Chapter Text
“Ugh, I dunno why we gotta babysit this damn diplomat.” Hank leaned back in the driver’s seat, the frame creaking beneath his weight and reducing Gavin’s legroom in the back seat by another two inches. He had less room than the average airline seat, and cursed the fact that Hank and Connor were so fucking tall. Why did the god damn tin can have to ride shotgun? Oh yeah, because Hank was soft on the plastic prick.
Connor shot Hank a soft smile. “Homicide has been quiet lately, and Captain Fowler needed our assistance. Besides, is it not beneficial to have the State Department owe us a favor?”
“Would you guys stop flirting for just one second outta the day? Jesus.” Gavin leaned forward from the back seat, acutely aware that Hank and Connor had completely forgotten about his presence.
“Look, Gavin, we didn’t exactly want you to tag along, but we’re all in this together. Can you please just shut up for a few hours so we can escort this diplomat back to the fuckin’ airport and be done with it?” Hank scowled and reached for his coffee cup. He shook the empty styrofoam cup and sighed.
“I’ll get you a refill,” Connor offered, his mouth twisting back into that tender smile. Gavin cringed inwardly. Fucking dipshits didn’t even seem to realize they were flirting, but the amount of eye sex going on made him the third wheel. He didn’t even have a partner to talk with. He was stuck in this hell until the fucking diplomat left the country for his posting… somewhere. Which wasn’t for another three hours.
A black car with tinted windows pulled in behind them and Gavin opened his door, eager to escape the cramped back seat and get away from the sexual tension in the front. Besides, sucking up to the diplomat might be beneficial to his career, which was the only reason he’d agreed to tag along with the loverboys in the first place.
The black limousine's back door opened, and an android stepped out. Of course the diplomat would bring a bodyguard, and from the looks of it, this tin can could hold its own. It kinda looked like Connor, but with none of the soft boy shit going on. It had blue eyes and a high-necked collar that made it all seem all business and no pleasure.
And fuck, it wore that white jacket and black shirt so well that Gavin might have been interested if it wasn’t an android. He wasn’t Hank. It was gonna take more than a nice jacket to make him go plastic.
“Nice to meet you,” the android said, holding out its hand. Gavin took it, reminding himself that androids were their equals now and pissing off the diplomat’s security detail would be a bad way to break the ice. The handshake was brief but firm, formal and distant.
“So um, can you introduce me to your boss?” Gavin asked.
“My boss?” The android shot him a glare. “I work for the State Department. Are you insinuating you would like to change careers?”
God, these androids and their ability to take everything literally. It was so infuriating.
“Your boss. The fuckin' diplomat. Do I have to spell it out?"
The android’s mouth twisted into a thin smile. “I think there has been a misunderstanding,” the android said. “I am the diplomat, en route to a posting in South Korea.”
“Oh.” Gavin said, his foot planted firmly in his mouth. He quickly tried to backpedal, sensing that the diplomat was not going to say kind things about its DPD escort after all. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that—" Fuck, no, that wasn’t the right thing to say.
“You didn’t know that androids now have equal rights to all government postings and jobs normally reserved for citizens?” The android raised an eyebrow. “I am surprised. It seemed to be quite a contentious issue when the Android Rights Amendment passed.”
Gavin jumped as Hank’s heavy hand clamped down on his shoulder. “Introducing yourself to the ambassador?” Hank held out his hand and shared a hearty handshake with the android, setting Gavin’s teeth on edge. “I’m Lieutenant Anderson, Detroit Police Department.” He gestured behind him to Connor, who of course was tagging along like a stray puppy with doe eyes. “This is my partner, Detective Connor, and you’ve already met Detective Reed, here.”
“Ambassador Nines. A pleasure. I was beginning to think nobody had heard about my posting to South Korea,” Nines said. “As I was explaining to Detective Reed, it has been in the news for several weeks that I am the first android Ambassador to serve the United States overseas.”
“You’ll have to forgive him,” Hank explained. “Detective Reed doesn’t keep up on current affairs unless his name’s in the article.”
Gavin shot Hank his best death glare, but it was wasted on the side of his head. He wanted to let out a snappy comeback, but he’d already blown it with Ambassador Nines and he didn’t want to sour the android’s opinion of him any further than he already had by opening his big mouth.
When had appeasing the feelings of androids been a career-breaking consideration? Gavin bit his tongue, hoping to salvage what little pride he had remaining and get through the day.
God, he almost longed for a corpse to show up so he could get out of android-sitting duty. Of course, knowing his luck, it would be an android corpse and he’d spend his afternoon covered in thirium and inspecting biocomponents.
He hated change, and resented the fact that Hank was adapting to the equal status of androids so quickly, given that he was practically a Luddite. Perhaps that was the trick—his old-school mentality had rejected technology to such a degree that it was simpler for him to accept androids as people than as machines.
“Have your driver stay behind us,” Hank explained. “The patrol cars will take up the front. It’s not a long ride to the airport. We’ll have you on your flight in no time.”
“Thank you.” Nines turned his back and Gavin couldn’t help but admire him a little. He was tall, handsome, and looked like he wasn’t going to take shit from anyone. He might have been wearing Connor’s face, but those cold blue eyes told Gavin he was the predator, not the prey.
Gavin wouldn’t have minded being the prey, but any hope of a quickie with the United States’ first android ambassador only existed in his fantasies.
Besides, he didn’t do plastic, and he wasn’t going to flip-flop like Hank, going soft the second a twink android with bedroom eyes stepped into the equation. Fuck that. CyberLife could make them as pretty as they wanted on the outside, but underneath they were nothing but plastic and wires. Plastic and wires with rights, perhaps, but facsimiles of humanity all the same.
He had plenty of dildos if he ever got that desperate.
Gavin’s thoughts were rudely interrupted by a hail of bullets. Thirium splashed his face and the melted-plastic stench of ruptured biocomponents met his nose. He pulled out his pistol instinctively as he dived on top of the ambassador, wrestling him to the ground and shielding him with his body. Plastic or not, Gavin wasn’t going to be accused of being bad at his job.
Gunshots popped and whizzed above them, and Gavin glanced up to see Hank firing his pistol as he pulled Connor by the arm, back out of harm’s way. Connor’s right arm was leaking thirium, but he seemed unfazed by the injury, returning enough fire to keep their assailants pinned down.
Of course. They were laying down fire for him to get the ambassador out of harm’s way. Gavin grabbed the android by the shoulders and dragged him back behind Hank’s car. He popped open the door and climbed in, hauling the android body up into the back seat. There was a lot of blue blood, and its hull plating had taken damage, along with some of its internals.
“We should have taken the ambassador’s car. It is reinforced with bulletproof plating,” Connor explained, climbing into the driver’s seat. Hank jumped into the passenger side, emptying his clip. A sharp cry indicated he'd hit home, and his expression dimmed as he slammed the door.
“Let’s get the fuck out of here, Connor!” Hank yelled.
The tires squealed as the classic automobile skidded on the tarmac. Bullets ricocheted off the side of the vehicle as it sped away. Hank leaned to glance out of the back window as Connor pushed the car to its limits, the engine groaning in complaint.
“I think we’re clear,” Hank said. “Gavin, how’s the ambassador?”
“Not good. There’s blue blood everywhere.” Gavin touched the android’s cheek, wondering how cold he’d feel to the touch. He was surprisingly warm.
Ambassador Nines opened his eyes. “It is critical level one damage. Biocomponent #9782f is damaged, but will continue to function for another three hours and fifteen minutes.”
“We need to get him to a CyberLife facility,” Gavin said.
Hank ignored him, placing his hand on the bloodied gash on Connor’s arm. “You okay, Connor?”
“It is superficial, Hank,” Connor explained, placing his hand over Hank’s and shooting him a warm smile. Gavin was too keyed up to care, especially since the ambassador he'd hoped to curry favor with was dying in his arms.
“Any IDs on our assassins?” Hank asked.
Connor's LED circled yellow for a moment. “The man you shot was Park Lee-Kwon, a North Korean national. As for a motive, the North and the South still have open hostility towards one another. It is possible the anti-android North believes Nines is a spy sent to infiltrate them via the South.”
“Or someone wanted to make it look like the North Koreans were involved.” Hank’s eyes narrowed. “Could be anti-android factions unhappy at Nines’ posting. It’s impossible to know based on one suspect. We can’t risk taking Nines to CyberLife now that we know he’s a target. It's too exposed."
“The damaged biocomponent is standard in most models," Connor explained in his annoying know-it-all tone. "The repair shop on Howard Street is closest to our current location.”
“He’s an ambassador! You can’t just take him to some back alley chop shop!” Gavin exclaimed.
“It is a sound plan, Detective,” Nines said, shifting to a sitting position. “I am being targeted. We can’t yet draw a conclusion on who is behind the attack. Keeping a low profile is the most logical course of action.”
“Fine.” Gavin hated being outnumbered, especially when the android he’d put his life on the line to save was voting against him.
***
Hank continued to fuss over Connor as they headed into the android repair store, leaving Gavin to carry Ambassador Nines over the threshold like a blushing bride. Thank god androids were designed to be lightweight, as Gavin was having a hard enough time hauling the six-foot-tall android inside. He needed to get back to the gym before Hank started to show him up.
“Set him down on the table,” the engineer said. He pulled off Nines’ thirium-soaked jacket and tossed it to Gavin, who caught it. He unbuttoned Nines’ shirt, exposing perfect abs that put his growing pudge to shame.
But then of course android skin was just a hologram, an illusion. They didn’t even have abs. Androids weren't saddled with the burden of having to hit the gym and lift weights to keep a perfect physique.
Fucking androids. They had it easy. Humans didn’t stand a damn chance, and he hated that the most. No matter how hard Gavin worked, Connor would probably breeze to Sergeant while Gavin stayed at the rank of Detective until he was as old and fat as Ben Collins.
He had to admit Nines looked fucking good, though, even with two bullet holes in his torso. Gavin winced a little as the mechanic opened a panel on his chest, exposing circuitry and biocomponents. His thirium pump pulsed like a human heart, and Gavin’s stomach turned.
“Squeamish, Detective? I find that quite amusing, given the fact you’re a homicide detective.”
“Shut the fuck up. I can’t believe I put my life on the line for you and I’m still gettin’ insults. Ambassador or not, just shut your fucking trap already,” Gavin snapped. He was ready to be done with the day, especially when Connor waltzed in buttoning up his shirt and Hank wore a shit eating grin that told Gavin he’d gotten a good look at his android partner’s bare chest.
Fucking pervert. He was not gonna end up like that. There wasn’t enough alcohol in the entire universe to make him depart from his senses that badly.
“I’m gonna wait in the car.” Gavin pushed past Connor, shoulder checking him on the way out. It was a petty move, but he was feeling spiteful. He was sick of Hank and Connor’s nauseating little will-they-or-won’t-they games, tired of being the spare part on this stupid escort mission and absolutely fucking done being a meat shield for this god damn tin can diplomat who couldn’t even say ‘thanks’.
He sulked in the car for a good hour, playing with his phone once looking out for imaginary threats got boring after ten minutes. Their assailants didn’t seem that persistent, all things considered. He couldn’t believe they’d slipped the net this easily.
Maybe they’d just wanted to give Nines a good scare. Gavin couldn’t blame them; he was pretty eager to put a bullet in the plastic prick himself. It wasn’t hard to imagine the ambassador had made enemies. Nines wouldn’t make the shortlist for Personality Of The Year, that was certain. What an acerbic dickhead.
When he appeared in the doorway sporting those blue eyes, not a hair out of place, black turtleneck fitting him snugly, Gavin had to admit his anger ebbed a little. He realized he still had Nines’ white jacket sitting on his leg, the thirium stain fading from the human eye, leaving only the bullet holes. It was ruined, of course, but he didn’t doubt Nines would find a way to wear it and look good anyway.
The other door opened and Nines slipped into the back seat beside him. Gavin thrust the jacket into his hands, suddenly eager to be rid of the damn thing. Hank and Connor were still flirting in the doorway as if they hadn’t been shot at today. Or maybe that turned them on. He’d heard stories about Hank. Gavin rolled his eyes.
“Thank you,” Nines said.
Gavin waited for the other shoe to drop. “For what?”
“You protected me. You put your life in danger to shield me from my assailants. I will be lauding your bravery and your dedication to duty in my report, Detective Reed. Despite the fact you clearly have an objection to androids, you carried out your mission.”
“It’s not—I’m not—" Gavin sighed.
“You’re not against android rights, but?” Nines remarked.
“Fuck you. You’re think you’re so clever, don’t you? God, you’re as insufferable as Connor.”
Nines laughed, a deep chuckle that echoed in the tiny space. “Tell me. Are Detective Connor and Lieutenant Anderson romantically involved?”
“To everyone else but them. It’s disgusting, not to mention putting other lives in the department at risk. I needed Hank’s help back there, and he was too busy dragging his precious Connor out of danger.”
“I’ve reconstructed the scene and Lieutenant Anderson chose to act in a way that had the best odds of success,” Nines argued. “Laying down covering fire was the only way he could protect you. He would have been overwhelmed by himself, so rescuing his partner to assist him in this task was essential.”
Gavin's mood soured further. “Fine, okay, take their side all you want. You have to admit it’s nauseating, though.”
“I do not possess a stomach and do not understand why affection would cause such a reaction.”
“Do you androids have to take everything literally, or is that just another tactic to change the subject?” Gavin batted the air. He didn't want to argue with this fucking android. The machine would just have an answer for everything he said, anyway. “Never mind.”
Hank and Connor opened the front doors in tandem and Gavin stared out of the window, avoiding the gaze of everyone in the car. An awkward silence descended on the occupants of the vehicle.
Gavin shifted in his seat. He just wanted to get the hell home and take a shower. Darkness had already drawn in, and their little errand was nowhere near complete. “So what’s next, Hank? We gonna get this dipshit to the airport or not?”
“Nope. We just got word that Nines’ private jet exploded at the airfield. Someone really wants you dead, Ambassador.” Hank buckled his seatbelt. “I’ve contacted Captain Fowler. The FBI is gonna take you into protective custody, but they won’t be here until morning. For tonight, I think it’s best if you stay at Gavin’s apartment, Ambassador.”
Gavin's rage bubbled over immediately. “Now wait just a fucking minute! My apartment? You have a fucking house. Why wouldn’t he stay there? No vacancies now your android partner is living in your one bedroom home?”
“They’ll be expecting the ambassador to stay with us,” Connor explained. “The assassins are less likely to track him if he’s with you.”
Gavin wanted to tell them no, but he didn’t have a reason that didn’t sound petty and childish. Truth was, his apartment was a mess from living alone with three cats, but he wasn’t about to admit that to Hank.
“Fine. But I want the FBI there first thing to get him off my hands. I’m over this babysitting bullshit.” Gavin narrowed his eyes as he stared at Nines, and he could have sworn the android shot him a tiny smile.
Oh fuck no, Nines was not going to turn on the RK-brand charms and expect him to roll over. He'd only agreed in the hopes of getting a commendation out of the deal.
He was going to beat Connor to Sergeant if it fucking killed him.