Chapter 11/20: 313 248 317 - 88


"He needs to loosen up. Figuratively and literally." - Tina Chen


...in which the killer is revealed, Gavin adjusts to his new rank, Tina makes a brief reappearance, and Nines underestimates what he's up against.


A/N: I was in Spain September 19th-21st and wasn't able to finish the chapter on time because I managed to hit writer's block just before, but traveling got me out of it, so to keep a consistent schedule I'm going to start publishing every second Friday instead of every Friday (basically just another week between updates.) I know you guys appreciate consistency and thus this is my solution. Sorry for the inconvenience. Writing is hard and books take years to publish because of it. Quality before quantity, I suppose. In any case, I hope you enjoy this one before shit gets real.

Shout-out to ViEwaz who wanted to start translating this fic into Русский! The translation is unfinished, but link is on the first chapter of this story on AO3 as a 'related work.' I can't express how honored I am that someone considered my fic good enough to do such a thing :)


GAVIN

~ NOV 20TH, 2038 * AM 07:45 ~

Gavin trimmed his thumb on the wheel, stereo in his car playing at a low enough volume to allow conversation. Some 90's rock music he'd heard as a kid that he couldn't remember the name of nor artist behind.

"You planning to speak up or what?"

About ten minutes into the drive on their way over to the DPD, he'd caved. He could tell Nines had gathered something more about the killer from last night. A mere suspicion, or just a theory, Gavin needed to know. He was aware an android had no need for a brainstorming and yet curiosity got the better of him. Nines preferred to act on certainty, not half-assed facts and half-assed truths, but they had to count on each other. Gavin was ready to finally give Nines a chance and they both had to make an effort.

"About?" Nines asked, attention still on the pad.

"About the fact that you've been acting weird ever since that lady was killed."

Blinking, Nines' gaze briefly ascended to look ahead of him. His answer was anything but immediate.

"I hadn't noticed."

"Oh yeah? Well, I have," he replied, snatching the pad from his hands and putting it on the dashboard. "Eyes up here, tin can. Out with it."

"It's just a theory."

"Fuck, it's better than nothing."

Nines crossed his arms. "When I reconstructed the scene, I noted certain mannerisms in the attacker's movements and methods. They were familiar to me and I could nearly calculate his every action taken."

"So an RK model."

"An RK900, to be specific."

Gavin sighed, lips pressing together. "Shit."

"I don't know for certain considering what little evidence was left at the scene. Still, it's an important distinction. If it's an RK900, we're dealing with something far more dangerous."

No doubt. He'd seen Nines go all Terminator firsthand.

"...and now CyberLife got one on the loose acting blindly on their behalf."

"Like I said... a theory."

Taking a moment to reflect on it, he couldn't help but think of earlier this morning. What he himself was suspecting was a long shot, but from what he'd heard and seen from Nines, certainly not impossible.

"That why you interrupted my workout routine this morning? To show me what to expect?"

"Yes," he replied, always thinking ahead. "There are other models designed for combat - as you're well-aware of - but I'm the most advanced. The RK-series were prototypes designed with specific arsenals unparalleled with anything else. I was to suggest we start sparring on a regular basis to considerably increase your lifespan and hone my own reflexes."

Although there was a hint of snark in the 'increase your lifespan' comment, it was a good call. He couldn't fault him for that. Gavin would never admit it aloud, but he knew he could only benefit from it.

"Right."

/ "I like you, Gavin. I really do," / Nines' voice echoed, still leaving him conflicted. It seemed as if Nines was growing attached to him and he didn't know what to feel about that. At this stage, he no longer held that animosity towards Nines if disregarding the hint of salt. He even happened to enjoy his company after how closely they'd been working together. Now, Nines was just another coworker like any other, but the last thing Gavin wanted to do was grow attached in return. With Nines' personality, it was difficult not to.

Maybe it was already too late.

The nagging sensation of 'he'll fuck me over in a split second' refused to leave him. Too many people had fucked him over in the past and he didn't see Nines as any different.

He wanted to be wrong.

Flagging it off, Nines spoke up again. "Another theory - albeit coexisting with the previous - is that CyberLife wanted me to see her. I wouldn't be surprised if they were trying to intimidate and perhaps even frame me."

"Well, aren't you special?" Gavin asked, question rhetorical. "I'm your literal alibi, though. You're in the clear."

"There's a low probability they'd succeed, but it doesn't change that I'm responsible."

Guilt.

This was all about guilt.

"The fuck were you supposed to do? Let 'em deactivate you?" he commented, grimacing at someone cutting into the queue before him. He felt Nines' eyes on him all the same. "It's not on you that CyberLife got a superiority complex. From where I see it, those Grade-A assholes use fear and emotional manipulation to get their fucked up way. They're psychotic."

"I should've expected it -"

"Fuck that," he cut him off, switching his hand on the wheel to get a better angle of him. "With deviancy, you had enough shit to deal with. Move the fuck on and focus on stopping this prick from doing it again."

Nines held his gaze, a curious raise to his brow. His mouth fell ever so slightly open as if to say something only to close it back shut. There was something soft to his expression, accompanied by confusion, and Gavin was tempted to look away. Yet something kept him pinned. Nines was most likely analyzing him again, so he felt all-too self-aware and exposed because of it. Just how much Nines could get out of a reading was almost intimidating. He had nothing to hide, and yet, the look Nines gave him had it seem he did.

"What?" Gavin demanded, having grown impatient.

"I didn't calculate an argument on your part. Frankly, this would be the perfect timing for another stab at me."

Letting out a scoff, he averted his eyes. "Well, fuck, I'm full of surprises."

In his peripheral vision, he could've sworn a smug smirk played at Nines' lips.

"I can see that," he replied, falling into a pause. "In any case, I suppose you're right. Thank you, Gavin."

Gavin was protective by nature - became a cop because of it - and he'd become surprisingly protective of Nines despite being an android. He even knew why. Being thrown into the world with his only purpose to kill, he couldn't help but pity him, finally seeing his perspective in all this. The whole 'infant feeling emotion for the first time' comment had him thinking. It was obvious androids were capable of emotion, he knew that now, and the last thing Nines needed was attitude. Frankly, part of him was glad Hank had helped him out.

He wasn't good with these kinds of things. Emotions. Feelings. Growing up suppressing them, that was no surprise. The fact that he'd reassured Nines like that – unconsciously - was surprising even to Gavin.

Nines really was starting to warm up to him.

Fuck Tina for being right.

She always was.

After ten more minutes of Nines going over the files for the hundredth time, they'd finally arrived at the hospital. Lewis was to stay there for a couple more days before he was transferred to a more secure place. In a matter of moments, he'd lost everything, and Gavin was nothing but thankful he wasn't there to break the news as Lewis already knew. It was one of the worst parts of the job. During his over ten years at the DPD, he'd seen his fair share, one homicide more brutal than the other.

Despite all that, this was probably the most brutal one.

"I got this," he said, turning to Nines. "If it really was an RK900, last thing we wanna do is give him a heart attack when you walk in. Guy probably thought you did it. I'll fill you in when I'm done."

When Nines nodded in agreement, Gavin entered.

Lewis sat hunched in a chair, facing the window, the slump in his shoulders only belonging to a man who'd lost everything. Gavin had no sympathy for CyberLife or their employees and yet he couldn't help but make an exception. Not only losing his wife, but an unborn child, was something no one should have to go through. He could tell his expression was tight.

Gavin cleared his throat to notify him of his presence. "Lewis Calhoun, I'm from the DPD. Gavin Reed. This might not seem like the best time, but I'd like to ask you a few questions about what happened."

"Go ahead," he replied, turning to face him. Bags under his eyes revealed he hadn't slept. "Whatever information I can give, I'm willing."

His cooperativeness was a good sign. Although he could tell this sure didn't bring him any joy, he saw the importance of it, open for questioning. Revenge was certainly part of it and Gavin would've wanted the same had it happened to him.

He took a seat in the chair opposite him.

"All right, start from the top."

"Yeah, sure," Lewis said, rubbing his wrist. "I'd just come home from work when it happened. Right before me, he... fuck, you saw her. I arrived just in time to see the life drain from her eyes and the figure standing over her. Dressed in all black, mostly, but his face wasn't covered. Android. His uniform read RK900 - probably an upgraded version of the RK800 the news reported was deployed to your apartment - but I can't be sure."

It was obvious he was covering up his workplace. In any case, now he knew Nines was right. Another RK900.

Fuck.

Things just got a lot more complicated.

"I know you work for CyberLife," he addressed, Lewis' eyes briefly going wide. "It's classified, I get it, but my partner's been on the inside. We think CyberLife orchestrated it."

Lewis frowned. "No, it was a deviant. I saw him about a week prior to all of this."

So he did think it was Nines.

"You were tasked to reapply a tracker in one of your androids after it went dark at November 10th. Another RK900. He was sent to the CyberLife Tower in order to get it done the day after and you let him go despite being deviant," he addressed what he knew, watching Lewis' face fall ever so slightly. "You think that's the one who did it, right? I'm an alibi to prove otherwise."

Brief alarm washed over Lewis' features and he shifted.

"No, that... that's impossible," he replied, scrounging up his face. "CyberLife never deployed more than one RK900 unit - the model that I was in charge of - and the others were never fully developed. #313 248 317 - 87 is the only model there is. The State Department canceled their order had us stop production of any more androids, so it must've been him."

"Yeah, well, CyberLife kept at least one model behind your backs. All I know is that it wasn't Nines," he replied, Lewis seeming uncertain whether to believe it or not. "Hell, you saved his life. Doesn't make any sense that he'd come after you unless he was to tie up loose ends."

He seemed to think it through.

"So you're saying CyberLife set this up because I helped him?"

"Sure as hell seems like it. They might be after Nines, too. Put him in his place for going light side."

Lewis sighed and averted his eyes. "Fuck, I never should've taken this job."

"As for the DPD, your assistance is invaluable. You've been in restricted areas in CyberLife and can help us better understand how they operate. I get they don't tell you everything - what happened is proof of that - but any information helps. The entire precinct is keeping an eye out for this android and right now it's our highest priority to catch the asshole."

"If CyberLife already has me on their dead pool, I don't see why not."

He had nothing more to lose.

Gavin looked down. "Doubt it'll ease your mind, but we're doing everything we can. Chances to catch this guy are a bit higher considering we've got another RK900 on our team to help us out."

"I take it you were the detective he was assigned to."

"Figured it best he stay outside."

"Even if it's not... 'Nines,' I don't think I could bear looking at him," he replied, Gavin nodding in understanding. "I was so fucking sure."

"Androids perfectly mimic other androids, but I guess you know that better than anyone."

"Just RKs'," he replied, Gavin giving him a confused look. "Right, I forgot the entire series is classified. Can't say I give a damn at this point."

"Wait, so they're not just... detective units?"

Lewis shook his head. "Far from it. They were designed as part of a spy program," he replied, Gavin's back straightening. "Your department worked with the RK800 as well as the 900, and the 200 had this entire demonstration succeed, so their arsenals are pretty fucking large - mimic voices, change certain features, hacking abilities, preconstruction, and reconstruction, so on and so forth."

Although it felt wrong to ask - especially now - this might be his only opportunity to.

"You were my partner's operator, right? Probably know all 'bout him," he said, Lewis nodding. "DPD didn't exactly give me a full debriefing on what Nines can do. Got something else for me that could help speed up the process?"

"RK900 is our most advanced model. I'll spare you the whole 'faster, stronger, more resilient' shebang. You get it. Considering he's RK800's successor, it's pretty obvious, or we wouldn't be doing our jobs. Doesn't know shit about morals or emotions, though. I reckon the entire ordeal has him confused as fuck now when he's deviant. Unstable," he replied, falling into a pause. "I have to admit I don't very much like he's got free will. He's dangerous and part of me regrets letting him go like that. Maybe that makes me a bad guy, I don't know, but... fuck."

"He did have free will, but only for a time. Nines made the choice to rebuild his firewalls at Kamski's for the same reason."

His face twisted in confusion. "He did what?"

"Free will scared him off."

"Never thought I'd see the day," Lewis muttered, averting his eyes to stare out the window. "After his activation, his operator - his previous one, that is, before his retirement - had him kill two YK500 units. I walked out before he could. Heard he didn't even flinch."

/ "People can change, detective," / he recalled Nines' own sentiment about a week back.

Nines was right. He had changed.

They both had.

Lewis pushed on. "In that case, you should know RK800 was designed for flexibility while the RK900 is more of a tank. Can't say I know anything about the RK200. Kamski is the only one that does. We went all-in with these guys. 900 can still self-destruct under stressful situations - he deals with it better than anyone, though, never supposed to pass the fifty mark. Any higher and his program doesn't know how to deal with it. Back at CyberLife Tower, I did some testing, and he pushed towards a hundred. Couple more seconds and he would've been gone."

Knowing that Nines had been scared enough to be at the brink of self-destruction left a bad taste in his mouth.

"He was designed without a dormant deviancy code so we had full control over him," Lewis added, continuing his debriefing. "Any android can trigger an emotional shock and deviate another, but it's about the ability to effectively persuade and convey a message, something that not all are capable of doing. It's a taught skill. Only the RKs' had that skill from the get-go and that's why other androids weren't a threat. You can imagine why CyberLife was that fucking determined to put an end to Markus who had discovered that ability.

"We didn't know androids could copy and paste the code into 900, though. Looks like his antivirus could only rebuild his firewalls and slow down the process without stopping it. I don't know the exact number, but 800 had fewer firewalls, while 900 had fifty. We took every precaution there was, but obviously it wasn't enough. 900 never should've been able to deviate."

"Seeing how all this shit went down - CyberLife unknowingly selling off thousands of dormant deviants - it wasn't their first slip-up."

"Tell me about it. I could give you his deactivation code, though. A backup in case shit hits the fan."

Gavin shook his head. "Not necessary. I got Nines handled," he replied, rising from the chair and handing him a card with his number. "Thanks for the info. If you remember anything else 'bout last night, give me a call."


NINES

~ NOV 20TH, 2038 * PM 02:27 ~

What came with Gavin's new rank was the supervisions of officers, maintaining the chain of command, the development of training programs for the personnel, directing special units, preparing special projects, preparing special reports, reviewing other reports and assigning the needed personnel with specific needs, so there was little time for much fieldwork these days. Nines co-worked with him to reduce the strain it put on his shoulders with Fowler's permission and the precinct had never been busier.

They spent a lot of time in the meeting room.

Although he proved helpful in all of the above, Nines was especially helpful when it came to the training program for said personnel. Especially now with the other RK900 on the loose.

"Nines' an RK900, so you might mix the two up. Point one - keep your distance unless I'm right fucking there and you know it's my partner. Nines," Gavin debriefed, gesturing him over. He pressed the side of his palm to the base of Nines' collar. "Point two - look for this jacket tear. Tin can's been too stubborn to have it changed since day one at the precinct."

"To my defense, I don't have much of a choice but to keep it. Besides, you were the one who had it torn."

"...and it paid off. Couldn't tell you apart otherwise," he replied, registering Tina rolling her eyes in the background. "Point three - whatever you do, don't interact. Point four - call me or Nines immediately. Point five - don't be a hero. Chances are you might end up in a tight spot anyway, be forced into conflict, so that's why Nines is here. He knows how an RK900 thinks better than anyone and can at the very least give you a couple pointers for a chance to actually make it out alive. Once you get a chance, bolt, avoid further conflict. Point six -" He trailed off "...I'm on six, right?"

"Yes."

"Just making sure you're paying attention, tin can," he said, Nines seeing no reason not to believe him. "Point six - forget close combat. Reflexes are too quick, movements too unpredictable, so a firearm's your best friend. You'll break your knuckles otherwise. They're armed to the teeth with plating far sturdier than the common housemaid droids and handgun bullets won't do shit if you don't know where to aim. Unless you've got a rocket launcher, tank, or a cannon up your ass, aim for the head or thirium pump."

When Gavin first poked Nines' temple with his finger to show the location, he didn't mind.

It was only when Gavin's hand dropped to his heart regulator that he harbored a different reaction. Nines froze. His processors went haywire if only briefly and his self-defense protocol would've activated if he hadn't filed Gavin under non-hostile.

The man in question noticed, confusion spreading on his features to look at his hand. Realization dawned.

Gavin took it back. "Sorry."

Nodding as he accepted the apology, Nines felt himself relax a bit more. He trusted Gavin enough to allow it despite everything and thus he didn't know why he reacted like that in the first place. Some people had called him naïve, and maybe they were right, but that didn't change anything. He knew enough about Gavin to consider him someone with good intentions. Not to mention that Gavin wasn't stupid and it was obvious that he knew just how wary Nines was when it came to his thirium pump after what happened.

The debriefing ended shortly after, officers retreating to their schedule. Some remained to ask questions, Gavin informing them that he'd be there to answer them for ten minutes, then having to get back to his usual routine. He really fit into his new rank and had a leading quality about him unparalleled with anything else he'd ever seen. It was quite endearing.

A familiar, feminine hand pulled Nines aside. "Did someone put drugs in my coffee or did Sergeant Douchebag just apologize?"

"I suppose he did."

"Holy shit," Tina said, grin emerging. "The fuck's your secret?"

"Snark and the power to choose to put salt instead of sugar in his coffee," he replied, pocketing his hands.

"The former? I got plenty of that. The latter... not so much. I never have and never will prepare that asshole's coffee, so he'd grow suspicious if I tried serving him one. Stellar idea, though. Fear works wonders," she replied, her easy grin fading into a fond smile. "I knew you guys were bound to click once Gav started seeing you as a person."

"True, our work ethic is quite similar."

"I meant in the non-platonic term, but sure, that works," she murmured behind her coffee, giving him a wink. "Fuck, I'd pay to see you seduce him."

"That's an amusing concept. About a week back he threatened to kill me."

"He needs to loosen up. Figuratively and literally."

"I'm aware Gavin has a tendency for making nightly visits thanks to my sensors and analytical abilities, but I can't say I understand the general concept of human courtship."

"Not without experience, my friend. Unless you're aromantic and that's totally cool. Got a sex drive?"

"As in a hard drive? Certainly."

"Oh, har-har."

One of his favorite things about Tina was her forwardness. She spoke her mind. Nines himself was very direct as it restricted misunderstandings. That aside, it was only recently that he started to take other peoples' feelings into consideration. These days, he still spoke his mind, but decided to remain quiet was it something unpleasant and not crucial. Then again, agitating Gavin never failed to amuse him. He kept his snark in that case. Nines never lied, though. Not to his coworkers.

Everything surrounding relationships and sex was intriguing to him - leaving him curious about both - so it was something worth exploring. Frankly, Nines hadn't thought much about it. He was so occupied these days that it simply never crossed his mind. Now when it was nonchalantly brought up as a topic of discussion, however, he was unsure.

Nines simply didn't know.

"In all honesty, I'm not certain. I have insufficient data on the subject and have yet to develop an opinion."

"We need to get you into the dating life, Nines. Try Tinder."

"Absolutely not," he deadpanned, Tina's snicker following. "I can't help but feel guilty for disregarding everything but the current case. I've yet to ask how you're adapting to the new regime."

"I'm doing all right despite working under Gav's hardass supervision. This entire training routine is probably gonna kill me, though. I hate training."

"How so?"

"Aside from the pure bliss of being lazy with a bag of chips and my favorite show... bad experience. Broke an ankle in third grade and have been begrudgingly trekking ever since. I hold grudges."

"Against the trainers?"

"Against the 20-something pounds hooked off the pole that smashed it! Nearly had to go to therapy for believing it was sentient."

Nines frowned. "You did bench-press in third grade?"

"Nah, I just stood next to it. Wrong place at the wrong time. Come to think of it, I probably should've called it in to the manager for faulty equipment. Suppose it's too late now unless he's feeling generous. Shit, he could be dead for all I know. Pretty sure he was already well up in his sixties back then. One of those 'respect the equipment and the equipment will respect you in return' types. Total cuckoo."

"In that case, you're in luck. The training will be more sparring and reflex centered."

"Once again you remind me you're one of my favorite people. Robert won an arm-wrestling match two weeks back. Time for payback."

"Never change, Tina."

"Me? No fucking way. I'm living my best life," she replied, toasting her coffee. Tina gazed at Gavin and took a more concerned tone. "Keep an eye on our boy for me, all right? Asshole is gonna work himself to death otherwise."

"I'll do my best -"

"Hey, plastic, stop hitting on the clientele!" Gavin was heard over the room.

Tina arched an unimpressed brow. "Clientele?"

"Fuck, you are now," he replied, attention on the pads before him. "You've yet to pay me back for that coffee you're holding. You know, the one you stole from my fucking desk because you couldn't bother to get one in the break room."

"That cheap shit? Hell no. The coffee you buy is way better - and you left it unsupervised - so deal with it."

"Pretty sure that's not how you talk to a superior officer."

"Superior in what? I still beat you in Mario Kart!"

"Low-fucking-blow, Ti. Even for you," he replied as he looked up, her gloating as she stuck out her tongue. "Can I get my partner back or what?"

She pursed her mouth. "Dunno. Maybe I'll keep him. If it was Nines' coffee, he'd let me have it."

"It's true," Nines butted in, releasing one of his hands from its pocket to pull a willing Tina in for a hug that she gladly responded to. "As a matter of fact, I'd very much enjoy being Officer Chen's partner."

"Then ask for a transfer," he replied, brow arched. "You don't even drink, dipshit."

Tina shrugged. "My point stands."

"Last thing I need is you two ganging up on me, so Nines, get a move on. That's an order."

#

OBJECTIVE: RETURN TO GAVIN

#

"He's jealous," Tina whispered in jest, patting Nines' shoulder before pulling away. "We can catch up later when grumpypants over there doesn't have his panties in a twist. See you later, Nines."

Left to his own devices, he approached Gavin as he shuffled through the pads.

"I'm certain I can squeeze in another hug for you, sergeant."

"Follow through and you'll be needing repairs," he said, pushing the pad into him. Nines pulled it from his chest - rolling his eyes as he did - before he directed his gaze to the display. "Training program. That good enough for you? Fowler wants the full thing tomorrow by 3 meaning that I've only got 24 hours to make changes, so if anything's off, speak up."

He did a scan.

"Perhaps you should throw in some breath-holding exercises. Restrict movements of one's body to maintain a still posture. RK900s can't see you if you're standing still."

Gavin stared in disbelief. "You fucking serious?"

"No," he deadpanned, Gavin's exasperated sigh his only response when he gave it back.


~ DEC 22ND, 2038 * PM 5:54 ~

32 days. 32 days and there had been radio silence about the RK900 that killed Lewis' wife. There had been a couple reported sightings, but every time they arrived, there was nothing.

That was about to change.

"Nines, c'mere a second."

Connor.

They'd been working closely with both Connor and Hank. Although part of him got to know them through Connor's memories, it was different to interact with them directly, and he quite enjoyed the experience. They were the ones he'd become the closest to. At some point, he'd leave for the State Department, and he was certain he'd miss them as well as Tina and Chris. Even Gavin.

Although he was yet referred to as 'plastic' and 'tin can,' it was out of habit, and Gavin had dropped the more severe insults. He found himself being referred to as 'Nines' more than anything these days.

It was a welcoming change.

They'd been partners for a month now, and yet, Nines couldn't help but feel that he didn't belong. It was as if there was nothing there to keep him back. Like it wasn't enough. Frankly, he'd never felt like he belonged anywhere apart from on the battlefield. Before he was introduced to deviancy, he'd never had any thoughts like this, but now they kept reappearing. He could feel albeit weakly and there were some emotions that he didn't understand. The sense of belonging, love, happiness, and many more. It was all-too-confusing.

All his life, he'd only known violence, and anything else was a far cry to leave him conflicted. There had to be more to being alive.

With a refill of Gavin's coffee, Nines stepped out of the break room and headed directly for his predecessor. Gavin could wait. When he approached, Hank was calmly talking on the phone not too far away. Connor immediately saw him and was about to offer his chair, but Nines held up a hand to stop him, settling for the desk instead. Connor pushed said chair aside to make space.

"I take it you've found something."

"Midtown district," Connor replied, directing his attention to the terminal. "A woman reported seeing a unique model. Grey eyes, dark brown hair, over six feet and sporting dark clothing. The description was close to what Lewis Calhoun addressed."

"Have you spoken to her?"

Connor shook his head. "Not yet. Hank is currently on the phone with her to arrange a meeting and provide us with more details."

Nines couldn't help but recall back to the CyberLife Tower and voiced his thoughts.

"I realize yours and my own appearance is quite similar, but does a direct copy feel more intrusive as I imagine it doing?"

"I take it you refer to Sixty. I admit it was unpleasant."

"...and fighting him?"

"Challenging. I had never gone toe-to-toe with someone with the same skillset as my own. Sixty's movements were unpredictable and there was little use in pre-constructing my actions because of it. I'm uncertain if I would've succeeded was Hank not there," he replied, falling into a pause. "Despite all that, I... hope you won't encounter a similar situation. According to what you've told me, I suppose Sergeant Reed would have more difficulties dealing with such an event if you found yourself at the other side of the barrel."

With that, Nines directed a discreet glance his partner's way.

Gavin sat on his desk surrounded by datapads, feet still kicked up on the table. He had yet to take Nines' advice on choosing a better position for his back. At this stage, Nines probably had to go out and buy a subscription for painkillers. Once Gavin got that sergeant badge, they spent a lot of nights at the precinct, Gavin close to working himself to death on more than one occasion. His dedication became more and more apparent as time passed. Although he appreciated said dedication, something about it didn't sit well with him.

"Honestly, I'm not quite sure," Nines replied, an uncertain frown on his face. "Considering his now cooperative - almost pleasant - behavior, I've no idea whether or not I'm mainly a means to an end. Gavin Reed is... complicated. Yet I can't help but be thankful I was assigned to him. I can tell there's more to him than the abrasive image he presents himself as."

"He clearly holds a profound dislike for me - not nearly as bad as it once were - but I spoke with Officer Chen earlier and she seems to believe he sees you in a far more positive light."

"I've noticed certain things, but the insufficient data on not knowing my standing with him isn't ideal."

"Although still... unpleasant... he was quite different before Hank's son died."

Nines squinted. "I was unaware. Cole Anderson died three years ago. How do you know this?"

"Let's just say that Hank has shared quite a few things in several of his drunken stupors," he replied, smirking in amusement. "From what I've gathered, Sergeant Reed has difficulties in trusting people. I know very little of it, but Hank managed to let it slip that Gavin had a difficult childhood and that not even he knew the details of it. Hank assume his mother had been absent as he never met her and Gavin never spoke of her. His father, however, worked at the DPD. It appears as if Hank took a more fatherly role after a fallout between them."

"I suspected they knew each other on a personal level."

"Certainly. Hank saw him as a second son, but then Cole died and everything went downhill. Hank doesn't know why and I've no wish to risk my neck bringing it up to the sergeant, either. It's none of my business."

Not having heard their conversation, Hank approached. "All right, she's willing to meet up in an hour. Had a couple things to take care of first."

"Thank you," Nines said, rising from the desk.

"Good luck, son."

He nodded. Pushing through the various desks, he approached the one he was best acquainted with on the near far end. Considering how much time they'd earlier spent in the field, Nines never got his own desk, sharing office space with Gavin. He didn't seem to mind it too much the past few days and thus it served no purpose to get his own.

Besides, Nines preferred being elevated by either standing on the floor or sitting on said desk. It gave him a better view of the precinct. A perspective of which he felt he had more control of everything happening around him.

Nines held the coffee out to him. "There's been a reported sighting in the Midtown district."

"What, your long-lost twin?" Gavin asked, accepting it. "You're gonna have to wait. I got a debriefing in ten."

"You can't honestly expect him to remain there until you're done."

"I don't. Every report so far has been a waste of time. I know this shit's personal to you, but this," he replied, waving the pad he was holding. "This could save the rookies if they're ever unfortunate enough to go toe-to-toe with that guy."

"I'll go myself."

The cup stopped halfway to his mouth. "The hell you are."

That got his attention.

"If your assumption is that this is a waste of time and he won't be there, I can't say I see the issue."

"We don't know that."

"Exactly."

Cursing, Gavin kicked his feet down from the table. "Fucking hell... wait here."

He put the coffee aside.

#

OBJECTIVE: WAIT

#

Rolling his eyes, Nines transferred his weight to his other foot and pocketed his hands. He averted his gaze to see Fowler's office door swing open and Gavin stepping inside for them to exchange a few words. Requesting a new time and date for the debriefing, most likely. From the looks of things, Fowler didn't seem to be budging, Gavin pacing the room. He might've gotten another time hadn't it been on such a short notice. Then again, they hadn't known about it before now, and thus it was deemed difficult for a schedule change.

All Nines knew was that he needed to get out there, meet with this woman, and catch the RK900 if possible. Sooner rather than later. There had been no more reported homicides of the same android, but caution never hurt anybody.

For all he knew, it might already be too late.

Nines attempted a step.

A red wall appeared before him, the word WAIT in capitalized letters taunting him. His programming ground him into a halt.

He pressed his lips together as his eyes closed shut. At this point, he could see the appeal of free will, wanting little more than to step outside the building and track down the android too dangerous to be left unsupervised. Even if he wanted, he couldn't. His software instability was too low. Neither did he want to return to his deviated state.

He refused.

After what felt like forever, Gavin returned.

"No can do, plastic. Debriefing's set in stone and Fowler is being an ass about it. We're gonna have to pass this one."

About to protest, he hesitated. No longer having an objective he was forced to obey - his previous having been carried out - he could easily slip away. Still, it didn't feel right to go behind Gavin's back like that. Although it left a bad taste in his mouth to simply try to forget the android was out there, the last thing he wanted was to create more conflict now when things were finally looking up between him and Gavin. Nines liked where they were and didn't want to mar that. Selfish, perhaps, but that didn't change that Gavin might be right.

Checking it out might be nothing more than another waste of time.

"Fair enough. After you're done here, I still wish to investigate. Albeit a low probability, he may have left something behind that's worth our attention."

Gavin sighed. "Look. Do whatever the hell you want," he said, arms wide and palms open. "I'm not your keeper."

That took a load off his shoulders.

"In that case, I'll give you an update when I'm there."

"Yeah, you do that," he replied, setting course for the meeting room. Gavin looked over his shoulder. "Hey, tin can. Watch yourself out there. I've got enough paperwork to deal with to add damaged equipment to the pile."

Nines smirked. "I'll do my best, but I appreciate the concern."

With that, Gavin flipped him off.

He didn't deny it.