Chapter Text
The Detroit police station is bustling with activity.
Rustling papers, ringing phones, quiet questionings in some corners, hasty typing in others, androids and officers scurrying about here and there. From an interrogation room, there's the faint sound of someone yelling something about 28 stab wounds.
Inside the glass office, however, it's quiet, the thick transparent walls muffling all sounds from the outside.
Detective Nathaniel Arkese watches the busy scenery for a moment before Captain Fowler's voice pulls him back to the conversation at hand.
"... and with your recommendations from the NYPD, we're very happy to welcome you to the DPD.", the captain tells him.
"Thank you, Sir, I will do my utmost to live up to everyone's expectations.", Nathaniel answers sincerely.
"I have no doubt about that."
"You can take today to get settled in, get to know the station and your coworkers. I'll assign you your first case tomorrow.", he points through the glass windows, "Your desk is the one right over there, the terminal should be set up for you by now as well."
The captain hands him his new badge and service weapon.
"Your brother's partner is off for maintenance today, so I'm having him show you around."
"Thank you, Sir."
"I expect great things from you, Detective. And", he pauses, then adds a bit more softly, "I think it'll do your brother some good to have you around as well. Dismissed."
Nathaniel nods and steps out of the office, walks down the stairs and through the busy station space until he reaches his newly assigned desk.
There, a familiar face greets him.
"God, finally, I thought he was gonna keep you in there all day!", Connor complains when he reaches him.
"Hey, big brother.", Nathaniel smiles, and accepts the incoming hug.
"Damn, but it's good to see you.", Connor smiles back, "Ready to get to know your new workplace?"
"Lead the way!"
They spend the day walking around the compound, Connor showing him where the different divisions are located and introducing him to a few people, all the while exchanging news in their respective lives.
It's good to see his brother able to talk and smile again.
He frowns slightly when he studies Connor's face a bit more closely, however.
There are dark circles under his eyes.
Still not sleeping properly, then.
He sighs inwardly, but decides now is not the time to bring it up.
"Oh, have you picked your partner yet?", Connor asks him, when they arrive back at Nathaniel's desk.
"No, not yet, I was going to have a look around the station first." He grins. "Why, you wanna team up?"
Connor laughs quietly.
"Not that I wouldn't like to, but I already have a partner, remember? And besides, you're not supposed to choose a human partner anyway."
Nathaniel nods. To ensure a balance between analytical and emotional perspectives and improve investigation speed, as well as secure jobs and uphold morale it's become customary to pair every human operator with an android.
"I know, but it would've been fun to embarrass my big brother a little.", he teases.
"Uh-huh, right, as if you hadn't always been the taller, stronger and smarter one.", Connor grumbles, but there's no malice in his tone, "With how bad the rise in crimes in Detroit has been lately, it's definitely good to have you here though."
That's not the only reason Nathaniel opted for the transfer when he received the offer, but his brother doesn't need to know that.
"Hey now, don't sell yourself short, it's only because you were there that I ever even made it this far. Besides, as far as I know, you're the one who's on his way to become the youngest lieutenant in Detroit right now."
"Yeah, yeah, no need to coddle my ego.", Connor sighs.
"Mom and Dad would be proud.", Nathaniel adds quietly.
Connor smiles softly, a touch of melancholy stealing into his brown eyes.
"Of both of us.", he says emphatically, squeezing Nathaniel's shoulder. Then he clears his throat and gestures around the station.
"Now, uh, where were we...", he mutters. "Oh right, your partner."
He tilts his head in thought and brings up a hand to fiddle with his - already slightly askew - tie.
"There's actually quite a few androids that are currently without a partner and waiting to be reassigned and, um, well...", his voice takes on a hushed tone, "the defective of course."
"The defective?" Nathaniel raises an eyebrow. He's not sure he wants to know who came up with that particular pun.
"Hmm, let's see around this time he's probably... yup, there he is."
Connor points over to the break room. There, standing right in front of the coffee dispenser, Nathaniel sees a lone figure with brown hair and the telltale glow of an android uniform.
"It's a GR710. No one gets too close to that one.", Connor tells him, "He's always been a bit more... aggressive than other models, but a few months back there was an.... incident, you might say."
"What kind of incident?"
Connor shrugs.
"Not much I can tell you either, no one who wasn't involved really knows the details. All I know is that the last real mission assigned to this android went south. Badly. His last partner was injured pretty badly and transfered to a different city soon after. He himself got severly damaged too, and ever since he's had even more aggressive tendencies and he's been cursing up a storm. It's gotten so bad they even had to install some kind of filter program - not that it helps much - and trying to work with him is... challenging, to say the least."
He runs a hand through his hair and turns back to Nathaniel.
"They checked him for signs of deviancy, of course, but strangely enough, there was apparently nothing wrong with his program at all. According to CyberLife, it's probably more of a series of tiny defects in his social programming that's resulting in these... peculiarities. Resetting and repairing him would've been pretty expensive and since he mostly still follows orders, they just left him like that."
As if on cue, the android suddenly whirls around to face them. Fierce grey eyes meet calm ones when he catches the detective looking at him. Nathaniel tilts his head in thought and flashes an experimental smile. The android lifts his chin and his upper lip curls ever so slightly back from his teeth. His face is defiant, almost challenging.
Interesting.
The detective squints slightly. He can't quite see it from where they're standing, but it almost looks like there's something blue flashing along the android's nose every now and then.
"So, no one's partnered with him ever since then?"
"No", Connor says thoughtfully, "You know, I don't think anyone even really tried again... He mostly files evidence, stands watch over perps outside the holding cells or in the interrogation rooms and... well, as you can see, he has a weird obsession with the coffee machine."
"'s that so.", Nathaniel murmurs, still watching the android, who's turned back to the coffee dispenser with a shrug.
Connor's eyes narrow, before going wide, eyebrows rising as realization hits him. He grabs his brother by the shoulders.
"Oh. Oh no. No, no no, don't even think about it!"
"About what?", Nathaniel asks innocently.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about! You can't seriously be thinking about choosing him as your partner!", Connor hisses.
"Why not?"
"Why n- Nathaniel, he's unstable, there are rumors going around that he might've beat up his partner, what if he gets violent around you?"
"I can handle myself."
"For fuck's sake, Nathaniel, this isn't just any old household model. If he snaps, he could kill you! Why won't you choose one of the properly functioning models?"
"I just...", he hesitates, contemplating his answer, " ...think he deserves a chance."
Connor groans and pulls his hair with both hands.
"Why are you like this?", he mumbles into his palms.
Nathaniel claps his brother on the shoulder.
"Relax, it's gonna be fine. You'll see."
And before Connor can get out another word he's started to walk in the direction of the break room.
The android glances over his shoulder when he hears steps approach him and turns around with a scowl when he sees the detective, grey eyes narrowing and mouth pressed in a thin line.
He's clad in the same kind of standard uniform Nathaniel's seen most of the android's at the station wear: long-sleeved, colored black and navy with gloves and a utility belt around the middle. A bright blue triangle and armband to identify him as an android. The label on his chest reads 'GR710' and '#313-148-197-8 ' underneath.
Now that he's standing right in front of him, he can also see what the blue flashes he noticed earlier are. There's a slash across the android's face, reaching from the inner corner of his right eye all the way across his nose, exposing a sliver of wires, circuitry and Thirium tubes that light up every now and then.
He notes the way the android holds himself, chin up as if to make up for the difference in height, shoulders squared and feet planted shoulder width apart. His posture is remarkably straight, but Nathaniel can sense a kind of coiled tension from him, as if he's ready for either fight or flight at any given moment.
"Had enough of starin' like a creep yet?", the androids snarl pulls him from his thoughts, "The phck do you want?"
'Phck'? Nathaniel just barely holds back a snort. If that's the android's filter program kicking in, it might as well be non-existent. Either that, or GR710 is pronouncing the word the wrong way on purpose to avoid being censored, which is even funnier.
"Sorry, memorizing and analyzing others is a bad habit. Comes with the policework. I'm Detective Nathaniel Arkese. What's your name?"
"None of your phckin' business, s-hole." Now Nathaniel is sure he's mispronouncing the words to bypass the filter.
Clever.
And kind of hilarious.
"I'm asking you again, what the phck do you want, Detective?", the android grits out.
"I'm new to this station, as you're undoubtedly aware. And I need a partner. What I want from you, is to ask if you'd be interested to fill the spot."
"Why me?", the android challenges, "And don't even try to tell me you haven't heard the rumors.", he adds with a glance at Connor.
It's a fair question.
Nathaniel isn't entirely sure he has an answer, even with what he just told Connor. He doesn't really understand it himself, but there's something about the GR710, something in those fierce grey eyes that intrigues him, makes him want to push where others would back off, like an unspoken challenge he wants to rise up to.
"Because rumors or not, I don't see a reason why it shouldn't be you. Because some scars and a little attitude don't bother me. And because I think you'd rather like to get out of here for once as well.", he shrugs, "Unless you actually prefer to stay, of course."
The android barks out a bitter laugh. "What, you tryina tell me I actually have a say in this?"
Nathaniel tilts his head.
"Of course you do."
GR710 narrows his eyes at him.
"Why?"
"Several reasons. Mostly because I think a partner - human or not - should be someone you respect and someone you can trust. Now, ", he raises his hands in a placating gesture when the GR710 frowns and opens his mouth in protest, "I'm well aware that that second part might be a little too much to ask right now. For either of us. After all, we barely know each other and neither of us really has any reason to trust the other. But I also think respect is something that should go both ways. Besides, I can't expect you to even start trusting me if I force this on you, now, can I?"
The android stares at him quizzically, LED circling yellow.
"You... you're really phckin' weird, for a human.", he mutters after a rather long pause, frown deepening.
Nathaniel grins.
"Is that a yes?"
"...fine.", the android answers after another long pause. "'s better than staying in this dump all the time."
He glares at the detective. "But if it turns out you're just doing this as a joke, or this is some kind of phcking pity party, I'm out."
"Works for me.", Nathaniel says, "I'll see you tomorrow then, GR710."
And he starts walking back to his desk, where his brother is still standing, observing the scene before him with pursed lips.
There's a beat.
"...Gavin."
"Hm?"
Nathaniel turns back to the android, whose eyes are darting around the break room for a moment before settling on the detective again, jaw clenching and unclenching.
"My name. It's Gavin.", he tells him, "...you asked earlier."
"Gavin.", Nathaniel repeats with a smile and a nod, "I look forward to working with you."
As he walks back to Connor, he hears the android huff through his nose, as well as a muttered "Phckin' weird." behind him.
"You're really sure about this?", Connor asks him quietly when he reaches his desk again.
"Yeah.", Nathaniel responds, smile still on his face, "Yeah, I think this is gonna work just fine for me."