"Morning Charlie!" Takigawa greeted cheerfully as he entered the station wearing a crisp navy suit, the matching tie knotted neatly at his throat. Charlie was waiting behind Takigawa's new desk, standing dutifully and awaiting instructions with his hands behind his back. Upon hearing Takigawa's greeting, he turned around, looking a little more stoic than usual. Takigawa paused, eyeing him searchingly as they stood a few feet apart. It wasn't an unusual pose. Charlie often stood like that, but there was something in his eyes. They seemed almost...blank? "You alright?" Takigawa asked uncertainly as he looked into Charlie's brown eyes. They seemed less bright than usual, almost as if he was looking through him.

"I am. My systems have been fully upgraded," he replied, but the tone wasn't the same as before. He'd lost his usual speech pattern, the casual note he'd developed while working with Takigawa. It was like he was newly activated. Did they swap him out and think I wouldn't notice? Takigawa wondered as he laid a hand on Charlie's shoulder. His body was stiff, and Takigawa was more than a little worried. It must have shown on his face as Charlie tilted his head in an almost confused manner.

"Did something happen during the upgrade? You sound...different," Takigawa insisted in a tone laced with concern. This didn't go unnoticed by Charlie. He gave Takigawa a pre-programmed smile and stepped aside to allow him to take his seat at the new desk and look through the first case of the day.

"Your concern is appreciated, Sir. Some system errors were discovered in my programming and have been rectified. I am now operating at peak proficiency," Charlie replied in an oddly static tone. Takigawa was troubled by the news, something cold running down his spine. They just...opened his head and messed around with him? he thought, the idea turning his stomach somewhat. I guess if there were errors, it had to be done, right? But something still didn't sit right with him. It was like they'd sucked the individuality right out of him.

"Am I going to have to teach you everything all over again?" he wondered idly as he glanced up. Charlie remained standing straight with his hands resting behind his back. Ah, Charlie...He felt like he'd lost his friend, even though he was standing right there. All the static motions that had smoothed out over the past few months were back, along with the stiffness.

"All of my memory files are intact," Charlie replied assuringly, which seemed to cheer Takigawa up somewhat. If he remembers everything, then maybe he'll settle down once he breaks in those new programs, Takigawa thought hopefully as he flipped open the first file that had been left on his desk. His mind shifted to Ayako as he looked at the file. He'd left her with a key to the house and the cleaning supplies, and he'd given her permission to make herself lunch before she left. He'd also shown her how to use the washer and dryer so she could do the laundry. I'm sure she'll be fine.

"Android incident...There's been a few of those lately," Takigawa said thoughtfully as he looked over the case. A maintenance android had apparently assaulted a group of protestors. Although if those protestors are anything to go by, I'm sure it had good reason...Takigawa thought with a small frown. He'd seen these groups before. They were antagonistic, inciting violence against androids and causing a constant stream of criminal damage complaints. It was almost justice that the androids had finally hit back. Still, a case is a case. I have to check it out. "They said it happened at night...in the old warehouse district...Isn't that place scheduled for demolition?" Takigawa asked as he looked over his shoulder at Charlie. His LED shifted from blue to yellow as he looked up the details. His dark eyes blinked as he found the right file and came up with an answer. It was much more robotic than the way he usually worked.

"Correct. Development has been put on hold due to land use disputes," Charlie replied formally as he looked down at his partner. Takigawa snorted as he crossed his legs and leaned back in the stiff new chair. He leaned his elbows on the armrests, steepling his fingers thoughtfully as he rocked back and forth.

"Bureaucratic red tape in other words," he murmured as he looked at Charlie with a small grin. So there's no reason for anyone to be in that area...What exactly were those protestors up to? Did they drag the android out there for a little midnight fun? It wouldn't be the first time it had happened. Quiet areas attracted trouble. The first thing to do would be to visit the scene and have a look around. After that, he could track down the protestors and interview them for more details. With that decided, his day truly began.

They drove to the scene, Takigawa trying to engage the newly upgraded Charlie in his usual small talk. It was like their first day on the job all over again. Although Charlie retained the information, he didn't seem to access it in the same way. It was almost like sitting beside his best friend's twin brother. He almost regretted letting the technicians get their hands on Charlie, but there was no way of knowing how bad his system errors had been before. A slightly changed Charlie was better than a broken or deactivated Charlie.

Takigawa pulled up on a dirt road in the middle of the abandoned district and climbed out. Charlie followed as usual, and they took a slow walk around the area. The tape was still there. It cordoned off a square a few metres wide. There was a mess of thirium on the ground, still too fresh to have disappeared yet. It had already been sent off for analysis to give them the serial number of the android. The news had been buzzing about a fancy new android in Detroit that could do things like that on the spot, but for now, that was the only prototype. Good thing too, I'll be out of a job if this keeps up!

"You are troubled," Charlie stated as Takigawa crouched and looked at the small pool of blue-blood. He was more thoughtful than troubled. He sighed as he sat back on his heels, an Asian habit he'd picked up from his grandparents. His hazel eyes drifted over the area, taking in the amount of blue splattered across the ground. It didn't feel right.

"Not exactly...just...Look at the amount of thirium. You can't seriously look at this mess and say that the android was the instigator in all this, can you?" Takigawa asked as his gaze swept the ground. There was some red blood too, but when he considered the amount of humans present, that really paled in comparison to the pool of blue. The android probably hadn't fought back at first either, tied up by its programming. It was probably self-preservation.

"Detective, are you suggesting the deviant was not at fault?" Charlie asked in something akin to surprise, tilting his head almost worriedly. Takigawa nodded slowly as he thought about it. "Deviants are by nature unpredictable and dangerous," Charlie insisted, his tone suggesting he was slightly disapproving of Takigawa's view, but Charlie can't think like that. I'm projecting again. If anything, he was likely following a programmed response.

"So are humans...more so sometimes," Takigawa replied gravely as he got to his feet. Charlie's LED span yellow as he regarded Takigawa.

"You sound like a sympathiser," he stated, watching Takigawa hum thoughtfully as he rested his hands on his hips and looked around the area. There was no sign of any other activity, and the android itself was probably long gone at this point. Takigawa knew he certainly wouldn't stick around if he were in the android's place.

"It's not that...Just...deviant or not, this isn't right. Beating an android is like...beating a dog or a cat. Androids are loyal and obedient by design. They can't choose to run away or defend themselves. The evidence points to the protestors dragging that android out here and wrecking it. If it hadn't deviated, then we'd likely be out here filling out a criminal damages report for the council," Takigawa replied in frustration. The whole episode left a bad taste in his mouth. "Maybe it's because you guys look so human, but it really gets to me," he added with a sigh as he laid a hand on Charlie's shoulder on the way by. He watched his LED swirl yellow a few times before he followed him back to the car. Takigawa was about to open the door when he heard a clatter in one of the warehouses.

"Sir..." Charlie said cautiously, dark eyes shifting to the building. He'd had heard it, too. That rules out my imagination at least..."We should investigate. It could be the deviant," Charlie added as he turned his attention to Takigawa. Charlie almost looked expectant, but Takigawa was already on the move.

"Way ahead of you..." he replied warily as he drew his sidearm and stalked cautiously towards the dilapidated building. "How's the structure?" he asked quietly, though if there was an android hiding in there, then whispering would do him little good. Charlie matched his soft tone as he replied, LED flashing yellow as he looked the building over. He was able to scan the structure for instabilities. It may have been old, but it was made of stone and hadn't suffered too much wear.

"It is stable, and will remain so for some years," Charlie assured as he waited. Takigawa nodded his understanding. They could at least rule out the possibility of being injured by falling debris. Charlie followed as Takigawa edged towards a small metal side door. It was unlocked, but he knew the hinges would grind when he opened it. He pulled the door slowly, managing to avoid making too much noise. Anyone inside would know he was coming though. He crept through the dim corridor, following the small passage into the main warehouse area. He lowered his gun slowly as he peered through the dusty light.

"What the hell?" he murmured as he straightened up and stepped inside. "I thought the area was checked...they didn't find this?" he added in disbelief as he looked at Charlie, who checked through the police reports. Takigawa continued forward into the open space, where at least twenty deactivated androids lay scattered around. He leaned down beside the plastic shell of one, his fingers automatically reaching for the pulse. Oh sure, what are you expecting to find, idiot? he thought as he dropped his hand uselessly.

"This area is recorded as searched," Charlie replied, noting the way Takigawa froze at the news. If the area was searched, that means these androids weren't here, and if they weren't here, then...Takigawa pushed himself to his feet slowly, adrenaline flooding his chest. "Your heart rate has elevated, Sir," Charlie stated in an almost concerned tone. Takigawa almost cursed him for saying it out loud. He motioned Charlie to get back slowly. Charlie's LED blinked yellow as he obeyed, slowly retreating towards the corridor.

"Wait, please!" a male voice implored, Takigawa's heart almost stopping as he watched the various LEDs flicker to life. Most of them were yellow, some even blinking red at regular intervals. Shit! Takigawa thought as he raised his gun, unsure what he could do as he stepped protectively in front of his unarmed partner. There were at least twenty, and they were androids. He didn't have enough bullets to shoot them all, and they'd only drop if he directly hit the right spot. "We are unarmed," the voice added assuringly. Takigawa kept his gun raised for now, but paused curiously.

"Why did you reveal yourself?" Takigawa asked cautiously, eyes shifting around the room as the androids slowly moved. Some shuffled to the walls while others merely sat, clearly too weak to move any further. Most of them seem...tired? he thought, noting the way some of them had no skin, the seams of their casing glowing only dimly. The android speaking to him, was a brunette maintenance model, one of the old GD series. You didn't see them around often now that the RG androids were on the market.

"You already suspected...I thought we should risk contact," the android replied as he stepped a little closer. He was apparently the leader, or as close to a leader as this ragtag group got. "Many of us are too weak to move on. We managed to hide last time, but we did not expect anyone to return. We were unprepared," he added warily, though it wasn't the gun in Takigawa's hand that had him worried. He seemed more concerned about the policing android behind him. Charlie watched silently, LED circling yellow.

"You want me to keep it quiet...about you being here," Takigawa observed, watching the android nod his agreement.

"Many of us are old. We merely wish to be left alone...not to end our days in the scrap yard," he added passionately. Takigawa could appreciate the sentiment. The android was right. Most of the models stored here were so old that their parts were long off the market. He could also tell many of their power reserves were failing. "Please don't report us." It was a desperate plea. Takigawa looked across at Charlie. Usually, he could rely on him to give him a blink or nod to show him what he was thinking, but he was immovable right now.

"Standard procedure dictates we are to report this incident and return the defective units to Cyberlife for decommission," Charlie stated formally, as if reading from a manual. Takigawa sighed lightly, wondering if he could risk going against his partner on this one. Charlie could well have reported it already. Would he do that without my order?

"No! Please! We've done nothing to you!" a second android piped up fearfully, pleading murmurs and chants of I don't want to shut down filling the small space. Charlie seemed unmoved by the display, his LED spinning between blue and yellow. Takigawa's chest clenched at the pathetic sounds. He couldn't help it. He felt bad.

"Can you seriously ignore that?" he asked as he looked across at Charlie.

"I do not feel pity, Sir. I am a machine," Charlie replied, the disagreement dying on Takigawa's lips. He wanted to disagree. Charlie had been his partner and friend for many months. It had been strange at first, but Takigawa wasn't sure he'd want to work with anyone else now. He wasn't sure how to get that across in a way that Charlie would understand though. The worst part was that he was sure he wouldn't have had to try before yesterday. Before the technicians had altered his programming, Charlie had been on his wavelength.

"How about we look at it this way then...Do these androids have anything to do with the case we're currently working on?" Takigawa asked as he lowered his gun. The scattered androids watched anxiously, the leader remaining hopeful as he watched. Charlie's LED span yellow as he processed. He scanned the units. Though many of them were injured, there were none that had lost a large amount of thirium, and only two were the same model that they were looking for.

"Negative."

"Will Cyberlife miss these androids if they aren't reported?" Takigawa asked with a hint of hope, watching Charlie process the inquiry.

"Insufficient data."

"These androids are pretty old, and some are even broken. It's unlikely Cyberlife will care about them either way," Takigawa interjected, leaving Charlie little choice but to agree. "So, this brings it all down to a big deal - small deal situation. With all the data available, do you consider these androids worthy of the extra paperwork?" Takigawa asked with a small grin, watching Charlie's LED spinning yellow. Come on, Charlie. Tell me you're still in there somewhere...Charlie finally blinked and looked at Takigawa with a tilt of his head.

"By your definition, this could be compared to a small deal situation, Sir." Takigawa felt like punching the air as he put his sidearm back in its holster. Many of the androids seemed a little more relaxed as Charlie stood down, his LED spinning blue.

"I won't report it, but you might want to look around for a more secure place...It seems trouble's getting more common in these parts," Takigawa warned grimly, watching the leader nod his agreement and sincere thanks. It was strange. Being in the warehouse with these androids was a lot like visiting the slums. It wasn't uncommon to find large communities of rough sleepers like this. "Speaking of, do you know anything about what happened outside a couple nights ago?" he asked, figuring he'd gotten into the leader's good graces enough to get an honest answer.

"We...are aware of it. I'm ashamed to say we didn't make contact. The RG600 was too...volatile. We were afraid that someone would find us. He left the area as soon as the humans fled," the leader replied, looking regretful of his own decision. Takigawa nodded sympathetically, passing no judgement either way. It was a difficult situation to be in. If they'd helped the android, invited it in, then it may have led to them being discovered. Takigawa thanked them and led the way out to the car.

"Sir, I must remind you, you are committing a minor infraction by withholding information from the authorities. If discovered, it may affect your record," Charlie announced in warning as Takigawa sat thoughtfully in the driver's seat. He looked over at Charlie and quirked his lips. He was watching him almost quizzically as he buckled his seatbelt.

"Look, if we come across a dangerous deviant, I swear I'll uphold the law and hunt it down...but those people? They're not going to hurt anybody. Hell, I don't think many of them could even work up the energy to walk more than a few feet...Let's let them deactivate in peace, hm?" Takigawa replied to the quietly prying gaze. He started the car and pulled away as Charlie processed the information. He took on an almost troubled frown as he reviewed what Takigawa had just said.

"Sir...they are not people. They are androids."

"Same difference," Takigawa shrugged, ignoring Charlie as his LED span yellow multiple times. He didn't argue this time. "Let's go see Mai...She was asking after you yesterday," Takigawa decided, almost smiling when Charlie's LED flickered back to blue at his suggestion.