenties. He appeared to just have spotted Gavin's badge.

"I... I'm sorry, offic -"

Cutting himself off, his eyes went wide when he looked straight past him.

It was like observing a deer in headlights.

Gazing over his shoulder, Gavin found out that the guy was looking at Nines. At first, Nines had that same confused crease between his brows - a quirk only he specifically had, different from Connor's tilt of the head - but realization shortly dawned on his face.

In a split second, it looked like the guy attempted to book it as Gavin lowered his phone. Whatever the guy was planning, he was only to be stopped by Nines who managed to grasp his jacket considering the short distance between them. Gavin could only watch in pure horror as Nines took the guy into a headlock. For a moment, he thought he'd snap his neck.

After his demonstration back at Zlatko's, it wouldn't surprise him.

Nines was downright ruthless.

"Jesus, Nines, calm down!" he said, stepping in. "He just bumped into me. No need to go all John Wick on the guy."

"Don't flatter yourself, detective," he replied, confusion spreading on Gavin's face. "Rupert Travis. This deviant resisted arrest three days ago. Someone could've pulled a gun on you and I couldn't've cared less."

"Sure, 'cause that inspires confidence. Fucking hell."

"I'm here to be your partner, not your friend."

"...and thank fucking god for that, tin can."

"Are you two done?" Rupert interrupted, the fear replaced with irritation.

After giving Rupert the side-eye, Nines locked his arms behind his back and pushed him against the bonnet of the car before them. They certainly did sound like an old married couple when taking it into consideration.

After some resistance, Rupert gave up.

If Gavin remembered correctly, Rupert was the pigeon guy who used to live with those things, explaining the feathery presence of the birds. Turned out that his escape hadn't altered his supposed care for them. He assumed Rupert had seen the freedom march on TV and got out of hiding because of it. Maybe to team up with the deviant leader.

Gavin unshackled the handcuffs from his belt. "The fuck are you doing out here in the open, anyway? Pretty risky considering you're a convict."

"Screw you. I don't have to tell you anything."

"Yeah, yeah. You'll get plenty of time to explain back at the DPD, pal. I'm in no rush."

After locking his wrists together, Nines pulled Rupert back from the vehicle and directed him towards Gavin's car.

At least something came out of this.

Connor, however, had a lot to answer for.