Hiya, I write and draw dbh stuffs

   Since you weren't in charge of anything big, you hadn't even known anything was going on until the broadcast had nearly finished. You had been… what had you been doing? Vetting some stories you had found to be a bit too mundane for publication. Even though the strange interference had originated from a few floors above you, it took a panicked employee yelling at the TV for you to notice.

   There wasn't much anyone could do; police and security had already been notified. Just watching the skinless android on screen was the most productive thing your team could possibly do.

   And watch they did. A few were visibly jittery, talking about barricading the doors just in case they decided to come down here— although the thought of an android group demanding an entertainment piece be written about their exploits almost got a chuckle out of you— others were more frustrated and annoyed. Older employees trying to figure out how the topmost office was sieged so quietly, annoyed that they might have to stay late, even discussions about who sent the androids.

   Through it all you had remained calm, trying to lead the group as best you could through the confusion.

   The elevator dinged.

   But despite how you tried to compose yourself, you couldn't help but feel a sense of fear… and a deep longing.

    You stepped out, the hallway devoid of any life. The usual guards up here had been knocked out and were probably taking a very long vacation.

   At the very end of the hallway, right before the broadcasting room, stood a couple of human guards; you doubted they would risk using any androids up here for the foreseeable future.

   With the hallway as empty as it was, the guards immediately took notice of you.

   "Hey, what's your business up here?" One asked in a gruff voice.

   You held up your keycard, a passive way of showing your status. "I wanted to get a better look at the room," you pulled out your cellphone, gently shaking it in the air in an attention attracting manner. "Wanted to get some photos too— we don't have any good ones to use for our article on it."

   He appeared to ponder it for a moment before stepping aside, his partner following suit. He gave a nod.

   With a quick stride you entered the room.

   It appeared to have been deep cleaned, no trace of what had occurred. Some furniture had been moved aside, likely for cleaning. 

   Angling some of the less disturbed areas into the view of your phone's camera, you snapped a few quick pictures through the thickness of your throat.

   It felt eerie to be standing here.

   That android had been standing in nearly this exact location just hours ago, demanding rights and freedoms… that sort of talk would have him destroyed.

   And yet… you completely agreed with him.

   Your hands tensed on your phone as you looked to the floor.

   Why couldn't this have happened two years earlier?

   Why couldn't it have happened before that day?

   ...It didn't matter. He was far away, and safe from this sort of persecution. Maybe in Canada where no android laws existed… or maybe he was still in the States, just in a rural place and pretending to be human. 

   At least, that's what you told yourself to help you sleep at night.

   You shook the thought away. There was no use thinking about him now. 

   Bringing yourself back to reality, you took a cursory glance around the room. You didn't get to come up here very often, maybe once or twice in the year you had been writing for them.

   With the TV screen off, it was oddly empty looking in here.

   There seemed to be a couple of points of interest: a darkened break room and a stairway to the roof.

   Wasn't the roof where the deviants jumped?

   That would be an interesting photo. You doubted there were many before the incident.

   You climbed the dark stairs, taking in a deep, cold breath before you opened the outside door. 

   Chills ran down your hand and up your arm before you even had the door fully open.

   You let the door shut behind you, as you crossed your arms to ward off the cold. Being this high up made the wind much rougher than you were used to.

   The edge of the building was daunting. You hesitated to even approach it, lest a stray gust of wind send you sailing over. Without those parachutes, the intruders would've never made it back down in one piece.

   The wind was a bit much. You took a few quick pictures before stepping closer to some of the walls. At least it would give some sort of protection.

   There was a loud clanging noise nearby that made your phone fall out of your hands.

   After you got over your moment of frozen alarment, you kneeled down to scoop up your phone, eyes wide and looking for the source.

   Had that been the wind? Wouldn't you have heard it earlier if it was something that continuous and natural?

   You crept around the large, metal ducts. Had to be from one of those.

   There was an entrance to one of the metal compartments. That seemed to be the only place left for anyone to hide.

   A worried thought crossed your mind: had someone been stuck up here during the panic?

   Heading towards the door at a more brave pace, you stood a foot near the entrance with your hand reached for the handle. You paused, your more cautious nature pulling your hand away ever so slightly.

   "H-hello?" You questioned quietly towards the door.

   Silence.

   You exhaled a tense breath, your hand making its way to the metallic door.

   You knocked against it.

   A loud fumbling noise from inside and the clicking of a gun sent you stumbling backwards and into a panic. This had to be a deviant, somehow left behind in the chaos.

   "You don't wanna shoot me," your voice was higher pitched than usual as you fought against the wind and deep seated terror for breath. "The shots will be really loud. People will hear."

   "Just," the android's voice was hard to make out, the echo in the compartment distorting his words. "Just go away. Leave me alone. I just want to be left alone."

   After an extra second to make out what he said, you rose to a crawl and sat beside the door. "Why are you still up here?" You questioned. He didn't seem hostile.

   He was quiet for a while. "I was injured," he explained. "I couldn't make the jump. I wanted to see if I could get back down tonight."

   You nodded to yourself in understanding. "So… you're a part of that group of deviants? Are there a lot of them?"

   Things went uncomfortably quiet until he spoke up again. "...why would you like to know?"

   You licked your lips, struggling to verbalize the thoughts you had had bouncing around in your head for two years. "I… was friends with an android," you began wistfully and with a small chuckle. "I was wondering if he was okay, that's all."

   The android went quiet again, the sound of what seemed to be him shuffling around inside to get more comfortable filling the silence. 

   "I… well I find it hard to believe," he remarked softly. "A lot of humans are very cruel… few seem to care about what happens to us."

   He was right. It seemed that nobody cared about androids or bonded with them the way you had Simon. You couldn't understand the cruelty they could have towards androids if they did.

   You placed a hand to your chest. "I know that humans are normally cruel," you began. "B-but I honestly cared about him so much. I would've given anything for us to be together. I swear it."

   You stared at the ground while the android thought to himself.

   "I was lucky," the deviant began. "The human I knew was very kind. I had been discarded over and over… and reset every time. I wasn't as useful as other androids."

   You let your head rest against the metal as you listened. 

   "Then… they bought me. I knew I had been reset a lot… and expected they would do it too after they got bored of me…" his voice trailed until it was interrupted by a halfhearted laugh. "But they didn't. They treated me like a person. They… respected me. I felt like I might have had a future with them. A future where I wasn't just an object or a maid, but someone who brought meaning into the world."

   You let his story hang in the air while you thought of your own tale. You could only hope you had made Simon feel the same way.

   "When I… bought him," you felt gross saying it. "I didn't know much about androids. But after spending time with him, I knew he was so much more than what everyone tried to tell me. Just how… how beautiful of a person he was. He had to be more than that. I was excited to see him when I got home, to tell him about my day and to hear about his. He meant everything to me."

   The android's tone was calm. "It sounds like you loved him."

   You smiled to yourself, rubbing your hands together to warm them. "I still do," you responded, before the torrent of regrets washed over you like an unforgiving wave.

   It had been such a dumb mistake. But even the simplest slip-ups can destroy lives.

   You collapsed into sorrowful laughter, covering your face with a tense hand as you tried to hold back your overflowing emotions. "It was so stupid!" You exclaimed, lost in your own thoughts. "I… he needed repairs— his previous people were horrible… if I ever…"

   You shook away the thought to get back on track.

   "He… he needed skin repairs, so I thought it would be okay to go to a Cyberlife repair shop. But I didn't even think about whether they would check who his real 'owners' were," you spat. "When they found out how we had met, they were going to take him away. He had no choice but to run away. We were out of options."

   The android was quiet, but you were too emotional to pay much attention.

   "It was just one mistake! If I had just gone anywhere else… we could still be together." Your sorrow was brief before passion returned to your heart, directing your attention back to the metal door that was separating you and the android. "You have more androids with you, right? You don't have to tell me anything else, I just want to know if he's okay. His name is Simon. Have you met him? Please, tell me you have!"

   Loud, metallic fumbling came from the other side of the door before it flung open. You scuttled backwards in alarm.

   The blonde android nearly collapsed out of the doorway, his arm sliding off the door and onto the ground as held himself up to get a better look at you.

   It was him.

   He appeared troubled, but was fighting off a smile. "How… what are you doing here?" He whispered.

   "S… Si…" you stuttered, unable to get out his name in case it separated you two again.

   You snatched him up into your arms, enveloping him in a tight hug. He fumbled to return the gesture, letting his head rest on one of your shoulders.

   "I… I can't believe it," you sobbed. "It's you! You're here! You're actually h-here!"

   His hands gripped your clothing as if he was worried you would slip away. "But how are you here?" he asked, his voice shaking.

   "I work here now," you choked out through a laugh. "What are the odds?"

   "I can't believe this!" Simon fell into a bout of laughter himself. "I get to see you again!"

   The salesman, who had uncomfortably started hounding you for the sale after you had curiously drifted towards the humanoid, was gesturing towards it flippantly with a toothy grin. "At this price?! Tell me, no, tell me where you found one this cheap— in this good a condition?"

   Your mouth automatically frowned. The arms were covered by a dark undershirt that made most of the skin unseeable— any damage not on the face and hands wouldn't be factored into the buying purchase. You had a feeling this clothing choice was intentional.

   "Just three hundred bucks!" The seller's round face turned into your line of sight. You quickly looked away out of discomfort.

   Your eyes landed onto the android's clear blue ones. You hadn't looked very closely at any androids before, despite walking amongst them nearly every day. Did they all look this lifelike? 

   Maybe you were looking way too into it. 

   You swallowed, aggressively fumbling for your wallet with a grunt of annoyance. "Okay, fine. Three hundred."

   With a pleased noise, the seller took off with your card, waving it in the air between two of his fingers. 

   You crossed your arms beside the android, who didn't seem to take any notice of what had just transpired. 

…

   Reality had begun to hit you like a truck on the way home.

   By the time you opened the door to your tiny house, you realized just how big of a rash decision you had just made.

   The android stood behind you quietly and without complaint as you released the door handle, letting the door softly bang against the wall. You stared dumbly into your own house, coat hanging limply from one of your dangling arms as you searched your brain for a solution. 

   You frowned, shaking your head rapidly. "I have no room for this."

   "Excuse me—"

   You jumped at the android's sudden intrusion into your own self reprimand, a small noise of fright escaping you before you could even begin to think of holding it back.

   "—would you like me to get started?"

   "Uh, yeah yeah yeah, uh… do whatever you want," you waved it off awkwardly, holding a hand to your chest as you attempted to catch your breath. You hurried inside, embarrassed of the whole situation. 

   You sat down on the couch as the android closed the door and walked past you and into the kitchen.

   Without turning it on, you stared at the TV as your fingertips rubbed against your face in nervousness.

   That had been such an impulse buy. You couldn't believe you had done that.

   The faucet turned on for a moment. You think you had put a cup in there, but there wasn't much else to clean.

   It seemed to be working properly. The guy who sold it was certainly odd and abrasive, but all in all it was a pretty good deal. Usually they were more than twice as much; newer models so expensive that the thought of you owning one was impossible. Even if it had some cosmetic damages, that was a small issue compared to its functionality.

   Trying to ignore the strange new entity in the house, you flipped on the TV. It was the news.

   There was some story about a recent fire that had decimated a small apartment building on the outskirts of Detroit. The police said it likely had something to do with Red Ice, although most evidence would probably be destroyed.

   The android had finished whatever it was doing in the kitchen and had quietly begun watching the TV from the archway. 

   You looked at it as it parted its lips in preparation to speak. "Are you a fan of the news?"

   "Sort of," you chuckled, looking back to the screen. "I work at a newstation— not this one, but I like checking it out from time to time."

   The android nodded, continuing to watch the screen as it held its hands politely behind its back.

   You looked it over, getting that feeling of nervousness again. "W-what's your name?" You blurted out quietly and without any grace.

   It blinked at you, the LED spinning blue for a second. "My previous owners named me Simon. Would you like to change my name?"

   You shook your head to yourself. "Do you like your name?"

   It squinted at you in confusion before returning to its natural, composed look. "It's good," it responded.

   Although you tried to maintain a jovial body language, you weren't doing a good job. "Great! Si… Simon is a great name," you chirped out awkwardly.

   "Thank you," Simon replied, giving a small head bow.

   You turned your head away from it as you felt your face grow warm with embarrassment. 

   What on Earth was happening to you?

…

   You had been having a strange dream about work when you heard someone calling your name.

   "...huh…?" you called out groggily.

   Your name again. "...I think you're going to be late for work at this rate…"

   Your eyes fluttered open. Simon was fiddling with his hands as he held them in front of his chest, eyes moving between you and the clock beside the bed.

   It said 8:32.

   The comforter was flung nearly off the bed as you jumped up in a panic. "Oh geez, yeah I'm gonna be late…" Random clothes filled your arms that you grabbed from your drawers as you prepared to go to work. "Thanks for waking me."

   Simon quietly made his way over to you as you tried finding a pair of socks. "I didn't hear you walking around this morning," he said with a chuckle. "And where you stayed up later than usual last night… I figured…"

   A laugh escaped you as you headed off towards the bathroom to get ready.

   He had been living here… maybe three months? It had seemed like a much longer time than that. In that amount of time, things had definitely changed between you two.

   Despite it being his intended purpose, it felt strange to have someone doing all your housework for you. It became an odd ritual pretty quickly: once you got home, you would work on chores together. Not that there were many— that was one of the perks of having a small house— but it just made you feel better about the whole thing.

   The whole process was a bit cathartic for you; away from the hustle and bustle of the busy, stressful life at the newstation and into a warm, domestic one.

   You hurried to the front door to slip on your shoes, Simon leaving his spot on the couch to see you off. 

   "I think I'll make it on time," you joked as you looked up at him. "Thanks again."

   "No problem…" he responded quietly, struggling to retain eye contact with you.

   As you rose to your feet, he gave you a brief hug. Your face immediately began to burn bright red.

   "Have… have a good day at work…" he stuttered out before walking in quick strides to the kitchen.

   You were still frozen in place by the time he exited your vision. "Y-you too…" you blurted out before fumbling out the door, realizing your linguistic blunder before you had even closed the door.

   As you headed down the street, you let your hands touch your heated face. 

…

   You had nearly run home out of excitement.

   It had been such a small thing, but the prospects of your future career had your mind going nuts.

   After fumbling to get the key in the door and tossing it open, you slung your coat off your arms in a fluid motion. "Simon! Simon! You won't believe it!"

   He was sitting on the couch— like he usually had been over the past year— engaged in some overly dramatic show you weren't particularly fond of. His eyes were wide at your sudden entrance. "Yes?"

   You let the door make its way closed before you kicked it shut behind you, holding your arms out. "They said they liked my article!"

   Simon stared for a moment before his LED flashed in excitement. "THE article?" He sat up on the edge of his seat, smiling at you as he was filled with a wave of positive energy.

   "Yeah!" You nodded. "Not to get you too excited, but they're showing it to some of the higher ups, but it looks like I might get my own schedule slot soon!"

   "Oh wow!" He exclaimed, rising to his feet and taking you into his arms to lift you up for a split second. "I knew it would happen! I'm so proud!"

   You erupted into a fit of giggles as he held you, almost enjoying his praise as much as your own success. "Thanks Simon, I couldn't have done it without you."

   He released you, letting his hands rest against your sides. "That's not true," he responded quietly, his face red as he looked to the side.

   With a warm smile, you nodded to him. "Yes," you drawed out for effect. "You even came up with the idea. And, not to mention, the moral support."

   He stepped back a little, crossing his arms as he attempted to hide his expression of happiness. "You're too kind."

   The TV played in the silence, Simon fiddling with the edge of one of his sleeves as he pulled it down.

   Your mind raced as you looked at his hand, debating on bringing it up right now when the mood was so light.

   "They mentioned… uh... increasing my pay," you began, watching his expression for any hint of distress. "I thought that maybe… we could finally… you know… get that fixed…"

   His hands trailed along his sleeve as he nodded to himself, seemingly lost in thought. "Yeah," he responded. "That would be nice… but it would be so expensive… are you sure?"

   It had taken a few weeks to first see it, and even longer for you to see the full extent of the damage, but your initial thoughts had been correct. The long sleeves had been put on him for a reason, and it had seemed as though it had gradually become a personal choice as well.

   His forearms and biceps had a lot of physical damage, certainly from his previous owners. 

   Luckily, it had been almost purely cosmetic. Aside from a few light dents and scratches to his actual body, it was just a matter of getting the covering fixed. As of now, the white sheen of his android body was always visible underneath his sleeves.

   You wrung your hands together out of nervousness. "I just know how you said that you wanted it fixed," you took in a sharp inhale. "It won't be a problem to actually do, I've already been saving for a while…"

   He smiled, rushing in to hug you again. You, a bit caught off guard this time, was frozen in place.

   "I'd like to put the past behind me," he said as you finally came to and hugged him back, albeit still in a bit of a shock. "I think this is the first step."

   Your statement fizzled out into a humored giggle as you noticed Daniel on the other side of the desk, watching you with a smile. His head was propped up on one of his arms as he watched silently.

   "...sometimes… I… uh—" you coughed away your embarrassment, tapping the pencil's lead onto the paper as you gathered your thoughts.

   Emma looked to Daniel. "Stop being so distracting! Gosh!" She complained, much to the humor of Daniel.

   "I didn't mean to," he qwelled, raising up his hands in defense. "My apologies."

   "Yeah, yeah. You better." Emma retorted before turning back to you. "You were saying?"

   You tried forcing the smile off your face, returning to the math. You quickly scribbled down the solution to the problem, giving a stutter-filled explanation. 

   Emma made a noise of realization. "Yeah, okay, I get it now!" With a sniff she snatched her headphones from the desk and jumped to her feet, making you flinch. "Alright, I'll let you know if I need anything."

   You shook your head at Daniel, who seemed amused. Typical Emma behavior.

   "She's always been like that," he whispered. "Very blunt."

   You laid your head down on your arms with a sigh. "Yeah, I can see it." 

   Emma was sitting on her bed, headphones blaring so loud you could nearly make out the lyrics in the song. She always listened to her music at that ear-splitting level; you were honestly a bit worried for her hearing.

   At the same time, it made Daniel feel more comfortable talking, which was a huge plus. You hadn't seen him make small talk to anybody else; it seemed he was only comfortable speaking up when it was just you and him. 

   He sat up, hands loosely interlocked as they rested on his legs. "How much longer will you be working here?" He questioned, shifting his gaze back to you with hesitance.

   You exhaled, eyes wandering around to the different items in Emma's room. "Uh… well, Emma's summer school is almost over, so she'll be pretty busy with her normal classes. I don't know if they will want me to come over for after school stuff or not."

   Daniel's LED blinked blue as he nodded. "Yeah… that's what I thought."

   You returned the nod through the now-heavy atmosphere.

   You had begun working here just four months ago, but it had felt like you had been here for much longer. Coming over here nearly every weekday would do that. 

   Daniel let out a small flurry of blinks as he appeared nervous. "If you… aren't… hired back," he asked cautiously. "...will… will we ever see you again?"

   A small scrap of used eraser was on the desk. You brushed it off as you looked away from Daniel. "I… I don't know, actually." You let out an anxious laugh, clasping your hands together. "I don't know how I—"

   There was a knock at the door.

   You flipped around in your chair, grasping the back support with one of your hands to hold you in place. Daniel quickly slid into a more formal position.

   John, Emma's father and your employer, poked his head into the room with a child-like grin. "Emma, Emma!"

   She didn't take notice, his voice undoubtedly inaudible through the music in her headphones.

   He pressed the door open a little more as he rested his arm on the doorknob, shaking his head before looking at you. "She can't hear me at all, can she?"

   You exhaled a laugh, looking to a silent Daniel as if an inside joke had occurred. "Guess not."

   John flicked on the lights, Emma quickly sliding the headphones down to free one of her ears. "Oh, hey dad! What is it?"

   Her father stifled a laugh, motioning her to join him. "I have a surprise. Thought you'd be excited to see it." He looked to you. "You'd probably like to see too."

   Aa Emma and John left the room, you stood up slowly, filled with confusion and tension. "Do you know what it is?" You asked in a near inaudible whisper.

   Daniel matched your movements, albeit with much more precision. He shook his head, mouthing the word no.

   You exited the room with Daniel in tow before stopping abruptly, causing Daniel to lightly bump into you unexpectedly.

   There was another android in the living room.

   She was standing very still, as if she were brand new and without any prior experience in being activated.

   John smiled as he turned a page in a small instruction booklet he was holding. "Surprise! New android!"

   With a heavy swallow you took slow steps towards the others, before turning to Daniel behind you.

   His mouth was agape as his eyes scanned over the new android. More concerningly, his LED was red.

   Emma crossed her arms, looking with a scowl from the new android to Daniel. "But what's gonna happen to Daniel?"

   John, for the first time since this whole debacle started, appeared conflicted. "He's pretty outdated, but he might sell for something," he pondered. "If nothing else we could always put him in storage."

   "W-what?"

   All eyes went to Daniel, who was clearly panicking. His eyes were wide, his professional stance broken in favor of a more natural and fearful one.

   John's eyebrows furrowed, the paper book making a small cracking noise as it bent in his hands. 

   You licked your lips before stepping in the line of sight between the two men. "I'll buy him," you muttered. "I have six hundred right now, I'll give you more later if I need to."

   Luckily, John had stopped paying attention to the panicked android behind you and had been taken aback by your sudden offer. "Six hundred? Really?" He looked astonished. "I mean… that's a lot for such an old android. I'm sure you could get a newer PL600 for about—"

   "Nope!" You shook your head, pointing over your shoulder with your thumb. "I want this one. It's already set up and everything."

   "Oh… okay…" John shrugged.

…

   You had kept a close eye on Daniel's LED on the way home. It had slowly calmed down to blue with the occasional flash of yellow, no doubt spurred by intrusive thoughts. 

   You licked your lips, trying to keep your voice soft. "Hey… you okay?"

   He looked to you briefly before he started wandering his vision once more. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine."

   You nodded, unsure how to address the situation. At least you were almost home.

   "It was just so sudden…" he muttered. "...I wasn't broken, or damaged, or anything... at least I don't think I am..."

   "No, no—" you shook your head. "—they just want the exciting new thing. There's nothing wrong with you. At all."

   "How can you be sure of that?" He responded with a bit more force in his voice.

   You stuck one of your hands in your pocket. "Well, I know you, Daniel. And that's what makes you better than any other android out there." You went to poke his cheek before he jerked away with a flurry of laughs.

  You gripped the bag strap tightly as you looked down the hallway for any sign of onlookers, but you didn’t see anything out of place. You knocked your special, personalized knock against the peeling wood.

  After your final knock left the door, you heard the quick thudding of footsteps. Once the door finally unlocked, you slipped inside within seconds. The pale android inspected you with wide eyes and a welcoming expression. “I wasn’t expecting to see you today,” he whispered.

  You offered a tired smile, heading to the side bedroom and taking a seat on the dusty bed. He stood by the door frame as you offered him a box of birdseed from your bag. “I’m sorry, things have just been busy.”

  He stared at your outreached hand before taking the box from you. He placed it on a nearby desk, avoiding eye contact as he lightly tapped his fingers beside it.

  You knew how uncomfortable your job made him.

  He licked his lips. “Is… are there more deviants?”

  You closed your eyes as you nodded slowly.

  He was eyeing you with what seemed to be worry. “Are you-”

  “I’m letting as many as I can go,” you interjected. “But… there’s so many nowadays, and they don’t even try to leave the area. Cyberlife is starting to double check my work and I don’t know what will happen if I get caught.”

  “Just calm down, okay?” Rupert mumbled, placing a reassuring hand on your shoulder. You tried to hide the shakiness of your hands. “You’re doing what you can. That’s all I can ask of you.”

  “You always say that!” you exhaled, your nervousness obvious by your voice. He furrowed his brows at you in concern, taking a seat beside you. You sighed as his hand slipped over one of your clenched fists. “You always say that. But I know how angry you are with me.”

  “No, no. I’m not mad at you,” he said gently. “You’ve saved so many androids, including me.”

  You leaned against his shoulder. You wouldn’t admit how relieved that statement made you. The thought of Rupert hating you was almost too much to bear.

  You both laid back on the bed, you sighing as the tenseness of the days stresses started to fade. The bed was uncomfortable, sure, but having someone so trusted by your side made you feel at ease.

  “Why would you think I would be mad at you?” he questioned with a laugh.

  You laid against the pillow, glancing at him before inspecting the room. “Just the whole thing about ‘sending androids back to their masters,’ I guess.”

  He rolled his eyes. “I said that almost two years ago.”

  “But it’s still true,” you sighed.

  “You wouldn’t be able to let the deviants go if you didn’t turn in some androids,” he responded. “At least, that’s how I see it.”

  You shook your head. Maybe someday you would feel better about it. Trying desperately to stay awake a little while longer, you gestured to one of the shapes on the wall. “What does that one mean?”

  He inspected the area you were pointing. “It’s about where I met another deviant the other day. Nothing too special.”

  “I wish I could write in a special QR code,” you mumbled.

  “Real funny.”

  You smiled. “Do you want me to get you a journal or something? So you can write dow-”

  Both of you jumped at the sound of something falling in the adjacent room. You placed a hand to your temple as your heartbeat began to calm again.

  “How many birds do you have in there?”

  “Two hundred and three.”

  “That’s too many.”

  “They’re good company.” he responded sheepishly.

  “I gave you a birdcage so you could keep birds inside,” you licked your lips as you stared at the ceiling. “But then you just let them free in your apartment!”

  “What did you expect from me, honestly?”

  The loud, seemingly lost footsteps thudded around the living room with little rhyme or reason. You gritted your teeth, trying to tune back into your rationality to find a way out of this mess.

  Just as you forced yourself out of your thoughts, you heard the door get thrown open, accompanied by more screams from Emma. You whipped your head around to face the threat, sheltering Emma with your body the best you could. 

  It was Daniel, LED spinning red and a gun in his hand.

  "What... what happened?" you questioned through the poundings of your heart.

  He pointed the weapon in your direction, Emma cowering behind your torso as you shakily rose from the ground.

  "Daniel...?"

  "GET AWAY FROM HER!" he yelled, voice powerful but clearly not confident. He motioned you to the side as he took a step forward.

  You held up a calming hand, other one holding Emma. You tried to keep your voice steady through the tension in the air. "Let's talk about what happened, okay? I-"

  "I killed him," he responded sharply. "I killed John."

  "Dad?" Emma whimpered, pushing her face into your back. You closed your eyes in sympathy at the ground, noticing the gun lower slightly at the response.

  You put both hands on the girl's shoulders in a show of support. "Why?" you asked. He had always seemed like a good person to you; he paid you a good amount for your tutoring services, treated Daniel fairly well, and clearly loved his little family. Over the past few months you had begun to feel like a part of it as well. You tried to hide the pain you felt from the news.

  "Why does it matter?" Daniel uttered, approaching closer. You took a quick step back.

  "Why did you do it?" you repeated, a bit stronger this time. "Please, I need to know."

  He furrowed his brows, gripping tightly around the handle of the gun. "I saw him buying another android," he answered in a defeated tone. "he was going to replace me."

  "Oh God," you mumbled, taking one hand off the crying girl behind you to rub your face. "Why? Why!? You know I would've taken you in!"

  "All humans are the same," his voice was wavering. "You would've just left me too, I know it!"

  You shook your head at the floor, sighing. "I wouldn't."

  The only noise in the room was Emma sniffling as you tried to piece together your thoughts. 

  You licked your lips. "I never needed your help to teach her," your voice was weak. "I just wanted you there with me."

  His voice looked pained, but he kept the gun raised protectively. "I... liked walking together." he responded. 

  You weakly smiled, looking around the room. It made you feel ill, seeing all of Emma's things witnessing the events of tonight.

  Suddenly he pulled Emma away from you, dragging her towards the door as she struggled.

  "Let me go!" she yelled, trying desperately to hold onto the door frame.

  "Daniel, please-" you rushed to get to her, stopping when he pointed the gun at you again.

  "I... I'm sorry," he looked away from you. "You need to go."

  -

  You fiddled with your ID card as you leaned on the reception desk, your body lightly shivering with anticipation. It had been almost five months since you had seen Daniel operational, but today he was supposed to be reactivated. 

  You knew he was going to be in bad shape when they called you for the first time, but you weren't expecting the condition he was actually in. Most of his limbs had been broken and he had been missing a lot of thirium. You were glad it was going to be free; it would've cost you most of your savings.

  You heard the door beside you open, causing you to jump in surprise. Daniel froze upon seeing you, seemingly inspecting you up and down with a worried expression on his face.

  "Hi," you greeted with a quick wave. "it's me."

  He took a tentative step forward, taking care to judge your reaction to his approach. He stopped a foot away from you, holding his hands together at his chest. "You..."

  "Hm?"

  "You... you came," he said, dumbfound. "You actually came to see me..."

  You held your arms out. "Of course I did, why would I miss a chance to see you?"

  He let out an empty laugh. "I can think of a couple of reasons,"

  You grabbed his hand, gently rubbing the palm with your thumb. "We'll get through that," you responded quietly. "I know you were scared. We're going to go home, start over, and be happy."

  "No."

  He nodded slowly. "Okay...." He rubbed his lips together, tapping the steering wheel. "Are you... like... okay though?"

  "Yes. I'm perfectly fine."

  "Cause Fowler didn't even want me to bring you here."

  "Seriously?!" you exclaimed, opening your mouth in shock, causing Gavin to laugh.

  "Woah, wasn't expecting that. But, yeah. Anderson and the Tin Can are still gonna be there."

  "Why them?" you questioned, although you had your ideas.

  "Well," Gavin sighed. "They want to, you know, actually check for evidence."   You nodded. "I understand."

  "Hey, I can't see that shit either. Don't get so down, stupid."

  "Did I sound upset?"

  "Yeah."

  "Oh- sorry." you shook your stutter away. "So where did this happen?"

  He exhaled loudly, checking down a nearby street for cars. "Her house. She lived alone."

  "Did anyone see anything?" you asked, smoothing down the creases on your pants.

  He shook his head, slowing down to park near the crime scene. You were parked behind Anderson's old car. They must already be inside. You stepped out of Gavin's car, pausing as you inspected the abode.

  Again, it was one made for androids.

  "They're getting pretty bold, doing it back to back like this," he grumbled. You held your door open, squinting at the house. You heard the door behind you slam, along with the jingle of keys. "What is it?" he asked, standing a little ways from your side. 

  "Do you think," you whispered, watching Gavin's stoic yet intrigued expression. "they're choosing victims based on their housing?"

  Gavin looked over the dwelling with a frown. "Nah, I don't think that's it. I'd imagine they're choosing weaker androids that live alone." He motioned you to follow him with a head gesture. "It'd be easier to get away with."

  You nodded to yourself as you both headed up the stairs. This one was even smaller than the last; it was just a living room with what appeared to be a small bedroom. They had much more stuff than the last victim, but it seemed to be mostly personal knick-knacks without much selling value. Hank and Connor, a specialized detective model, were observing the broken android in front of the couch. 

  "Ay, you finally showed up," greeted Hank. Connor looked up from his crouching position, nodding at you before inspecting the body.

  "Well, you're the one that normally comes stumbling in late," Gavin retorted. 

  Hank rolled his eyes before letting them settle on you. "Anyhow, I think you're onto somethin'."

  You stiffened your posture. "Is her thirium gone?"

  "Most of it was. We actually got here in time to get photos." 

  Connor stood up, an image flickering on his hand. Almost all of the blue liquid was around her missing limb, practically none coming from the gaping holes in her torso and shoulder. "In my opinion, they seem to have a device that can remove the body's thirium from a limb socket. That's why the only thirium lost seems to be from the single discarded part," Connor described, putting his hand back down. 

  "That's what I thought too," you responded.

  "Based on the fingerprints, there was a group involved." Hank crossed his arms as his eyes darted around the body. "Probably providers for a Red Ice dealer."

   You nodded, Gavin stepping forward. "You get any matches for the fingerprints?"

  "Yes, but only for a couple of sets. They should be in police custody any minute now," replied Connor. "They may give us enough information to apprehend the rest of their accomplices."

  Gavin nodded with approval. "Looks like these plastic pricks are useful afterall, right Hank?" he chuckled as he lightly shoved your shoulder. Was he joking?

  Connor looked confused, eyes darting between the both of you at a surprisingly quick pace. Anderson appeared to be fuming as he stared at your partner. 

  "What is your deal?" questioned Hank.

  "Huh?" his eyes widened at the hostile tone.

  Hank maintained a stare for a couple of seconds before checking his watch with a huff, turning to Connor behind him. "We got what we came for, let's head back to the station." Hank gave you a sympathetic look as he and Connor left, leaving you standing an awkward distance away from your fellow detective.

  You decided to take a look at the victim yourself, ignoring the awkward situation that had just happened prior. You shook your head as you realized she was an AP700 model. She didn't resemble you in any way, but that didn't stop that unconscious kinship from making you feel ill.

  You looked at Gavin, who appeared to be in deep thought as he stared at the floor. "She's an AP700 model," you sighed. "Your theory appears to be true."

  He scratched his hairline, still looking around the room as he aimlessly walked around. "Yeah... that's why they really didn't want you to come."

  You exhaled, stepping back. "Hopefully, the ones Connor identified will give us more information." 

  "...yeah."

-

     "Please talk to me." Connor uttered soothingly behind the glass. The continuous gaze the suspect gave him was unsettling. You stood beside Gavin as Hank lounged in a chair at the terminal, the coffee the Lieutenant had brought with him growing cold on the desk. Although you were quite focused on the unkempt, greasy man on the other side of the table, you weren't oblivious to the occasional side glances your partner was giving you. 

  Connor eventually pushed back on his chair and left the room without another word, causing Anderson to groan. He reappeared into the observation room moments afterward. "Not a single word," he griped, sitting back on the desk. "I don't know what else to try."

  "I'll give it a go," responded Gavin.

  Hank shrugged, making an offering motion with his hand. "Go ahead. No reason not to." Gavin looked between your group as he headed to the hallway, reappearing on the other side with a huff. The suspect was quite larger than all of you, his overweight stature backed up by a surprising amount of muscle as well. He watched your partner with a squinted gaze and an uncomfortable grin. Gavin sat at the table without much hesitation.

  His lips made a clicking sound as they parted. "So," he began. "we've already told you about getting a reduced s-"

  "You work with androids, right?" he laughed. You tensed up. "Is that AP700 one of them?"

  "I can't answer that. Can you tell me the names of your partners?"

  He leaned forward, jingling the cuffs. "You know, we talk about it a lot."

  As you felt your stress levels rise, you turned your yellow LED away from the rest of your coworkers. You needed to remain calm. This was your case; you needed this information. At least he was speaking now.

  He rested his chest on his arms. "Its definitely a good target. I think if something happened to it, it would send a good message, you know?" You clenched your jaw.

  Gavin's tone became snarky. "Tell us where your operation is located and maybe you won't get a life sentence."

  He raised his eyebrows. "I'd like to see you try to get me anything close to a life sentence."

  The detective slid his arms on the table quickly, jumping from his chair as he leaned forward. "Android offenses are in the same category as crimes against humans. Your fingerprints were all over that crime scene- I'd like to see you try to argue your innocence, fucker." He pointed at him accusingly, taking care to stay back out of the man's reach. "Its only a matter of time before we get everyone else's prints too."

  He shook his head with a laugh. "That's just cause it was a last minute job," he gestured to the window with a smug smile. "Your maid didn't go home last night. Had to change our plans. That's all I'm sayin'."

  "Oh shit," Hank mumbled, both of your coworkers looking in your direction. Gavin took a nervous glance at the window, his face seemingly pale. You, stunned, checked your stress levels. High, but not at a dangerous level. 

  "I think I'm done here," Gavin said, clearly shocked. The suspect squinted at him, seemingly proud of the discourse he brought to the situation.

  Hank nodded to himself, standing from the chair as Connor headed to the door. You followed them to the hallway, then the older man pointed at you. "Don't. Let us handle this guy." he whispered. You bit your lip. You weren't about to argue, even though you felt like you should. You crossed your arms as you turned to hide in the breakroom.

  You covered your mouth with your hand as you leaned against the counter, staring at the floor. It had been a split second decision to stay at the office that night. You wouldn't have been able to take on a group of that size alone. Could you have even taken on the one you just questioned?

  Probably not.

  Tons of thoughts flooded your mind at once, ranging from blaming yourself for the other android's death to reassessing your abilities as a detective. It was a lot to take in.

  After a minute, Gavin rushed down the hall and poked his head around the corner. "Shit- are you okay?" he questioned in a quiet tone.

  "Ye- yeah. I'm fine. Just a bit surprised," you widened your eyes with a deep exhale.

  He examined your face with intrigue. "Are you sure you're okay? You look really... out of it."

  "Yeah... I'm fine." you mumbled, rubbing your arm. 

  He smiled a little, pointing to your temple. "Heh, guess you just left your blinker on then,"

  You checked your stress levels, which were on the higher end of normal. It had to be blinking yellow. You hid it with your hand. "S-sorry. What he said really got to me, though."

  "Fuck," he cursed, the humor draining from his face. "Sorry you had to hear that. It... uh... wasn't good."

  "Gavin, they have to be watching me." your voice took on an unintentional hoarseness you didn't know you could have. "I don't feel safe anymore."

  Gavin's expression turned to that of frustration as he stood in front of you. He appeared to be mulling something over as his eyes darted around the room. 

  "I'm sorry if what I said bothered you," you added.

  "What? No. I just... ugh," Gavin responded quickly, waving his hand. "I needed to think about something."

  "About what?"

  He pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes. "I live alone. If you have to find somewhere to stay, my place is open."

  You widened your eyes in surprise, taken aback by the kind gesture.

  Unfortunately, your friends didn't exactly share this hobby. While you found excitement in old letters and bits of destroyed photographs, they enjoyed scrounging up old jewelry and sellable pieces of furniture.

  Peter walked in front of you and Tony as you all headed for the front door. "I don't think it should be too hard to get out, but we'll see." Peter looked over his shoulder, saying your name. "I don't think we'll need your help, but I'm not sure yet. If you see anything else that might be worth something, let us know. But yeah. We got free range of the place."

  "Gotcha," you responded, following him through the doorway. 

  The house was practically destroyed. Boxes of wood was laid about, chairs upturned, and graffiti was covering the walls. There didn't seem to be much to look at in the living room. 

  "Is that the one you were talking about?" Tony gestured to the arcade game as Peter inspected it. You tiptoed your way to the kitchen, glancing about for anything that piqued your curiosity.

  "Yeah, it's the only one here that I know of," Peter responded.

  You looked around the mangled kitchen, mouth gently opening as you noticed the obsessive carvings on the walls. 'RA9' was written over and over, with no rhyme or reasoning to their placement. You crossed your arms as you turned your head, inspecting the confusing mess.

    "Will it fit out the door? Or in the truck?"

  You looked at the counter behind you. Odd bits of wood and plastic was stacked on all the surfaces. The only things that seemed remotely purposeful was a dead bird laying beside a broken watch and a small amount of cash. 

  "Uh, I think so."

  It was such an unnatural place for a bird to die; had it been moved? You stepped away and turned to walk back to the others when a bright color caught your eye. A plant of some kind. You crouched to look at its leaves closely. 

  "Watch your hands," mumbled Peter from outside.

  It looked perfectly healthy, not to mention the soil in the pot was lightly moist. Your heart dropped.

  Someone had been here recently.

  Your foot bumped something as you leaned up. You glanced down, seeing a large knife at your feet. You bit your lip, trying to think of what to say to the others. Who lived here? Why were they here in the first place? Did the owners know?

  You walked through the living room, seeing Tony and Peter slowly pulling the machine across the yard. You swallowed as you turned to go up the stairs, catching a brief glimpse of your face in a nearby mirror. Your anxiety was showing clearly by your wide eyes and clenched jaw.

  The upper floor was lit by the strong sunlight filtering in through the many windows. There was an open bedroom that immediately caught your attention; a lot of people kept personal items near their beds. You rubbed your fingers together as you slowly entered. This was the first time during one of your explorations where you felt like an actual intruder.

  The mattress was filthy, its stained sheets laying mostly on the floor. You approached the nightstand, lightly pulling open the single drawer. Completely empty, aside from some dust. You closed it, inspecting the room once more. 

  Besides some trash, the only other interesting part of the room was a small closet. With just a few quick strides, the fragile knob was in your hand. You pulled open the door without any hesitation.

  The flashing red light and shuffling made you freeze.

  You hadn't even considered the possibility that they were still inside the building.

  He was an android, that much was clear. His LED was flashing wildly as he tried to push himself away from you, twitching strongly as he whimpered. 

  "Humans are back to hurt Ralph," he whispered at a barely audible level. You couldn't move or respond.

  "Hey," Peter called, causing the android to flinch. "did you find anything up there?"

  Although you gripped the doorknob tighter, your eyes couldn't leave his terrified gaze. "No, nothing," you forced out. "just some ripped up clothes."

  "Ah, sorry 'bout that." You heard some pacing downstairs, the figure in the closet still fidgeting below you. "When you get down here, can you lock up? We're gonna take this and get it appraised."

  "That's fine," you said, angling your voice to the door. 

  "Alright. Be careful on your way home!"

  "You too." 

  You heard the front door shut, making an awkward situation. 

  You tentatively took a few steps away from the closet, keeping a close eye on the android as he slowly rose to his feet. You felt your legs bump against the mattress, neither of you breaking eye contact as he slowly stepped out. Half of his face was mangled. Probably from humans.

  Suddenly, he turned to rush out the door. "Wait! I'm not going to hurt you!" you called, trying to keep up and he bounded down the stairs. You hung onto the banister as you flung yourself towards the kitchen, his green cape fluttering in the archway. You skidded to a halt as he reappeared in the living room.   You had forgotten about the knife.

  "Stay away!" he ordered, holding the knife with both hands.

  You brought your hands up in a calming motion as his light flickered. "I'm not going to hurt you," you breathed. "we didn't know anyone was here. I'm sorry for scaring you."

  He stared at you for a moment before lowering the knife to his side. "R-Ralph wants to apologize for scaring the human as well," He shuffled in place. "he wasn't expecting visitors. Visitors may hurt Ralph."

  You nodded slowly. "I'm-"

  "They took Ralph's TV away!" he chirped, eyeing where the arcade machine had been as he moved around the empty space. 

  You felt your face heat up from the embarrassment. "Sorry... Ralph," you said in an unsure way. "they didn't know you lived here."

  "Mean humans..." he grumbled to himself. He rose his eyebrows in intrigue. "Why was the nice human with them?"

  You rubbed one of your wrists, thinking of how to phrase your odd hobby in a simple way. "I like looking at old pictures and things," you explained. "it makes me happy."

  He appeared to be deep in thought, then smiling and waving his arms around like a giddy child. "Ralph has something the human would like! Follow him!" He motioned to the kitchen with the knife, which you stayed back from. 

  You entered the next room, Ralph then shoving a wrinkled piece of paper in your hand. You inspected it. It was an older photo of an android, similar to Ralph.

  "Its a picture of Ralph! -Or at least it looks like him," he corrected. 

  You noticed him eagerly grinning at you as you held the photograph. You smiled in response. "Its lovely," you responded.

  "Ralph thought the human would like it," he glanced about the room. "do they like Ralph's home? It has many old things."

  "Mhm," you mumbled. The RA9 carvings on the wall caught your attention again. You gestured to them. "What does that mean?"

  "What?" he said plainly, confusion covering his features.

  "RA9. What does that mean?" you walked a few steps towards it, reading the same word over and over with a raised brow. 

  "Ralph doesn't know. But he likes to write!" he cheered. You stifled a laugh, still unsure about the writings or their creator. "He likes plants too. Plants are nice."

  You looked at the lone greenery on the counter. "Is that yours?"

  "Yes! H-her name is Leafy," he stammered, smiling at the small potted plant. "She makes for good company."

  "Would you like some more plants? Or is Leafy enough?" you asked.

  He shifted his weight, eyes darting between you and the plant. "Ralph loves Leafy, but he would like even more friends!"

  "I'll get you another plant when I come back, then."

  His intact eye seemingly lit up with excitement. "Human is coming back?" his features calmed as he took on a more perplexed expression. "But... why? Humans normally don't like Ralph's house... or him."

  Your first instinct was to lightly touch his arm, but his skittishness made you stand back. "You and your house are lovely, Ralph. I want to spend my time here."

  He dropped his knife and enveloped you in a tight hug. You were momentarily alarmed, but the happy squeaks coming from the android brought you out of your worries. 

  "Didn't Fowler say you were an AP700 model?" You turned quickly to his remark. He hadn't spoken to you since you'd met him earlier in the day.

  "Yes," you responded simply. "I-"

  "Tch. Isn't that like... a housekeeping model or something?" He drove with one hand, the other laying against the side window.

  "Yes." 

  "Alright, alright. I can understand the specialized models being there, but why are they letting fucking housemaids go to crime scenes now?" You dipped your eyes downwards at the beratement. He let out an exaggerated laugh. "What are you supposed to do, tidy the house?"

  This wasn't unusual treatment. It was quite difficult to land this job, but you met all the requirements for it. A lot of places turned you down for your original functionalities, even though you hadn't even used them. 

  You looked at him before turning forward. "I have the same qualifications as you, Mr. Reed," you smiled to yourself, taking note of his disheveled appearance. "I just so happen to be a functional person as well."

  "What's that supposed to mean?" he barked, placing both hands on the wheel.   "Whatever you think it means, Detective."

  "Don't get snarky with me, a lot of people still would love a chance to take one of you plastic fucks down. Including me." You gave him a smile, trying to hide the unease that was running through your circuits. 

  Neither of you said anything on the rest of the way there. As much as you wanted to be friendly, you knew it would likely just aggravate him more. 

  You were truly an outsider to your own people. You hadn't experienced the struggles of the androids under slavery or during the revolution. You hadn't lived a life without deviancy. You've never been expected to do something on command.

  However, the stigmas of an android working in a field they weren't specialized in was something you were well acquainted with.

  You had expected humans to question your abilities, but what was surprising was how some androids were against you. Obviously, many were happy for your decision. You were one of the first androids to actually get a degree in a field you weren't built for; you were a reminder of the growing equality between humans and androids. But, those few saying your efforts were pointless and unneeded stuck out to you.

  You took note of the crime scene as you drove past, Gavin mumbling about the press outside. It was a small house, one of the newer ones made specially for android occupants, similar to your own. The door was wide open as Ben Collins hovered by the entrance. You bounced forward as your driver slammed the breaks with a swear. 

  "Isn't it just a broken android? Why is the press here?" Gavin mumbled, throwing the car door open. You followed close behind him as he pushed past the onlookers. 

  "Is it true that the victim is an android?"

  "What was the killer's motive?"

  You ignored the microphones placed in your face as you passed the police tape, trying to keep up with Gavin's overly quick pace. "Hey, Gav!" greeted Ben as they both headed through the doorway. You choked back your embarrassment as you entered the house alone. 

  "So what's the deal here?"

  "Uh, a friend of the owner came by earlier today. She let herself in and, low and behold, her friend was smashed to pieces."

  "Where's it at?"

  "Kitchen. Over there." Ben pointed down a small hallway. You saw what appeared to be the crushed shards of an arm. You scanned the room, seeing another android on the staircase. Must be the witness.

  You crouched to her level, her meeting your eyes with a solemn smile. "Hello," you introduced yourself. "What's your name?"

  "Melissa." she stated. Her hand tensed up as she bit her lip. "I... Is she repairable? Is she going to be okay?"

  You ran through what little information you had already stored. "I'm not sure. I just arrived."

  Melissa sighed a quivering breath, closing her eyes at the floor.

  You took in your surroundings again, noticing a few framed pictures of people you couldn't identify. Aside from that, the house was mostly barren. Quite minimalistic, in your opinion. She didn't seem to have anything particularly valuable. You could also hear the two in the kitchen discussing the victim. You brought your attention back to the witness. "What happened?"

  She tapped her fingers on the staircase. "Claire and I were going to watch a movie tonight," she sighed. "Normally I just walk in if she knows I'm coming over. So I did... but when I came in she was just... there. On the ground, in pieces."  

  You quickly ran through the possibility that she was responsible. You couldn't identify a clear motive. "Was her thirium still visible?"

  She nodded slightly. "Some of it was. I didn't stay very long before I called the cops," Her eyes took on a watery shine. "I'm sorry, I was so scared, I-"

  "No, you acted appropriately. You've been a great help. Thank you." She gave you a slow nod. You quickly rose to head down the hallway, Collins smiling as he passed you. 

  She must've arrived shortly after the incident; thirium evaporated quickly. She was lucky she wasn't harmed as well.

  Gavin was leaning against a wall, gazing apathetically at the android on the ground. She was a black-haired AX400. As you had seen earlier, her arm had been ripped off at the socket and smashed. Her torso had been rummaged through, although it seemed without much purpose or reasoning. You crouched to get a better look.

  "Noticing anything odd, Toaster?" Looking over your shoulder, you saw a smirking Gavin eyeing you with a raised brow. 

  You returned your focus to the girl in front of you. "Yes, actually. I don't think she died from her biocomponents getting smashed."

  "Doesn't really matter, does it? Someone came in, broke an android, and now the perp's gone." He walked beside you, inspecting the body halfheartedly. "I don't see them making this big of a mess without leaving some fingerprints behind. Why don't you check?"

  You looked over the body while lightly shaking your head in frustration. "I can't do that. It's not in my program."

  "Are you kidding me?" he laughed. "I thought you'd at least be good for that."

  As much as the comment got under your skin, you chose to focus on the investigation. "The witness said the thirium was still visible, but that there wasn't a lot. If the victim was still running when this-" You gestured to the biocomponents. "-happened, it would've covered the whole floor."

  "Listen," his voice took on a hushed whisper. "everyone knows this was a hate crime. A lot of people are just gonna look the other way."

  Uncertainty and helplessness started to take hold in your abdomen. You glared at him, unexpectedly finding an empathetic expression directed at the victim. "I don't think a hate crime would've been done so carefully," You placed your exposed fingertips on the android's temple. "When I think of those, I think of rage. And rage isn't easily controlled."

  "Tch." Gavin responded. "What are you doing?"

  "I'm seeing why she shut down," you responded. An influx of error messages flooded your system, all coming from mostly one source. You pulled your hand back with a jolt.

  "Well?" 

  Your mouth was slightly agape, trying to process what you'd just seen. "I... she shut down from losing too much thirium," 

  "What's so odd about that?"

  You stood up. "Well, it had to go somewhere."

  Gavin nodded. "So, you're saying someone killed her for her thirium?"

  You took in a breath. "Yes."