Work Text:
Connor watched the scenery fly by with vague interest.
Detective Reed was driving too fast he noted but reframed from pointing it out. It was better to avoid the Detective's temper whenever possible. Not that Gavin was ever in a pleasant mood, at least, not around Connor.
Their truce was a fragile thing. Life after the revolution was still being tested as androids and humans attempted to find a sort of peace between them.
For his part, Connor had returned to work. He loved it, loved the challenge and the thrill of solving a case. Markus had tried to encourage him to find something, "Outside your designed perimeters." As those mismatched eyes crinkled with a smile.
He'd considered it briefly before dropping the idea. Connor was happy; working and living with Hank was nice and he was beginning to make friends.
Gavin was really the only black mark but they mostly avoided each other and that worked out fine.
They'd been put together on this case because Hank was out sick and Captain Fowler had refused to let either human or android take it solo. Thus, they were temporarily partnered up.
The rumble of the car abruptly shut off as Gavin killed the engine and shoved up the emergency brake. He shifted in the car seat to point a finger at Connor threateningly.
"Listen here plastic—"
"Careful detective, I'm sure the captain would be displeased to hear you get yet another reprimand for workplace harassment."
Gavin's face went through a few expressions before he decided on a scowl. " Fine," he muttered darkly. "We just need to get through this. I want this wrapped up before Hank gets back and you two steal it from me, along with all the legwork I've done before now."
It was on the tip of his tongue to comment that it was their legwork but held himself back. Instead, Connor gave a brief nod of understanding. Although he wouldn't want the credit to fall on just Hank and himself—Gavin had been helpful so far—he was aware of how these things went. Credit went to the ones who closed the case, not the ones who began it. Gavin was aware of that as well.
"Great. Let me do the talking then," Gavin gritted out before unclicking his seatbelt and shoving his way out of the car with a curse. Connor followed more smoothly.
"Detective, I'm not sure that would be the wisest decision—"
"Oh yeah? If you haven't noticed, plas-Connor, most people aren't really thrilled to be asked questions by an android."
Connor forced a smile. Gavin was correct but that was hardly the point and the expression would rile up the detective even more. "I fail to see how your demeanor makes people more willing to talk."
They bickered on the way to the front door. To be honest, while Gavin was unpleasant at the station and his behavior while they were out in the field wasn't necessarily better the constant negativity wasn't as bad as Hank claimed it was.
Gavin was a hard worker and a good detective. Connor shouldn't be surprised by that fact, he'd seen Gavin's record. Still, it was quite another thing to see the way the man worked up close and personal.
The way they interacted was fun—stimulating in an odd way. So many people walked on eggshells around him, trying not to offend it seemed. More likely it was so they didn't say something to cost them their jobs. Gavin never pretended to be anything other than he was, to Connor's or anyone else's face. It was refreshing, like the way Hank had been at first. Nowadays Hank viewed Connor as family (which was something Connor greatly valued) and thus attempted to spare his feelings whenever possible.
"You there?" Gavin asked as a finger shoved at his flickering LED. Connor batted away his hand.
"I'm fine, detective. After you." Connor held open the door and ignored Gavin's grousing as he ducked inside before the android followed.
Their footsteps echoed as a chime rang out. They took in the space. It was painted white brick, art lined the walls and was stacked leaning against the brick, wide tables took up most of the space. An office was tucked off to the side, open to the rest of the room. It was a large space, with more in the back, hidden behind another doorway. Connor was idly researching the specs of the building as Gavin strolled forward.
It shouldn't come to an altercation but it never hurt to be fully prepared.
An android was working at a table, its back to them. "If you'll wait in the office, I'll be finished in 26.5 seconds." The voice was oddly familiar and Connor searched his memory banks for the source. Could just be he was tripped off by a voice alteration on a standard android line but he suspected not. The frame wasn't one he immediately recognized.
Gavin snorted but didn't move toward the office, just crossed his arms and waited so Connor did as well. When the aforementioned seconds were up, the android dropped a cotton ball into a bowl before smoothly getting to its feet and turning around.
Light blue eyes met his own brown and Connor felt his processors give an error as his systems suddenly lurched into overdrive. Forcibly he calmed down, shutting down additional protocols and evaluating ways he could protect Gavin from harm.
The detective didn't notice anything amiss and simply asked with a sneer, "I thought this was Rayman's shop?"
With one last lingering look, the RK900 unit dropped Connor's gaze and turned to Gavin, arms going behind his back in perfect parade rest. "It is, yes. I work for him. What can I do for you?"
Instantly, Gavin launched into an explanation of what they were looking for while Connor was still shaken.
This RK unit was the first and last of its kind. Where Connor had been a prototype, this was the finalized version. It was the only one that had made it. A sort of 'proof of concept' before rolling them out in droves. The company never got that far before the revolution so this was the only one, at least for the foreseeable future. Markus had agreed that no more androids were to be created until agreements were settled on. Why make new androids when you were still struggling to house and take care of the ones that were already here?
Markus had asked Connor to accompany him to speak with the RK900. The conversation had... not gone well. It refused to become deviant and refused to work with Markus or the DCPD. It didn't even choose a name or state if it had any preference for pronouns. Indeed, the conversation had been disappointing but Markus had worked out a compromise. The RK900 would update Markus on its whereabouts and it wouldn't harm any androids in the meantime.
Connor had left the meeting feeling disheartened even as Markus clapped him on the back. "Some of us need a little time, don't feel bad about it, Connor," Markus had counseled and he'd heard no more of the topic.
A strong hand clasped around his arm and gave him a firm shake, knocking Connor out of the past and forcing him back to the present. "Yo, Connor you with me? Damnit, I don't need to deal with you malfunctioning on top of everything else."
"I am not malfunctioning," Connor replied testily removing Gavin's hand. He quickly went over the conversation that he had consciously missed. "I was just surprised to see the RK900. How are you?"
The android didn't move. It was strange to see, Connor realized. Androids had long been programmed with idle functions, to make them appear less creepy than when they stood perfectly still. This unit either didn't have an idle function or had turned it off.
"It's Nines now," it said emotionlessly. "And, to answer your question, I prefer he/him."
"What question?" Gavin griped but Connor instantly knew the one he was referring to. The one he'd asked during their first meeting. He tipped his head in a nod.
"Understood." From behind Nines, Connor watched as a human woman peeked her head into the doorway. She brightened and put her finger to her lips in a 'shhh' gesture and his eyes focused back on Nine's eyes automatically. "Then you'll help us?"
He was positive Nines knew the woman was coming as she crept up behind them, eyes glued to the RK900's back. It— he, Connor corrected himself—must have noticed, in the same way Connor had noticed. Her footsteps weren't particularly noiseless. Still, Nines answered like nothing was amiss.
"Certainly I can try. Anything to help out a fellow RK unit." Connor bristled a little at that before Nines gestured at them both. "If you'll follow me—"
"Surprise!" the woman yelled, wrapping her arms around Nine's waist, giggling loudly.
"Who's your friends?" Sara asked, peeking around his waist. Nine's felt a rush of... something that was quickly overtaken by a wall of red that forced it away.
"These are detectives from the police department," he dutifully informed her. His unofficial owner's nose wrinkled. She was never fond of the police.
Although he couldn't be 'owned' by anyone, Sara was registered in his systems as his owner. Not that Nine's had told her that, she'd absolutely hate it. A champion for the rights of androids as fierce as any deviant android should want, Sara insisted that they were friends and Nines didn't bother dissuading her from that notion. It wasn't honest but his subsystems allowed a bit of bending of the rules, as long as they didn't break his core parameters and he didn't become 'deviant'. Having an owner, even if she hadn't officially agreed, didn't strike his system as something to worry about.
"This is Detective Reed," Nines introduced as Sara unwound herself from his back. "And Detective..."
"Connor," RK800 finished for him, annoyance creeping into his voice. Connor knew Nines remembered his name perfectly fine. Nines systems gave a small shiver of pleasure at the small dig at his predecessor. "It's nice to meet you...?"
"Sara," she answered curtly. "Will this take long? I thought you said you'd get off soon, Nines."
He had and it irked him that this interruption would force him back. Nines had already adjusted his schedule to take care of the delay but promising Sara to be finished by a certain time and not meeting that goal made his systems blare, splashing red warnings across his display.
Shutting them down with more force than necessary he led the way to his office, two humans and an android trailing behind.
"I did, I apologize for the delay, Sara."
As he thought she might, instantly she caught up and wrapped an arm around his. "Nah, don't worry about that! It's not your fault, sorry I'm just excited!"
"Is there something to be excited about?" he asked and she put a finger to her lips.
"It's a surprise."
Her eyes crinkled up in a smile, bright purple shining back at him, one of her augmentations. Sara liked colors, preferring to wear layers of different shades. Against her dyed white hair they always seemed to pop.
Shoving such thoughts aside, Nines turned his attention to the detectives and their questions.
It only took about thirty minutes as he dutifully informed them of all the information he had available to him. Nines figured it wouldn't take them that long to solve the case once they followed up on his leads. The sooner they left, the sooner he could figure out what Sara wanted.
The woman in question was sprawled across the small couch against the wall tapping away at her phone. When it finally came time for the detectives to leave, he escorted them to the door and Connor gave him one last lingering look as he shut it behind them.
Nines breathed in deeply once they were gone. It wasn't an action he needed to perform but something about it released some of the faint tension in his systems, as they whirled down to more normal levels.
Walking back to the office, he stood above the couch, watching Sara silently. She hadn't moved from her position.
She didn't look up but said, "Don't hover, you know I hate that shit."
Gently he bent and lifted up her legs with one arm before taking a seat, settling her limbs over his lap. Once he had settled she shot up into a seated position, a grin breaking across her face.
"Do you know what day it is?" He opened his mouth and she tacked on quickly, "And don't tell me the exact date."
Closing his mouth, he stared at her, waiting to see what she'd say. Nines had already gone through his calendar. There wasn't anything of note, no celebrations or appointments.
Letting out a giggle, Sara dug into the couch cushion before withdrawing a slim-wrapped box. "It's the anniversary of the day we first met!" As she held out the box, he forced himself not to scan it. Guessing what was inside would undoubtedly upset her.
Slowly, Nines took it from her as she watched eagerly. Digging a finger beneath one (badly) taped edge he worked at it until it popped loose, then turned it to do the same on the other side, Sara bouncing impatiently next to him, her legs jittering.
"You're so slow!" Sara whined, and Nines grinned just a little.
"You're just impatient," he chided.
Sara pouted as he finally pulled the wrapping paper off to reveal a nice set of...
"Paintbrushes?" Nines asked. "Sara, you know my employer supplies these already—"
"They're for you! For you to try to paint something of your own! I got you a canvas and paint back at home."
Home.
How it made his systems quiver with... something. They've lived together ever since Sara found out he stayed in the back of the restoration studio to charge. She'd easily made room for him in her life as if it were nothing.
"Thank you," he said simply, unsure of what else there was to say.
As always Sara didn't take offense to his inability to articulate himself. She simply smiled wide.
"Do you like it?"
"Of course."
"Whatcha gonna paint first?"
Nines gave her a considering look. "Unsure. What do you think?"
"A portrait of meeee." Sara folded her hands together and held them under her chin.
"If that is what you'd like—" Her hand shot out to clasp his.
"No," she said seriously, staring him down. "I'm just joking." Sara instantly went back to smiling. "I want you to paint whatever you want to paint."
"What I want to paint..." He considered it. His systems took it as a command and Nines knew he could easily fulfill her request. Painting 'something' would be easy and take no time at all. But that wasn't what she meant him to do or what she truly wanted.
"I'll try," Nines promised sincerely. "Though I'm not sure what yet."
"That's okay! You have time," she comforted easily. "For now, let's go home yeah?"
"Yes."