Chapter 9/20: Indifference
"Impressive. You returned to the DPD less than ten minutes ago and already managed to piss him off." - Nines RK900
...in which our two leads have six days off and we see a flashback into Gavin's life four years back. Gavin and Nines also have their first mission after the successful demonstration.
A/N: OK, wow, am I losing my touch? Ch 7 was badly received in terms of statistics on AO3 and ch 8 was even worse received, lol. I'm so confused (UPDATE: looks like this chapter aka 9 fixed it. I'm back. It only gets better from here.)
Anyway! I feel like I'm cheating by time-skipping 6 days this early on, but I doubt you guys would be entertained with Gavin and Nines doing literally nothing else than looking at memes and cat videos for 6 days straight. It wouldn't push the story forward.
Btw... don't come after my throat about the Libra Zodiac thing, lol. Gavin is, literally, a Libra (born October 7th.) Clearly the ppl behind this game has no idea what astrology is bc Libras are the complete opposite of Gavin. Libras: known to avoid conflict and not making up their minds. Gavin: seeks conflict by throwing hands everywhere and is dead set on doing a good job at the DPD. He's far more likely to be an Aries.
GAVIN
~ NOV 12TH, 2038 * PM 01:03 ~
Alone with his thoughts, it was quiet aside from the running tap below the bathroom mirror.
Gavin splashed a streak of water in his face and rubbed in a final attempt to remove remnants of dried blue blood. He'd taken a shower to get rid of whatever was on him, but he didn't exactly have a built-in forensics scanner in his arsenal that allowed him to actually see it. It was all a wild guess. Despite the fact that no one but Nines and Connor would care - and that everyone else but them would live in the bliss of ignorance - he couldn't help but wish it gone. Not to mention it was probably an unpleasant reminder for the former.
Thankfully, it wasn't all-too-bad. It evaporated, sure, but it left behind this residue that he was able to feel on his fingertips.
Everything had happened all at once and he was nothing but thankful that things seemed to calm down a bit. Six days from now, he and Nines would probably be back at it, closely striking out name by name as they went down the now decrypted list. It was never boring at the DPD, but the past week knocked everything out of the ballpark in terms of succession.
He supposed this was what Hank felt back during the red ice epidemic.
With luck, Gavin would take his place as Detroit's youngest lieutenant in the coming years. He had his mind set to it. Hank - skilled but now incompetent since Cole died - wasn't exactly setting a good example with his current state that finally seemed to be taking a turn. Hank constantly put people in the force at risk by coming to job drunk or hungover and that was one of the reasons why Gavin had lost his respect for him. There had been too many occasions where Hank's drunken stupor nearly got Gavin killed when they acted as partners.
Despite all that, Gavin didn't blame him for never getting over losing his son. He had no idea how that felt like. Yet it didn't make whatever Hank was doing to cope any less immoral.
~ SEP 23TH, 2034 * PM 02:24 ~
Stepping into the DPD after returning from a job, Gavin couldn't help but notice a new face. It was a kid - probably four or five years old - running around the precinct and looking to be taken cover behind various desks. Like he was in a paintball match. He seemed to be having a good time and Gavin couldn't help but envy the fact that the kid had a childhood.
He couldn't relate.
Hank was tapping at some pad nearby his desk and Gavin suspected that the kid was his. He knew he had a son, and considering how he seemed to be watching over him, it wasn't a long stretch.
"Cole, right?" he made a guess, remembering the name made in passing. Hank nodded. "Mind if I talk to him?"
"Go for it. He's a handful, though. Managed to break Chris' mug ten minutes ago and I told him to cool it down. Looks like he didn't get the memo."
Chris Miller liked kids, so he probably didn't mind, and he wouldn't be surprised his coworker got his own in the coming years.
Gavin, personally, had no desire to become a father. Not to mention that he hadn't dated in nearly a decade and would be a single parent if he did. There was also all the paperwork of adoption, how expensive it was, the general responsibility that would follow, and the fact that he was almost never home considering he worked his ass off in order to rise in rank. The last thing he wanted was to reenact his own childhood where he was neglected by his own parents. He didn't want to expose anyone to such a life. Then, he'd have to give up sex, so no way.
"I can handle it," he reassured, clapping Hank's shoulder before approaching the kid. "Hey, little man. The hell are you doing?"
Startling, Cole's eyes went wide as he spun around to face him. He immediately put whatever he was holding behind his back. Nevertheless, Gavin managed to catch the glimpse of a rubber band.
Explained the broken mug.
"Uhh... nothing!"
"Rubber-band sniping? Sick. I do that all the time," he said, crouching down next to him. Cole's face lit up at that and Gavin pointed to a target a few feet off. "Think you can hit that?"
"Totally!"
Wrapping the rubber band around his currently shaped finger gun, Cole lined up the shot. He closed an eye and stuck out his tongue in concentration. Twisting his pinky finger, he let go, said rubber band hitting bullseye on the Detroit Police Department logo. Pure joy spread on the kid's face and he bolted to retrieve it.
He registered Hank's exasperated, "Oh, Jesus," in the background.
"Whoa, nice one!" Gavin said. "I'm known for being the best shot at the precinct, but looks like you're giving me a run for the money. How many years' experience you got? Twenty? Fifty?"
Cole grinned. "Five today!"
"It's your birthday? No fucking way. I'm also a Libra. Happy birthday."
"Wow, really? That's so cool!"
"Name's Gavin. I work with your dad."
"I'm Cole! Do you, like, see dead bodies and all that gross stuff?"
"Shit, you have no idea. All the time."
"Awesome! Can you, like, show me one? Please?"
Gavin looked over his shoulder. "Hey, Hank! Can I show your kid a dead body?"
"Fuck no!" came the response.
"Unfair. I wanted to see one," Cole pouted.
"Sorry, kid. It's outta my hands," Gavin replied, turning back to face him. "I sure as hell don't wanna piss your dad off. He's a real badass."
"Is he?" he asked, cocking his head in intrigue.
"Hell yeah he is! Okay, so picture this..." he began, back straightening. "One of my first times working with him, we got a call about these three guys. Tried to rob a store not too far from here, right? When we got there, everything looked normal. I thought they'd gotten away, but we knew it was the right place and no one had noticed anyone leaving the building."
"Were they ghosts?" Cole asked, eyes wide.
"No, no. Not ghosts. Stellar guess, though," he humored him. "It looked as if nothing had happened, but your dad? Your dad noticed how the store lady looked kinda spooked, so he instead asked to take a look around."
"Did he find anything?"
"Sure did. He saw that cameras were set up and asked her to look at the footage. Turns out those guys were still there, but had hidden, so your dad used his detective skills to locate 'em. He was like Batman. Just noticed these tiny fucking details that anyone else would've missed. In a corner, there were these magazines that had fallen over. Shelves that were standing in weird positions. The lady was also without her keys, so he put two-and-two together that those guys had taken them and headed for a backroom."
"That's so smart! Was he right?"
"He sure was. Thing is, we couldn't get into that backroom because they'd locked the door after them. There was no way for them to escape. These robbers weren't as smart as your dad, though, so your dad rose his voice and pretended to tell the lady that we were leaving the building. Me and him lined up on each side of this backdoor and waited for 'em. Guess what happened then."
"Umm... they came out?"
"Exactly. Like, three minutes later. Once they stepped outside, he went from detective Batman to full-on hand-to-hand combat Batman. It was like taken straight from a movie. He knocked two of 'em out before they even saw us and I took care of the last one."
Cole stared at him wide-eyed. "Whoa..."
"Insane, right? Your dad taught me everything I know. He always pulls through when shit hits the fan and I really admire that 'bout him. Fuck, he was there for me when my own dad wasn't. I owe a lot to that old man, so you gotta treat him with respect," he said, Cole nodding eagerly in agreement. "Smart choice. Anyway, I gotta get back to it. Awesome meeting you, though."
"Aww, do you have to?"
"Yeah, duty calls," he replied, reaching out for a fist bump. "Hey. Libras rule."
"Yeah!" he said, returning the gesture.
With a grin, Gavin ruffled his hair and rose before setting course for his desk. Cole immediately ran up to his dad.
Off in the distance, he could hear Cole's, "Gavin is so cool!" before going off with reenacting what Gavin had just shared with ten times the enthusiasm. That said a lot. The rest of his day seemed a tad bit brighter after that.
~ NOV 12TH, 2038 * PM 01:15 ~
Stepping into the bedroom, Gavin arrived just in time for Nines to be buttoning up one of his black dress shirts. Naturally. He was convinced the day Nines would choose to wear a hoodie, t-shirt or low-cut sweater would be the first stage of Armageddon. The washing machine was still running its second program and Gavin had him raid his drawers in order to find something temporary.
Gavin sighed. "It's been an hour, tin can. Just pick something."
"I'm afraid it's not that simple," he replied, pulling the sleeves to his elbows. "For the sake of your pride, I'll refrain from commenting why that is."
"The fuck is your problem with my clothes?"
"I never said there was one. I quite enjoy your aesthetic, but I don't think I'll do it justice."
The height, then. He was having a go at his height.
"Oh, so that's what this is? You're built like a fucking skyscraper and I'm the odd one out?" he asked, approaching him. "Sorry to break it to you, toaster... but 5.9 is far more normal than 6.15 or whatever-the-fuck-you-are."
"I suppose I was designed to appear intimidating without overdoing it," he said, folding the last sleeve. His shoulder was yet turned Gavin's way. "In any case, this will suffice. A couple more inches would be preferable in height, but our body shapes are quite similar in terms of broadness. I do appreciate the added movement, however. More than I'd thought."
His mind immediately went to 'Nines is into asphyxiation,' but it didn't make sense. He didn't need to breathe.
Turning to face him, Nines pocketed his hands. He'd folded up the shirt collar - basically replicating what his previous turtleneck did - but the buttons didn't reach further than his collarbone and thus it kept the front of his neck bare.
Eyes falling to the exposed skin, Gavin shifted. It was strange to see Nines without his neck covered.
Nines pushed on. "I estimate it's going to take eight days at most before you're fit for duty again, so I can't say I agree with Fowler's decision to let you off two days early. You're going to get both of us killed."
"Too bad. You can just attach a new arm or whatever. It's not like it's permanent."
"Your death very much is."
"Here's the thing, tin can. I don't care," he replied, realizing shortly dawning that he'd said that aloud. "Don't tell me what to do. What I say goes. You've got no one but yourself to thank for that."
"...and I stand by my decision," he replied, a sweep of his thumb against Gavin's cheek in passing as he headed for the door. "You missed a spot."
Gavin cursed and immediately wiped the back of his palm against that same spot, removing whatever thirium was left. He on autopilot checked his hand as he held it before him to see if there was a smudge. If there was, he couldn't tell. He never wanted to be in contact with thirium ever again. Not to mention that the restroom still looked like a crime scene to android eyes. Seemed as if Nines was headed that way to take care of it.
His touch still lingered.
NINES
~ NOV 18TH, 2038 * PM 04:05 ~
"Reed!" a booming voice called out just as Gavin was about to leave the precinct with Nines in tow, Fowler standing in the office doorway with a phone to his ear. "Stay where you are. My office in five."
With that, he entered again. Gavin probably regretted not taking those two extra days off.
"Impressive. You returned to the DPD less than ten minutes ago and already managed to piss him off."
"Boss is always pissed off when talking to me."
"I can't possibly imagine why."
Pinning Nines with a glare and his accompanying, characteristic pout - something that he'd certainly never admit - Gavin didn't bother with a word-based response as he dramatically flopped down in his chair. It wasn't long before he grabbed his phone and threw his feet up on the desk only for Nines to smack them back down. Palms open, Gavin gave him a look of pure offense.
"The fuck was that for?"
"It was raining when we arrived. Your shoes aren't exactly clean, Gavin. The desk would get dirty."
As he took a seat in the same spot, Nines clasped his hands together and watched Fowler pacing behind the glass.
"Would you look at that? You just solved the problem." Frowning, Nines directed his attention back to Gavin only to have said feet thrown up in his lap instead. Grime ended up on his jeans and the smug look of acknowledgment on Gavin's face didn't go unnoticed. Seeing said grime on his uniform, Nines squinted down at the marks in disapproval. Gavin gestured to them. "See? No dirt on the desk! You're a genius."
Halfway considering to take him into a headlock and order him to apologize before releasing him, pure controlled restraint kept him from doing so. One of them had to be the bigger man and it didn't seem like Gavin was taking that role.
"You're welcome," Nines said in sarcasm.
Freeing his forearms from under Gavin's legs and letting them rest atop his shins instead, he once more clasped his hands together. Gavin's full focus was on the phone and didn't even appear to have registered Nines' response.
After six days of doing little to nothing - aside from the common reports - Nines was glad that he could finally get back into the field again. He had chosen to stay with Gavin during his temporary leave despite that he didn't have to. It was a choice he made as they were partners and should stick together. Not to mention that Gavin surely wouldn't appreciate Nines being back in the field before he was, and considering their relationship was already rocky, Nines didn't want to take the chance of pissing him off even further.
He didn't very much like doing nothing and had purposefully delayed the reports needing to be written simply to have something to do. Naturally, the reports stopped at one point, and thus he was left doing just that. Nothing. So he'd taken the liberty of making attempts at getting to know Gavin better. They weren't friends, far from it, but Gavin appeared to be coming around. He now seemed indifferent to him. Considering where they started off, it was certainly progress, so he couldn't complain.
Too much had happened in such a short period of time for there not to be.
Gavin was still closed off when it came to his personal life and he no longer saw the use in asking. It wouldn't get him anywhere. Gavin also learned that he didn't know about memes and Nines was insulted for 'not being cultured' after.
A lot of cat videos followed and he supposed he could see the appeal. Then there were the movies - usually murder mysteries that both of them had figured out in the opening scene - so it wasn't exactly productive. Paws was his usual self and shifted between them for attention. Tina dropped in a couple times, naturally, being a welcome distraction.
All in all, not much had happened.
"The fuck are you doing?" Gavin asked, confusion clear. Nines didn't realize it was directed at him. "Hey, Plastic Prick 2.0, I'm talking to you!"
"What?" Nines demanded, glaring.
Gavin landed a swift kick on the inside of his furthermost thigh to direct Nines' attention there. Just as he understood what the fuss was about, he halted the movements of his hand that had unconsciously been massaging Gavin's shin. Awestruck, he just stared. He'd been refraining from using the butterfly knife to keep his hands busy and this had to be a side effect.
"Can I get my fucking legs back?"
Nines released him. "Sorry. I didn't realize."
Letting out a scoff, Gavin immediately grounded his feet to the floor where they were supposed to be. He gave Nines a look that he couldn't quite place - almost a form of confined restraint - before instead squaring an ankle over a knee. In his peripheral vision, Nines registered him opening his mouth to say something only to tightly press his lips back closed.
"I suggest you find a more preferable position than the one you just demonstrated as a go-to," Nines added, patting away whatever dirt he could from his pants. "It's not good for your back."
SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^
EMPATHY EXPRESSED
1 RED WALL(S) REMOVED
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"What I do with my back is my business, dipshit."
"Just don't come to me when the damage becomes permanent unless you wish for me to break it back in place."
"I'll manage. Any luck with the decryption?"
"It's a list of red ice dealers and buyers. I've made some research and come to the conclusion that a few of them are still in business. Our first target is a regular at Jimmy's Bar."
"So that's where we're going."
"Your perception of the obvious continues to amaze me, Gavin."
Being flipped off marked the end of the conversation. Just in time, too. Nines watched as Gavin was about to rise from the chair and shot a glance over his shoulder to see Fowler ending the call.
They shortly stepped into the office.
Fowler went straight to the point. "I'll keep this brief. If the documents Nines sent over is legit, you're looking at that promotion," he said, Nines not failing to register the hint of excitement touching Gavin's eye. It really did seem to mean a lot to him. "I have to say, I didn't expect you two to ever tolerate one another. Professionalism goes a long way. Now get the fuck back to work."
"Don't worry, boss. I got it handled," Gavin replied with a low-effort salute.
~ NOV 18TH, 2038 * PM 07:45 ~
Just as Gavin pushed up the door to Jimmy's Bar, the smell of stale beer and cigarettes permeated Nines' nostrils. Rain was ramming on the pavement outside as they took refuge underneath the roof.
The 'no androids' sign had been removed, appearing recent, its attached cohesive almost fresh. Not everyone was happy with the consideration that androids were a new species and what happened about a week ago. Things were far from getting back to normal, the news occasionally reporting on it still. Most of the focus was on establishing a cooperative relationship and Markus had been in several interviews. It seemed to be looking up, but Nines couldn't help but be wary of whatever CyberLife was planning on the horizon.
Nines scanned the patrons. "Looks like our target hasn't arrived yet."
"You sure he'll be here?"
"Positive. He usually arrives between 8 and 9 p.m."
"Well, fuck. Better make the most of it," he replied, approaching the bar disk. "Beer. Straight up."
"You got it, buddy," Jimmy said.
Not before long, they were seated in one of the couches opposite one other.
Gavin spoke up. "So what do we know about this guy?"
"Dennis Ward," Nines replied, clasping his hands together at the table. "56 years old. Worked as an accountant - currently unemployed because of androids - and has a criminal record as a narcotics supplier."
"Aces. Another life one of you tin cans fucked up."
"In this case, it's for the better," he pointed out, Gavin unable to deny it. "He's made several deals with red ice over the years."
"So we catch him off-guard and grab him. Sounds easy enough."
"I'm afraid it's not as simple," he replied, Gavin frowning at him. "When I interfaced with Connor about a week back, I saw that he encountered Ward during his first visit here. Ward must've overheard my predecessor informing Hank that he was assisting the DPD. He'll certainly be cautious of my similar appearance and can make a reckless decision to bolt."
"Then why the fuck am I not doing this on my own?"
"He usually arrives with an accomplice or two and is known to grow violent. I'm here if - as you humans call it - 'shit hits the fan.' I've no doubt you can handle yourself, but I'd rather not take any chances."
Gavin glared. "You got memory corruption, tin can? I told you I didn't want your protection."
"...and I told you I didn't care what you want," he said, Gavin letting out a scoff as he averted his eyes. "We're partners. We need to work together."
"I know that. Doesn't change that I've been working alone for three fucking years. Now I've gotta keep your ass alive, too."
"Although I'm flattered, I'll do just fine on my own," he replied, registering Gavin's mildly annoyed look at his hinted arrogance. "Unlike my predecessor, I was designed primarily for combat. My reflexes are 48 percent more effective than Connor's. Not to mention that my casing is far sturdier and the common firearm bullets won't affect me as long as they don't hit my head or any critical components. A magnetic field captures said bullets and prevents them from bouncing, so you're perfectly safe in close proximity."
"So you're telling me I can use you like a riot shield?"
"Yes."
"Fuck, I might just do that." In the background chatter, Nines registered a man making advances on a woman by the bar disk. He didn't seem to be taking the hint that she wasn't interested. Nevertheless, it wasn't their concern. Gavin thought otherwise. "Hey, jackass. Back off. She said 'no'."
"Oh, Jesus. You one of those white-knights expecting to get laid?" the man asked.
This wasn't going to end well.
"I'm the guy who's gonna kick your fucking face in if you don't leave her alone," Gavin replied, scowling deeply. "Unlike you, I don't have to intimidate, force or drug anyone to be willing to sleep with me."
Gavin was drawing attention to them and that was exactly what they didn't want. If anything, it appeared as if the situation where he got his scar was repeating itself. Gavin simply couldn't keep his mouth shut and it would certainly give them away. They were here to catch a narcotic supplier, not to start a bar brawl, and yet Gavin just had to let his pride get the best of him.
Or maybe it was his morals.
Nines didn't have enough data. "Gavin, this is really not the time -"
"Is that so?" the guy replied, pulling away from the woman who looked visibly distressed. "Why don't you mind your own fucking business, buddy? Walking in here like you own the place."
"Oh! Oh, I walking in like I own the place?"
Just as Gavin put down his glass and pushed up from his seating, Nines grabbed his sleeve.
"Gavin."
"Looks like your android pet agrees with me."
"Pet?" Gavin repeated, appearing offended on his behalf. "Big talk from a guy that couldn't find his ass with both hands."
"You wanna go?"
"Hardly seems fair considering you look like a fucking twig on legs, but do your worst."
Then, just as Gavin tore free from Nines' grasp - the grasp that Nines had loosened the moment he heard the man refer to him as 'pet' - the guy seemed insecure. Typical. All bark and no bite.
"I suggest you head on home before you embarrass yourself," Nines commented.
SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^
EMPATHY EXPRESSED
1 RED WALL(S) REMOVED
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The man shifted, eyes darting. His friend then tugged at his arm.
"It isn't worth it, man. Look at his scar."
Although it was brief, he could see the insecurity touch Gavin's eye at the addition. For someone who appeared so confident, he was anything but. He did an impressive job hiding it.
"Get a move on!" Gavin demanded.
The guy returned the glare. Eventually, he let out a scoff and began to move towards the door. His friend fell into his steps. Meanwhile, Gavin turned his back and approached the woman. Nines watched the troublemakers leave to make sure they didn't have a change of heart. It seemed to be the case as the guy that Gavin went all-in on took a step forward with murder in his eyes. When Nines pinned him with a stern look, however, he took his warning and reconsidered. He left and business went back to normal.
"You okay?" Gavin asked, the woman nodding. "Shouldn't be alone out here at this hour. Take my advice and bring a friend next time. These kinds of places attract the worst fucking people."
She smiled. "Thank you."
"You live far from here?"
"I mean, yeah... I guess. About an hour. I walked."
"Got someone that could pick you up?" he said, but she shook her head. Gavin fished up his phone. "All right, I'll call you a cab. Don't worry about the charges. I'll have it sorted out."
"No ulterior motives on your part?" she teased.
Gavin puffed a laugh. "No, I'm a cop. This is my job," he replied, before moving the phone to his ear. "Yeah, hey. I need a cab to Jimmy's Bar. Thanks." Not before long, said cab arrived. "I'll walk you out." The woman graciously accepted his offer and Nines gave him a mildly annoyed look. "A minute, toaster."
He knew that Gavin simply wanted to see her safe. Not to mention that this Ward guy could cause a scene, maybe even hurt someone. A lot could happen in a short walking distance and especially to an attractive woman that she appeared to be according to statistics. It was unusual to see Gavin so gentlemanly. Nines came to realize that he was only unpleasant to people that got in his way and people he looked down on - or was an android, for that matter. With anyone else, he was quite pleasant. Approachable, even.
It was very endearing and Nines didn't understand why he tried to hide it.
Maybe he was afraid to grow attached. To them, or them to him, as his job certainly put him in dangerous situations. A job you might one day not come home from. Both options were plausible.
Ward arrived shortly after and the arrest went smoothly. Now they had to find out who was supplying him.
~ NOV 18TH, 2038 * PM 08:19 ~
Back in the interrogation room, Nines had no need to join his partner inside. He was reassured that Gavin could easily extract a confession from a human and thus he remained in the observation room as he did. With him was Tina and Chris who had just returned from his temporary leave. As per common police regulations, there had to be at least one other officer to observe an interrogation.
It wasn't long before the witness was ready to talk.
"He's quite good at this, isn't he?"
"Shit, Nines. Don't let him hear you say that. It'll go to his head," Tina replied, smirking.
"As if it hasn't already," Chris commented - with no ill-intent as always - resulting in Tina's snicker. "Say what you want about Gavin, but the DPD is fortunate to have him. He can get any witnesses to sing in there."
"Not to mention he's probably ecstatic an android isn't sitting on the other side for once. How'd you find this guy, anyway?"
"His name was listed on an encrypted document from 2027 in Zlatko Andronikov's file. He was a dealer even back then and has been arrested a couple times for distributing drugs," Nines replied, hands pocketed. "We found it about a week ago, but it was indecipherable until recently. We were lucky to encounter one of Andronikov's androids that had the decryption key."
"So it was a list of red ice dealers?"
"A few buyers, too. Dennis Ward has been the only dealer on said list so far that is still a narcotic supplier to this day. Unfortunately, it's quite outdated. I've already had to strike out over eighty percent of said names. Quite few of them were dead - some by the hand of natural causes and others not - the most recent death being a red ice buyer by the name of Michael Graham who was strangled back at the Eden Club for assaulting a Traci. There are a few more names worth investigating, though."
Behind the glass, Gavin shuffled through Ward's phone before ending up on a page and pushing it towards him.
"Care to explain why you got a list of android models?"
"I work as a supplier for this guy who used androids as a middle-man. Can't remember his name," Ward said. "It went dark a while back and I haven't heard from him since."
"Nines," Gavin said, gesturing him in.
Not before long, Nines pushed his palm to the interrogation room control and stepped up to the table.
"Anything?"
Gavin handed him the phone. "You tell me, plastic."
Doing a quick scan, he had all the information he needed. At first, he thought it was a ruse - a red herring –- or something insignificant, but it was quite possibly far more useful than he ever would've thought.
"I can confirm it's likely that Mr. Ward is telling the truth," Nines replied, registering the hint of surprise appearing on Gavin's face. "As you said, it's a list of androids of all kinds. I recognize several of their models thanks to the records CyberLife provided me with at the day of my activation. Among them is the HR400 and AP700 that we encountered last week. It's quite possible they were all Zlatko's at some point and it seems he took the liberty of attaching trackers to all of them. If they've yet to deviate, we can locate them easily."
"Shit," he muttered, realizing how big that was.
Nines' LED flashed yellow as he received a telepathic message from Connor.
"Nines, are you still at the DPD?"
"Yes. Is everything all right?"
"Everything is fine. I may have some information relating to your current investigation, though."
"I'll be right there," he replied, watching Chris taking Ward to a cell before turning to Gavin. "Connor might have information for us. Do you mind? I won't be long."
Again not bothering with a word-based response, Gavin gestured him out.
Nines didn't waste another moment and exited the sliding door. Letting grey eyes search the office, they shortly stopped on Connor standing by Hank's desk. The two were in conversation and appeared to be busy with their own investigation. Nevertheless, when the latter registered Nines approaching, he notified Connor with a head movement.
Connor immediately straightened his back while his concentrated expression smoothed out into a kind one.
"I'm glad you took me up on my offer, Nines," he said, turning to face him fully. "Back when I investigated Kara - the AX400 of Todd Williams - you're aware I came across an abandoned house. Its only resident was another android I later found out was going by the name of Ralph. I suspect he'd been abused, and considering the violent nature that would've caused such excessive damage, I wouldn't be surprised if the attackers were taking red ice. We know that people under the influence can become quite unstable. I'd go myself, but my hands are full."
When Connor reached out, Nines un-pocketed one of his own hands and grasped his wrist. Synthetic skin pulled back. Eyes closed and the information was transferred as seamlessly as always.
SOFTWARE INSTABILITY ^
EMPATHY WITNESSED
1 RED WALL(S) REMOVED
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"I'll keep it in mind. Thank you, Connor."
"That aside... it's good to see you back at the precinct," he replied, offering an open smile. "I know you haven't had the easiest time."
"It'll take some time to readjust, but I'm ready to do my part. I admit you both have made it more tolerable."
"Whatever you need, son," Hank said, gazing at Gavin in dialogue with Tina a distance off. "I take it your partner is still being an asshole?"
"Naturally," he replied, although he couldn't ignore the slight progress. "Be that as it may, he now appears - at the very least - cooperative. I think indifferent is the best way to describe his standing."
"Huh. Never thought I'd see the day," Hank said, brows shooting up slightly.
"There's still a long way to go, but I'll continue working with Gavin for quite some time. Perhaps he one day sees us as equals."
"Any thoughts what you'll do after this red ice mess is sorted out?"
Nines nodded. "I have a few ideas, yes. I was designed for combat and thus I can never reach my full potential here at the DPD. I've no need nor wish to follow CyberLife's orders anymore, but I'll most likely sign up in the Department of Defense. Combat is everything I know. I'll remain with the DPD until this investigation is over and then we'll see how it all pans out."
"Just know you're always welcome here, all right? DPD could always use more cops."
With that, Nines offered his first genuine - however small - smile.
He believed it.
