Elijah sighed tiredly as he headed down the hall. He was exhausted. After being woken up with Gavin crying and begging him for help in the middle of the night, driving at breakneck speed down the mountain, calming Gavin enough to bring him home, and actually getting back, he'd retreated to his lab. It was what he always did when he was stressed. Chloe often scolded him for it. He wouldn't stop to think about his emotions or talk it over. He'd retreat to his work and hide. That's what he'd done that night, too. He wasn't like Chloe. He'd never been very good at offering sympathetic comfort. That didn't mean he didn't care. He gave his brother support all the time, and tonight was no different.
Gavin had seemed so small when he'd found him. He'd been huddled on a bench in the small park near Carl Manfred's house. It was a place Elijah had often gone to a few years back, but not so much recently. There was little point with Carl's health being so poor. He could rarely venture outside these days. Elijah's visits was how Gavin knew about it. They'd often met there after his visits with Carl to go into the city or return to the mansion. Gavin had been shivering that night when Elijah found him. The hastily packed duffle bag had been sitting by his feet and he'd folded his arms across his chest for warmth. It wasn't just from the cold. He was in a certain amount of shock. Elijah hadn't noticed his lip or eye until he'd raised his head. He'd had his hood pulled up to hide himself from anyone passing by.
"Eli…" Gavin had murmured quietly as he noticed his approach. Elijah's jaw had tightened as he'd taken in the injuries on his face. This wasn't the first time, but after not seeing him for so long, it looked far worse than he remembered. It didn't help that he'd lost weight since then. Most wouldn't notice. Not with the loose-fitting leather jacket, but Elijah could see it. It wasn't just in his limbs. It was his face. His cheeks were tighter. The rings beneath his eyes were deeper. His skin was paler, even in the dim orange glow of the streetlights. He almost didn't look like his brother. He was like a husk. A haunted shell of what he used to be.
"Fuck, Gavin…Come here…" Elijah had held his arms out, trying not to seem too judgemental as he'd tugged Gavin against his chest. My little brother…How did this happen to you? He couldn't help but wonder if he'd played a part in it. Perhaps he hadn't been a good enough older brother. He should have noticed at the first sign of trouble. He should have done more to talk some sense into him. Maybe he could have made him stay longer. He truly regretted their last fight. If they hadn't argued, perhaps Gavin would have called sooner. Perhaps he wouldn't have felt so ashamed and avoided him for so long. He'd held Gavin tighter as he'd started sniffling quietly. That had been telling enough. Gavin hated crying in front of people. Even as a child, he used to hold his breath, tighten his jaw, and insist he was fine. He'd always been the stronger one back then. Elijah had felt Gavin grip back, trembling hands desperately fisting in his black leather jacket. "What happened?"
"H-h-he-ph-he-ph-phcking-choked me! Phck! I thought I was going to phcking die!" Gavin had continued to sob as Elijah's blood froze in his veins. How had he come so close to losing his brother without realising? Gavin could have died, and he wouldn't have known. He could deal with losing him on the job. That had been a very real possibility for years. He'd come close more than once, but this…To have almost lost his little brother to a shameless abuser. It was unacceptable. Elijah had fisted a hand in Gavin's hair, grounding and soothing him. There had been no question about Gavin coming home with him. He wouldn't let him go to his apartment alone. It wouldn't be safe there. This person likely knew where he lived.
"You're coming back to the mansion…Do you have work tomorrow? You'll have to call in sick if you do." Elijah had left no room for arguments. Perhaps he'd been a little controlling in telling Gavin where he was going and what he was going to do, but he could hardly go to work like that. Elijah's jaw had tightened in a mixture of anger and disgust as he'd noticed the dark ring around his neck. Gavin had been subdued, meekly nodding his obedience as he'd let Elijah take his bag. Elijah had done his best to distract him during the drive.
He'd asked about his current cases, but Gavin had been off work for the past month solid. He'd taken all of his saved vacation time to spend with his boyfriend. That he only had a few days left was what had set him off. He hadn't liked the idea of Gavin returning to work. It had been a point of contention between them for weeks. That was part of what the month off had been about. To give him time to convince Gavin that staying home was a good idea. To sell the idea of being a househusband. Gavin had refused to quit more than once. It was one of the few things he'd ever refused to do. Elijah didn't know if he wanted to know about the other things he'd agreed to. At the very least, he was relieved that Gavin had kept his phone and financial independence. He'd managed to get out when he'd needed to.
Back at the mansion, Tiny's reaction had been one of the most heart wrenching things to see. For weeks, months, Elijah had to apologise to him each time he'd left and returned to the house. For the first few weeks, Tiny had looked up with hope in his eyes, almost expectant as he'd peered around Elijah as he'd stepped inside. After that, he'd barely raised his head to acknowledge his comings and goings. He'd stopped refuelling. Chloe had been worried about his smaller body. She knew the extraction model was more durable. It had a larger amount of fuel and remained in stasis as long as its mind resided within its reconnaissance form. Elijah had considered removing him from the entrance hall to put him in stasis. He was glad he hadn't. It seemed that Tiny was exactly what Gavin had needed.
Chloe, knowing how inept he was at such things, had volunteered herself for Gavin duty. She'd watch those silly movies that Elijah hated, and take comfort food and drinks to him. She truly was his other half, excelling where he was lacking. Perhaps that's why he loved her so much. He'd gone to his lab after that. Even when not working, he still got a lot of comfort from simply being there, surrounded by his projects. He'd tinkered for a while, just playing with a few bits of coding. Hours passed. He should have returned to bed some time ago, but since he'd woken up with such an adrenaline rush, he was no longer tired. He only left the lab because he knew he had an early start. One of the few things he didn't like about being the CEO of Cyberlife again.
It was as he returned from the lab that he heard the doorbell. Who would…Elijah's brow furrowed suspiciously as he walked into the entrance hall and looked at the camera feed. It was a man. The security light lit him up somewhat, but the small video was still fairly grey in the surrounding darkness. He wasn't wearing a uniform, and it wasn't anyone that he recognised. Elijah frowned, hesitant about opening the door. He gasped as he heard a rumble in the large metal vents above his head. The extraction model had come out of stasis. That was reassuring enough for him to at least answer via the intercom.
"Hello?" he greeted cautiously, watching as the man jumped and looked around for a speaker. It didn't take him long to figure out Elijah could probably hear him. He was quite young, perhaps around his own age. Elijah's eyes thinned with suspicion. It couldn't be! There's no way anyone would be so brazen. Not after what had happened that very night, barely four hours ago. Elijah's jaw tightened.
"Hello? Is Gavin there? He invited me over to talk." It was! It had to be! Elijah felt heat coil in his chest. He almost scoffed at the absurdity of it. What was this man thinking, coming to his front door? And what had Gavin been thinking? Was he really so foolish as to invite this person into his home? To talk to him at all? Elijah jerked his head upwards as he heard scraping in the vent. The sound was almost eager. The expectant clicking of anxious claws. Perhaps Gavin hadn't sent out the invitation after all. In which case…His dirty green eyes softened as he reached for the handle.
"Certainly." Elijah opened the heavy door and put on his most inviting smile. He had years of experience with faking it. Countless long interviews and business meetings. He even knew how to crinkle his eyes and soften his features to make himself seem more welcoming. "He didn't mention you were coming. Had I known, I would have made sure someone was here to meet you. I hope you found your way up alright. The roads are quite treacherous at night," he added as he waved the man inside and closed the door. The man was about his own height, but broader. Stronger. He could see how Gavin, a trained police officer, had taken a beating. He didn't allow the displeasure to show on his face as he noted the bruised and mildly cut knuckles. Injuries sustained while beating his brother. The man didn't seem to notice at all as he gave him a charming smile and extended his hand.
"You're right about that, but I managed the ride up alright." So, he'd driven up, or perhaps he rode a motorcycle of some sort. He didn't have a helmet, but he was wearing leathers. The pants could have been for fashion, but the jacket was certainly thick enough to be for biking purposes. "David Cooper. Sorry to come over so late. I just couldn't refuse when Gavin asked me to come." He was certainly smooth. Elijah could see why Gavin would be swayed by him. He just seemed so charming and reasonable as he humbly thanked him for his hospitality.
"I don't know what Gavin's doing right now, but I'll have you wait in the parlour while I find him." David seemed more than satisfied with that as Elijah led the way. It seemed David was well educated. He paused by one of Manfred's works to ask about it, and he was fascinated by the antiques on display in the large front parlour. Elijah obliged him a little as he looked around. "Is that a genuine Monet?" David asked as he paused by a large picture of flowers on a lake. Elijah glanced up as he poured a generous measure of amber liquid into a tumbler. It would be more than enough to keep his guest occupied while he waited.
"Ah, yes. It came into my possession some five years ago. A gift from an old friend," Elijah replied jovially as he joined him by the painting. He did enjoy the faded colours that gently blended into each other. It was quite beautiful. It was genuine, but he wouldn't have cared if it was fake either. He held the glass out to David, who accepted it with polite thanks. "Please, make yourself at home. I'm sure Gavin will be down shortly," Elijah added as he motioned towards the large seating area. David seemed content on his feet for now, blue eyes scanning the décor with interest. They both paused as a groan sounded in the vents near the door. "Do excuse the noise. Pipes…It happens a lot with the underfloor heating we have installed," Elijah excused smoothly as he headed for the door. David didn't argue. He merely returned to looking around while he waited.
Elijah paused as he closed the doors behind him and turned away, resting his back against the white wood. He was in the room. The man who'd hurt and almost killed his brother was right behind him, inside his own living room. His jaw tightened as he ground his teeth. Even if the man was a monster, was he really going to do this? He sighed as he closed his eyes and turned his face up towards the ceiling. A small creak sounded above his head, prompting him to open his dirty green eyes. There was a small mesh panel for the vent to his right. He couldn't see inside, but he could almost feel the ethereal silvery eyes glaring down at him. You know what he did! You know how he hurt Gavin!
The extraction model waited impatiently as he watched Elijah hesitating just outside the doors. All he needed was for him to head off deeper into the house. He just needed him to leave the door and get outside of earshot. Even if he heard, it would be too late by then. They both knew Elijah was no match for him physically, and he could deal with this Davey in two seconds flat. If he was quick. Taking his time would be preferable. However, he'd already factored in later events, such as disposing of the evidence without suspicion falling on Gavin or the Kamski estate. He stared at Elijah, quietly urging him to walk away and let it happen.
He was surprised as Elijah finally opened his eyes to look up at the vent. It was almost as if he could see him. As if he was staring him right in the eye. His eyes looked somewhat cold. Pleasure coiled through the extraction model's insides when he heard the soft click of the key in the lock as Elijah reached behind and turned it. This was an unexpected and fortuitous turn of events. He was pleased that Elijah was being so reasonable. This Davey had hurt Gavin repeatedly. It would not happen again. There was a very easy way to make sure of that. Elijah paused as he stepped away from the door and reached down to adjust the cuff of his shirt.
"You know how I feel about messes." The words were spoken quietly. Calmly. Not a warning, but a simple statement of fact. The extraction model acknowledged his words with a few quiet clicks. Elijah nodded his satisfaction as he calmly walked down the hall. As he walked, Elijah heard the scuffle of claws in the metal vent. He continued through to the glass staircase in the entrance hall, pausing with his foot on the bottom step as he heard a few scuffling thuds and an inhuman cry. His lips curled as he headed up to bed. He had an early start in the morning, after all.