The detective who had once been burning with a blinding passion for revenge was now humbly chilled by the arrival of a wash of raw sympathy. Standing before the large glass window showing the interior of a private recovery room, Gavin looked at Connor as the deviant laid unconscious over a large soft bed with an external ventilator forcing cool air into his one functioning vent to ensure he didn't overheat while he recovered from his injuries. The thick bandages along Connor's right cheek, the right side of his neck and his right shoulder that were hiding the nasty burns didn't help matters as Gavin tried to understand what had gone wrong and why he suddenly cared about what happened to the deviant detective.
Having Connor join him out in the field and getting hurt as a result was somehow very grounding for Gavin. It was a very effective reminder that the active cases didn't just revolve around him or affect him personally, they affected everyone in the precinct and even the city as a whole. Why it took another person getting hurt, nearly killed at that, for Gavin to remember how important it was for him as a detective and a sworn protector of Detroit to maintain control over his emotions and actions at all times he'd never understand.
"He's strong." Elijah commented as he joined Gavin by the window to peer in at Connor as well. The sight of the world's most advanced prototype android looking entirely frail and helpless seemed almost dreamlike and impossible. "He'll recover in a few hours. His new replacement biocomponent will be ready soon."
Studious and intrigued Gavin scanned over Connor's form through the glass and noted the defective ventilation biocomponent still inside his chest. "This is the second time he's needed that one biocomponent thing replaced this week, isn't it?"
"Yes." Sensing the dread in Gavin's voice Elijah tried to give his brother some semblance of comfort. "The first replacement wasn't an ideal match and it never fully recalibrated to function with his system. This second replacement will be fully compatible thanks to Dr. Forrest's efforts to reverse engineer the original, and Connor will make a full recovery."
"Wow... So great..." The sarcasm was thick on his tongue as Gavin couldn't care less about biocomponents and compatibility. He cared about detectives being wounded for trying to do the right thing when the world around them was just so wrong. "When will he wake up?"
"Difficult to say for certain with prototypes."
"Just give me a damn answer!" Turning to face his brother Gavin shot Elijah a nasty glare. "I need something definitive to hang onto right now. Anything."
Elijah took in a deep breath through his nose and then let it out slowly as he folded his arms behind his back. "Six hours is an accurate estimation. He'll then require the next twenty-four hours to recover without any physical strain on his body whatsoever."
"Shit, that's too long to wait."
"And why's that?"
Resting his palm against the nearby wall Gavin leaned forward and closed his eyes despondently. "Because he's the only one who can help me with my case!"
"I find that hard to believe. Officer Chen is very-"
"She's not an android though." The snippy tone was enough to make Elijah stop mid-sentence and just give Gavin his full attention. "She wasn't the one who was shot that night, or the one who got dragged into that rage room-" Stopping himself quickly Gavin refused to acknowledge being in that bar on that night. "It's just not something she can understand, all right?"
"All right, I'll respect your intuition with whatever's happening at your precinct." Elijah just stayed beside Gavin even as he noticed Hank approaching the room with Abby showing him the way. He didn't know what to say to the police Lieutenant and decided that he'd rather focus on his brother instead. "By the way, the incident at the brownstone has been deemed an accident by both your Captain and the fire department."
Turning his head Gavin looked at Elijah with complete confusion and marked uncertainty. "Accident?"
"The fire that resulted in the deaths of three notorious gang members was deemed to be an accident and not arson."
"...Oh." Gavin watched as Hank entered the room and sat beside the bed to put his hand on Connor's forearm. The way the previously closed off man had opened up to Connor and taken him in as his second son was always strange for Gavin to contemplate. "How's that possible? The fire was less than an hour ago!"
"I was able to upload Connor's memories of the incident and have them sent to your precinct for analysis. Your Captain has deemed the cause of the fire to be the result of the gang members making illegal substances with volatile chemicals improperly stored nearby, and not an act of intentional maliciousness."
"...How close was Connor to the explosion when it happened?"
"Close enough." Elijah understood Gavin's worries and wanted to ease his brother's fears. "The damage will remedy itself, but it'll take some time before Connor's artificial skin fully regenerates."
"How did he get caught in the explosion anyuway?" Gavin knew that Connor was too fast to just get caught off guard during a tense situation. "There's no way Connor would've been too close to something so dangerous unless there was a damn good reason!"
"Dr. Grayson had checked Connor's personal log and memories just prior to the explosion taking place. She confirmed that he was being overwhelmed by intense heat and over twenty different chemicals wafting in the air, clinging to surfaces and being actively burned. His system and intracranial processor were being stressed to a distracting degree."
"Overstimulation?"
"Essentially, yes. There was a pre-existing error with his ventilation biocomponent causing him pain and overheating, and being surrounded by such dangerous substances only added to his system's inability to primarily focus on his immediate surroundings."
"He looked like he was in pain earlier," Gavin admitted as he watched Hank speaking to Connor as if trying to get the deviant to wake up while Abby checked his vital signs on the nearby Thirial activity monitor. Seeing Hank concerned about Connor only made his guilty conscience feel worse. "but I didn't say anything about it. Fuck, he didn't even complain about being pain!"
Elijah had noticed that Gavin had stopped referring to Connor as 'it' and had been referring to him as 'he' and 'him' ever since the incident. It was a sign of the bigoted man slowly letting go of his hatred and admitting that Connor was indeed a living being. "Some people are just too preoccupied with helping others that they often neglect their own needs. I suspect that Connor isn't the only one guilty of such a trait."
"Being noble sure is Hell isn't something that I've ever been accused of." Unable to look at Connor any longer Gavin turned away from the window to head back to the precinct to speak with Captain Fowler. "...Let me know when he wakes up. I'll be at the precinct trying to sort through this mess."
Without saying a word Elijah watched as his brother walked away and knew that Gavin was in trouble. Whether the threat came from working as a detective or from his own guilt, Elijah couldn't be certain. All he did know for sure was that Gavin needed some help and he needed it without any form of judgment being attached.
Quietly Abby exited the private recovery room and gave Elijah an exhausted stare. "He's still in stasis mode, but his vitals are strong and stable. Once the new ventilation biocomponent is installed he'll begin a full reboot and awaken with all his previous functions and abilities still intact."
"And the burns?"
"They'll heal over the course of a week. Until then, he'll need to wear bandages over the burns to ensure that his body isn't too stressed by having only partially functional artificial skin."
"That's still progress. What of Gavin's condition?"
"He was covered in smoke, but he didn't breathe in any the chemicals while he was in the fire." Abby confirmed as she too peered at Connor and Hank through the observation window. She had a soft spot for seeing first responders wounded and Connor was no exception. "He's fine physically."
"But mentally?"
"That's really hard to say."
"That's what I feared." Enduring a rare loss of inspiration and how to help someone he actually cared about, Elijah remained outside the observation window and decided to give Gavin a little space for the time being. "I'll remain here and watch over Connor until the new biocomponent is ready. I imagine that before Gavin has the chance to return to his human body that there will be far more damage that we'll need to take care of. We should be prepared for the worst."
It didn't take long for the report of the fire to make the news and end up being broadcast on every news channel in the city. While the responding fire department was doing everything in its power to keep rumors from spreading and to dissuade people from committing acts of arson or revenge for the three gang members who had been identified as victims of the blaze, Captain Fowler worked hard to keep rumors from swirling through his own precinct regarding Gavin and Connor's potential involvement with the incident downtown. The tension was rising quickly and having Gavin return to the precinct without Connor or anyone else alongside him wasn't helping the stressful situation.
From where she sat at her desk Tina discreetly watched Gavin through the transparent wall of Captain Fowler's office as he told their commanding officer about everything that had happened at the brownstone. She knew whenever he was trying to lie or deflect any questions, and in that moment she just saw her friend being entirely open and honest despite his own fears of what could possibly happen to him in the near future.
Ben and Chris had just finished interrogating Ryan and Crystal about the fire and the two men looked exhausted. While Ben had more experience in interrogations and people lying right to his face, Chris was still learning the ins and outs of a proper interrogation technique and was faced with a notable challenge.
"Man, are they always that rough?" Chris asked as he joined Ben in the breakroom for a well deserved coffee refill. "I know that suspects will lie to you even when you put evidence right in their faces, but do they always have to be so rude, loud and insulting?"
"It seems to be the 'criminal code of conduct' to be as obnoxious and insufferable as possible." Ben noted as he picked up the coffee carafe to fill his and Chris's mugs with the caffeinated elixir of life. "Don't worry, you'll get used to the insults and won't even hear them after a few months of being screamed at."
"Looking forward to it." As he stirred some sugar into his coffee Chris sighed and leaned back against the countertop for a moment. "Any word on Gavin?"
"Only that he managed to escape the fire unharmed and was at the facility with Connor until a little while ago." Motioning to Captain Fowler's office Ben directed the young officer's attention elsewhere. "He wanted to find the gang that set him up and nearly killed him, but not like this."
"Think he'll take some time off? He could use a vacation right about now."
"He'll stick around for a while longer, usually three weeks, then go on vacation. He always does that after a bad case affects him."
"I just hope he can make it." Sympathetic to Gavin's plight Chris looked down at his coffee and wondered how he would've handled the same situation that Gavin and Connor had been caught up in. "I know if I was in a burning building and my partner got hurt that I'd be making appointments to see the shrink myself."
"Well, if it was Tina who was hurt then I know that Gavin would be out there right now seeking blood, but since it was Connor who was hurt, I think Gavin is going to be pretty chill with the whole thing. Guess that's the only perk to hating someone."
"Why does Gavin hate androids anyway? I don't know much about him, and even so, Connor's a cool dude." Tasting his coffee Chris found it to be palatable and continued on with his sentiment. "Why hate on him for something he can't control? No one can help how they're born or created."
"I don't know. All I can figure is something shitty happened to him when it came to androids, and he's been holding a grudge ever since. But that doesn't mean it's right to do it."
The door to Captain Fowler's office opened as Gavin emerged looking emotionally worse for wear while Captain Fowler remained in his office. The detective didn't acknowledge anyone looking at him as he crossed the bullpen and barely made it past his desk before Tina got to her feet and wrapped her hand around his wrist. Stopping only because he recognized Tina's kind touch and because felt like he was finally with someone safe, Gavin gave her a small nod as they continued on their way outside and to the neighboring parking garage once more.
Tina lowered her voice as she held onto Gavin's wrist in a supportive manner. "Need to talk about it?"
Shaking his head Gavin responded in a near whisper as they entered the parking garage together. "No."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No."
"Well, you should talk about it."
"Maybe later."
"No, now." Standing before Gavin in a confrontational manner Tina locked eyes with her best friend and held both of his hands in her own. "You need to talk about what happened and not hold it inside. You're not alone anymore."
Squeezing Tina's hands in response Gavin nodded slightly and finally agreed to be somewhat cooperative with someone that day.
"Come on. I know Captain Fowler let you go for the day." Tina insisted as she stood beside her friend and put her hand to the middle of his back as they continued walking over to the car that still smelled of smoke and ash as it sat in the parking garage. "Let's go somewhere private to talk for a minute."
Gavin wanted to politely decline the request, but his attention was immediately pulled elsewhere when he saw three more tickets under the windshield of his car. In just under an hour more threats were issued against him, and it was enough to make Gavin burn hot with an understandable rage.
"Those motherfuckers!" Snatching the tickets away Gavin glared at the pieces of paper and his scanner picked up the fingerprints of all three of the detectives involved in the rage room incident. Doug, Archie and Isaac had failed to wear gloves and left their mark all over the pages. "Dumb motherfuckers!"
IDENTITY CONFIRMED: Detective Ulysses
FULL NAME: Ulysses 'Doug' James Douglas
DATE OF BIRTH: September 16th, 2002
CURRENT AGE: 36
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6' 01" / 161.3 lbs
CONFIRMED RACE: Caucasian
CONFIRMED GENDER: Male
CURRENT HAIR/EYE COLOR: Brown; Brown
CURRENT OCCUPATION: Detective with the Detroit Police Department: Detroit, Michigan; United States of America
KNOWN ASSOCIATION(S): Detroit Eastern Precinct
CRIMINAL RECORD: NONE
"Doug... I knew you were involved!"
Another scan confirmed the identity of the second man even without Gavin needing to check.
IDENTITY CONFIRMED: Detective Carson
FULL NAME: Archibald 'Archie' Johnathan Carson
DATE OF BIRTH: January 2nd, 2004
CURRENT AGE: 34
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 5' 10" / 152.7 lbs
CONFIRMED RACE: Caucasian
CONFIRMED GENDER: Male
CURRENT HAIR/EYE COLOR: Brown; Blue
CURRENT OCCUPATION: Detective with the Detroit Police Department: Detroit, Michigan; United States of America
KNOWN ASSOCIATION(S): Detroit Eastern Precinct
CRIMINAL RECORD: NONE
"Not surprised that Archie got wrapped up in this. Stupid fucker could never think for himself.
The final scan kicked on and confirmed the third and final culprit behind the threats.
IDENTITY CONFIRMED: Detective Masterson
FULL NAME: Isaac Kenneth Masterson
DATE OF BIRTH: May 23rd, 2003
CURRENT AGE: 35
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 5' 11" / 154.8 lbs
CONFIRMED RACE: Caucasian
CONFIRMED GENDER: Male
CURRENT HAIR/EYE COLOR: Blond; Blue
CURRENT OCCUPATION: Detective with the Detroit Police Department: Detroit, Michigan; United States of America
KNOWN ASSOCIATION(S): Detroit Eastern Precinct
CRIMINAL RECORD: NONE
"Even Isaac is a fucking coward. If they were really certain they could kick my ass then they would've threatened me in person!"
Tina craned her neck and read the three tickets with absolutely disgust. "Geez... 'Plastic shouldn't wear shields', 'Keep your mouth shut', ' Next time it'll be you'... These threats aren't original or subtle."
"And the idiots have their fingerprints all over these things."
"Then let's hand them over to Ben to document so we can warrants for their arrests."
"Later." Opening his car door Gavin reached over and put the threats into the car's glovebox to keep safe. "Let's just get the fuck outta' here for now."
"Gavin, you're being threatened for being an android." Tina was remaining the voice of reason despite Gavin being unreasonable. "You know that those kinds of threats cannot and should not be taken lightly. Especially since those three have already been accused of assaulting a deviant who successfully identified all three of them."
Slamming his door hard enough to rock the vehicle Gavin looked over at Tina sitting beside him and gave her a stern look. "I'll handle it."
"Why do you insist on handling everything alone?"
As he turned over the key in the ignition Gavin sighed and gave Tina a somber response. "You know why."
"You're not alone anymore." Adamant in getting Gavin to listen to reason Tina reminded him that he had friends and allies. "I'm here to watch your back whether we're on the clock or not!"
"I know."
"Then let me in and let me help you." The sight of Gavin looking so morose and lost was enough to break Tina's heart. "I don't judge, and I'll understand what's going on if you just open up and talk to me. We're friends."
"I don't want you to be disappointed in me."
"How in the world would I ever be disappointed in you? You have your flaws, we all do." Tina promised as Gavin began driving toward his apartment to get away from the world for a few minutes. Having a moment of quiet was something that should never be squandered. "What's going on?"
Taking in a deep breath Gavin let himself open just enough to give Tina an honest answer. "...The case with the rage room."
"I know that Doug's your friend, but you can't act like he's somehow above getting his ass handed to him for being so cruel." Unaware of Gavin's deeper connection to that horrible place Tina remained entirely focused on finding justice for the assaulted deviant. "Hell, he's even threating you right now for being an android, even though he's known you for years. That's NOT what friends do to each other."
Gavin internally winced as he heard the confidence in Tina's assessment. It didn't help that she didn't know that he was at the rage room and had been both a witness and an unwitting participant. "...You're right. They don't."
"How did Doug even know that you're an android right now? I mean, he only went into Captain Fowler's office to talk to him and never stopped to talk to you. I also know that you'd never tell anyone about what's going on with you unless it was actually important."
"Tina, this isn't as simple as it should be." Gavin admitted as he continued to drive through the streets and back to his apartment with great ease thanks to his enhanced android reflexes and programming taking over for him automatically. It allowed the detective to think while driving at the same time. "The night that the android paramedic was taken to the rage room... Doug invited me to go to that bar."
"You were there when the room got busted?"
"Worse." There was no point in lying to his best friend or trying to convince her that he was entirely innocent. "I was inside the rage room itself. Doug put a bat in my hands and told me to swing at the android."
Grabbing onto Gavin's shoulder Tina gave him a truly stunned stare as her fingers curled into the fabric of his jacket. "You assaulted him?!
"No! I didn't hit him, Ti, I swear!" Determined to let her know the truth Gavin forced himself to keep speaking. "Doug, Archie and Isaac wanted me to do it, but I couldn't. I couldn't just... bash that android for no reason."
"You were in an android-bashing bar and you escaped unharmed? Unless..." The injuries that Gavin had been sporting earlier now made sense. As she lessened her grip Tina suddenly realized what had gone down that night. "Those fuckers."
"They started the fight, but I'm going to win the war." Gavin promised as he pulled his car into the parking lot of his apartment and he let out a breathy sigh. "I managed to get away from them last night, and I'm going to be the one to march them through the precinct wearing cuffs! I swear to it."
"Why didn't you tell Captain Fowler that they assaulted you too? Your arm and your eye were-"
"Because then he'd want to know why I was at that shitty bar to begin with."
"Didn't you say that Doug invited you out that night?"
"...Yeah, he did." Gavin knew where Tina was going with her comment and he tried to think of a way to get out of admitting that she was right. "He invited me out there to bash in that android's head, but when he saw that I'm an android at the moment, he decided that I needed my head bashed in too."
"You could argue that it was a set-up."
"Some argument." Entering his apartment building through the front doors Gavin waited for Tina to join him before setting foot inside the elevator. "Can't say it was a set-up when I was invited to take part in the assault and was then assaulted afterward. Besides, it happened in an alley away from the rage room, not inside of it."
"Still an ambush." Tina countered as they rode in the elevator to reach Gavin's floor. "And you were still assaulted by three very dirty, very corrupt cops. You're innocent and just a victim of unfortaunate circumstances."
"My word against theirs isn't going to cut it."
"The deviant witness already gave a statement against them." Stepping through the parted doors Tina insisted that Gavin speak up and tell the truth. "You speaking up will only make the witness's statement even stronger."
"Maybe if we... Hey!"
A vandal at Gavin's locked apartment door turned to face the shouting voice and revealed enough of his face for Gavin's scanner to identify within milliseconds. As he turned to run Tina pulled her gun and prepared to open fire only if absolutely necessary.
"Stop where you are, Archie!" Gavin shouted as he ran past his now spray painted and heavily damaged door to chase down the crooked cop. He knew Tina would hang back and check on his apartment and catch any potential partners in crime before they too could escape. "You can't get away from me or anyone else!"
Tina wisely called in the issue to dispatch and checked out Gavin's apartment while Gavin ran after Archie since she knew that Gavin wasn't going to give up the chase until he successfully arrested the corrupt detective. The fleeing cop tried to outrun Gavin in the stairwell, but Gavin was far too fast and far too determined to just let Archie get away when he was clearly trying to intimidate Gavin by vandalizing his apartment door.
As he stumbled down the final steps reaching the ground floor of the apartment Gavin leapt down the side of the staircase and landed right on Archie's back effectively knocking him to the ground and keeping him from making his final escape. The detective's scanner helped him execute a precise tackle that would incapacitate Archie without actively harming him.
"Aghghagh..." Archie moaned as he felt Gavin's full weight against his back and his shoulders. He had landed hard on his chest and had the wind knocked out of him with just the single impact as he hit the floor. "Get... o-off!"
"No way! You're under arrest, Archie." Proudly Gavin took the handcuffs from the back of his belt and secured Archie's wrists behind the man's back. Grabbing onto Archie's shoulder Gavin hefted the man up to his feet and made him march out of the stairwell and toward the front of the apartment to await responding officers at the front desk. "How fucking dumb can you be to pull that stunt in broad daylight?"
"D-Doesn't matter..." Wheezing a little Archie didn't even try to put up a fight as two squad cars pulled up in front of the apartment to take him into custody. The man felt untouchable and superior despite his many flaws. "You're a dead man, Reed. Pl-Plastic doesn't belong in the precinct!"
"Neither do corrupt pieces of shit like you!" Shoving Archie toward Chris and another officer as they entered the building's front lobby, Gavin let the younger man take charge of Archie. "Take him back to the precinct and let Fowler talk to him. I'll bring in some evidence in a minute."
"You got it." Grabbing Archie's shoulder Chris led the man outside and let his partner open the rear door of the squad car and shove him in the back. "You're under arrest and you already know your rights. It'd be in your best interest to use them."
The odd sense of satisfaction was shortlived as Tina suddenly appeared from the elevator holding Lucky in her arms. The look of fear and panic in her eyes was all it took to shift Gavin's attention elsewhere as he felt his heart racing with fear. "Ti, why do you have Lucky? What's going on?"
"I went inside your apartment to check it out and found Lucky throwing-up and walking around all disoriented. I don't think it's a coincidence that Archie stopped by to mess with your place and now she's acting sick."
Moving quickly Gavin pressed his palm against Lucky's side and let the scanner in his head automatically activate.
...Analyzing
...Chemical Sample Confirmed
...Antifreeze
[...Blood Concentration: 12%]
"Son of a bitch! The fucker poisoned my cat with antifreeze!"
"Oh, shit..."
"Y-You hold her and I'll drive!" Gavin insisted as he and Tina rushed out of the apartment building to his car to make an emergency stop at the veterinarian. "I can use this stupid android brain to let them know we're coming so they can treat her a little faster!"
"Those assholes have officially lost it!" Tina shouted as she cuddled Lucky and lightly rubbed her ears to offer some form of comfort to the poisoned animal. She knew how much Gavin adored the cat and she knew he'd never forgive himself if she succumbed to be poisoned. "Who the fuck poisons someone's cat?"
"People who want someone to be threatened or to act irrationally." Tightening his grip around the steering wheel Gavin felt the surface bending under his touch and knew that his anger was reaching an entirely new level. "Cruelty to animals is on par with someone abusing their own child... I'll personally make sure Archie feels every ounce of misery that Lucky is feeling right now, then I'll double it!"
It didn't take long for the news of Archie's arrest to spread through all the precincts in the city. The moment word of a dirty cop being busted in the act came to light, every single police Captain was put on guard and Internal Affairs immediately began an investigation into the corrupt officer's arrest. The media had gotten wind of the arrest and began converging around all of the city's precincts in an attempt to be the first to break the story and identify the arrested cop, and in turn Chris had to take a creative route to reach the rear entrance of the Central Precinct and march Archie directly into the interrogation room to await Captain Fowler's assessment on the unfortunate situation.
Shortly after Archie was secured in the interrogation room Ben received a cybernetic e-mail from Gavin regarding what he and Tina had witnessed, and even managed to send him a visual and audio recording of the scene from his own eyes and ears. The evidence was strong, but the threats issued by the three corrupt cops that were sitting in the glovebox in Gavin's car were stronger. Until the additional evidence was collected the precinct would have to rely solely on Gavin and Tina's eyewitness statements.
"Will she be okay?" Gavin asked as he lightly pet Lucky's side and waited for an update on her condition. The veterinarian had been able to administer activated charcoal directly into Lucky's stomach to absorb the antifreeze, but even so she'd need to be monitored for any sign of deterioration in her condition. "I mean... We got her here in time, right?"
"She has a very good chance at a fully recovery." The veterinarian, Dr. Valentine, explained kindly as she drew blood from Lucky's arm. She'd need to monitor the antifreeze still in the cat's body and monitor her for any sign of kidney damage. "She's healthy and has been taken very good care of."
"I can't believe someone intentionally tried to kill my cat just to try to intimidate me!"
"People can be very cruel." Dr. Valentine astutely commented as she watched Gavin fuss over his sick cat. "That's why good people like you and your partner are out in the streets protecting everyone."
Tina rubbed her hand along Gavin's shoulder as she leaned against his side. "We need to get back to the precinct. That twisted fucker is being interrogated and I want to watch him squirm."
"Yeah, I know." As he spoke Gavin continued to pet Lucky's side and didn't stop until he finally heard a soft purr. "I just hate leaving her here, you know? She can't understand that she's in an animal hospital being taken care of in the same we that we can understand being admitted to a normal hospital."
"But she does know that you're taking care of her and that she'll be just fine. Come on," pulling Gavin's arm Tina did her best to get her friend moving. "we can check on Lucky later, then as soon as she's back home you can spoil her rotten!"
Looking up at the vet Gavin asked for confirmation that it was okay to leave the clinic. "She's really okay for now, right?"
"That's right, she's stable."
"And if there's any change in her condition you'll call me, right?"
"Yes, immediately." Motioning to the android assistant actively cleaning and disinfecting the exam room Dr. Valentine promised that someone would reach Gavin in the event anything changed while he was gone. "We'll be in contact."
"All right, yeah, okay." Lifting his hand slowly Gavin backed away from the table and stepped out of the room alongside Tina. "As soon as Lucky's good to go home I'm taking her to YOUR place to recover. I'm going to be looking for a new place to live."
"I can't say that I blame you."
As the two detectives passed through the waiting area Gavin noticed another veterinarian getting in an android assistant's face and scolding her for not immediately cleaning up an exam room. The sight of the deviant just taking the verbal abuse and not trying to defend herself made Gavin actually feel bad. Despite his gut telling him to speak up Gavin didn't want to accidentally say or do anything that'd upset the vet clinic while Lucky was still there as a patient.
Once the chewing out had ended the deviant assistant approached the front counter to speak with Gavin directly. "I apologize for any delay."
"It's, uh, no problem." Gavin was unable to look the deviant in the eyes as he pulled his wallet from his back pocket. "Just take care of my cat."
"I promise that Lucky is in great hands. Dr. Valentine is taking care of her, while Dr. Clemente has just finished his shift." As she spoke the deviant peered over her shoulder to look at the closed office door where Dr. Clemente had disappeared into. "Dr. Valentine treats us with respect, while Dr. Clemente treats us with contempt."
Such a comment drew worry in Gavin's eyes as he finally looked at the deviant across from him. "...Does that factor into the animals' care here?"
"No." Processing Gavin's debit card the deviant just gave him a small smile. "They know us deviants would report any intentional neglect. It also helps that they think you're a human." Motioning to the card and the wallet the deviant explained her reasoning. "Using such payment methods helps us blend in a little easier, doesn't it?"
"...Yeah, sure." Gavin hadn't even considered how he looked to other people and how only other deviants knew that he too was a deviant at first glance. The only people who had treated him with disrespect and violence were humans, and they were humans he once considered to be his friends. "Just let me know when I can take Lucky home. And if she needs any further treatment to recover, I give you my permission to do whatever's necessary to save her in advance."
"I'll pass along the message."
Humbled and disgusted at the same time Gavin walked with Tina through the clinic doors to return to his car parked outside. Everything that had happened to him had been the result of poor decisions made by humans, whereas deviants had been only kind, respectful and supportive of him despite never knowing him until the very moment they spoke. If it wasn't for Tina holding onto his arm Gavin would've felt entirely alone in the world that day.
"Let me drive." Tina insisted as she saw the pained look in Gavin's eyes. The man had been through one incredibly stressful ordeal right after the other all week long, and he needed a small break. "You can just zone out for a few minutes while we head back to the precinct."
"...Yeah, okay." Handing Tina the car keys Gavin gave his best friend a truly appreciative glance. "Thanks."
"No problem. Just focus on finding the other two assholes for now, then you can come back here and spend the night alongside Lucky."
"Only after those three are behind bars and I'm back my human self will I feel safe enough to come back here." Looking down at his palm as he took his seat beside Tina inside the car Gavin worried that he might accidentally shock his beloved pet just by touching her. It was then Gavin had an odd moment of self-awareness. "I am such an asshole!"
"No, you're just stubborn."
"Tina, I didn't give a shit about actually putting in any effort into getting those three corrupt fuckers off the street until after they poisoned my cat. How can I care more about her than anyone else in this city? I mean, I saw how terrified Tony was when he was trapped in the rage room, I saw the pain on Connor's face when he kept pushing through his damage, and I kept ignoring your advice until it was almost too late. Why do I do that?"
"Because you're still learning how to trust," the kind officer noted as she turned over the car's engine. "and trust is something that'll always be earned and never just given."
"You're not offended by me being a major prick?"
"Not in the slightest. You're not a prick, by the way." Tina confirmed as she pulled the car out of the parking lot and onto the street. "You're abrasive!"
"Which is a nicer way to call someone a 'prick'. The words are synonymous, after all."
"A real prick wouldn't be able to admit their faults or joke about themselves." Reassuring Gavin was quite easy for Tina since she knew him better than anyone else did at the moment. "Just focus on closing your cases, arresting those bastards and then you kick your own ass later. I'll even help you if you want!"
Managing a soft chuckle Gavin leaned back and closed his eyes as he tried to just relax for a moment before going back to work. "I always knew I could count on you to get me through this Hell, Ti."
The interrogation room had been tense from the second Archie was locked away to wait for Captain Fowler to come for him, but when the interrogation was over the tension had reached a crushing weight. The very real threat now aimed at Archie for his crimes had been enough to make the man crack and confess to other shady dealings going on inside the dive bar and right out of his own squad car when he was out on patrol. The frequency in which both Doug and Isaac's names were mentioned didn't do much to help Archie as begged for mercy, but it did help Captain Fowler and Internal Affairs sort through their nasty mess as the arrest warrants for the remaining two detectives had finally been issued.
Shortly after the interrogation began Hank had returned to the precinct to assist with the case himself. The sight of the pissed off Lieutenant looking to get some justice for his injured partner in one way or another was enough to make anyone who saw him walking step aside and ensure that Hank had a wide berth to move through.
"I guess Connor's stable." Ben stated rather confidently as he and Chris watched Hank make his way over to the interrogation room to ask a few very important questions of his own. "I saw Joel heading out with a locked case an hour ago, and I guarantee that case was holding that replacement part that Connor needed."
"Think the Lieutenant will be able to handle a case dealing with corrupt cops?" Chris asked in a sheepish manner. "They didn't do anything directly against Connor, but the Lieutenant looks like he's out for blood."
"Hank is just looking for an easy target to let out his stress on, and since Captain Fowler shows no mercy for corrupt cops I think he'll be just fine."
"Does this happen often?" Still wary of stepping on any toes despite being with the precinct for a couple years Chris asked about corruption in the police force. "I mean crooked cops getting busted like this."
"Even if it happens only once per century that'd still be far too many cops and a far too common of an occurrence. Try not to worry about people like that." Ben patted Chris's shoulder and gave the younger officer a confident nod. "You're an honest cop, which means you'd immediately recognize corrupt behavior and bring it to someone's attention before the corruption got out of hand."
"That doesn't mean that the corrupt cops wouldn't try to do something about me not playing along with their schemes."
"Which is why Hank and Jeffrey always make a big show about scaring the shit out of the busted cops for everyone to see. It's a professional and emotional deterrent that's proven to be quite impressive and effective of the past few years."
"Glad to know you're all on my side."
"Try to not think about this too much, it'll be over soon and before you know it there will be three less corrupt cops ruining our city." The sight of Tina returning to the bullpen alone wasn't something that Ben had been expecting and was worried about where Gavin was in that moment. She placed the three threats aimed at Gavin down on Ben's desk knowing that the seasoned investigator would take the threats very seriously. "Shit. Looks like Reed's gone dark again."
"Wait, what?"
"Whenever shit gets to be too much to handle, Reed isolates himself from work and his friends for a while. He never hides in the same place twice, and since his apartment had been targeted by those corrupt bastards, I have no idea where to even begin looking for him."
Chris looked over at Tina and saw that she appeared to be as exhausted as the rest of the bullpen. The woman sank into her seat and grabbed her empty mug and seemed to be debating whether or not it was worth it to get up and go all the way to the breakroom for a refill. By all account Tina seemed more tired than worried despite returning to the precinct alone, and to Chris that was a good sign that Gavin wasn't in any trouble.
"I think Tina knows where he is, and if she isn't worried then we shouldn't worry either. I trust him to do the right thing."
Unable to return to the Central Precinct just yet out of a sense of guilt and lingering anger for everything happening at the moment Gavin had asked for Tina to drop him off at the Zeta Facility instead. As if on autopilot Gavin found himself wandering the halls of the facility until he reached the private recovery room where Connor was still resting after having his new biocomponent installed inside his chest. The sight of Connor resting in the bed while looking exhausted and miserable gave Gavin an entirely new appreciation for what deviant androids had endured throughout the years, and he finally saw the deviants as people as opposed to just being machines wearing human faces.
Connor himself was no longer on the external ventilator, but he did have an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth to feed him clean air as his body recalibrated after the biocomponent replacement. The deviant was also holding a thermal blanket to his chest and based on the light blue glow Gavin could see that the blanket was cooling down Connor's body externally as he recovered. Thick white bandages were still in place over Connor's right cheek, along his neck and his shoulder to ensure his healing burns remained covered and debris-free.
Braving the potential confrontation awaiting him once he entered the room, Gavin pressed his palm to the lock beside the door and confirmed his identity as a police detective to access the secured room. As he passed through the door Gavin saw Connor's eyes open slightly as he turned his head to look at Gavin approaching him. Holding his breath Gavin decided he needed to be the first to speak and to find a way to make peace with his previously atrocious behavior.
"How are you feeling?" Gavin asked with marked sincerity as he ran a scan over Connor's body. He saw that the deviant was in pain and that his new ventilation biocomponent was still adapting to his system, which meant Connor couldn't breathe normally just yet. "You got your new part, but you still have to be feeling pretty bad."
Connor swallowed once and tried to speak but having the external tube down his throat for so long and his neck being somewhat irritated by the burns made it impossible for him to find his voice. Tapping the front of his throat to indicate his lost voice Connor let Gavin know what was going on before making a writing motion in the air to request a pad of paper and a pen.
"Just... do that cybernetic talking." Sighing openly Gavin shook his head at Connor's simple request. "I know you guys can do that!"
'We can, yes.' Connor confirmed on a cybernetic link with the second deviant. It was surprisingly easy to set up the link and begin communication with his fellow deviants. 'But I had presumed that you'd be too uncomfortable with such a method of communication to utilize it.'
"Yeah, I do hate it, but you can't talk. So this will have to do."
'I see. To answer your earlier question, I am feeling better.'
"Good." Standing beside the bed Gavin looked down at Connor and could see that the deviant's soulful brown eyes were fairly glassy with fatigue. "The surviving gang members are going to rot behind bars for the rest of their lives for what they did to us, so you don't have to worry about that."
'What of Detectives Douglas and Masterson? I know that Detective Carson was arrested earlier this evening after he vandalized your apartment and harmed your cat.'
"Warrants have been issued for their arrests, but I don't know if they've been caught yet."
'They will be.' Connor reassured through the cybernetic link. As he gave Gavin a thoughtful glance the corner of Connor's mouth ticked a little. 'I am sorry that your cat was harmed. That type of cruelty is never warranted.'
"...Yeah, thanks." Deciding that he'd had enough Gavin decided to head to the precinct and finally close the case at hand. "Uh, I'll see you around. It's good that you're going to make a full recovery."
Backing out of the room Gavin pressed his palm to his face and tried to ignore the incredible headache that was trying to settle in. Even as an android he couldn't seem to escape stress induced migraines or headaches, and in his current condition he couldn't take any medication to fend it off.
"Going so soon?"
Stopping in the middle of the corridor Gavin turned to look at Elijah over his shoulder as his brother caught up to him fairly quickly. "I have no reason to stick around."
"It might be safer for you-"
"I'm a detective." Snapping bitterly Gavin dismissed Elijah's worries and continued on his way to leave the facility for the precinct. "I can protect myself."
"There are still two corrupt detectives wandering the streets." As expected, Elijah was in the loop and knew what was happening even outside the facility. "They both have issued threats against you and are very likely to act on them."
"I'm not going to hide and let everyone else put themselves in harm's way to catch those assholes. They're my responsibility, and I'll handle it."
"And what if they do something very stupid to you before you even have the chance to react?"
"Then I'll improvise." Stopping at the doors of the facility for just a beat Gavin sighed and turned around to face his brother. "Just make sure no one comes here to take out Connor, and make sure Tina gets back to her apartment safely. I can take care of myself."
Looking annoyed but not surprised Elijah just nodded and agreed with Gavin's simple requests. "Very well. Go do what you need to do, and I'll keep an eye on things for you."
"Yeah, thanks."
Passing through the doors of the facility and out into the parking lot Gavin glanced about and noticed two police drones hovering nearby. A quick scan confirmed that the drones were assigned to watch over two people of interest and knew that both Doug and Isaac were also nearby. Openly scoffing Gavin walked down the sidewalk in the direction of the Central Precinct, and then decided to take a quick detour to his usual coffee place. He had an idea and knew he could have an ally watching his back from an unexpected place.
Making his way over to the coffee shop and blending in easily with the other patrons as they gathered at the counter, Gavin looked at the deviant who had been previously bullied and mocked by Doug and asked for his assistance. It didn't take long for the deviant to agree to the plan, and he happily played along as Gavin had requested.
"Remember what to do." Gavin insisted as he took an empty coffee cup with his name written on the side and backed away from the counter after taking a pen from the deviant's hand. "That asshole will be taken off the street soon."
The deviant just smiled coyly as he went back to his usual routine behind the counter. "Happy to help, Detective."
Carrying his empty cup in his hand as if it was full, Gavin continued walking toward his precinct and heard a large vehicle creeping up alongside him. Turning his head slightly he saw a black, windowless van nearing him and a quick scan confirmed that both Doug and Isaac were inside the van. He happily sent out a cybernetic broadcast to the overhead drones to request back-up at the area.
As soon as the van matched his pace Gavin kept walking and didn't put up a fight when the van door slid open and a burlap sack was thrown over his head. Moving quickly Gavin removed the lid from his cup and used the pen to swiftly write down the details of the van inside and then dropped the cup on the sidewalk to leave a trace of himself behind as he was abducted right off the streets by the two crooked detectives.
After being forced into the van Gavin felt his wrists being pinned behind his back, secured into cuffs and his gun being taken from its holster on his hip. Before he could say a word a strong blow to the back of his head quickly rendered Gavin unconscious and he knew nothing more of the world around him as he collapsed forward in the back of the enigmatic van.
-next chapter-