1. Belongs: The universe and characters of Detroit Become Human belong to Quantic Dreams and David Cage.

2. Rating: "T" in general, but might be "M" for cursed words, graphics contents such as violence, injuries, or sexual scenes.

3. Summary: Gavin wakes up at home and realizes he's not alone. Midnight stands beside him in the dark and explains he came to his aid after the incident in the alley. But it is while returning to patrol in the middle of the night that Midnight meets someone unexpected.


CHAPTER 5
« My Name Is Collin. »

- April 23, 2039, 02:56, Gavin's apartment -

Gavin slowly became aware of the fabrics against his body, and realized they were familiar. The smell of laundry also reminded him of something, and when he finally managed to open his eyes, he recognized the darkness of his room. His eyelids closed on their own, his eyes stinging unpleasantly. He tried to sit up a bit but a throbbing pain was suddenly felt in his ribs, waking him up once and for all. He winced and moaned in pain, his lips pursed.

"You should stay still. "

Gavin jumped and moaned in pain again before sinking back into his bed, jaw clenched and fingers clutching the sheets. He had recognized that voice, and he turned his head in its direction, towards the window. As he expected to see two glowing eyes, he saw only a dark figure, drawn by the backlight of the street lights, a few floors below. Gavin frowned.

"What ..." he articulated hard, the inside of his cheek suddenly hurting. " What happened.. ? "

The figure slowly moved closer to the bed. Gavin had difficulty seeing clearly, but his vision was starting to adjust to the darkness, and he could make out the vigilante's face, despite his mask. Still his mask.

"An android informed me that he was injured after an altercation with two humans in an alleyway, and that another person was in bad shape." Midnight said calmly so as not to disturb Gavin. "When I got there, I didn't expect it to be you ..." He paused, watching the detective sigh in annoyance. "I neutralized both individuals, but… you were stunned in the process, I apologize. "

"I think I'm doing pretty well ..."

Gavin had to admit, if Midnight hadn't intervened, things would have certainly turned out badly for him. He would have been slaughtered in this alley and would have emptied himself of his blood alone in the rain.

"You haven't broken anything," Midnight said, scanning him again. "But you have a few bruises on your left side, scratches on your face, and slight abrasions on your hands and knees."

"And I think I bit the inside of my cheek too." He gave a tight smile as he gently raised a thumb up. "But at least I'm alive." Gavin turned his head to the vigilante. " Thanks to you."

Midnight looked at him intently. Gavin almost felt pierced by those eyes they still couldn't see, and the vigilante finally nodded softly.

Gavin only realized now that he was no longer dressed and that he was only wearing his shorts. He tried to sit up, his brow furrowed, feeling a tug in his hands and ribs.

"Did you take my clothes off? "

"Your clothes were soaked," Midnight said in defence. Yes, that was a valid excuse. "And your wounds needed to be healed. "

"Needed to be-"

Gavin lifted his hands up and saw the bandages wrapped around his hands. His eyes went down to the sheets and, when he lifted them, noticed the bandages on his knees. He turned his head towards the vigilante.

"I'm sorry if this all seems too much to you but…" He frowned behind his mask. "I couldn't leave you like this, frozen in your wet clothes and soaking your bed. "

"It's okay," Gavin said, holding up a hand. "I'm just a little surprised but I guess you weren't thinking wrong. "

Midnight gently shook his head from side to side, then took a seat in the chair by the bed. Gavin settled himself in his bed comfortably, his eyes still on the vigilante.

"How's Jack?"

"The android?" Midnight asked and Gavin nodded. "His injuries were superficial. He's still stronger than a human, and he'll get over it easily with a bit of Thirium. "

"What about the other two?"

"I contacted the police after neutralizing them." Midnight said in a strangely deep and soft voice. "I brought you back here afterwards, but I know the police picked them up. I am connected to their radios. "

"This explains a lot .." Gavin said, nodding absently. "And how did you know I was living here? "

Midnight opened his mouth but closed it. He didn't know how to tell him that he had been following him regularly during the day for several months now. But this was neither the place nor the time to tell him the truth.

"The directory." He said simply. "And… I hacked into your security system and your door. Please excuse me." Gavin opened his mouth in amazement. "It was an exceptional case, I wouldn't do it again, obviously." He paused. "Unless another exceptional case arises. "

"Okay. "

Gavin didn't know if he was really stupid or if his enthusiasm for the vigilante was too strong not to worry him more than that. The man had brought him back to his apartment, hacked into his security system, undressed him, put him to bed, and he was saying okay? It was, in fact, super creepy and dangerous. Midnight was a stranger after all.

The vigilante rose from the chair again, his right eye blinking slightly several times, and stepped up to the window to look out into the street.

"I advise you to rest a little. "

" You go ? "

Gavin mentally slapped himself. Obviously he was going to leave, he wasn't going to stay there all night for no reason. First he had intervened to save him, he was not going to watch him. They didn't know each other, and he certainly had other things to do. The situation was already humiliating enough.

"There are still things to do for tonight." Midnight said, pivoting to Gavin. "Your car is still where you left it. "

He opened the window, and Gavin quickly straightened up to sit on the edge of the bed to call out to him. He wasn't planning on jumping out the window, was he? He lived on the fourth floor, he was going to kill himself if he jumped from that height.

"Are you going to jump? "

"Don't worry, I always land on my feet. "

The vigilante smirked and perched on the windowsill, letting a bit of rain enter the room. He turned his head to Gavin, looking a bit messy in his hair in the wind, and the moonlight shining on his face. His eyes were as blue as ice, and Gavin shivered. He could have imagined all the possible hues that this only this one would have gone perfectly to the vigilante.

He let himself sink into his eyes for a few seconds before coming to himself.

" What is your name ? "

"Midnight. "

"I'm talking about your real name," Gavin said, rolling his eyes. " I want to know. "

"I ... have no first name. "

Gavin then remembered what Samuel had said about the vigilante, and he had told him the same. How could he not have a first name?

"You must have one ..! "

"Good night, Detective Reed. "

And he dove into the void. Gavin leapt from his bed, wincing in pain, and rushed to the window to see the vigilante already on the ground, getting up from his reception. He climbed onto his motorbike, activated it, and looked up to the window. He turned on the light on his mask and Gavin could see him from above winking at him.

"Dirty little motherfucker ..." he smiles. "We'll see each other again… and I'll know who you are…"

The motorbike sped away in an electric hiss, fading with distance, and disappeared at a crossroads. Midnight could feel the rain crashing into his face, but the speed made him feel euphoric as he sped through the deserted streets of Detroit. When he got to the docks, he pulled up to an old warehouse and left his motorcycle there. He pulled his hair back into place and pulled the hood back over his head as he walked silently towards the docks, watching the black river gently cradle.

He was sure he had received an alert from here, but yet there was no living soul. He scanned the area again to make sure no one was there, then moved closer to the edge of the dock to sit with his legs hanging over the water.

Midnight hadn't been cautious enough lately. Since the end of January he had discovered the existence of Gavin Reed, he had always made sure to keep an eye on him and stay away. And within a few days, they had seen each other three times and had even spoken to each other. He hoped, deep inside, that the detective won't find out who he really was, and that he won't try to arrest him.

Midnight had been the only fully functional RK900 during the android revolution. Still a machine, he had briefly met Connor-59 in the Zen Garden before he was deactivated once and for all by Amanda, but after that, RK900 had remained strangely inactive.

When he first opened his eyes in his physical envelope, he was in Cyberlife Tower, and it was Markus who had come to free him and a hundred thousand other androids. He had found himself nameless, aimless, not knowing what to do with his life. Nonetheless, he knew what he was capable of, he knew his programmings, his features, and none of that had changed despite his deviancy.

His first acts of vigilantism took place in the old districts of Detroit, protecting three androids who were about to be attacked by a group of anarchists humans. This act had been like a revelation. It had been designed to track, to face, to neutralize ... And he could exercise these abilities by protecting his people.

He had spent the first part of December in Jericho protecting the place and the other androids, but he was aware of what was going on beyond the district. Humans were causing chaos in the streets, degrading the city, injuring other humans and androids still living there.

RK900 could not be content to intervene only in the district. It was a need he felt deep inside, because he was designed for it. Making justice right, whether it is police or his own.

And everything seemed to fall into place when he settled into that little house near the church. There was a teenager bedroom that was containing figures, comics of various masked superheroes and vigilantes. He knew full well that his resemblance to the RK800, which had caught a lot of attention from other androids and human media, would have been a problem for him. And if he didn't want to get into trouble, knowing that these acts were illegal, then he had to save himself a minimum. And it was upon seeing this large Nightwing poster stuck behind the bedroom door that RK900 decided to take action and hide his identity.

After many interventions beyond Jericho, the humans finally noticed him, and not wishing to get any more attention, he decided to act only at night. They named him Midnight. It was the only real name he had besides his number.

But one evening, something strange happened. As he contacted the police after incapacitating two humans robbing a jewelry store, he perched on a roof, watching the officers do their jobs. And that was when he had seen him for the first time. Gavin Reed.

The name was familiar to him, and after researching, he understood why. If the android revolution hadn't been successful and Cyberlife still had control over him, he should have been assigned to this detective to allow Cyberlife to keep a foothold in law enforcement.

This Gavin Reed should have been his partner.

And that was the one thing, in Midnight's eyes, that most resembled a relative or a friend. He had felt so lonely during his first two months that he had unconsciously set his sights on the human. He had observed him, had made sure to protect him indirectly so as not to be spotted. He had been researching him, and he knew he didn't have a very rosy track record with androids, so he had avoided direct contact to preserve himself, both physically and emotionally. The latter because the human was ultimately his only point of reference in the real world, and he didn't want to be hated by the one person who mattered to him.

Midnight knew his reasoning wasn't logical, that it was even ridiculous, but he couldn't shake it. Gavin Reed didn't know him, and even though Midnight was watching him and doing his research, he didn't really know him either.

He also didn't want to reveal his identity to him, because he knew what Connor had done, that they had interacted before and it hadn't been friendly. He knew that, because of his face, he could never be close to the detective. It was his curse.

But deep down, he didn't know if there might be any friendship between the two of them, looking like Connor or not. Reed didn't like androids, and sooner or later he would learn that he was one. And then, maybe Reed wasn't what he expected. Even though Midnight was deviant, had interacted with other deviants, had researched the internet, or had just had a few experiences of any kind, he wasn't sure he understood everything and knew how to behave.

He helped the androids, the humans, but he had no friends. Perhaps it was this weariness of this loneliness that had made him let his guard down and interact with the detective.

"I knew you would come. "

Midnight quickly rose to his feet, and whirled around, already on guard, to find himself facing-

He froze, his eyes widening. His shoulders relaxed in surprise but he kept his fists firmly raised in front of him. The person in front of him wore a black outfit in a tech-wear style, a muffler covering his lower face, and a hood pulled down over it. But that didn't stop the vigilante from identifying who he was.

Midnight watched those amber eyes pierce him, and the man walked over to him, raising his left hand to lower his muffler.

"Do you know who I am, RK900?" The individual asked, tilting his head slightly to the side, his LED spinning briefly in yellow.

|| … IDENTIFICATION IN PROGRESS… ||

* RK - Series Prototype: RK800

* ID number: 313-248-317-60

* Registered as: Connor.

"It's impossible ..." Midnight whispered, lowering his fists slightly. "Connor was destroyed…" He shook his head. "I was there, I saw Amanda deleting the last existing version!"

The RK800 in front of him let out a small chuckle, trying to smile with both affection and annoyance.

"RK900 ..." he said, shaking his head slightly, placing both hands behind his back as his default posture. "59 has indeed been destroyed, but… I am 60." He suddenly drew two hand guns from the holsters hanging from his back belt to point them at Midnight. "And my name is Collin. "

He pulled the trigger on both guns, and Midnight dove to his right to dodge the bullets. He fell limply to the ground near a mooring post and tried to get up quickly as the RK800 rearmed his guns, but his right arm didn't respond.

|| BIO-COMPOSENT # 7511p: DAMAGED ||

"Sh-Shit ..! "

The bullet had hit the motor in his right shoulder despite the Kevlar of his outfit. The RK800 had aimed right between two reinforced plates to shot him, he knew exactly what he was doing. Midnight stood up with the help of his left hand and followed up with a roll behind a crate when two more shots rang out again.

He remained crouched behind the crate, his left hand pressed against his right shoulder, trying to reduce his thirium losses. All he needed now was the police finding his blood here and analyzing it to find out that an RK900 existed. No thanks. After two hours, the thirium would evaporate, but with the wet soil from the previous downpour, the thirium would stay wet for another good four hours.

He had to react quickly. He couldn't hide there forever, and he couldn't face the RK800. He was fully functional and armed with two 19 - 5thG glocks, each loaded with twenty 9mm bullets. And from his analysis, he wasn't deviant.

He quickly scanned the area, and did a pre-construct through his software. The safest solution was to dive in the Detroit River, but the temperature of the water could damage his vital bio-components.

"Cyberlife has been taken by storm ..." Collin said, rearming his two glocks. "But Markus didn't know I was there." He tightened his fingers on his crosses. "Connor disappointed Amanda so much that Cyberlife didn't even consider sending me to deal with the Deviant Leader!" He pointed his guns at the crate as he approached slowly. "I could have taken care of him. I would have accomplished my mission! "

He leaped in front of the crate, guns pointed straight ahead but did not find RK900 there. His LED briefly flashed yellow under his hood, frowning. He immediately scanned the area for traces of the other android, but an arm suddenly closed around his neck with superhuman strength. He tried to struggle but he had to admit, even with one arm the RK900 was way stronger than him. He raised his gun in his left hand, ready to shoot himself into his own shoulder to shot the android behind him, but Midnight had already pre-calculated that possibility, and sent an electricity blast through his left hand which was resting against his shoulder that was strangling the RK800.

But the two androids were wet from the light rain which was starting to fall again, and Collin, as well as Midnight, were both electrocuted. Midnight dropped to one knee in shock and suddenly overheating, but Collin's legs gave way under his weight, and he suddenly rocked forward. Midnight tried to catch him by reaching out with his left arm but he wasn't fast enough and the RK800 fell into the River.

The vigilante rushed as best he could to the edge of the docks to look into the black water but other than the white foam from the impact against the surface, he could see nothing. He scanned over and over, but nothing. The RK800 was gone. He knew he hadn't killed him, and he also knew he wasn't done with him. A still-machine RK800, a deviant hunter, roaming free in a town full of deviant androids was extremely dangerous.

Midnight winced in pain as he squeezed his shoulder. He had to go back to Jericho for repairs. He had been so stupid and naive to fall into such a trap.

He had to inform the Three of Collin's appearance.