Chapter Text
Numerous tests, observations, and modifications, and PROJECT is still reluctant on clearing Jhin for release. They have every right to be wary of him after the few violent outbursts he’s had in the past. However, the facility has no choice but to send them out into the public due to short-handedness. Thankfully it’s a fairly simple task of monitoring a city district for the day until another, more qualified, model is cleared for patrolling.
Amidst taking a moment too long to polish their visor using the reflection of a shop window — there’s shouting in the distance. Jhin follows the sound and ends up at what seems to be a loud and boisterous protest. Anti-cyborg protesters, they’d never heard anyone at the facility mention these kinds of people before. He leans himself against a nearby light pole and watches it all unfold.
Before anything can get underway, there’s an order being barked into Jhin’s ear.
“There is a disturbance in your district! It’s at K-S Drive in the second sector! Handle it immediately!”
Jhin acknowledges the incessant screaming, unholsters their weapon, and approaches the commotion in front of them. A prominent voice at the head of the crowd catches his attention — an ashen blond man stood atop a bench. He pauses and waits to see where this goes, but out of the corner of his eye there’s a man with a broken glass bottle rampaging about and shoving others. It’s clear that he’s under the influence and unfit to be out in public because he poses a threat. Without hesitation, Jhin shoots him in the foot. Everyone nearby focuses their attention on the man now screaming and holding his foot, then moves their attention to the PROJECT enforcer. There’s an immediate panic as people rush away from the site. Ironically enough, pushing and shoving as the now incapacitated man did earlier.
There’s one person who remains — the instigator. He stood there, wide-eyed in the remains of the protest. Slowly, the man’s blond feathered ears lower as Jhin stares him down to scan the individual.
CITIZEN: RAKAN - AGE: 34 - RECORD: A LIST OF PUBLIC DISTURBANCES - COMPOSITION: ORGANIC - ACTION: APPREHEND.
Reholstering the weapon, Jhin readies themself to launch into a run and it appears Rakan has the same idea and takes off at a dead sprint. The chase causes them to dash through a plethora of less-than-ideal obstacles with ease and leads them both to a dead-end alleyway. He knows that he’s capable of capturing Rakan swiftly with little to no struggle. Though their train of thought gets cut short.
“PROJECT really likes to silence our voices huh? They don’t want to hear anyone else’s opinions but their own. Releasing newer models of dangerous robots every year and yet they’re all still the same,” Rakan says angrily.
Jhin straightens himself up and rests a hand on his hip. “We are hardly similar. I’ve only been alive for a month and even I can tell us all apart,” they state haughtily.
“You just shot someone! Every single one of you will resort to violence on the spot! You are all the same!” Rakan snaps back, each sentence more hostile than the last.
“For someone who had the best seat in the house, you are obscenely blind. There was a child about to be on the receiving end of a glass bottle had I not done anything. Would you rather have me just stand there and watch or would you prefer that I’d done something? I’d have no problem observing if it weren’t for my programming,” Jhin replies.
Rakan stands in stunned silence.
Dusting himself off and abruptly clearing his throat, “I, uh, yeah. Yeah, you’re right there, I’m sure the guy will be fine...eventually. So, is this the part where you arrest me or what?”
Jhin grins underneath his visor, “No.”
“What? But I’m cornered and have nowhere to go. I’m an easy catch,” Rakan comments.
“I find your cause interesting. It would be a shame if the head organizer were to be apprehended. I am also aware that you could easily scale the building behind you if you truly wanted to leave,” Jhin answers, turning on their heel to exit the alleyway.
Rakan shouts down the alley, “Won’t they see you letting me go?!”
“There aren’t any cameras in this area!” they respond, rounding the corner onto the sidewalk.
Jhin returns to the facility to fill out paperwork and enter the report for the disturbance from that morning. Omitting their ability to catch or identify the culprit, claiming that they had been too slippery and essentially got away. He proofreads it four separate times to ensure it’s up to par with PROJECT’s standards — one of the few things he can manage to abide by.