Nines' eyes were sharp as he all but stormed into the precinct. He barely waited for the barriers to open in his urgency. Heads turned as he stalked his way through the bullpen towards Fowler's glass office. It almost seemed that the voices stopped at the sight of him. Maybe they did. He knew LED was spinning red, and he could feel his jaw unhinging with the stress. Gavin was gone. His partner was gone! How had this happened? Why hadn't anyone informed him? He never should have allowed this to happen! It was common knowledge that Gavin had been approached to assist the narcotics division. He should have insisted he go along to monitor the situation. He should have remained at Gavin's side. The reason he hadn't was that he was far too recognisable. He was too much of a freak to go unnoticed. He was unable to restrain himself as he shoved the glass door open, almost pushing it off its hinges in his urgency. It bounced off the wall and slowly swung shut.

"Were you aware?" His voice was deep and demanding as he stormed across to the desk. Fowler was on his feet in an instant, unsure whether to stumble away, draw his sidearm, or placate the unearthly creature before him. Were you aware that Gavin has been taken? His lips could no longer form words as his jaw fully unhinged. His sharp teeth were on full display, visible all the way down his throat, analysis fluid dripping like saliva from his naked jowls. Even the ethereal blue of his eyes had shifted to red. His voice was like a recording, playing directly from the speaker in his throat. Gavin was the only one who would speak to him normally when he was like this. The only one who wouldn't cower and placate him. Only Gavin understood his stress and overstimulation. Only he could give him what he needed.

"I only found out half an hour ago…He was on an undercover mission for narcotics, and they lost contact. We're doing everything we can to find him!" Fowler insisted, holding one hand out in a calming manner as he tried to talk him down. He'd done this with officers before, but never one so dangerous as Nines. Not much was known about his model, but one look at his teeth was enough to tell him he could do a lot of damage if he went feral. He was barely holding back as it was. His sharp teeth had clenched, jaw quivering with the effort not to gnash and bite. "There's not much information about the men that took him, but we believe he was targeted specifically. We're not even sure it was part of the operation. It may have been a third, unrelated party. As for what they want…we really can't say at this stage…We'll do everything we can to track him down." There was really no more he could say than that. He was only human. A human in charge of a whole precinct. He was responsible for more lives than just Gavin's. Nines was clearly unsatisfied. A strange mechanical screech erupted from his chest. Gavin had been taken, and they were simply going to wait on the off chance he turned up? Unacceptable!

I will find him…Give me the authorisation! I will track him down! Nines' eyes sharpened as he waited, all six staring him down. Fowler almost sighed as he rubbed tired his eyes and nursed his brow. Maybe pairing him with Gavin Reed had been a bad idea. It seemed his reckless streak had rubbed off on him. He knew Gavin would do the same if given the chance. Blindly running off into the night without direction to hunt down the bad guys and save his partner. He'd also likely get himself killed in the process. Fowler remained standing, leaning one hand on his desk as he looked up at Nines' eager expression. He softened his approach, hoping to talk some sense into him.

"I know you're worried, but I can't authorise you to run off into the night without backup and potentially get yourself killed! We need information first…Believe me, you'll be the first person I call once we have something. Once we know where he is, I'll put a team together to bring him back, but until then…Get out of here and cool off…Come back first thing tomorrow and we'll see what our other agents managed to dig up," Fowler replied in a reasonable and almost fatherly tone. That wasn't good enough. Gavin could be dead by tomorrow! Nines almost cursed as he locked his gloved hands behind his back. He couldn't act without direct orders. He nodded his stiff agreement before leaving.

"Nines! Nines, wait!" He ignored Connor's gentle voice as he passed their desks. He didn't know much about the RK800, besides knowing he was inferior and unable to help in this instance. They had sat across from each other for almost four months since he'd first arrived at the DPD. During that time, Connor had attempted to befriend him on multiple occasions. However, there was something almost hesitant in his demeanour. His soft hazel eyes followed worriedly as Nines passed and stormed outside and down the front steps, almost breaking the barriers in his haste.

Nines knew he could track Gavin down. He knew he could. All he needed was permission to do so. An order to follow. An order he had been denied. Gavin was gone. Fowler had refused to give him the order he required. There was only one other higher authority that he could resort to. He was almost loath to make the call. He hadn't seen the man since he'd been released from the Cyberlife laboratory, incomplete and barely understanding his own functions. The only upside was that he knew he'd get the order he wanted. He waited impatiently as the internal line rang in his head.

"Hello, Nines. I wasn't expecting your call. Do you need something? Is there a software issue?" Mr Kamski's voice was pleasant, as always. It was that annoying, almost superior shade of pleasant. It let you know he was talking from a higher place. Somewhere beyond your reach or comprehension. Kamski's thoughts weren't unexpected, considering he'd been against activating and releasing him in the first place. He'd looked at his schematics and pointed out that he'd never been tested, and would likely suffer. He'd been correct. Nines' sensitivity had been an almost constant issue. His model had never been intended to mingle with crowds and fit into society. Nines was almost smug as he prepared to knock Kamski down a few pegs.

Your brother is missing. Give me an order. That was all he needed to say. The line went silent. He was curious about what Kamski could be thinking. He was likely shocked by the news. Since he knew that Nines was working with Gavin, he'd likely never considered that he could be kidnapped. Was he regretting his lack of precautions? Of not assigning security to Gavin as he did to himself and Chloe? Was he regretting that he hadn't contacted Gavin for over two years at this point? Was he worried that the bad blood between them would be left unresolved? Unable to see his face, Nines could only speculate. Speculation is irrelevant. I require orders.

"Gavin's gone?" Kamski's voice was surprised and worried, though he knew well that he had the best support available. He'd looked over Nines specs, and was even working on some patches and upgrades to help him adjust in the long run. He knew what he was capable of. What he'd been designed for. It was why he hadn't wanted him to be activated and released prematurely. It was why he'd removed the proof of his existence from public records. Nines didn't bother to respond. His silence was all the confirmation that Kamski required. "Get him back. Use whatever abilities you have at your disposal and get him back! Get him back, and see that this doesn't happen again." The order was as clear as it needed to be. Nines almost purred in satisfaction. His lips curled as much as they could with his jaw open as it was. He stepped into the nearest alleyway, using all of his senses to ensure he was alone as he began to strip off his material clothing. It would only get in the way as he transformed.

Understood. He didn't bother with a farewell. It was unnecessary. He was relieved to have sampled Gavin in many ways so far. He had his DNA profile from his saliva and was well acquainted with the taste and scent of his blood and sweat. These were the best tools he had at his disposal for finding him. He folded his suit neatly and tucked it behind one of the wheeled dumpsters, where it was unlikely to be found. Once he was naked, he removed his outer skin layer. Removing this layer worked to his advantage. His bare casing was far less sensitive to touch without it. Beneath his skin, his body was sleek and black. Delicate lines and segments had been engineered to shift and slot out of place. Activating Lovecraft Protocol. His programming queried his authorisation for the change. Authorisation – Elijah Kamski. Mission parameters – Protect Gavin Reed. Neutralise all threats. His program reviewed his orders and finally agreed. Permission had been granted.

It was strange, feeling the movement of his limbs as they disjointed and changed. He dropped to all fours as his limbs unlocked. They lengthened and widened, giving him more bulk. His joints bent and twisted, making it necessary to move on all fours while granting him added strength and speed. His eyes blinked black and red, one set at a time, testing each phase of vision. He could zoom in and out to different specifications. Heat patterns showed up in different colour spectrums. One set was on the ultraviolet spectrum, showing everything in bright white and off green. He could x-ray solid objects to see through walls. It was easy to follow different speeds and preconstruct scenarios. His eyes also had a choice of night vision or regular vision. All of this data came together in a single mass and assaulted his processors. Luckily, his processing speed had also increased to deal with that surge.

His mouth opened wide to allow his tongue to stretch out to its full two foot length as he stalked the alleyway, his transformation still incomplete as plates continued to slide into place. He swept his tongue back and forth, sweeping the air like a reptile. The tendrils stretched and twisted, searching for the barest hint of Gavin. He poured all of his sensitivity into his taste and scent sensors as he closed his eyes. It was there. The barest hint. Wherever he was, he was bleeding. He could taste it…Smell it. Gavin's coppery blood on the air. He was somewhere across town.

There was something else. Salt. Salty air. He was by the sea. Sea air and blood…There were a few options. A boat in port, a ship at sea, or some form of warehouse storage. A mechanical growl rumbled in his throat. All six eyes sharpened as he scaled the wall of the nearest building with his now clawed hands and feet. Each pound left small holes in the stonework as he climbed with a series of loud crunches. His transformation was almost complete as he reached the first rooftop and prepared to jump to the next. The increase in height had opened up the city, giving him a clearer direction as he focused on the trail. Gavin…