The bullpen remained tense even after the precinct's edgiest detective had taken his leave seemingly for the rest of the day. Whether it was out of guilt or it was out of concern, Tina felt obligated to talk to Hank about the way Gavin had stormed out of the precinct with Connor following closely after him. She knew that the seasoned Lieutenant would be willing to listen to her and do whatever it took to ensure that Connor was safe, especially after Connor was already seriously injured a few days prior while out in the field. Tina also knew that Hank was a man who could understand the need for revenge and being wrapped up in anger when it came to trying to solve a case and chase after a promising lead.

While Hank and Tina had a small discussion at his and Connor's desks, Hank listened closely to everything Tina was saying with open contemplation and waited for the door to Captain Fowler's office to open at last. Neither one of the officers knew what Gavin and Connor were up to, or of Gavin's connection to the rage room, but they did know that Gavin was more than likely to do something foolish if he had the chance to take revenge against those he felt deserved it.

"Do you think Reed is a danger to himself or others?" Hank asked in a low voice and immediately held up his palm to keep Tina from having a strong reaction to the question being asked. "It's just a routine question I have to ask, it's nothing personal."

Taking in a deep breath Tina shook her head and practically whispered to Hank to prevent any potential eavesdropping from the bullpen. "He's not dangerous, just mad. I think he's struggling with being, you know, an android."

"What makes you say that?"

"He's been accidentally breaking things just by touching them, and Joel said he passed out before because he didn't drink any Thirium like he was supposed to do."

Hank took that information to heart and began to worry a little for Gavin's health. "Do you think he'd intentionally harm himself or put himself in danger out of spite to his new body?"

"No, but he is having a hard time accepting what he is. I mean," as she explained her fears Tina made sure to be as delicate toward Gavin's feelings as possible. "he's never stopped hating on androids, and now that he is one, it's like he has all the more reason to hang on to his hatred."

"Weird." Looking away from Tina for a moment Hank thought about his own past bigotry aimed at androids and how far he had come since then. "I managed to let go of my own anger and hatred towards androids after Connor waltzed into my life and gave me a reason to really look at the world around us. I figured that Reed would've had the same change of heart."

"Well, your changes came about under your own freewill. Gavin was forced to live as an android without any say in the matter."

"True enough."

The door to Captain Fowler's office opened and revealed Doug, Archie and Isaac as the trio left the private space looking both pissed off and terrified. It was a strange mixture of emotions that never blended well together for anyone. It also didn't help that Captain Fowler was standing in the doorway watching them leave as if just waiting for another reason to shout at them.

From the corner of his eye Hank watched the trio leave the precinct and couldn't help but feel as if they were going to be a problem again fairly soon. "What's Reed's connection to those assholes?"

"Well, he and Doug were dormmates back at the police academy, and they both started out at the Eastern Precinct their first year on the force." Tina knew more about Gavin's history than anyone else since he often confided in her. "Gavin came over here to the Central Precinct to break away from Doug and stand-out on his own without Doug shadowing over him."

"I see. What about the other two?" Hank had only worked with Archie and Isaac a handful of times, but he remembered their rather myopic view of the world. "Archie seems like he still has a problem with authority, and Isaac was one of the biggest anti-android figureheads in the state. Any of that still ring true?"

"These are just rumors, but I heard that Archie had been suspended twice in the past year for beating on the android security guards at the Western Precinct. As for Isaac, his little hate-group was ordered to disband but he's refusing to cooperate. I think he's being faced with an ultimatum: Disband or get fired."

"Think that our brutalized paramedic was right in naming those three as his assailants? It seems like Tony was right on the money."

"As of the moment, yes. I've seen them heading into that dive bar a few times during my night patrols."

"Well, that sucks for them." Using his phone for a moment Hank texted Connor and asked for a quick update on what he and Gavin were up to, and he warned his partner that the recently interrogated cop trio were now free to go about their business. "I'm gonna' give Connor a head's up about those three. It won't be easy, but he might be able to keep Gavin from running into them while out on the street and vulnerable."

"Good idea. I'll also contact the facility and let them know what's up." Tina pulled her own phone from her pocket and texted both Elijah and Abby. She didn't want anyone to be caught off guard. "They might also be able to keep Gavin from going on the hunt."

"Only if they strap him down to a bed and force him into prolonged rest mode."

"Don't tempt me with looking for his power switch."

"Androids don't got those," Hank warned as he gave Tina a knowing look. "trust me, I've Googled every possible way to get androids to power down for a few minutes thanks to Connor's ridiculous work ethic."

"Any advice on being able to help Gavin with being an android?"

"Nope. I'm no android expert, and I can barely keep Connor from being an idiot despite the kid being an actual genius. It's kinda' like living with a toddler who also has access to the internet and a gun. Terrifying combination."

"Then I guess there's no hope for Gavin. He was all those things before he became an android."

"Don't say that." Reaching out his hand Hank sympathetically patted the back of Tina's forearm. "You're his best friend AND his best chance at making a full recovery after he's back to being a human again."

"Only if he'll let me help him."

"Hey, you got this." Sitting back Hank looked down at his phone and saw Connor's reply to his earlier text. "And Connor promises to keep an eye on Gavin while they're on patrol and not let him out of his sight. Connor won't let us down, and I know that Gavin won't disappoint you. Just be patient with him."

Tina just chuckled as she looked up at the ceiling and then gave Hank a truly amused look. "Oh, if you only knew the irony behind that piece of advice..."

The scene of the shooting at the warehouse was still tense even as both Gavin and Connor combined their skills and abilities to sweep over the area and potentially find further evidence leading to the identity of the five missing shooters. The two deviant detectives were both at the scene during the shooting itself, and they were both bound and determined to find the culprits before they disappeared forever into the darkest depths of the city. Five armed gang members weren't a threat to the two detectives or to just detectives in general, they were a threat to the entire city and needed to be stopped before anyone else became a victim of their violence and territorial disputes.

While Gavin combed over the bullet holes peppering the side of the warehouse Connor visually swept over the pavement surrounding the warehouse itself. A week's worth of surveillance and investigation hadn't provided much information about everything that had happened that night, but that didn't mean that everything had been found.

"We're missing something important." Gavin grumbled as he pressed his fingertips to the bullet holes and then swore as another electric spark shot off from his fingertip and shocked himself by accident. "Fucking hell! Damn it!"

Connor turned to look at Gavin and saw him shaking his affected hand angrily. "What happened?"

"I got zapped! Again!"

"Is your hand damaged?"

"...No." Flexing his fingers a few times Gavin made sure his hand was still fully functional and unharmed. "Just a stupid... thing."

"May I look?"

"At what?"

"Your hand."

"What for?" Holing up his palm Gavin showed it to Connor then went back to examining the bullet holes. "I said I'm fine!"

"Androids shouldn't be emitting electric shocks or receiving them. You may have a defect in your artificial skin that's allowing the phenomenon to occur."

"Sounds like Elijah still has some kinks to work out with his stupid technology and prototypes. I knew he wasn't perfect."

"If that's the case then you should seek technical assistance."

"I've had enough of that for a lifetime! No more."

"That's an ideal goal to aim for." Wincing a little Connor kept his hand pressed to his left side and took in a deep breath. He could feel his core temperature rising steadily thanks to his still poorly recalibrated ventilation biocomponent preventing him from breathing deeply. "Especially since your condition is temporary."

The way Connor was still wincing even while working did little to build Gavin's confidence in their success, and yet he didn't feel it was necessary to point it out or even mock Connor for being just as vulnerable as everyone else. As he focused on the bullet holes in the metal walls Gavin felt another shock under his fingertip and he swore again as he pulled his hand back in reflex.

"Son of a bitch! I fucking hate technology..." With a breathy sigh he turned to look at Connor while the deviant continued his own search of the warehouse property and decided to cooperate for the sake of getting the investigation finished without any more setbacks. "If you can fix my hand, then do it. I can't keep shocking everything I touch."

Looking over at Gavin as he extended his hand Connor gave the appendage a quick scan and easily identified the problem. "The very tip of your right index find has a malformation in the plastimetal frame. It's allowing excess electricity being produced by your own body to surge through the opening, through your artificial skin and into any conductive surfaces causing the painful shock."

"How do I make it stop?"

"Your fingertip needs to be resealed by soldering. I cannot do that for you out here."

"So what's the temporary solution? Rubber gloves?"

"That, or you can use your other fingers until your index finger has been repaired."

"Giving this scene the appropriate finger seems about right..." Looking down at his own palm in frustration Gavin just sighed and went back to examining the bullet holes with a delicate touch. "Uh, find anything new over there?"

"Perhaps." Utilizing as much strength as necessary Connor managed to push two separate concrete columns apart from where they were touching and located a stray bullet shell that Ben and his team had overlooked. The shell was caught between the two columns and very hard to see. "Casing from a semi-automatic. It matches a 45 A.C.P. which matches the bullet taken from your chest."

"Anything else we can-" As Gavin took in the sight of the bullet and its casing, he picked up on a faint thumb print on its side. "Holy shit, there's a fingerprint right there! I can see it clear as day."

"Right thumbprint from the shooter loading the ammunition into the clip." Picking up the casing Connor honed in on the print and found a name that matched the print according to previous arrest records. "Shooter's name is Eric Deeson. Previous arrest records show-"

"That the fucker shot up a library where his ex-girlfriend worked and wounded four kids." Gavin recognized the name and his processor automatically provided him with information the disgusting man. "He never should've been able to get his hands on a gun!"

"You're right." Cybernetically Connor instructed one of the drones still hovering overhead to come down to collect the bullet and return it to the precinct for further analysis by Ben's team. "Deeson affiliates with five other notorious gang members in the area. These four have had issues with illegal firearms discharge, human trafficking and dealing 'red ice' downtown."

"Got names to go with those charges?"

"Yes. Donna Wyzinski," Connor saw the confusion on Gavin's face and confirmed that the name was correct. "she is a gang leader who has a reputation for prostituting runaway teenagers in exchange for shelter and drugs. We are in fact looking for a feminine suspect."

"What a cunt. Preying on kids with nowhere else to go."

"Ryan West." Continuing on Connor let Gavin hear the names of everyone involved in the shooting on that fateful night. "He was busted for 'red ice' two years ago and shared a cell with Deeson."

"Birds of a feather..."

"Crystal O'Brien, the girlfriend to Ryan, helped him with making the drugs. When she was arrested she shared a cell with Donna."

"Jeezus, so that's how pieces of shit successfully breed! What about the other two?"

"Twin brothers. Brandon and Jordan Nelson." The final details were being shared with Gavin verbally and Connor managed to link to Gavin's processor to share the arrest records and mugshots with the second deviant detective. "They had a nasty habit of stealing cars and selling their parts to the highest bidders. When they were arrested they went to the same prison as West."

"Everyone met up in prison and instead of learning their damn lessons they decided to double-down in their stupidity." Gavin huffed in disgust as he retrieved his car keys from his pocket and started heading back to his car with Connor right beside. "Got an address or two?"

"Yes, actually."

"Where do we go?"

"Back to the precinct."

"No." Stopping immediately Gavin turned to face Connor and pointed his finger at the deviant and accidentally sent off another spark in the process. "I am NOT going back to the precinct. I am closing this case, TODAY."

"It's unwise to confront five potentially armed suspects without back-up."

"You're with me, aren't ya'?"

"Yes, of course. But I'm not going to-"

"Nope! No way!" Walking toward his car again Gavin didn't wait to see if Connor was going to join him or not. "You're either going to help me or you're walking back to the precinct alone."

"Please wait!" Unwilling to let Gavin risk himself by being bullheaded and foolish, Connor ran after Gavin and stopped beside the stubborn detective's car door to catch his breath for a moment. An error had appeared in his eyes due to the physical exertion and increasing core temperature, but Connor just ignored the warnings to focus solely on Gavin. "Gavin, at least request back-up at the address after we arrive. It's too dangerous for either of us to go to an anti-android neighborhood."

"Hey! YOU'RE the android!" Gavin shouted as he gave Connor a shove and watched the deviant stumble backward almost as easily as Elijah had done. "I'M still ME, a natural born human!"

"...You're a human in an android's body." Connor replied quickly and without any offense behind his words. "I know who you really are, but the bigots won't care. If they discover that you're an android then they'll show no mercy, and they will try to kill."

Taking in a few deep breaths Gavin looked down at his palm and saw another blue spark briefly appear on his fingertip. If that little problem reared its ugly head while out in the wrong neighborhood then Gavin would undoubtedly be in a world of hurt. "...Fine. I'll lead and make the final call. You shut up and keep the assholes from getting away."

"That is acceptable."

With a simple nod Gavin unlocked the car once more and sat down behind the wheel. Very carefully Gavin turned the key in the ignition and waited for Connor to join him without any further protest. As the car's engine roared to life Gavin's scanner picked up on a strange heat radiating from Connor's person and indicated that the deviant's left ventilation biocomponent was only functioning at seventy-five percent.

Less interested in a malfunctioning biocomponent and more interested in finding the gang members at last, Gavin didn't say a word about what he had noticed as he pulled the car onto the street and began heading out toward a fairly seedy neighborhood. He had an idea of where to go based on Connor's warnings and was mentally preparing for who and what he might encounter.

"Upload the address, 'Tinman'." Gavin pointed to the G.P.S. mounted in his car's dashboard without shocking it by mistake. "We're going to bring in five stupid motherfuckers before this day is over."

An impromptu meeting was called as Captain Fowler decided to handle the issue with the three cops suspected of abducting and assaulting the deviant paramedic with a preemptive plan of action. The seasoned Captain was too experienced and too sharp to be fooled by anyone trying to cover up their lies, and he knew that the trio were all guilty of the same crime despite not having enough evidence to warrant their arrests. To keep the peace among all the precincts in the city Captain Fowler informed Hank and Ben of his suspicions regarding the open case with the three dirty cops and confirmed that he had been granted permission by the higher-ups to have police drones sent to tail the three cops and monitor their behavior.

Hank wasn't too thrilled with the idea of not being able to immediately arrest the three cops simply on suspicion of illegal activity, but he trusted Captain Fowler to find a way to do the right thing before it was too late to do anything productive. Keeping tabs on Connor's location and what he was doing at that moment was all Hank could do as he waited for Captain Fowler to think of a way to bring the trio back in for more questioning, all hopefully wearing cuffs.

"Doug isn't as smooth as he thinks he is." Captain Fowler confirmed as he let Hank and Ben read a copy of Doug's statement on their personal tablets. "He admits to being at the bar that night but denies being in the rage room. Ben, your team found some empty beer bottles in the room and found his D.N.A. all over one of the bottles."

"His D.N.A., shoeprints in his size and matching the soles of the shoes that he was wearing just today were all over the floors too." Ben noted with a keen deduction as he made sure Hank was up to date on the investigation. "The same for Archie and Isaac. We found their D.N.A. on empty beer bottles, beer cans and we found matching shoeprints all over the place leading into the rage room's entrance behind the bar and the hidden entrance around the side of the building."

"What about the weapons?" Hank asked as he read over the details of the report regarding the rage room itself. "Baseball bats, tire irons, crowbars, lead pipes, sledgehammers and golf clubs were all over the place."

"So were gloves, rain gear and goggles to protect the offenders from spraying Thirium and from leaving their fingerprints around the place."

"Only a cop would think to do that. Or a fucking psychopath."

"Why not both?"

"Fair enough." Hank put the tablet down and folded his arms over his chest as he casually nodded toward the transparent office wall and toward Tina's direction as she typed away diligently at her own desk. "What do we do about Reed? He's been associated with those fuckers in the past, and he's still holding onto his hatred toward any and all androids. They might drag him into their mess to try to save their own asses."

"The victim confirmed only three assailants and will be coming in for a voice identification tomorrow afternoon." Seemingly fearless Captain Fowler didn't doubt that Gavin would be able to avoid any issues. "As long as Reed doesn't interact with the suspects, and I know that Tina is making sure he doesn't, he should be just fine."

"And the warehouse?" The Lieutenant knew that Gavin wasn't going to let the shooting go and that he'd want revenge against the people who put a bullet in his chest and then his brain into an android. "What progress has been made there?"

"Nothing beyond what Ben's team has already uncovered."

Ben suddenly spoke up as he received an update about that very case on his own tablet. "Uh, actually, a bullet casing had just been found at the scene."

"By who?" Captain Fowler sensed something unsavory in the air as questioned his lead investigator. "That scene is still closed off but no one's investigating it right now."

"...By Detective Reed and Connor."

"What the fuck are they- Know what? Nevermind." As a true mark of his leadership and dedication to his people Captain Fowler proved that he knew exactly when to pick his battles and what to focus on. "We'll handle our three shifty cops from within the precinct and we'll make sure Reed keeps his distance. We have no idea how he might react to his old buddies trying to kill a deviant now that Reed himself is also a deviant."

Hank wanted to mention Tina's worries but decided that it wasn't his place to do so. That was up to Tina, and he knew that Tina would do what was right.

"Hank, I want you to keep in touch with Connor at all times and make sure that he's sticking close to Reed." It was a simple request but one that could prove to be absolutely crucial. "It's important that Reed isn't left alone for too long for any reason. Is that clear?"

"Yeah, I hear ya'." Reaching for his phone Hank asked for Connor to keep him up to date and informed the deviant of what was happening. "Reed may be a huge pain in the ass, but we're still going to watch his back."

The sight of the old, decaying brownstone was enough to make Gavin seethe and Connor air on the side of absolute caution as the car idled on the street across from the building. The address Connor had uncovered matched the building, and the rundown appearance of the old homestead confirmed that the building had been long neglected despite still being inhabited. The windows were boarded up from the inside, the doors were covered in numerous and very strong metal locks, and there was a dark blue tarp draped over the collapsing roof of the two-story brownstone. Such disrepair and negligence only emphasized how selfish and irresponsible the five people living under the holey and dangerous roof truly were.

While Connor scanned the building and confirmed five humans all huddled inside the brownstone, Gavin checked his weapon to ensure it was loaded and ready to be used the second he drew it from his holster. The two detectives were eager to close their current case, and neither were willing to back down or walk away either.

"They're in there, and I don't need a damn scanner to know that." Gavin remarked as he secured his weapon back inside his holster and opened the door beside him without waiting for Connor to reply. Removing his left arm from the sling Gavin flexed his hand and found it to be functional and strong. "As soon as we lay our bare eyes on them you can go ahead and call for back-up."

"It'd be best to wait for back-up to arrive before we enter the residence." Connor cautioned as he slowly exited the car with his hand pressed to the side of his chest to support his labored ventilation. "Neither of us are wearing Kevlar at this time."

"They shot me once before and I'm still here! I don't need that shit."

"I was shot as well. I'd prefer to have such a vest as a precautionary measure."

"Well, that's on you!"

Approaching the front door of the brownstone quickly Gavin hovered his hand over the gun on his hip and used his scanner to check on the placement of each of the five gang members hiding out inside the old building. He could see that two of the gang members were in the livingroom, one was in the kitchen and the final two were in the master bedroom on the second floor in a very compromising position. The loud music blasting throughout the brownstone meant that the five gang members hiding inside wouldn't be able to hear anyone coming and would be easily caught off guard.

Unwilling to knock on the door and give away his presence Gavin checked the front door and found a weakness in the structure that the multiple locks would not be able to support. Taking in a deep breath Gavin planted himself before the door before bringing back his right leg and planting a firm kick just under the doorknob where his scanner confirmed the weakest pointed resided. Within seconds of Gavin's strong kick making contact with the door the door itself flew open with a loud 'bang' as wooden splinters flew through the air and the metal locks all failed with an audible 'clank'.

"GET DOWN ON THE GROUND!" Gavin shouted with as much bass and authority in his voice as possible to be heard over the blaring music as he held his gun out before himself. The focused detective swept the barrel of the gun around the livingroom to aim back and forth between the two startled gang members and brothers sitting on the moldy couch and sharing a loaded bong. "GET DOWN ON THE GROUND! NOW!"

Jordan held up his hands as he dropped to his knees on the carpet right in front of the couch. "Wh-What the fuck-"

"GET DOWN!" Gavin repeated as he aimed his gun at Brandon to coax him into copying his brother. "DO IT NOW! I WILL SHOOT!"

Connor entered the brownstone just as the twin brothers obediently dropped to the floor and spotted Donna peering around the doorway of the kitchen. The woman quickly noticed the two cops and trying to run off.

"STOP!" The deviant shouted as well as he ran past the two brothers and grabbed Donna's shoulder before she could rush out the backdoor and into the streets to disappear. "You're all under arrest!"

"For what?!" Donna shrieked as she tried to get out of Connor's strong grip as the deviant detective led her back to the livingroom to kneel down on the floor alongside the surrendering twin brothers. "We ain't done nothing!"

"You are actively cooking 'red ice' in your kitchen." Connor stated with a total deadpan as he pulled his handcuffs from the back of his belt and secured Donna's wrists behind her back, then did the same for the brothers with his spare cuffs. "You were also part of a shooting that took place at the abandoned Weston Warehouse six nights prior."

"You can't prove that!"

"Actually, I can. As can Detective Reed." Connor watched as Gavin headed upstairs to catch the other two gang members in the act. "We were there that night. You nearly killed us, and we can identify you as our attempted murderer as confirmed eye-witnesses to said attempted murders. Not to mention the fact that your illegal drugs are literally in the kitchen as I speak, confirming I do in fact have evidence against you."

"FUCK YOU!"

"Let's not." Watching over the captured trio Connor made the cybernetic request for back-up at the scene and soon had two police drones circling the brownstone to ensure that no one else tried to flee from the residence or destroy any evidence. "You three have the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney. I strongly suggest you exercise both of those rights."

After securing the three arrested gang members to the bottom of the staircase by using the handcuffs to his advantage, Connor went into the kitchen to document the drugs on the hot stovetop for evidence before turning off the stove and taking care of the dangerous chemicals. Unfortunately, the intense heat being produced by the cooking drugs in the kitchen had a negative effect on Connor's ventilation biocomponents that made it difficult for the deviant to full concentrate on what was happening as his scanner was being overwhelmed with warnings of exposure to dangerous substances and increasing heat while trying to run his analysis.

Up on the second floor Gavin followed the loud music to the master bedroom and happily kicked open the second door to bust both Ryan and Crystal in the act. As expected, the couple were in the middle of a very intimate moment and had been literally caught with their pants down. The couple quickly jumped from the bed and knocked over a few of the burning candles that had been used for mood lighting in their panicked reaction to Gavin's intrusion.

"GET YOUR HANDS UP!" Gavin shouted over the loud music before smashing the butt of his gun down over the wireless speaker next to him. A splash of hot wax flew through the air as the shaking of the impact caused a nearby burning candle to shake. "AND GET ON THE GROUND! DO IT NOW!"

While Ryan grabbed his jeans to cover himself, he shouted back at Gavin in fear and confusion. "Who the fuck are-"

"DETROIT POLICE!" Gavin already knew what he was going to ask and didn't let Ryan finish the question. "GET ON THE FLOOR! DO IT NOW!"

Crystal had managed to throw on a large t-shirt and her shorts before joining Ryan on the floor and staring up at Gavin with fear in her eyes. "What's going on? Why are you here?!"

"You and your three friends downstairs have all been linked to a shooting at an abandoned warehouse earlier this week." Gavin had lowered his voice but not his weapon as he kept his eyes trained on the semi-nude couple. "We already found the other three gang members who were with you a few days before, and they sang like canaries when we promised them leniency."

"Whatever they said, they're lying!"

Ryan knew Gavin was bluffing and begged for Crystal to not say anything. "Shut up! He can't prove-"

"We didn't shoot no cops!"

Gavin just smirked as he gave Crystal a smug stare. "I didn't say anything about cops being the ones caught up in the shooting. How would you know that unless you were already there?"

Crystal seemed to realize she screwed up and just gave Ryan a desperate plea. "Do something! Kill this pig!"

"Just shut the fuck up! Don't say anything to-"

The hazardous drugs brewing in the kitchen suddenly reached a critical point in the cooking process. An explosion from the stovetop not only shook the brownstone with a quaking 'boom', but a column of fire and metal debris burst up and through the floor of the master bedroom in a single rush of motion that nearly struck the arrested couple.

Backing up for a moment Gavin assessed the situation as he holstered his gun and quickly grabbed both Ryan and Crystal by their shoulders to pull them away from the flames. "Shit! Get downstairs, NOW!"

The two gang members marched down the staircase with Gavin right behind them and didn't stop or try to get his hands off their shoulders as he directed them outside of the burning brownstone and toward safety. Once outside the arrested duo suddenly felt cold metal around their wrists as Gavin pulled his own cuffs from his belt to ensure that neither Ryan or Crystal could run off.

"H-Hey!" Ryan protested as Gavin slipped one cuff around his wrist, wove the chain between the two cuffs around the leg of a metal bench bolted to the sidewalk across the street from the brownstone, and then secured the second cuff to Crystal's wrist. The couple were cuffed together with a metal bar attached to the ground to keep them from running off together. "What're you doing?!"

"Keeping your dumb asses out of the fire!" Gavin confirmed as he returned to his car long enough to report the explosion to dispatch and request assistance from the fire department to his location. Using his scanner Gavin confirmed that the other three gang members were still inside the brownstone, and so was Connor. "Shit... I gotta' get everyone outta' there!"

Braving the now burning brownstone in search of the people still inside the building was something that Gavin hadn't expected to do on that day. Knowing he was trying to save the very people who tried to kill him and that he was trying to save Connor - someone he didn't care about in the slightest - only made the event all the more ludicrous.

"Hey! Where is everyone?"

Putting his arm over his nose and mouth Gavin tried to protect himself from breathing in any smoke only to quickly remember that as an android he didn't need to breathe at all! Holding his breath and peering through the smoke and flames, Gavin navigated the livingroom and found a pile of burning boards, beams, drywall and carpet covering the bodies of the three gang members he had arrested before heading upstairs.

"Son of a bitch... What happened here?"

A quick preconstruction thanks to his advanced forensics software allowed Gavin to recreate the events that had transpired while he was upstairs. Through the holographic replay inside his mind Gavin saw that the explosion from the kitchen had damaged the rotten and weakened ceiling between the first floor and second floor to allow the flames to quickly travel among the neglected surface without any obstacles. The repeated use of the noxious and flammable chemicals over the years during the illegal creation of "red ice" had created a thin but dangerous layer of explosive over the ceiling that allowed the flames to spread quickly.

Once the explosion weakened the already compromised structure and engulfed it in flames, a massive portion of the second floor had collapsed downward and landed atop the arrested trio in the livingroom. The heavy wooden beams, pipes, drywall and tiles had crushed the three arrested gang members and mercifully killed the trio before the fire or the smoke had the chance to made them suffer a prolonged and miserable death.

"The fire was more lenient that I ever would've been."

Another warning appeared in Gavin's vision confirming that he needed to leave the immediate area to avoid damage from the chemicals and smoke in the air, and to avoid heat damage from the surrounding flames. Dismissing the warning and walking around the fire Gavin tracked down Connor to the kitchen and realized that the deviant detective had been right next to the explosion when it erupted from the stove and caused the brownstone to begin burning.

"Where the fuck are you, 'Tinman'!?"

Gavin shouted over the crackling flames and ventured even closer to the kitchen. As he took a knee beside the opened doorway he noticed a body laying on their back on the floor and knew he had found the missing deviant. Connor wasn't moving and he didn't seem to be conscious in that moment.

"Shit! Come on!"

Moving over to where Connor was laying Gavin stood at the deviant's feet before reaching his hands down to grab onto Connor's forearms and pull him up into a sitting position. Leaning down Gavin then pulled the unconscious deviant up and over his shoulders into a fireman's carry and proceeded to escape the burning brownstone through the front door with Connor's limp body in tow. As he passed through the opened front door and back onto the street a second explosion rocked the brownstone and caused the entire second floor to collapse down onto the first floor and the already decaying roof to crumble away to dust that only fed the bright orange flames.

Without missing a step Gavin managed to carry Connor over to the car and lay the deviant down over the hood to check on whether or not Connor could recover on his own or would require technical intervention. Unsure of what he should be looking for regarding android first-aid, Gavin just relied on his knowledge of human first-aid to guide him as he pressed his palm down over Connor's chest and felt for motion.

"Hey! Wake up, 'Tinman'!" Gavin needed to shout again as the fire department arrived with blaring lights and sirens to extinguish the burning brownstone. "Open your eyes!"

When Connor didn't respond Gavin gave Connor's chest a shake and watched as the deviant's head lolled to the side to face him. It was then he saw the burns running along Connor's right cheek and down his neck toward his shoulder. The singed artificial skin looked dark blue in color and painful to the touch. Portions of Connor's plastimetal frame were visible through the burns and small bits were scorched black. As for Connor's entire body, he was overheating to a noticeable degree and wasn't breathing. The lack of breath - no ventilations - only made Connor overheat to an even higher degree.

"Shit... Come on, you need to breathe!"

As he shook Connor's shoulders Gavin's scanner kicked on and he suddenly realized that the deviant's Thirium pump, his heart, wasn't beating correctly.

"What the fuck? Why aren't you-"

The scan confirmed that the concussive force from the explosion at the brownstone had been enough to send Connor's pump into an arrhythmic beat. The arrhythmia could be corrected, but only by someone who actually knew how to correct such an error.

"Shit, shit, shit..."

Thinking quickly Gavin slung Connor's limp around his shoulders and hefted the deviant's body off the car's hood and over to the passenger side of the car. As he pulled open the door Gavin looked back at the two arrested gang members struggling to get their wrists free of the handcuffs as they began to panic at seeing all of the firefighters and additional cops converging on the area.

"You two are going to need a GOOD lawyer." Gavin warned as he placed Connor down in the passenger seat and then slammed the door shut. "If you're half as smart as you think you are, you won't make any trouble for these nice firefighters while I'm gone!"

Rushing back to the driver's side of the car Gavin turned over the engine and practically floored it as he got his car onto the street and used dispatch to keep the streets between his current location and the Zeta Facility clear. Unsure of what was happening to Connor or how to help him, all Gavin could do was drive and yell at Connor to try and get him to respond.

"Wake up! You're hurt and you need to breathe, damn it!"

Connor didn't respond as he remained limp and lifeless in his seat. The explosion had rendered him completely unconscious and oblivious to his own body being damaged both internally and externally by the fiery blast.

"Shit... If you die then the Lieutenant's going to kill me!"

Speeding through the streets without any issues thanks to his enhanced android reflexes and preconstruction functions, Gavin was able to make it to the emergency entrance doors of the facility in what felt like a brand new world record time. The moment he saw the doors Gavin slammed his foot on the brakes and then threw open his own door as he shouted at the entryway for some assistance.

"Yo! I got a sick android out here!" As Gavin pulled open the passenger side door of the car again two deviants passed through the emergency doors while wheeling a gurney between them. "Officer down! I guess..."

With a small amount of effort Gavin helped the two deviant orderlies with lifting Connor up and out of the car and onto the gurney. Walking alongside the gurney Gavin tried to ignore how the orderlies were opening up Connor's shirt and exposing the nasty burns more fully for proper assessment and treatment. Such a reaction and behavior were very... human.

"Dr. Grayson?" One of the orderlies called out for help as he and his identical counterpart directed the gurney into an emergency treatment room. "You have a patient. An 'RK-800' suffering from first, second and third degree burns to their dextral facing plating, neck and shoulder. Noted pump arrhythmia and complete failure of the sinistral ventilation biocomponent has been detected as well."

"Damn it, we were worried that this would happen." Abby confirmed as she and Elijah entered the treatment room together. "Prepare sterilization dressing for the burns and attach the wireless leads for the Thirial activity monitor to his chest."

When Gavin saw Elijah in the room he scoffed and decided to step aside to give the two android technicians plenty of room to work. "Since you got the 'Tinman' taken care of I'll head back to the precinct."

"Actually, I think you should stick around." Elijah insisted as he pressed his palm to the control panel beside the door to secure the room after the two orderlies left to ensure that they weren't in the way. "You're covered in smoke and smell of burnt Thirium."

"I'm fine, I don't-"

"Sit down." Pushing Gavin over to a chair in the corner of the room Elijah insisted that his brother remain in the facility to undergo his own exam. "We'll check you over after we've treated Connor."

"I don't-" Leaning back in his chair Gavin crossed his arms over his chest in a bitter and childish act of rebellion. "Whatever..."

Abby watched the Thirial activity monitor closely as she used her audioscope to listen to Connor's chest. She could feel the heat radiating from his very person and knew that the deviant was in serious trouble. "Shit, he's overheating, his left vent has failed, and his pump is in a dangerous arrhythmia. I'll need to shock him."

"I'll insert a secondary air intake line down his throat." Moving over to the portable ventilator against the wall Elijah prepared for the delicate and lifesaving procedure to ensure that Connor didn't suffer permanent damage or shutdown. "Core temperature is one-hundred and four degrees, and undoubtedly rising."

"Use the thermal controls on the exam table to bring down his temperature externally." Abby insisted as she used the Thirial activity monitor's attached defibrillator to restore Connor's pump to a proper beat. As she placed the two paddles down on Connor's chest - one at the center and the second at the apex of his pump - Abby waited for the device to charge before sending the controlled shock through Connor's heart. "Sending charge!"

Elijah wisely pulled his hands back and gave the table clearance as the shock passed through the deviant's stuttering pump. The sudden jolt was enough to cause Connor's back to arch slightly before he fell entirely still without even reacting to the painful procedure.

"Normal beat." Abby confirmed as she put the defibrillator aside and set about cleaning the burns on the side of his face, neck and shoulder. As she worked Abby didn't notice Gavin watching everything happening with wide-eyed surprise since he had never seen how extreme it could be when it came to saving androids from permanent damage or shutdown. "Insert the air intake line now. He's stable enough to endure it."

Without even blinking Elijah easily lowered Connor's bottom jaw while tilting the unconscious deviant's head back. Inserting the tube down Connor's throat in the same way that a paramedic or a doctor would intubate a human patient was an oddly grounding feeling even for the android creator himself to experience. Once the intake line connected itself to a small port down Connor's throat leading to the dual ventilation biocomponents, Elijah attached the external ventilator to the opposite end of the line itself to begin forcing cool air into Connor's system.

"The line's in place." Elijah confirmed as he turned on the ventilator and watched Abby using her audioscope to listen to his chest again. Utilizing the control panel on the side of the exam table Elijah turned on the thermal commands and caused the table to begin emitting a gentle cool aura to help lower Connor's elevate core temperature without him going into thermal shock. "And his temperature is being managed."

"His burns have been covered as well." Abby sighed as she checked the dressings before grabbing the nearby internal viewing screen. As she held the screen over Connor's chest she sighed and informed Elijah of their next step. "The left vent has failed entirely. It'll need to be repaired or replaced, which means he'll be on the external vent for a while."

"I assure you it won't be for three days this time around." Elijah knew what to do and was eager to finish the repair process properly. "I can repair the damage within a few hours."

"All right, you do that while I call Lieutenant Anderson and let him know that Connor's here." Trusting the android creator himself to handle Connor's care, Abby looked over at Gavin and gave him a righteously annoyed look. "And you can come with me to the second treatment room. We can't risk your prototype design suffering from any complications."

Silently Gavin rose from the chair and pressed his palm over his chest where he could feel his own pump suddenly thundering away. He didn't feel any sort of adrenaline rush when he was at the brownstone, only anger and hatred. Now that he was in the facility and seeing how close Connor had been to death, Gavin felt fear and even sympathy toward the downed deviant.

"This won't take long." Abby promised as she led the man to the neighboring room and softened her tone. "You're conscious, you're coherent and you're not coughing, so those are very good signs."

"...I held my breath." Gavin stated in an almost innocent way as he cooperated with Abby and sat down on the exam table without her needing to push him toward it or order him to take a seat. "I didn't breathe in any smoke or the other shit in the air."

"Good move." Helping Gavin with his jacket Abby examined the man's hands then checked his face for any sign of burns around his nose and lips. If he did breathe in anything potentially noxious she'd need to give him a breathing treatment to ensure his ventilation biocomponents were clean. "Any burns?"

"...No." Looking down at his palms Gavin saw that his hands were entirely clean and void of any burns despite how close he had been to the fire. "I'm good."

Abby saw the distant stare in Gavin's eyes and wondered if the man was going to suffer from some sort of mental or emotional trauma due to the close call. "Do you need to talk to someone? You look pretty shaken up."

"I'll be fine. I just need a minute." Gavin insisted as Abby proceeded to wrap a Thirium pressure cuff around his bicep. He hated being treated like a patient, yet he didn't have it in him to fight or argue at the moment. "Go take care of Connor."

"He's in the best hands right now, let me help you."

"He's in Elijah's hands. They're good, but they aren't perfect."

"Think you could remind him of that sometime?"

"I promise."

"So what happened out there?" Abby didn't understand how the two deviant detectives could've been caught up in a fire but only Connor was damaged. "Last time I checked detectives are the ones who catch criminals and it's the firefighters who, well, fight fires. How'd you two get caught up in that mess?"

As he felt his heart rate slow down Gavin told Abby about how he and Connor had tracked the five remaining gang members to the brownstone and had attempted to arrest them when the fire broke out. While Gavin managed to get himself and two of the gang members out unharmed, he couldn't say the same about Connor or the other three gang members who were killed. There would be an extensive investigation and Gavin knew he'd have to own up to his reckless decision when Captain Fowler became aware of what had gone down that day.

"We tried to arrest some criminals, but things got out of hand." The stubborn detective admitted in a guilt-riddled manner. "And I'm not sure I know how to get anything back under control anymore."

-next chapter-