Chapter Text
“And now what's wrong?” he grumbled, rolling his eyes when a phone call interrupted what he called his “morning meditation.” He claimed that at that time he was deeply thinking about cases with his eyes closed, though in reality he just fell asleep despite having had a coffee.
“Lieutenant, we’ve got a new report. Another deviant.”
“Wonderful.” he replied sarcastically. His job wasn’t at risk; he was the youngest officer to ever reach the rank of lieutenant in the Piltover Police Department, a valuable member in investigations. Although he always grumbled like a bad-tempered cat whenever he was given a new case, once something piqued his interest, he never left it unfinished. He had never failed one. “Another toy that doesn’t work the way it was programmed. What is it this time? Someone refusing to do the dirty dishes?”
“It’s been a homicide, Lieutenant.” his partner answered on the other end. This time, the mocking smile vanished from the officer’s face. “The first one. With this, the case has gained more importance, and you’ve been assigned to resolve it, given your record.”
“Yeah, yeah… instead of rewarding me for my work, they punish me by sending me more.” he sighed with disinterest, though the new information made the case slightly more appealing.
“Where do I have to go?”
“I’ll send you the location, along with your new partner. He’ll help you gather information and solve the case. He should be arriving any moment.”
“A partner? I don’t need a—”
“Lieutenant Viktor?” a warm voice called from behind.
“See you later, Lieutenant.” the other police hung up before hearing another complaint about the mission or his new companion. At that moment, the officer turned around to meet his forced helper.
“What the—” his shoulders tensed.
“Good evening, Lieutenant. My name is Jayce Talis, I am the android sent by CyberLife to assist with the case. It turns out—”
“This is a joke, right? A joke? Tell me it is.” he said, shaking his head. An android to solve a case related to them? No way.
“I’m not laughing.” the android replied with a completely neutral expression as he adjusted his tie. His perfectly arranged clothes gleamed blue, and his ID displayed his model number: RK800. The LED on his forehead was somehow unsettling.
Viktor didn’t trust androids. He had never liked the idea of creating practically immortal human replicas, and he wasn’t the least bit surprised when the first cases of robots disobeying their owners began to be recorded, despite the fact that these machines were programmed to follow orders.
All he wanted to do was retire, but retirement was still far away. Besides, he was an observant man, whose eye never failed to gather clues and piece together the puzzles that cases presented, no matter how twisted they were. That was why he had become rather well-known among the agents.
“As I was saying, there have been several recorded cases of androids going out of control. I’m here to investigate with you and—”
Viktor had already started walking towards the door, leaning on his cane for support.
“...and to help you solve the case…” Jayce finished the sentence, following behind.
“I don’t need your help.” he growled.
“Your superior didn’t seem to think the same.”
The officer let out an annoyed laugh that never reached his eyes, without turning to look at the android. Still, it was obvious he was affected by the comment, given the way his shoulders tensed with each step he took. Suddenly, he changed direction toward his chief’s office, Captain Fowler.
“Captain, we need to talk.” he growled, barging in without knocking. His gaze was so intense it almost pierced through him.
“What is it, Viktor?” the captain smiled, ignoring the lieutenant’s clear irritation. The RK800 stepped in after him. “Oh, I see you’ve met your new partner. It’s a state-of-the-art model and—”
“I don’t need a partner, especially not this plastic thing. You’ve got to be joking. I don’t want this guy following me everywhere.”
“Look, the number of cases is rising, there’s chaos everywhere! A partner like this is exactly what you need right now. And I don’t care what you think. I’m the one in charge here.”
“Jeffrey! I refuse to work with this thing! Do you hear me?”
“Don’t make me angry. The one who’ll be hearing me is you. I’m tired of having to fill out your disciplinary file every time you mess things up!”
The lieutenant clenched his cane tightly.
“You can’t do this to me, Captain! You know how much I hate these things…” he shot back, pointing at the RK800 patiently waiting by his side. “I’m not working with that. No way.”
“I don’t give a shit. There are too many cases, and he’ll be a good partner. Like it or not, you’re doing it. Otherwise, the only other option you’ve got is leaving your badge here and now.”
“Don’t you—! I’m not asking you to put me with someone else, I’m telling you to get this hunk of plastic off my back. I don’t want it anywhere near me.” he protested, raising his voice indignantly. “And I work better alone.”
“Viktor—!” the captain rose from his chair, ready to respond just as loudly, but before saying something he might regret, he took a deep breath and spoke more calmly. “No, you don’t work alone, and that’s final. You’re a great agent, but there are things this android can do that you can’t.” His eyes dropped to the cane Viktor leaned on. “No offense.” Then, he sat back down with a sigh. “You’ll have to register homes, and who knows what else. It would be reckless and stupid to go alone. End of discussion.”
“Ugh!” he growled, clenching his fist so tightly his knuckles turned white. There was no way to respond without looking like a fool, so he turned on his heel and stormed out of the glass office.
* * *
Jayce found him minutes later slouched at his desk, going over some papers. He looked like he was focused on them, but his eyes remained fixed on the same spot, not moving along the lines. Meanwhile, his left leg bounced restlessly, almost anxiously. For a moment, his cane nearly fell off the desk, but the lieutenant stopped it before it slid down, setting it back in place. The android noticed his hand had left a damp mark. Sweaty palms, and also his forehead. His jaw tightened every now and then, while his leg kept moving up and down. He was nervous.
“Lieutenant, since it seems we’ll be working together, and I’ve noticed you don’t seem too fond of me, maybe we could make an effort to collaborate and get along. I’d love to know more about you. Perhaps if we get to know each other, we can overcome our differences and work better as a team.” he said, choosing the warmest of smiles. Polite and welcoming.
“This isn’t the schoolyard. I’m not interested in making friends, thanks.” he grumbled without lifting his eyes from the notebook.
Jayce stayed silent for a moment.
“I understand your nervousness, Lieutenant. Many people tend to feel uneasy in the presence of androids, but I was designed to be a good partner. Perhaps if you let me know your preferences, I can adapt to your working style. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”
The officer frowned even more, and after wiping the sweat from his palms on his pants, he finally looked up and made eye contact with the RK800.
“First, I’m not nervous. Second, if you want to get along with me, try shutting that plastic mouth of yours. Got it?” he muttered through his teeth.
The android nodded.
“Meanwhile… I’d like to start investigating the cases. Where can I get the information?”
Viktor snorted.
“Here are the documents, and over there” he pointed to one of the desks “there’s a computer with the other cases. Go through everything and get lost for a while.”