Come on…Keep it together, asshole, this was your idea! Reed steeled himself and gripped the steering wheel as he took a breath. He'd just pulled up in the parking lot on the outer edge of the city. It wasn't far from the rundown biker dive, a small hut that had been turned into a bar. Ashton's gang were the main customers, and police tended to steer clear of it. They rarely caused a ruckus in their own territory. They'd agreed to meet alone, somewhere neutral, but still within the outer edges of Ashton's territory. Ashton had chosen a rundown parking lot, where an old supermarket stood like a rusted husk. It had been popular back when people lived close to the area. Most of those old houses had been knocked down by now or stood empty and neglected, waiting for redevelopments that would never come.
The supermarket husk itself was still standing, though he wouldn't trust the rusted ceiling enough to go inside. There'd likely be nothing in there anyway. Any useful materials would have been robbed and sold off already at this point. The building was locked up and fenced off with tall metal railings, ready for demolition. It wasn't a bad place for androids to consider buying up for redevelopment. Looks creepy as phck right now though…He might be scared if he believed in ghosts. His was the only car, and he'd parked right in the middle of the open lot. If he got company, he'd know about it.
He took a somewhat shaky breath as he stepped out, aching for a cigarette for the first time in a couple of weeks now. His fingers twitched as he shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the door waiting. He was a little early for the meeting, so it didn't really surprise him that Ashton wasn't there yet. He'd always been late for shit. Feeling restless and exposed, he couldn't help fidgeting, moving his weight from foot to foot. He missed Nines more than he'd care to admit. With Nines at his back, he always felt safe and secure. He fidgeted again, folding his arms anxiously as he tapped his foot.
He was pretty sure that Ashton would come, and that he'd keep his end of their agreement and come alone. What he wasn't sure about was the AHL. Had the PC200s reported back about what he was doing? Had they been listening in on his calls as they thought? And if they had, would VB and Fifty-Seven take the bait and come? If they came, would they try to kill him on the spot or take him somewhere quiet to draw the information out slowly? Would they strap him to a table? Cut him open? Pull out his insides and-Phck! Stop thinking about it! The last thing he needed was to give himself a panic attack right before the mission.
He couldn't help thinking about Nines. Had he managed to leave the hotel without being noticed? If anyone was watching us in the first place…There was no guarantee they were being stalked. He looked at the watch Colin had bought him. A tracker had been fitted beneath it as a decoy. It was getting closer to nine. Nines should have met Tina and Miller in town already. Did that mean he was close by? Or had they stayed a little closer to the city? He tried not to look around and search for the SWAT snipers he knew were there. Allen had never let him down. These guys were pros. He had nothing to worry about in that regard.
Green eyes snapped up as he heard the low rumble of an engine. A small one. Pitched higher than a car. Motorbike…must be Ashton. Looking across the deserted lot towards the main road, he found it deserted. Few people had a reason to drive out here these days. That made it harder to set up for surveillance, but SWAT must have managed. Reed couldn't see anything amiss. A small circle of light appeared. As it got closer, he could see it was an old model low rider, maybe some sort of Harley. He wasn't exactly an expert on bikes, but he knew Ashton had spent a pretty penny on it. It got louder as it rolled across the lot and pulled up a few feet away with a low rumble.
Ashton was larger in person than he'd expected, and not in a good way. He'd lost the muscled look from his old pictures and bulged out into a middle-aged biker. The type who spent a lot of time warming a bar stool. He had a fair bit of grey in his long scraggly hair and scruffy beard, and looked at least ten years older than him, even though they were about the same age. Jeez, and I worried maybe I wasn't aging well…He knew he was lucky not to have any greys yet, especially with the stress of his job, and he'd been fairly lucky with wrinkles so far, too. Ashton looked rough. He could heavy lines crinkling his eyes as he climbed off his bike. Probably the drugs…
"Gavin A Reed…Looking good there." Ashton kept his greeting light as he looked around the deserted lot. He was wearing standard black leathers, the jacket unable to close over his stomach. A headscarf was keeping his messy hair out of his face, greying locks kept tied in a low tail that reached his shoulder blades. It was definitely different from what they'd worn back in the day. It had been tight shirts and hoodies back then, with ripped jeans and old sneakers. "Not seen you in…fifteen years?" Ashton guessed as he sauntered over to the car.
"Something like that…" Reed's green eyes were cautious as he looked around. It was quiet besides Ashton's steady steps and the light breeze. He remained as he was, leaning on the car. Ashton joined him, lounging against the hood as he pulled a packet of cigarettes from his jacket pocket. He shrugged as Reed waved off his offer and took one himself. He hadn't been around a smoker for a few days. The smell was familiar and oddly comforting. He clenched his jaw as he resisted the urge to change his mind.
"So, what's the deal?" Ashton asked curiously as he took a long drag. He was similarly cautious as he looked around. It wasn't that he didn't trust Reed, though he was a cop. It was more that their meeting place was wide and open. He couldn't help feeling exposed. The openness should have been reassuring. They were less likely to be taken by surprise, but it also meant they were fairly isolated. Reed sighed almost nervously as he pushed himself off the car and paced a little. He kept his hands in his pockets against the evening chill. It was still pretty cold, even as winter gradually receded.
"I can't give you all the details, but you know about the AHL, right?" They'd discussed it a little on the phone already. Ashton nodded as he blew smoke over his shoulder. It was hard not to know about them in the AAL. They were do-gooders mostly. Androids that turned up to ruin the fun at parties. More than one trashcan had escaped thanks to their intervention. They were having to choose more carefully. It was hard to spot AHL members, and the more advanced the android, the more likely they were to be hooked up somehow. They had to be especially careful these days, avoiding both the police and the AHL.
"How can I not? Fucking plastic rust buckets have been causing us all sorts of trouble," Ashton scoffed as he took another drag. Reed very much doubted those words, considering his own history with the AAL. He was pretty sure that many members of the AHL were honestly just trying to help keep their people safe. He couldn't blame them for that either. Hell, he didn't even blame them for having an anti-human sentiment. The problem is that some are going to extreme lengths…He didn't argue the point out loud. He wasn't there to antagonise Ashton or get on his bad side.
"Had you already heard about the disappearances before I called?" He was a little curious about the answer. They didn't know how much the AAL knew about what was going on, though he was sure there were probably a few members still on the force who suspected it. At the very least, they would have been aware of the high-profile members disappearing.
"We'd noticed a few folks going missing, sure…Should have known it had something to do with the Great Plastic Army. You think it's those Jericho guys? The ones from the TV?" There was something antagonistic hidden in the depths of his scornful eyes. He's definitely looking for payback…Reed shook his head. He could at least separate Markus and his people from this fight. That would be best for all of them. Markus had enough trouble keeping up good press as it was without AAL members spreading lies in the media. He'll probably have to defend himself from AHL association once this shit gets out anyway…
"No, it's not Jericho. Markus is just trying to do what's best for his people, and murder wouldn't do that." Ashton seemed unconvinced by the reassurance. It also hadn't slipped his notice that Reed called the android by its name and not a slur. He really had changed. It was a shame. Reed had been a good team member a few years back, and a good friend. "We think a small group within the AHL are carrying out vigilante kills on the more violent AAL members. We have four bodies so far. All of them were well-known members with reputations for killing androids and boasting about it online." Ashton nodded his agreement. He knew about those guys and their reputations. Good people.
"Let me guess, I'm next up on the hit list," Ashton huffed with a mixture of amusement and resignation. He didn't need to see Reed nod. He was surprised he wasn't a higher priority. It wasn't like he'd slowed down over the years. He'd just gotten better at hiding the evidence. It was easy once you knew how. It helped that a lot of officers still didn't take android crimes seriously. Why would they? Glorified fucking computers. It was no different to smashing up a PC or crushing a car.
"You're pretty high, yeah. That's why I reached out to you specifically. I can't tell you what it is, but we noticed something while processing the bodies. Something that led us to believe that this group is slowly becoming more…sadistic. They're not just vigilantes anymore. They're showing signs of going serial. At least, someone in their group is." Reed didn't need to lie or exaggerate. It was easy to tell from the trophy taking. Vigilantes were too high on their own righteousness to care for such things. The taking of trophies, no matter how small, was for the killer to relive the experience. We just need to figure out which android is the killer and find the items we know are missing. He'd bet anything it was VB and that Fifty-Seven knew about it, but he wouldn't know for sure unless something happened.
"A robot serial killer. Are you fucking serious? I knew these plastic pricks were a fucking menace! The president was crazy for giving them rights! They should have been rounded up and deactivated from the start! But no, the crazy bitch sees two of them kiss and gets all romantic! This is why women shouldn't be in charge of anything important!" Ashton gruffed as he tossed his cigarette. This just proved that he'd been right all along. The sooner they were destroyed, the better, and he was damn well going to make sure their members knew about this shit! They had to make a plan. Hit back at the AHL before the AHL came after them as a group. Reed didn't comment on that. He needed Ashton to cooperate. Getting on his bad side would just make him rush off and do something reckless.
"It may not be the whole group. We think it's just one or two, but we need help getting the proof on this one." Reed watched Ashton scoff. Help to what? Catch them in the act and arrest them? Put them through the human justice system? Give them a punishment fit for a human? What was the point of that? The only fitting punishment for an unstable android was deactivation. They should be melted down and used for scrap! Turn them into something useful, like a toaster or a vending machine. Something to serve humans. "Come on, can you help a guy out? I just got this promotion, so I need the close on this one…Wouldn't hurt to stick it to my oh-so-advanced android partner, either." That worked. Reed could tell straight away. It was one thing to close cases to help androids and shit, but quite another to do it for your own gain. Ashton wouldn't help to bring a rogue android to justice, not when he could hunt it down and smash it up himself. He might help to make an old friend look good, though, especially if it advanced him over an android.
"Well…I guess I can help for a good cause. Must be rare for humans to advance these days," Ashton replied sympathetically as he puffed on his cigarette. That wasn't true at all. In fact, androids in the DPD workforce were rare. Reed had been chosen for advancement based on his own merit, but he was pretty sure that in other precincts, humans would be promoted over androids just for being human. They were still the dominant species, and prejudice wouldn't go away overnight. That being said, it wouldn't hurt to encourage Ashton a little.
"We're seeing more androids join, that's for sure. They don't even have to go through the academy! They can just download what they need and start right away. How are we supposed to compete with that?" It wasn't a lie either. Most of the androids on the force had been designed specifically for the job. They were mostly either PC200s, PM700s, or other security trained models. Those who had the right programming and felt they could best use their skills with the police. Connor and Nines were two more who'd jumped to detective level right out of the gate. No academy. No training. Just straight into the workplace. It was easy to fall into old resentments.
"Alright, I got you, boy," Ashton relented with a sympathetic pat on his shoulder. Reed had expected nothing less. Anything to help a human get ahead and stick it to the androids. Both paused as a low rumble sounded on the main road. They looked at each other questioningly, silently checking to see if the newcomers were people they knew. They weren't. Here we phcking go…Reed naturally reached for his sidearm as the van came into view. His skin was prickling already. He knew he was supposed to go with it, but he didn't want to make it too easy for them. Ashton had a gun too, though he hadn't noticed it before. Ashton drew it and pointed it at the approaching vehicle without an ounce of hesitation.
The van was large, the type that maintenance workers usually drove around in. It was a rundown, rusting heap with faded powder blue paint that was scratched to hell with a sliding door on the side. It was that door that slid open as the van screeched to a halt alongside them. All hell broke loose. Reed held his gun ready, being an officer of the law and all, but Ashton didn't hesitate to fire. The moment the first head appeared, it fell back in a spray of blue. Reed's heart pounded as voices raised and shots fired. He steadied his gun and rolled away from Ashton, who went down hard. He wasn't sure if they'd aimed to kill or not, and he didn't have time to check as three guys jumped out. It was impossible to tell what models they were. They were all dressed in black, clearly well prepared for the ambush.
"Stop! Detroit Police!" Reed warned as he raised his gun, though he wouldn't fire without cause. Although it happened a lot in the movies, it was actually a lot of paperwork to explain fired rounds. He wasn't supposed to resort to it unless he had to, and in this case, he was supposed to get taken. One of the androids moved towards Ashton, hefting him like a sack of potatoes and tossing him in the van. "Put it down! Don't make me shoot…" Reed grumbled as he steadied his aim, shifting between the two masked figures. They were fast but cautious. He wasn't sure if they knew what he was waiting for or not, but the moment one of them was close enough, he tried to grapple him.
"He's feisty!" It wasn't a voice he recognised. The one he was wrestling managed to knock his gun loose and pushed him off balance. He cursed as he stumbled back, and the other android somehow got behind him and grabbed his neck, squeezing hard. He wasn't sure what pressure points were being pushed, but he fell to his knees in an instant.
"He's with the police. I expected no less," the other replied simply as he gripped his chin and tilted his head up. He was clinical and observant, with little emotion in his tone and seemed almost disinterested as he turned his head this way and that. Phck, Nines, you'd better not lose signal…Reed made a final effort to push himself up before some sort of cloth was pressed over his mouth and nose. It felt fresh on his skin, some sort of chloroform probably. It was a drug that took time to administer, but the android behind wasn't particularly worried. Reed struggled to his feet and tried not to breathe. Whatever it was, it smelled sweet. It left his lips and nose feeling fresh and warm, and it had a sweet taste that he couldn't place. The android behind was holding the cloth and gripping him across the chest while the other had stepped in front to restrain his arms and stop him from squirming too much. Kicking the android in front between the legs did nothing. Phck…
"That's it, Sergeant…just let it happen…Good boy…" the android behind murmured and praised softly as he felt him take a shuddering breath. Reed tried to object through the cloth, his whine muffled in the damp material. It burned his nose and stung his lips as he breathed. His struggles weakened as he took in another breath, and then another. His eyes were stinging and tired as he tried to shake them off. "He's going…" the android added gently as his body slowly sagged between them, though they didn't move until he was well on his way to passing out.
Reed was barely conscious as he felt himself being lifted and carried. He was tossed in the van, but with a little more care than Ashton. Whether that was because Ashton had shot one of their friends or because he was dead, he had no idea. He couldn't even bring himself to move as he heard the door slide shut. Two of the androids were in the back with him. One kept him pressed down on the floor with the cloth over his mouth and nose while the other checked on their friend. It had been a clean headshot. The android hadn't stood a chance. He couldn't hear Ashton, and the androids didn't talk about him, so he had no idea how he was. His eyes were too heavy to open, especially as that sweet smell returned with his next breath.