Despite the sunny weather and warm air, the sectioned off area of the warehouse was still cold, morose and very unwelcoming to the investigating detective. The holographic police lines were still in place and surrounding the scene where Gavin had been shot earlier in the week, and a few police drones were actively circling the property to ensure that only authorized personnel set foot on the crime scene until it was officially cleared the lead investigator. The only things seemingly left to investigate were the pavement where Gavin had fallen after being shot, the bullet holes in the concrete barricades and the bullet holes in the metal surfaces of the warehouse itself during the shootout.
Glancing about the area with both of his eyes once again fully functional Gavin stared at the ground where he had essentially died and felt his stomach twist. It was eerie to see the bloodstains from his own body and to know that he was standing at the very spot where he stopped living as a human and had been forcibly reborn as an android.
The longer he stared at the ground the harder it became to resist using the forensic scanner that was a part of his android model's design and programming. By default, the scanner would activate whenever Gavin would work on cases since he was a detective and had been given the same detective software that Connor had been given. Knowing he was more like Connor than anyone else in that moment just made Gavin feel all the more embittered and even angrier at the world.
"If that plastic-prick hadn't gotten involved and distracted me, I would've been able to avoid getting shot."
Staring at the bullet holes in the distance Gavin was suddenly able to see the caliber of each fired round and determine which shots were from his gun and which shots came from the gang members who had lured Gavin and Tina out to the warehouse that night. Seeing that the majority of the bullets fired came from the gang members wasn't surprising in the least. However, seeing how inaccurate his own shots were on that night was something that Gavin hadn't even considered since he was always a great shot when at the shooting range.
"Why in the fuck where my shots so far off? I knew exactly where they were hiding and how to take them down, so why did I miss?"
Peering around the warehouse area again Gavin's scanner reactivated and confirmed that from the distance where he had been ducked down behind the concrete barricade and from where the shooters were perched on the warehouse rooftop, that he could've hit his targets dead center. Why he had missed so many times was still a mystery.
"Was it because it was dark? Even if I couldn't see 'em clearly I still knew where they were. What gives?"
Curiously Gavin took his weapon from the holster on his hip and examined it with his own eyes and then the scanner. The weapon had been properly cleaned by Gavin on a weekly basis and had never jammed in the past or had any issues with accuracy regarding its sight. The thoroughness of the scan also indicated that the forensics team had examined and cleaned his gun post shooting and then had it returned to Captain Fowler for safekeeping.
"Wish I could've been the one to check this thing. I need to know what could've gone wrong that night."
"You could've gotten your ass out of the way, for one."
Gavin turned his head and saw Tina walking toward him with her hands on her hips and a glare in her eyes. He wasn't at all surprised that she would've stopped by the warehouse to check on the scene or to track him down. "What're you talking about?"
"Connor told you to move, to get out of the way, but you were too damn stubborn and proud to listen to a deviant, or anyone for that matter, trying to tell you what to do or where to go."
"How could that-"
"And you could've worn your Kevlar like you were supposed to, but again, your ego and your stubbornness wouldn't let you."
"Come on, Ti." Trying to beg for leniency Gavin turned to face his fiery partner as she approached him with purpose in her steps. "You can't be blaming me-"
"And you could've been actually focused on the shooters instead of trying to keep one eye on me and your other eye on Connor!" Tina was angry about the whole situation and wanted Gavin to take some responsibility over what had happened. "But you can't trust anyone, even when your life is literally on the line!"
"What're you talking about?" That comment about not trusting her was something that Gavin really couldn't understand. "I trust you more than anyone else in this world, Tina. You know that."
"Then why wouldn't you let me watch your back?" It was hard for Tina to mask her personal offense to the way Gavin seemingly wouldn't trust her. "Why couldn't you let me work with Connor to protect you?"
"That plastic-freak isn't-"
"His name is Connor, stop insulting him, and accept the fact that you have serious trust issues!"
"I know I have trust issues; I've been working on them for years!" Shouting his response made Gavin feel his heart race and the warnings about his elevated vital signs appeared in his eyes against his will. Forcing the data from his vision Gavin remained focused on Tina and tried to get back to making a point. "Right now, figuring out what the fuck went down that night is more important than anything else!"
"And how're you going to figure that out unless you let people help you? People who care about you WANT to help you, but you keep pushing them away!"
"I didn't push you away."
"Yes you did. You just used that stupid joke I made as an excuse to do it without making yourself feel like the bad guy." Motioning to the opened area all around them Tina made it clear that their world didn't revolve solely around Gavin and his massive ego. "You're so focused on being a friendless victim that you can't see that you're a survivor with a lot of support! You're someone who can protect other victims and help them to survive too, but you're so obsessed with your own personal comfort that you can't be bothered to just shut up and lend a hand or accept a helping hand in return."
Quiet for a moment Gavin contemplated Tina's words as he realized that she was right despite not wanting to admit it. He hated it when people held a mirror up in his face, but he hated it the worst when that person was Tina. It was a struggle to just open up to his friend even on his good days.
"You said that the shooters got lucky twice that night with their gunshots." Tina continued on as she watched Gavin's behavior closely. "I assume you were referring to you and Connor getting shot, right?"
"Well, yeah. What else would I be talking about?"
"The fact that the shooter got lucky twice with only ONE bullet." Needing to maintain some composure Tina took in a deep breath and calmed herself down as she continued to explain things to Gavin regarding what had happened when he lost consciousness. "It's like this: When you refused to back away from harm and get to cover as Connor told you to do, Connor planted himself in front of you to protect you from the gunfire. The bullet that landed in your heart had passed through Connor's chest first because of that."
"...What?" The very notion of Connor being injured the same night that he had been injured seemed completely farfetched. "The 'Tinman' was just fine! I saw it!"
"What do you mean you 'saw it'?"
"When I went down, I saw Connor," he said the name with as much sarcasm and vile as possible. "leaning over me. It wasn't hurt."
"Yes he was. He was just too focused on you to focus on his own wounds at the time, that's why he needed a new lung." Shaking her head bitterly Tina decided she had enough of Gavin's horrendous attitude and outlook on the entire situation. "Maybe you should take a page from his book and look at someone other than just yourself for a change. If it wasn't for Connor risking his life to save yours, if it wasn't for Elijah working his ass off to give you a second shot at life, if it wasn't for me finding a way to contact Elijah to begin with, and if it wasn't for the Lieutenant taking charge of the situation when everything went to Hell, then nothing would've gone as smoothly as it did. You'd be dead right now, Gavin. Dead."
Squaring his jaw Gavin looked away from Tina and stared at the ground where he saw his old bloodstains on the pavement. "Right..."
"Yeah, that IS right." Turning around Tina decided to go about her own business and leave Gavin alone at the crime scene. "I'm going to resume patrol with the Lieutenant. If you ever find a way to get your head out of your ass, then feel free to meet me at my apartment tonight for dinner."
As Tina walked away Gavin felt like he had just been bitch-slapped by the truth.
Everything was starting to make more sense regarding the information that Gavin was being provided and the information that Gavin himself had uncovered. It didn't feel logical to just accept anything at face value given the circumstances. As a detective Gavin knew to find evidence, form hypotheses and then go from there. To just take the information that he was given with very little evidence to support it seemed to be lazy, unprofessional and outright wrong.
Even with his own eyes reconstructing the crime scene and confirming everything that Tina had told him regarding the shooting, Gavin just couldn't accept anything as the truth or even factual.
"...That's why I'm not dead."
Gavin muttered as he watched the holographic recreation play out in his mind. There was no denying that Connor had intentionally thrown himself in the line of fire just to protect him. The recreation of seeing the bullet pass through Connor's upper left chest and then enter Gavin's own body, his heart, was too much to bear.
"Connor's body took the bullet first and slowed its trajectory enough to let it pass through my body without tearing me up too badly. That's why I survived. If the bullet had been going at its maximum velocity then it would've torn up more of my body as it passed through me."
Being an android was making Gavin see things in an entirely new way and in more ways than he thought was possible.
"The asshole even gave me C.P.R. when his own lung was failing on him. Why in the fuck would he do that?"
A report of a disturbance at a local Digital Sentience store suddenly appeared in Gavin's mind and pulled him away from his racing thoughts. It seemed that Gavin's full access to his forensics software had been remotely activated after the first twenty-four hours of being expected to take a lighter shift had ended.
"Fucking Elijah... Still messing with me!"
As much as he hated the idea of dealing with androids or his estranged brother in any capacity Gavin hated standing back and doing nothing even more. There was little that he could do at the moment regarding his current case, and ignoring another crime all because he was in a foul mood was completely unacceptable along with being unprofessional.
"All right, fuck this."
Marching back toward his car parked along the street Gavin glanced about the area suspiciously to make sure no one had followed him or was waiting for a chance to jump him. He knew that Doug wasn't bluffing and that the violent man wasn't above a pulling his gun on anyone he didn't like.
After confirming with dispatch over the radio that he was en route to the most recent emergency call Gavin watched a police drone fly overhead and lead the way to the store where the disturbance had been reported. If he couldn't solve the case of the shooting at the warehouse or help with the rage room incident from the previous night, then the very least he could do was handle a little disagreement at a store.
"I'll handle this shit downtown and then I'll have a little chat with Elijah about his meddling in my life. Maybe my real body is ready for me to go back to where I belong, and I can finally get back to a normal existence."
The Digital Sentience store was on lockdown as the private security guards attempted to keep the vandals who had damaged to store's windows and products from fleeing the scene before the police arrived. According to the surveillance footage and witness statements, the two humans had entered the store and began smashing glass bottles of Thirium against the floors, the walls and the windows, then began breaking the delicate replacement biocomponents and spare limbs that were crucial for android health out of a sense of misplaced injustice. The two humans were still suffering from prolonged unemployment and continued to blame the androids despite a majority of the deviant androids leaving the workforce for freedom months prior.
Glass shards were all over the floor and had created a dangerous mess to both clean up and navigate. Due to their own violent outbursts and reactions at seeing the android store operational and employing deviants to work there, the two men tore up the store and ended up tearing up their own hands in the process. Large and deep cuts ran through their hands from smashing and breaking everything in their sight, and in return paramedics had arrived at the scene to offer some aid.
By the time Gavin had arrived at the scene the two men had tried to fight off the responding paramedics but were easily restrained by the security guards and kept inside the very store they had damaged. Seeing the two destructive men covered in their own blood and being held at bay by deviant security guards was all it took for Gavin to feel immediate rage and loathing at the disgraceful sight.
"So, what happened here?" Approaching the two men Gavin's scanner immediately kicked on and performed a facial recognition scan over the duo. Charles Benson, age twenty-seven with a previous conviction for drug distribution, was cupping his bleeding right palm to his chest. The man was tall but heavy-set, had a light complexion, dark eyes and red hair. "Get in a fight with a plate glass window?"
"No!" Charles snapped indignantly as he tried and failed to shrug off the two hands holding him in place by his shoulders. "These fuckers are trying to take over the city and we need to stop them!"
Gavin scoffed as he kicked some of the debris at his feet with indifference. "By breaking Thirium and plastic arms?"
"By taking our jobs!" The bloodied man snapped. "How can you be so blind?!"
"And how can you be so stupid?" Before Charles could argue Gavin motioned to the mess around them with his one good hand. "It's been six months since that damn Revolution and almost every single android fled from being chained behind a cash register. There are more humans working in Detroit than androids for the first time in over a decade! You don't have a job because you have a criminal record, you dumbass! Who the fuck sells 'red ice' to high schoolers in broad daylight?"
Charles seemed to pale when he realized that Gavin knew quite a bit about him and knew exactly how he had been busted in the past. "How did you-"
"And your buddy there," Gavin turned to the second man and performed another facial recognition scan. Paul Whitman, age twenty-nine, had been arrested for stealing cars and selling their parts for scraps. Paul was short but very well built with a dark complexion, a goatee, bright eyes and black hair. The tattoos running down Paul's exposed arms were covered in deep lacerations from the man smashing glass and breaking bits of metal. "can't get hired because he stole sixteen cars and sold them at a chop-shop!"
Paul looked just as confused as Charles. Neither man expected a detective who had just arrived at the scene to know about their criminal pasts.
"You two can't get jobs because no one wants to hire thieves and drug dealers! You're about to make getting work even harder for yourselves now that you're about to have malicious destruction of property and vandalism tagged on to your records."
"C-Come on, man." Paul spoke up suddenly as he watched the team of paramedics return to where he and Charles were standing to finally tend to their numerous cuts and lacerations. "You're a human, you know what it's like!"
"Yeah, I do know what it's like to live among androids, but you don't see me destroying stores and making an ass of myself!"
"We were just protesting!"
"How is this a form of protest? It's just blatant vandalism and a total waste of time for everyone involved!" As he stepped back Gavin realized that one of the paramedics at the scene was Tony himself. The deviant was already back on the job and trying to move past his previous trauma. "Cooperate with them and don't do anything else that's stupid, and you'll maybe catch a break. Paramedics aren't afraid to tell us cops whenever they have a patient do anything stupid to them!"
Turning his back to the two men Gavin locked eyes with Tony for only a moment and silently communicated that he was aware of everything happening regarding the incident with just his gaze. He didn't want to mention it or even think about it, and yet it was a part of Gavin's job to do it.
Stepping back through the opened door of the store to reach the sidewalk, Gavin glanced around the area and noticed both Chris and Connor heading his way. He knew that the young officer had gotten wind of the call and that Connor was going to join him since the call revolved around an android store. Holding his head high Gavin ignored Connor and focused only on Chris as he spoke.
"Two human idiots are being babysat by security." Gavin confirmed without even blinking. "Charles Benson and Paul Whitman, both have prior records, and both are still very stupid."
"Did they confess to anything?" Chris asked as he pulled out his notepad and pen to document the scene as he smirked at Gavin's comments. "Or name any other accomplices?"
"Nah, it was just dumb and dumber involved. Paramedics are patchin' 'em up right now."
"All right. I'll take them back to the precinct to get a full statement in interrogation."
"Right, watch out for the glass." Pushing past the two responding officers Gavin intentionally bumped shoulders with Connor as he made his way back to his own car just down the street. "It's everywhere in there."
The moment he made physical contact with Connor's shoulder Gavin was able to get a reading on the deviant and noticed that he was still struggling to adapt to his new ventilation biocomponent. It seemed Connor was just as determined to work as Gavin was, and it didn't matter how tired or pained either of them felt.
"Okay, that's done..."
As he stormed off back to his car Gavin used his cybernetic connections to locate his own estranged brother by tracking Elijah's cell phone back to the Zeta Facility where Gavin's true human body was still being kept. Knowing exactly where to go and where to confront Elijah wasn't as grounding or reassuring as Gavin had hoped it'd be.
"Next stop, the Zeta Facility."
As he turned over the key in the ignition Gavin gave the damaged store one final nasty look and then pulled out onto the street.
"When I see my smug brother's face, I think I'll punch it right down his equally smug little throat! That should make me feel a little better."
The private room in the secluded rear of the Zeta Facility was on special lockdown courtesy of Elijah Kamski's influence and his power as a notable genius, an influential billionaire and a record setting bioengineer. While Elijah himself was at the facility he was considered the man in charge and had total control over the private room itself. The man was keeping a close eye on the facility's star patient and keeping everything quiet for Gavin's sake. It wasn't often that humans were admitted to the facility for treatment, and as such there were a lot of special conditions that needed to be met in order for the recovering man to heal properly with as few complications as possible.
As he hovered over his younger brother's comatose body Elijah used a penlight to check Gavin's pupils and didn't even turn his head when Chloe returned to the private room with the facility's lead technician Dr. Abby Grayson right at her side. Elijah was trying his best to mask his concerns for his brother, but even the most hardened of hearts could break over time.
"No sign of infection." Abby noted as she read over the latest results on Gavin's bloodwork. The detective was receiving hourly testing and had someone assessing the condition of his heart every ten minutes as per Elijah's request. "His heart has been able to beat properly without any sign of degradation of the arteries or the healing muscle tissue surrounding the bullet wounds. It seems your little miracle serum is working just fine."
"As I had expected it would."
"Can I ask where and how you managed to create something like that? Something that restores a body's protein without overtaxing the kidneys and causing renal failure in someone with a reasonably compromised immune system is pretty incredible."
"I managed to create my little concoction within the seclusion of my own laboratory, and through rigorous and numerous testing I've managed to perfect the serum and will soon have it patented and sold on the market for a reasonable price."
At that comment Abby raised her hazel green eyes from the electronic chart in her hands and tucked a lock of her auburn hair behind her ear. "And exactly how reasonable is a reasonable price when it comes to something like giving people with degenerative illnesses or severe muscle weakness hope for the future?"
"I figured that ten dollars per monthly shot would be considered reasonable." Elijah stated tersely as he gave Abby a rather insulted look. "How about you?"
"Considering insulin is still being treated like white gold, that sounds impressively reasonable." Handing the chart over to Chloe to take, Abby put the earbuds of her audioscope into place and used to it listen to Gavin's chest. The device was designed to mimic that of a stethoscope for androids and it was just as effective on humans. "Good to know that you're not taking advantage of illnesses to make your already fat wallet morbidly obese."
"I don't do what I do for the money, Dr. Grayson."
"Then why do you do it?"
"Because if I don't do it, then who will?"
"Nice to know that rumors of your arrogance weren't greatly exaggerated." Straightening back up Abby draped the audioscope around her neck and let out a small sigh of relief. "No congestion in either lung, his heartbeat is strong albeit bradycardic, and his blood pressure is normal. As for his E.E.G.," as she spoke Abby checked the wireless leads dotted all around Gavin's head and then the monitor recording everything. "it still shows nothing."
"That'll change when it's time to reverse the transcendence."
"I hope you're right. I don't feel comfortable with this procedure."
"Then it's a good thing that I'm taking full responsibility over what's going on whether the outcome is positive or not." Discreetly Elijah patted the back of Gavin's hand under the guise of checking the I.V. for any sign of infection. "Chloe, remove the I.V. canula from the back of Gavin's right hand and start a fresh I.V. in the left hand. I don't want his veins becoming too stressed from prolong I.V. placement."
Smiling brightly Chloe set about finding the correct materials to replace the I.V. as she had been instructed. "Right away, Elijah."
Elijah watched as Abby made the appropriate notes in Gavin's chart and have her an optimistic update. "I estimate that Gavin's body will be strong enough to function with full brain activity without the stress being too much on his heart."
As Elijah made his conservative guess he pulled back the scrub top over Gavin's chest to check on the healing incision running down his sternum. In order to save Gavin's life Elijah and his team of android thoracic and cardiovascular surgeons had to physically remove Gavin's heart from his chest, put the vital organ on ice, repair the bullet wound and then return it to Gavin's chest once the man's body had stabilized enough after being on prolonged bypass to tolerate the second surgery.
Abby noted the lack of swelling and infection of the incision site and agreed with Elijah's estimation. "That doesn't necessarily mean that'll be ready to return to the workforce anytime soon."
"Agreed. But knowing Gavin, he'll stew in anger for barely a week before returning to the precinct to work behind his desk instead."
"And exactly how well do you know Gavin?" Abby asked with a sincerely curious manner. She had been quick to pick up on the tension in the room even while Gavin was comatose and unable to fend for himself in any way. "I mean, it took forever for Officer Chen to reach you since Gavin didn't even have your phone number saved in his phone, and your information wasn't at the precinct in Gavin's emergency contact listing."
"I'll admit that Gavin and I aren't exactly close." Watching as Chloe seamlessly removed the first I.V. and started the second, Elijah decided that he owed Abby an honest reply since she was helping him to save his brother's life. "It's a long story, and one that I am hoping has a happy ending."
"You don't strike me as the sentimental type."
"There are many things about me that the typical public is unaware of. My serum is just one of the many secrets in my life that I've been slowly making public."
"Like having a fraternal twin brother."
A smirk of approval appeared on Elijah's face as he took in Abby's sharp and inquisitive demeanor. "I appreciate how thorough you were in regard to Gavin's blood tests. You know that he and I are both B+, and you noticed how compatible we are in regard to potential organ transplants."
"That, and I noticed that your blood showed markings for a very peculiar condition that Gavin had fortunately avoided." With a marked level of respect to her tone Abby gave the eccentric man a knowing look. "One that can result in significant muscular atrophy that would benefit from your miraculous protein serum..."
"It's refreshing to speak with someone who isn't trying to walk on eggshells around me or kiss my ass."
"I've spent my childhood walking on nails and avoiding ass. I don't care who you are or how much power you have, I'm not impressed or intimidated."
"And now I know why so many androids flock to this particular facility to receive your care."
"Because I'm not a kiss-ass?"
"Because you're fearless." Elijah stated confidently as he continued to assess Gavin's physical strength and overall rate of recovery. "And I know that if anyone can keep my brother on the road to recovery, it'll be someone like you and Officer Chen."
"How flattering." Noting the time Abby sighed and gave Gavin's pulse one final check before exiting the room. "I have rounds. I'll be back in an hour to ensure Gavin doesn't need any doses of antibiotics or additional fluids."
Elijah just sighed through his nose as he stood at the foot of Gavin's bed and peered down at his comatose brother's body with utter sympathy. He disliked how he and Gavin were unable to mend fences after finally being briefly reunited as young adults, and he still had hope that he'd still have the chance to bond with his brother and have some form of family before it was too late to do anything.
"You may not know it but you're in good hands, brother."
Chloe turned to look at Elijah and confirmed that everything regarding Gavin's vital signs were completely stable. "Gavin's blood pressure is holding at nominal levels, his heart rate is showing no sign of arrhythmia, and his respirations are free of labor and congestion."
"Good. Continue monitoring his heart at ten minute intervals and if he remains stable then I'll give him another light dose of the serum to speed up his recovery rate."
"Elijah," Chloe's blue L.E.D. flashed to yellow for a moment as she gave him an update on an unexpected development. "the receptionist has reported that Gavin is here. He wants to speak with you."
"Oh? Well, that wasn't something I had anticipated. Give us the room, Chloe." Folding his arms over his chest Elijah stepped back from the bed and approached the window at the far wall to peer out at the city around them. It didn't have the same view as his mansion had, but it was nice in its own simpler manner. "We'll need to speak in private."
"Very well."
Barely three seconds has passed between Chloe leaving the room and Gavin entering, and in those three seconds Elijah felt as if he had spent an eternity playing every potential scenario in his mind with how his first real discussion with Gavin might play out. The uncertainty of the future regarding his brother had left Elijah feeling unusually guarded and hesitant to even face his own brother.
For Gavin, the sight of his estranged brother was enough to make his own footsteps freeze in place. Seeing his own body laying comatose in the nearby bed was all it took for his heart to symbolically stutter in his chest.
"Rumor has it that an illegal android rage room was discovered last night." Glancing at Gavin's reflection on the window for a minute Elijah watched his brother's body language very closely. "Unfortunate that such a vulgar place still exists post peaceful Revolution, wouldn't you agree?"
"Don't give me that superiority bullshit!" That level of judgment was enough to make Gavin truly resent his condition and fraternal connection to Elijah. "You're the one who's playing god and making new forms of life and then crossbreeding them with your weird Frankenstein-bullshit!"
"You're welcome that I saved you. Be patient and you'll be back in your old body soon enough."
"No! I did not ask for you or anyone else to do this!" Marching right up to Elijah at the window Gavin grabbed onto his shoulder and forcibly turned his brother to face him directly. "Don't act like you turning me into this... thing..." he motioned down at himself with his only working arm. "is somehow doing me a favor!"
"You're angry." Elijah stated blankly, coldly. The man had a knack for masking his emotions while riling others up. "Tough day at work?"
"Knock it off, you egotistical piece of shit! You're the one who's been messing with my brain!"
"Ah, I see you've noticed your full range of forensics abilities." Speaking matter-of-factly Elijah quickly noticed Gavin's left arm in a sling and very faint residual blue bruising around Gavin's left eye. The very idea that his brother had been injured in the line of duty was oddly grounding for Elijah. "And I see that you're back in the field. May I ask what happened?"
"You damn well know!" Refusing to believe that Elijah didn't already know the details, Gavin got right in Elijah's face and gave him a spiteful glare. "You have your android spies all over the city feeding you information, and I know you've been spying on me through your minions or by tapping directly into my head!"
"I'm merely looking out for-"
"Shut your damn mouth!" Gavin put his hand to Elijah's chest and pushed him back with so much force that the taller man hit the window and actually bounced off the glass with a breathless huff. Seeing how easily he managed to shove someone aside was suddenly very humbling. "I... I didn't... mean to-"
"It's all right." Graceful under pressure Elijah straightened his posture and gave Gavin a disappointed yet understanding glance. "You didn't hurt me."
"I don't... want to hurt you." Gavin admitted as he stared at his palm and saw how even with his heart thundering his hand was as still as a stone. "I just I want you to back off!"
"I know you do, and I'll respect your wishes." Walking toward the bed where Gavin's human body was resting Elijah just stared down at the expressionless face and wondered how there was already so much age on Gavin's face despite still being so young. They were the same age and yet Gavin looked so much older. "Just know that I won't be backing off until you're back inside your real body. I won't let you go through this alone."
"...I want to be alone."
"That doesn't mean you should be alone." Without taking his eyes from the comatose man's face Elijah let Gavin finally see a glimpse of his humanity. "We both know what it's like to be alone, and we both know that being alone makes it incredibly difficult to recover when we're hurting."
"Like you've ever known real struggle."
"Like you know what my childhood was like."
"Can't be anything like mine." Gavin snipped as he thought about his traumatic past. "Getting knocked around by an angry drunk, locked in closets, thrown through closed glass windows..."
"Ever have to deal with your body constantly failing from muscle spasms and weakness? Ever have trouble just getting in or out of chairs? Falling? Breathlessness? Cardiomyopathy?"
Quiet for a minute Gavin lowered his statuesque hand and looked up at Elijah with an astonished glare. "...You're sick?"
"You tell me."
As his brow knit with confusion and then concentration Gavin activated his scanner and checked over Elijah's vital signs. By all account the man was entirely healthy, but there were some notable issues with his overall muscular development. There had been some treatment to his condition over the years that had allowed Elijah to rebuild some degree of muscle strength and tone, but the scanner still confirmed an active illness.
"...You were born with something that I wasn't? An illness?"
"Apparently so." Elijah sighed and folded his arms neatly behind his back military style. "You were born first with a fully functional brain and a strong body. I was born second with a gift of knowledge, but a body weakened considerably by Becker Muscular Dystrophy that would continue to weaken as I aged. Doesn't seem quite fair, does it?"
"I still can't believe that I'm the older brother between the two of us. Sometimes it feels like a lie."
"Why's that? And please don't say that it's because you're shorter than I am."
"It's because my entire life feels like it's just one big silver medal." Joining Elijah by the bed Gavin peered down at his own face and realized that it was the very first time that he was truly seeing his own face and not just a reflection of it. It was like he was peering at a stranger and a friend at the same time. "Why not be the second born of a pair of twins, especially when only one of them went on to be a tremendous success?"
"We can't just assume that the way we're born; where, when, how, why, or to whom, is somehow a factor in our futures and our choices in life."
"Why not? If I hadn't been born to a pair of fucked up parents and abused every waking moment of my life, then I wouldn't have been motivated to become a detective to help protect the innocent. Then I wouldn't have been shot and ended up like... this."
"Fair enough. If I hadn't been born with my illness, then I suppose I wouldn't have been so motivated to create my protein serum or experiment with the still highly controversial transcendence theory."
That was a term Gavin had never heard before. "The what theory?"
"Transcendence." Giving Gavin an amused grin Elijah nodded at the comatose body before going into a more thorough explanation. "It's the theory, that I have proven, that confirms that organic consciousness and memories can be successfully transferred into inorganic forms. Namely, a human brain into an android body."
"Well, glad to hear I was such a successful guinea pig for your experiment. Guess I can take it as a compliment to be the first human-android hybrid."
"...You weren't the first. You were the second."
Turning his head entirely Gavin gave Elijah a searching stare as he tried to figure out what he was referring to. "Huh? If it wasn't me, then who was the first?"
Shrugging his shoulders indifferently Elijah gave Gavin his answer. "Me."
"Of course... Why wouldn't you be first and me second all over again?" Pausing quickly an interesting thought popped into his head and Gavin just had to ask another question. "Wait, why were you the first? Testing a theory on yourself or some shit?"
"That, and my body was getting so weak that I could barely function. I wanted my independence, my freedom, and my unbridled ability to continue my work without needing to rely on Chloe or Amanda's support." Putting his hand on Gavin's shoulder Elijah answered another question that he knew Gavin wanted to ask. "I created an android body in my likeness and succeeded in the transcendence back in 2028. After that, I retired from CyberLife and took my research with me. The reason why you have your android body right now is because I had enough spare parts from my first transcendence experiment to give you a new body on a whim."
"You had spare body parts just laying around your house?"
"Something like that."
"Fuckin' psychopath."
Laughing at the comment Elijah felt like he was finally connecting to his brother and that they wouldn't always be strangers with the same blood and D.N.A. being their only common ground. "Good thing I have a big brother who's a cop and could explain things if anyone ever searched my house."
"Never assume I'd be on your side if anyone ever got a search warrant for your place." Rubbing his palm along the back of his neck Gavin sighed and looked at the scar on his own face with a strange sense of longing. "So, you put your brain in an android body so you could work on your serum thingy, and then after you got your body stable enough you moved your brain back, is that it?"
"Yes. And I have to admit, it's nice being able to drink actual Scotch and eat real food again."
"When did you switch back?"
Elijah fell silent for a brief moment while he took notice of the cardiac monitor recording Gavin's heartbeat and then answered with thick hesitation. "...Recently."
"Recently, huh? Like after the Revolution?"
"Yes, but even more recently than that." After making notes on Gavin's biological vital signs Elijah gave his brother a more accurate reply. "The night I was called and asked to help you, was the same night I performed the transcendence on myself to ensure that the process wasn't just a fluke and that I could really save you."
"You risked your life for mine?" Such a selfless act was one that Gavin hadn't expected from Elijah, but it was one he appreciated all the same. "...Thanks."
"You're welcome." Standing side by side with his brother Elijah decided that he was content with how his relationship was developing with Gavin. It was slow progress but progress nonetheless. "That case I mentioned earlier, were you involved?"
"It doesn't matter." Deflecting quickly Gavin refused to confirm or deny his presence at the rage room. "We'll find the cops who did that shit and make sure they get their asses handed to them."
"Dirty cops, huh? And the gang members who lured you to the warehouse on that treacherous night, what about them?"
"I'll find those fuckers soon enough."
"I wouldn't doubt it. Perhaps you should return to your precinct and resume your work. Unless," motioning to Gavin's arm in the sling Elijah offered to restore full function to the limb without Gavin need to wait. "you'd like me to jumpstart your self-healing program."
"No, it's fine." Gavin wrapped his palm around his upper left arm and then looked away from his own face to lock eyes with his brother. "But I do need to get back to work. I can't... I have a lot that I need to do."
"I understand. I promise that I'll contact you the moment your body is strong enough to endure the transcendence procedure once more."
"Yeah, thanks." Making his way to the room's door Gavin needlessly cleared his throat and gave Elijah one last comment to ponder. "I'll talk to you later. I guess."
Nodding a little Elijah gave his brother a small smile that went unseen. "I'm looking forward to it."
There was a bit of chaos at the precinct as the arrested vandals put up a fight as they were cuffed and dragged over to their holding cells to await interrogation by the other officers. While the arrest itself had gone relatively smoothly, the escort into the precinct itself was treacherous, vulgar and violent. Just as Chris and Connor led their arrested suspects into the precinct and over to the holding cells, Paul managed to get one arm free and smash his elbow into the center of Connor's chest with enough strength to not only knock the wind out of the deviant's lung, but to knock Connor off balance and cause him to drop to the floor on his hands and knees in a desperate attempt to catch his breath.
Chris had managed to keep a tight hold on Charles' shoulders and get him into the nearest holding cell before rushing back out to help with restraining Paul before he got away. With Hank's help Chris was able to wrangle Paul into the holding cell as well while Tina helped Connor to get up and walk over to his desk to sit down and try to relax.
"You okay?" Tina asked as she saw Connor struggling to catch his breath and support his sore chest with both arms. "That looked nasty."
"I-I'm okay." Connor wheezed as he leaned back in his chair and sucked in a deep breath between his tightly clenched teeth. "...Just need a m-minute."
"Should I call Joel?" The young officers hated seeing anyone in trouble, and she especially hated to see a friend suffering. "I mean, your lung is still healing."
As he managed to take in a deep breath Connor noticed that Gavin had returned to the precinct and pointed him out to Tina to distract her from his own condition for a moment. "Not necessary."
"You're sure?" As she turned her head to look at Gavin while he strolled over to their joined desks, Tina felt her stomach sink with dread. "You look rough."
"I'm sure." Keeping his right palm pressed to his left side Connor insisted that Tina go about her business. "Take care of Gavin."
"Yeah, okay." Meeting Gavin at their desks Tina joined her partner and hoped that he had cooled off after their earlier disagreement. Sitting down slowly Tina noticed that Gavin was staring at Captain Fowler's office and knew that he was aware that the windows were frosted over for a good reason. "How about you? Are you okay?"
"Just dandy." Gavin remarked dryly as he remained focused on Captain Fowler's glass office walls. Using his scanner Gavin detected three other people inside the office and was able to recognize their unique signatures as that of Doug, Archie and Isaac. "How long have the three assholes been here?"
Folding her hands together atop her desk Tina gave Gavin a cautious look as she worded herself very carefully. "They got here about an hour ago. The Captain's been grilling them ever since they were marched in here by their own Captains."
"They confess yet?"
"Not that I know of. Do you really think they were the ones who-"
"Yes, I do." Shifting his gaze over to Tina for a moment Gavin brough his palm to his cheek thoughtfully as he leaned against his elbow while he perched it atop his own desk for support. "Warehouse shooters?"
"Two more were brought in for questioning while me and the Lieutenant were patrolling." There was no need to lie or sugarcoat anything for Gavin at that moment in time. "The idiots were out in the open trying to sell 'red ice' to some deviants who were more than happy to call the police and bring us right to them."
"Great, three out of eight idiots accounted for."
"We'll figure it out, just be patient."
"You know something, I am sick and tired of being told to be patient by people who have no idea what I'm going through!" Turning away from Tina again Gavin pushed his chair back and rose to his feet. "Don't worry about me stopping by tonight. I'll be out and doing something useful with my time."
"Gavin?" The last thing Tina wanted to do was give Gavin another reason to storm off mad. "Wait!"
As the aggravated detective stormed back out of the bullpen and through the front doors Gavin felt someone watching his every move and turned around in time to see Connor catching up to him through the doors. Not wanting to deal with any deviants for any reasons Gavin just hastened his pace and continued toward the parking garage to get back to the safety and isolation of his own car.
"Back off, 'Tinman'." Gavin warned as he felt Connor catch up to him and walk right beside him. "I'm not in the mood."
"You're going to look for the other five shooters from the warehouse." The astute deviant noted as he kept his hand to his side and continued to take in deep and slow breaths. "I wish to assist you."
"I don't need your help! This is my case, so back off!"
"It's our case." Connor clarified without missing a beat. Pressing his palm against the driver's side door of Gavin's car Connor kept the stubborn man from driving off in a bitter huff until his mind was spoken. "I was affected by the events as well."
"So what? You out for blood or for vengeance?"
"No." Keeping his hand in place Connor gave Gavin a very terse stare. "I want justice."
"Justice, huh? Well, aren't you just the most patriotic toy soldier in all of Detroit."
"Gavin, I was nearly shutdown the same night that you were nearly killed." Lowering his hand from the car door Connor stepped back and let Gavin have access to his car at last. "If you think I'm not angered by someone trying to end my existence for nor discernible reason, then you are sorely mistaken. I want to close this case."
Scoffing as he pulled his car keys from his pocket Gavin just shook his head and unlocked his door. "I figured you'd be more interested in the rage room case than this one."
"I'm aware that you were there that night."
Despite his best efforts Gavin visibly flinched and gave Connor a frightened stare as he tried to figure out what Connor was going to do. "...Why'd you say that?"
"I know that Tony was holding something back. I also know that your wounds are the result of blunt force trauma that matches the description of what had happened to Tony, and I know that the three cops who were identified are former associates of your own."
"Associates?" Having old friends described in such a way was fairly comical. "That makes it sound like a mafia tactic or some shit."
"You were in the academy alongside Ulysses Douglas, Archibald Gates and Isaac Owens. I don't think that it's a coincidence that they'd all be in the cop bar with an illegal rage room together, or that you'd suffer such trauma-"
"All right..." Taking in a deep breath Gavin decided there was no point in trying to deny what had happened, hide his motivations for revenge or try to deter Connor from attempting to assist him in handling the still opened case. "Fine. I'll drive, you shut up and we don't tell anyone what we're doing unless we make actual progress. Do you got it?"
"I got it, those are acceptable terms."
"Okay. Get your ass in the car and keep your mouth shut." After pulling open his car door Gavin sat down quickly and waited for Connor to join him. "The sooner we figure this shit out, the sooner I can get some proper sleep. I'm exhausted."
-next chapter-