Sunday arrived sooner than Reed expected. He felt a little anxious as the day wore on. He wasn't due at work that day, so Nines encouraged him out of the apartment. He actually ended up grabbing an old basketball and leading Nines down to the small plot he used with the kids. The land was supposed to be in development, but it had been fenced off for years, so Reed had made use of it. Nines had never played basketball, but he was more than happy to learn. He tried the old-fashioned way for a change, watching Reed and then copying his movements rather than downloading a program. It took him a few tries, but he soon made his first basket. He looked more than a little pleased with himself.
"Detective G!" a familiar voice greeted gleefully, Reed turning with a grin as five of the kids rolled up. He greeted them with his usual fist bumps, hair ruffles, and secret handshakes before introducing Nines as his work partner. The boys were more than a little impressed with him and had all sorts of questions about his strength and processing speed. It was rare to see androids in their area, since it was a prime spot for AAL members. The boys were more than happy to teach Nines how to play, and Reed leaned on the mesh fence and watched as they raced around the small plot, expertly ducking and weaving around Nines despite his height. They trounced him in the first round.
"Don't get too cocky, he's a fast learner!" Reed called as an almost smug warning as the second round began. He snickered as he watched the kids' stunned faces. Nines had figured out how to counteract each of their previous strategies, and ended up taking the ball all the way to the other hoop. He was pretty much unchallenged, able to duck and weave around the teens as he'd seen them do before.
"That was so cool!" one of them yelled, the group quickly splitting up to play a proper game. It was agreed that one team would get Nines and the other would have Reed. Since there were odd numbers, Reed's team got an extra member, the smallest boy in the group, to make it fair. Reed noticed more than once that Nines would often let the smallest child duck around him, giving him a fair chance. After an hour or so, the kids wanted to watch Nines and Reed go one on one. Reed chuckled as he took the ball and bounced it a few times.
"You guys just want to watch me getting my ass kicked!" he accused with a wolfish grin, not that the boys denied it as they sat along the fence yelling their support. For Nines. Reed put a hand on his heart and feigned hurt as he took his place in front of Nines. They settled in a low stance and Reed tossed the ball to him. Nines tossed it back, and the game began. Getting around Nines was almost impossible. He was taller, faster, and pretty agile, too. Reed turned his back and held an arm out as he bounced the ball, trying to spot a way to at least make a shot. He took a few steps forward before doubling back and throwing the ball, cursing as it bounced off the edge of the old metal hoop. The boys jeered as Nines took the ball and made a shot himself, landing it perfectly. "Nice shot," Reed gasped breathlessly as he bent over.
"Giving up already, Rump Steak?" Nines teased as he bounced the ball. Sharp green eyes accepted his challenge as they reversed roles. Reed took a few more breaths before straightening up, ready for the ball. It was no surprise to him that Nines managed to dodge around him within seconds and land another basket, much to the amusement of the watching crowd. Nines was almost smug as he span the ball on one finger. Cocky bastard…
"You think you can do better? Have at it!" Reed huffed invitingly as he went to the fence and nudged one of the taller boys towards Nines. Reed watched the two settle into stance, Nines' eyes sharp as he examined every move the teen made. The boy was slightly lanky. His muscles hadn't yet developed to match his growing height and wider physique. At fifteen years old, he still had a good seven years of growing left to do. Right now, he was no challenge for Nines, but his superior experience would likely give him a small edge in their match. The group at the fence cheered as the lanky teen managed to get a lucky shot over Nines' head, but the game ended up a tie since Nines made a basket during the second round. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon. It had been far too long since Reed had been out with the kids, and Nines had managed to slot right into their small group.
They spent a good few hours with the boys before they split. Reed handed them each ten dollars, telling them to get some lunch and save the rest. Nines noted that it was a lot of money to give away in such a manner. Reed clearly considered himself to be some form of guardian towards these boys. Nines led the way back into the apartment, where Reed decided to take a shower and freshen up. Unlike Nines, he was damp with sweat despite the cool weather outside. Once he was dressed, settling on some jeans and one of his woollen V-necks, he encouraged Nines to take a shower and change. Nines did as asked and ended up in jeans and a soft fitted turtleneck, smart but casual.
Nines drove the car when they left, leaving Pipsqueak with enough thirium for the evening. They'd left in the late afternoon, knowing it took a couple of hours to reach Elijah's mansion on the mountainside. They were greeted by Chloe at the door, and were the first of their group to arrive. Markus was still there with North. The couple were sitting quietly with Elijah in the living area, still talking business. Reed was surprised to see a familiar face sitting at a small table by the window, busy with a colouring book.
"Isn't that the kid? That YK600 from our case?" Reed asked quietly, Nines murmuring his quiet agreement as he scanned the smaller body for a serial number. Niles looked up as if he'd heard, which Reed figured he probably had with his android hearing. His eyes were so fucking brown. Reed hadn't really noticed it at the crime scene. Niles kicked his legs back and forth beneath the table, his face lighting up in recognition as he caught sight of Reed and Nines in the doorway. Reed smiled politely, wondering what he should say. This wasn't like talking to the kids on his street. The last time he'd seen Niles he'd been a traumatised mess, not something Reed equipped able to deal with.
"Detective! Hello!" Niles greeted brightly as he hopped down from his chair and hurried across the room. Markus' watchful eyes darted up briefly at the movement. It didn't take him long to acknowledge Nines and Reed and return to his discussion with Elijah. He was sure the detectives would let Niles know if he was being a bother. Reed gave Niles a smile as he tugged off his leather jacket and looped it over his arm. Jesus, I didn't notice it at first but…he's a dead ringer for Connor…Reed thought as Niles took up the standard at ease pose. He was dressed smartly in grey jeans and a white shirt. If he had a tie, he really would be a mini Connor.
"Hey…how are you doing?" Reed asked cautiously, unsure what else to say. He hadn't seen Niles since the bathtub incident.
"I'm alright…I wanted to thank you, Detective. I didn't get the chance before," Niles replied earnestly, Reed quickly waving it off. That wasn't necessary. It was his job to help people, and he did it gladly. Niles looked at him like he was the coolest guy he'd ever met. He said it out loud before happily bounding back to his table to continue his colouring. Reed looked around briefly, wondering where it would be best to go. He didn't want to bother Elijah just yet since he seemed to be talking shop, and talking to a mini Connor was just plain weird. He settled on heading to the bar. A second Chloe was standing behind it, running on auto-pilot it seemed.
"What can I get for you?" she asked in a tone that was just a little too robotic to actually be Chloe. It was fucking weird. Chloe wasn't supposed to look so vacant. He sort of understood what she'd meant at lunch that time when she'd told him about the other bodies she had running around. It was easy to tell when it wasn't Chloe in control. Almost as if she'd been summoned, the Chloe behind the bar blinked and seemed to wake up with a bright smile. "Are you going to keep me waiting all day, Gavin?"
"That's phcking unsettling, you know that?" Reed complained with a huff as he leaned on the bar, instantly at ease. It was still a little weird, knowing that this wasn't the real Chloe, but it was comforting that Chloe was in control of her doppelgänger. Chloe laughed brightly in response as she waited for Reed to look at all the different bottles. "I don't know…surprise me," he decided eventually, unsure what most of the labels were. Chloe nodded before she grabbed one of the whiskeys and poured him a large measure with some ice. She grabbed a similar-looking thirium based drink for Nines, who took it with thanks and sipped. Reed chuckled as he wrinkled his nose a little. "Not a fan?"
"It is…strong?" Nines suggested quizzically, watching Reed shrug cluelessly. He leaned over and sniffed the blue beverage before wetting his lips a little. It tasted godawful. Not that he'd expected anything else; it was thirium based. It had a definite kick to it though. He understood why Nines had that reaction. Good thing androids can't get drunk. He huffed at the idea, wondering what sort of drunk Nines would be. I wonder if it's something Eli's working on…
"Has a kick to it," Reed agreed out loud as he handed it back. It seemed Nines didn't hate it enough not to drink it. Nines and Reed remained at the bar until Connor arrived with Hank and Colin in tow. Chloe had asked him to bring Hank. She was rather fond of him, and she had the feeling he'd want to be close by for any procedures that his boys were going to have. It was a well-known fact that he was very protective of Connor, and that feeling had extended towards Nines, too. As he walked in, it seemed he'd formed yet another soft spot for the overly timid Colin as well.
"Connor!" Niles cried eagerly the moment he stepped into the living area. Connor stepped forward and braced himself as Niles launched himself into his arms. He'd run so fast that Connor would have fallen if he hadn't swept him up and turned in a circle with the momentum. Niles took the opportunity to wrap his smaller arms around Connor's neck, feeling him chuckle as his strong arms gripped his small waist and supported his thighs. He ended up resting securely on Connor's hip as he excitedly continued to cling to him.
"Hey, nice to see you again, kid," Hank greeted as he stepped up to Connor's side, wrapping an arm over Colin's shoulder to ensure he didn't get left out with his quieter nature. Niles pushed himself back from clinging to Connor a little, just enough so he could look at Hank. Hank knew that look. Niles clearly adored Connor. He looked safe and content in his strong and protective arms.
"Hello, Lieutenant Anderson! Did you come for the upgrade, too?" he asked excitedly, watching Hank chuckle in response. Hank moved a little closer, lowering his voice in an almost conspiratorial tone as he eyed the group across the room. Niles followed his gaze with curious brown eyes before looking back at him.
"I came to keep an eye on things. Connor's scared of surgery, so you'll have to hold his hand, alright?" Hank encouraged, seeing an objection rise to Connor's lips at the suggestion. He wasn't scared. Just because Cyberlife made him a little nervous, and he hadn't had many positive interactions with Elijah Kamski, didn't mean he was scared. He wasn't. In his arms, he could feel Niles nodding his head eagerly, big brown eyes turning to look at him assuringly.
"It'll be alright, Connor. It doesn't hurt at all!" Niles assured with a sweet smile. Connor's lips quirked at the reassurance. His words sent a wave of warmth through his core that actually put him at ease. "Markus, North and I got it earlier," he added quietly, as if it were a secret he was sharing. Connor smiled affectionately as he hefted him a little more securely. He was light as a feather to Connor. His small legs were kicking back and forth with all the trust in the world as he hung in Connor's grasp.
"Wow, did you try it out already?" Connor asked curiously, watching Niles nod excitedly.
"Mr Kamski let me have a hamburger for lunch," Niles replied proudly, showing the same small dimples as Connor when he smiled. "It was really tasty! But Chloe said I shouldn't eat them too often," he added, nodding along as Connor agreed and listed all the negatives in cholesterol and salt content. Even though they wouldn't get sick or fat, it was a good idea to encourage a healthy lifestyle. They wouldn't want to make their human friends jealous or set a bad example for other children by only eating unhealthy food.
"Jesus, he really is a mini Connor!" Hank teased with a chuckle as he ruffled Connor's hair.
"Language!" Connor chided as he tucked Niles' head against his shoulder. Hank chuckled again at the sharp tone. "Niles, this is my brother, Colin. You already met my other brother when you were rescued," Connor added as he turned to face Colin. Colin gave a shy greeting as Niles looked between the two RK800s. It wasn't unusual to find two androids with the same face model. In fact, many household androids had been mass produced. The RK line was different though. As prototypes, they were special and far more exclusive.
"You're twins!" Niles exclaimed excitedly. "Markus! Did you know Connor has a twin brother?" he called as he turned his head and leaned back enough to see the trio in the seating area. Markus looked up obligingly, his expression actually a little surprised as he looked between the two. He'd heard about another RK800 being activated, but he hadn't expected them to cross paths. As far as he knew, the second RK800 worked exclusively with the FBI on the other side of the city. It was nice that they'd connected, even nicer that Connor had appointed himself as the older brother yet again.
"Wow, that's pretty cool. Did you know Connor has a little brother, too? Nines looks a lot like them, don't you think?" Markus added as he nodded towards the bar, where Nines was content standing beside Reed. He'd opted to stay out of the conversation, unsure how Niles would feel around him. He was considered to be quite imposing, and his poor social skills may make a child uncomfortable. He was designed for combat and interrogation after all, so his larger body mass would likely inspire fear in someone so small.
"Detective Nines is bigger!" Niles replied as he looked across at Nines, who tried to pretend he didn't notice the direction of their conversation. Connor chuckled at the observation. It was true. Nines was a little bigger, though not by much. "He's a little scary, don't you think?" Niles added in a whisper as he looked at Connor. Connor's expression softened a little at the admission. It was the expected reaction. Even other adult androids were intimidated by the stoic RK900.
"He's actually very nice, but you need to look really close to see it…Do you want to meet him properly?" Connor asked just as quietly, almost able to feel Nines cringing as he listened in. He couldn't help it. Advanced hearing meant he could pick up the sound of a pin drop on the other side of the room. Niles nodded and Connor carried him across to where Nines and Reed were talking quietly about one of the cold cases they were working on. From what Connor picked up, it was at least a decade old, so no new leads were expected. It was one of the many cases that would be passed around every so often for someone to glance at it and check the larger interstate database to see if the body had been found out of state. "Nines, you remember Niles?" Connor interrupted politely at a small break in their conversation.
"Of course," Nines replied stiffly as he inclined his head stiffly, trying not to seem too intimidating. Reed turned on his stool to watch, noticing rather quickly how awkward Nines was. It happened when dealing with people he didn't know. Even more so when he was trying not to intimidate them. He came off as really stiff and robotic when he tried to compensate for his intimidating size. "I am…pleased to see you're well," he added sincerely, some of that sincerity clearly reaching Niles as he visibly relaxed in Connor's arms.
"Do you like drawing?" Niles asked curiously, Nines tilting his head in contemplation.
"I have not tried," he replied honestly, unable to form an opinion without data. Niles looked across to the small table that had been set up for him earlier. Connor followed his gaze and set him on his feet expectantly. Niles immediately took Nines' larger hand and started leading him across the room, ready to launch into an explanation. Nines looked back at Connor cluelessly as he was taken away, quietly begging for his company and support.
"Miss Chloe gave me all these colours and pencils earlier! Do you want to try?" Niles asked innocently, Nines agreeing stiffly as he crouched at the low table. Niles hopped on his chair and pulled a page from the book he'd been using. Nines accepted it quietly, wondering what he should draw. "You should draw something you like a lot! That's what I do," Niles encouraged as he showed Nines a picture that was clearly supposed to be Connor. It was rough around the edges of course. Niles was a child model with limited capabilities, but Nines still knew it was his brother from the Cyberlife uniform. Something important to me…
"He's a cute kid…I didn't know you'd adopted him," Reed said as he sipped his whiskey. He pulled his fond gaze away from where Nines was trying to interact with Niles and watched curiously as Connor's expression grew troubled. Reed tilted his head with a raised brow. No? Connor sighed quietly as he moved closer and leaned on the bar. He looked somewhat guilty, and more than a little frustrated.
"Everyone keeps saying that!" he murmured quietly, clearly not wanting to risk Niles overhearing. Luckily, he was fully occupied with Nines and their drawings. Nines seemed more relaxed now, sketching carefully as Niles chattered on about something or other while he was colouring his picture. "I'm not a domestic model. I wasn't built for that type of role, and even if I had the ability, I live with Hank! I'm not in the position to just…adopt a child!" Connor continued in an almost irate tone. He seemed a little annoyed as he snuck sly glances at Markus. He knew what he was doing. He'd told him more than once not to encourage it, but somehow Niles always turned up more eager than before.
"Those are some fine excuses…" Reed teased with a small huff as he sipped his smooth whiskey. Connor almost stammered in surprise. Of all the people he may have expected to call him out, Gavin Reed was not one of them. He'd expected Reed to understand more than anyone else. A child was a big responsibility, and if you weren't ready to put your whole self into it, then you had no business having one. How could Connor give Niles the attention he deserved when he was a full time homicide detective with a dangerous job? What if something happened to him at work? "That kid looks at you like you're his whole world," Reed added as he glanced over at the table.
"I know…and I've tried asking Markus to dissuade him from doing so, but…" Connor trailed off with a worn sigh. Reed chuckled as he looked at him knowingly. This was really the sort of conversation he should have with Hank. He watched as Hank moved across to the small table to watch, dragging Colin along with him. Niles had soon handed out more paper, encouraging Colin to try his hand at it while Hank got involved with enthusiasm. It was easy to see that Hank had done this before.
"Looks like quite a happy family from this angle," Reed huffed as he nodded towards Connor's brothers. Connor's expression suggested that it had been a low blow. "You know, a lot of kids would kill to have a family like that…and for the record, I think you'd make a great dad…programmed for it or not," Reed added in an unusually soft tone as he ruffled Connor's hair. It was a rare show of affection, something he usually reserved for Nines. Connor was touched as he watched Reed watching the group at the table. He chuckled as Niles leaned over and made a loud, impressed noise while surveying Nines' work.
"It's Detective Reed!" he declared as he leaned over Nines' page. Reed hummed with interest as he slid off his stool and sauntered over, noting that Nines suddenly seemed a little protective of the drawing as he appeared at his side. Reed leaned on his shoulder and reached for the hidden picture even as Nines tried better to hide it.
"Fork it over, Terminator," Reed teased, closing his eyes with an apologetic note as he realised Nines had registered his teasing as a real order. He looked away quickly, not wanting to upset Nines as he was forced to hold out the paper. "Sorry, I didn't mean…You don't have to show me," Reed amended awkwardly, running a hand through his short locks as he looked at the bar. Nines clutched the picture self-consciously, uncertain as he looked down at it.
"Show him! It's really good!" Niles urged supportively as he sat back down. Nines was still a little hesitant, but Niles' words bolstered his confidence enough to tug Reed's woollen sleeve. Reed looked over his shoulder, still feeling bad about the misunderstanding. He could see Nines' uncertainty as he held out the page for inspection.
"You may see it," he added in a shy manner that almost matched Colin's. Reed looked at the page, his lips quirking as he slapped Nines' arm lightly. He must have downloaded a program or something to copy it so perfectly. It was one of Tina's Chibi Gavins, only this time he was playing basketball. He was just taking the shot, the ball sailing towards the hoop. He looked like he was having a blast, big green eyes glowing. The cat ears and tail were an odd addition, but it wasn't the first time it had happened. Tina must have shown Nines one of her old sketch books. She used to draw all sorts of chibi characters. "That's cute as phck…You going to finish colouring it?" Reed asked as he handed it back. Niles offered his colouring pencils as Nines nodded.
"Can you draw Connor, too?" Niles asked eagerly, Nines shuffling to make room as Reed waved for paper and a pencil. Tina wasn't the only one who could draw. She'd taught Reed a fair bit during their classes at the academy. He may be a little out of practice, but he was still pretty sure he could get it right. It helped that he had the subject standing right there. Connor had moved to hover beside Niles, watching with interest as Nines found the perfect brown for Chibi Cat-Gavin's jacket.
"Hey, Tin Can. Eyes up," Reed ordered as he picked up a sharpened pencil and got to work. It was surprisingly easy to fall back into it, even after all this time. It helped that chibis didn't have a huge amount of features, so he didn't have to worry about the nose, eye sockets, lines, or dimples. Niles was thrilled as Reed eventually handed him the quick sketch so that he could colour it. Reed had drawn Connor with one hand in his pocket while flipping a coin across the other.
"I didn't know you could draw," Connor said as he looked at the sketch over Niles' shoulder.
"You should see Tina's! She's the real artist. Used to leave them all over the place! She even drew me a Grumpy Lieutenant once," Hank interjected with a chuckle, Reed obligingly grabbing a new paper and pencil as Niles seemed to feel left out. He was thrilled when Reed finished his second sketch, immediately running to show Markus and North before he coloured. They were both suitably impressed, and Niles was soon back, but his main focus was on Connor's picture. He was taking the utmost care to colour within the lines, working slowly and meticulously.
"Sorry to keep you all waiting…Ah, you must be Colin. Welcome," Elijah greeted politely as he approached with Markus and North behind him. Colin grasped Elijah's hand and stammered out a shy greeting, somewhat star-struck in the presence of his creator. He'd heard about him from both Connor and Nines, but meeting him in person was different. He looked so young and normal, considering all he'd achieved. "I can take you all down together if you'd like, or one by one. It shouldn't take longer than an hour for each procedure," he continued invitingly as he looked between the three, all of whom wore various looks of apprehension.
Nines' tell was easy for Reed to catch. His facial muscles had gone slack in a way that told him he'd turned off his facial muscles. Nines didn't quite have the same distrust of Cyberlife as Connor, but the idea of being inactive and opened up wasn't an appealing one. Colin's ideology was similar to Nines' in this case, with the added vulnerability of feeling a little alone compared to everyone else who seemed to know each other. Connor looked openly nervous, his brown eyes looking bigger than usual somehow. He was automatically distrustful of anything to do with Cyberlife and, considering what had happened the last time he'd visited Elijah Kamski's home, he felt quite skittish.
"You could paper-scissors-stone for it," Reed almost teased as he remained crouched at the table looking between the three brothers. Their LEDs span yellow for a few moments before Nines' blue eyes closed in resignation. He sighed lightly as he pushed himself to his feet.
"That will not be necessary," he stated as he turned towards Elijah.
"You played it in your heads, didn't you," Reed accused with a smirk, Colin's brown eyes shifting away evasively as Connor ignored the comment. Reed chuckled as he got to his feet and clapped a hand on Nines' larger shoulder. "Alright, Terminator. Let's get you sorted," he added, Nines looking over his shoulder in surprise. He hadn't expected Reed to offer to go with him to the lab, though perhaps after the past week or so of constantly being in each other's company he should have. It made Nines feel…happy. — Content? Valued? Reassured? —
"It's a relatively simple procedure. The stomach component has been designed so that it can break down food in a similar way to a human. It has its limits of course, but I designed it to send an alert when it's full so you don't over fill it. To empty it, you'll be able to use the restroom like a human. Just sit and set the flushing cycle. The stomach and passage will be fully cleansed and sterilised to prevent any residue being left behind to fester. If you eat regularly, like a human, you'll probably need to run the cycle once a day, but the less you eat, the less often you'll need to run it…I'd still do it every two or three days though, just to make sure nothing festers and there are no blockages," Elijah instructed as they walked through the large hallways. They passed the same expensive sculptures, vases, and paintings, all of them spotless. Chloe clearly had at least one of her doppelgangers running domestic duties. The black tiled floor was shining. Nines' shoes clicked as they walked. The soles of Reed's boots and Elijah's casual shoes were much softer and quieter on the hard surface.
"Curious. Is biological matter converted into useable energy?" Nines asked with interest. It wasn't something he'd thought about before. It was likely possible, but he imagined it would be less efficient than an electrical recharge or refuelling on thirium. Elijah looked over his shoulder from where he was leading the way while Reed walked a little behind, pausing every so often to eye the various technological sculptures and wondering what they were actually made of.
"Certainly. It's broken down and converted to be used as a tertiary energy source. You'll still have to recharge of course, but you may find you can go a little longer between sessions." He was still working on refining the process to make androids less dependent on electricity. If he could do that, then androids really would be free. Humans had control of their energy source right now. It was almost impossible to use that to their advantage of course, but if androids no longer needed power, then there would be one less thing to worry about. It may even make the planet greener. God knows that had been an issue for the past few decades, one with far-reaching consequences.
"What happens if they eat too much?" Reed asked curiously as he caught up to Nines' side, only vaguely following their conversation. Elijah seemed pleased to have his brother's interest as they reached the door to the basement and headed down. The lights turned on automatically with their movement, which made sense in the closed off basement. They'd never be triggered by accident.
"The same as a human. An emergency evacuation…In simple terms, they'll vomit. It's best to avoid stressing the component like that though, it isn't pleasant. The stomach component contains acid, similar to a human stomach," Elijah replied, Nines nodding his understanding as they walked down the corridor and into a bright white room. Reed noticed Nines tense a little as he caught sight of the looming spider rig off to one side. Elijah didn't seem to intend to use that though. He motioned to a flat metal table instead, tapping it invitingly for Nines to hop up. "Lie down on your back and open your abdominal plate…You'll want to enter low-power mode for this I'm afraid. I'll have to disconnect a few major junctions to fit the piece," he instructed as he moved across to his chair and tugged on a white lab coat.
"Understood," Nines replied robotically as he stripped out of his clothing. He was anxious. Reed could see it. Of course he's anxious, he's about to have major surgery! Reed thought as he took Nines' top and jeans for safekeeping. Nines was a little stiff as he climbed onto the cold table and lay back, his almost vulnerable blue eyes meeting Reed's as he leaned over. Reed was holding the bundle of clothing against his chest almost protectively as he lingered by the table.
"I'm going to be here the whole time," he murmured assuringly, noting the way Nines relaxed a little at that. Nines nodded his appreciation before looking up at the bright ceiling and taking a breath. He'd never deliberately revealed his internal workings to anyone before, least of all Reed. He wasn't sure how he'd react. Reed watched Nines' LED spin yellow as the skin on his stomach melted away to reveal hard plastic, which then slid open like a sliding door to reveal the thirium coated wiring and tubing beneath.
"Initiating temporary stasis now," Nines announced, his blue eyes sliding shut as his LED continued to spin a lazy yellow. Reed wasn't sure why at first, but it made sense, considering his body had been left wide open from chest to pelvis. It was likely his body's way of alerting him to the exposed components. Unsure what he was supposed to do and how close he was allowed to be, Reed wandered off to one of the desks scattered around the room and put Nines' clothes neatly on a chair. He didn't want to crease them. Nines liked to keep his clothing nice.
"It's alright, you can watch from over here if you like," Elijah called as he rolled a small table of delicate silver tools across to what Reed was considering to be the operating table. He was hesitant as he shuffled closer, standing across from Elijah as he turned on a large round light above their heads. He pulled it down, angling it to help him see inside. "Beautiful, isn't he?" Elijah almost sighed as he snapped on a set of white rubber gloves, mostly to stop himself from getting covered in thirium. It wasn't like Nines would get sick from his touch.
"I…guess?" Reed replied, quietly feeling a little repulsed by the mess of blue-coated tubes and wiring. It was unnatural. He wouldn't feel any more comfortable if it were a human on the table either. In fact, he'd probably feel worse. He could appreciate the effort it had taken to put Nines together and make him work, but without the knowledge to understand it, he just felt like he was looking inside a body. The last android torso I looked inside had a head in it. Aaron's head. The thirium stained torso. The clocks. The noise. He felt the room spin as he moved a little away from the table.
"Gavin? Hey! Here, take a seat-take a seat!" Elijah instructed as he watched Gavin's knees buckle. Gavin only just caught himself enough to remain on his feet beside the table. Elijah grabbed his leather chair and wheeled it round to Gavin, helping him sit down as he bent over and took a few breaths. "Do you need anything? I can manage here if you need to go back upstairs," Elijah added worriedly as he crouched in front of him. Gavin shook his head as he sat up, his skin a little paler than Elijah would like.
"No, I'm good…I promised I'd be here, so…" he trailed off, Elijah nodding his understanding as he got to his feet. He quietly pressed a small call button for Chloe, something he often used when he was working to alert her she was needed without any lengthy conversations. Gavin shuffled the chair back to one of the surrounding desks and watched from a distance as Elijah returned to his metal trays and took up the first tool.
"You probably won't understand much of this, but to start with I'll need to disconnect a few major thirium junctions, which is why I needed Nines in low-power mode. His systems would overheat if he tried to run at full power while I worked," Elijah explained in a lecturing tone as he picked up a small metal clamp, which Gavin assumed was to stem the thirium flow while he cut the tubing open. Gavin nodded, pleased that Elijah was talking while he worked. He was fast and dextrous with his fingers, handling the tools with the skill and focus of a surgeon, which he sort of was in Gavin's eyes. His dirty green eyes were sharp, the way his own got when he was deep in a case and chasing a lead.
"Gavin, I brought you some water," Chloe's bell like tone interrupted a little later, though Gavin had no idea how long it had been. Not too long. Elijah had only just started really. Gavin smiled a small thank you at Chloe as he took the cold bottle and twisted the cap off. His hand was shaking a little as he sipped, his eyes straying to Nines' peaceful face as he lay with his eyes closed. He looked pretty human from this angle, with his LED hidden on the other side. "This must look quite strange to you," Chloe added kindly as she nodded towards Nines.
"I guess…I mean, I've seen plenty of smashed up androids, I just never really…" he trailed off awkwardly, but Chloe understood. There was a big difference between seeing and looking. It was also different when it was someone you knew. Chloe didn't think she'd be able to cope if Elijah had to have surgery while she watched, but she could probably remain detached if it were someone she didn't know. "He usually looks so strong…It sort of caught me off guard to see him like this, you know?" Gavin added as he nodded towards Nines' peaceful sleeping face. He had an almost innocent quality as he slept. His features had softened out to something far more like Connor's than when he was awake. His jawline wasn't as stiff. His brows weren't as furrowed. The sharpness of his gaze was hidden by lowered lids and long lashes.
"He does look cute when he's sleeping," Chloe agreed as she remained at Gavin's side watching Elijah work. With more complicated procedures, she'd often assist him, but this was a rather simple upgrade. Gavin's expression scrunched up a little as he watched Elijah pick up a blue fleshy looking thing, almost like a little sack or ball of gel. He guessed that was the new component as Elijah lowered it into Nines' open cavity and started tinkering again. "It shouldn't be long now. He just has to fit the thirium valves and connect the anal passage," Chloe explained, giggling a little as Gavin levelled her with a look that told her she'd given him far too much information.