"No! Let me go back! Let-me-go-back!" John screamed and choked, struggling in Lin's grasp as he forced him away from the smoking doorway. He was as gentle as he could be. John's fists pounded his chest, his smaller shoulders and elbows trying to knock Lin's arms away. Lin looked sombre as he stared at down John. John screamed and cried, struggling to return to the burning store. To the GT300. Onlookers were taking pictures and videos as they murmured to each other in astonished voices. Some of them were already trending on social media as they streamed live. It was tragic. Was someone still inside? Surely, there had to be. Why else would the blonde teen be so set on going back? How terrible! Hopefully, the fire brigade would turn up soon. A small news crew had even rolled up at this point. It was a good thing John's true identity was largely a secret. This would have been a scandal. Attackers Unknown Target Cyberlife CEO's Heir in Shocking Arson Attack. John finally lost his fight as the shop doorway collapsed. He fell to his knees as he watched the frame give out. Lin dropped with him, his strong arms easing the fall.

"John...Look at me..." he urged softly as he cupped his flushed face with both hands. His glittering eyes were dimmer than he'd ever seen them. It hurt Lin to see it, but he understood. He slowly eased John into his arms and stood. Paramedics were hesitant to approach before, but now that John had tired himself out, a woman hurried over and urged Lin towards the waiting ambulance. Lin allowed them to take his human inside. They gave him oxygen and checked him over. He needed the concentrated air to clear the chemical fumes from his lungs. The paramedic soothed his sore feet with ointment and bandages. The same with his arms. The burns were small, and the cuts were mostly small scrapes from fallen wood and plaster. John had been stupidly lucky. So had Lin. The AP500 lay on the ground outside the shop. She'd been deactivated by the human officer. She'd been damaged anyway. Likely beyond repair.

"Sir, are you-" the paramedic began, drawing back with a small gasp as she took in the smears of blue on Lin's shirt. Lin followed her gaze, smiling softly before nodding towards the burning shop in explanation.

"Android repairs..." Lin murmured, tilting his head to show the nurse his clearly human temple. The woman relaxed a little at that. Lin was lucky he was a specialised, custom android. It was highly unlikely anyone would recognise his face. "I'm fine...I was lucky," he added as he looked back at the shop, his chest pinching. It felt like something was crushing his thirium pump and heating his power core. This attack wasn't an accident. He already had his suspicions as he eyed the crowd. He recognised the group of teens from a few days ago. They looked shellshocked. Horrified. Whatever they'd done, they probably hadn't realised the amount of fuel and thirium stored in the stockroom.

"John? John!" Takigawa's concerned voice shouted above the noise. Lin couldn't help the relief that swelled in his chest. He didn't know the detective that well, but he seemed fond of John. John trusted him. That was enough for Lin. Right now, they needed all the help they could get. Lin was inexperienced in the human world. He had no idea where to go or who to turn to. Takigawa pushed through the holo-tape surrounding the scene and hurried over to the ambulance. He laid a relieved hand on Lin's shoulder as he arrived. He looked inside and heaved another sigh. He'd heard the call on the radio. It had sounded serious, and when he'd arrived to see the flames, he really hadn't been sure what to expect. He'd heard how loud the explosion had been from the various responders on the scene. A couple of patrol cars had heard it a few streets away, and others had spoken to dispatch about all the calls that had flooded the lines.

Accusations were already flying through the crowd. Many people were accusing androids of the attack. In a sick way, it made sense. Furious androids destroying any shop where their kind had been exploited. They wouldn't say that if they knew John though. Takigawa knew John well enough to know he'd never exploit anybody. He was gentle, and kind to a fault. He cursed himself quietly for not being firmer with the patrols. They'd only circled the block a few times to check for the trio of men. If they'd stopped outside more often, or circled regularly, this probably wouldn't have happened. The arsonists would have been too scared to go near the small shop.

"Detective...I'd like to take John away from here..." Lin said quietly as they both looked at John's hunched over form. His skin was smeared with black and blue. His clothes and bandaged hands were stained with thirium from the GT300. His soft blue eyes were vacant, like a ghost. Really, he should go to the hospital. He looks like hell...Takigawa thought sympathetically. He knew it must have been a shock for this to happen. To suddenly lose everything. "Please," Lin pressed anxiously, something in his mismatched eyes making Takigawa cave. Lin seemed strangely vulnerable, and Takigawa wasn't surprised. John had introduced him as a visitor from overseas. Having met him a couple of times now, and seen how he acted, Takigawa was pretty sure that had been a lie. He didn't know for sure, but he suspected Lin was like Ayako. A deviant hiding in plain sight. That meant John was complicit in keeping him hidden. With the shop now burning, and John in no state to take the lead, that left Lin in the vulnerable position of needing to ask for help. There probably weren't many people around that he could trust.

"Alright...I'll bring my car round," Takigawa agreed reluctantly, flashing his badge at the paramedic and asking if John was stable enough to leave. The medic clearly wasn't keen on letting John go in his clearly shocked state, but after making up a quick excuse about the perpetrators being close by, they relented. John was mostly just in shock. His breathing was back to normal after some oxygen, and he hadn't gotten any serious injuries. Considering John's human fragility, Lin considered that to be a small miracle. So much fire, so much falling debris, and John had come out of it with just a few minor burns and some bruising. "I'll take him straight to the medical bay at the station," Takigawa assured to sweeten the deal.

"John...Come with me..." Lin urged softly as he took his shaking hands and eased him up. John stumbled down from the ambulance, a small strangled sound sticking in his throat as he felt Lin's arms crush him against his chest. He was sobbing already as Lin slowly led him across the icy street towards the holographic tape. More flashes blinded John's reddened eyes as he was photographed. He paused with a small whimper as they reached the deactivated AP500. Lin paused as John slowly slid down to his knees beside the thirium stained android. Its glassy brown eyes stared up at them vacantly.

"I'm sorry..." John whispered as he reached down and eased the android's eyelids down. The fake flesh obeyed John's gentle pressure, and he drew back. The AP500 looked like she was sleeping peacefully on a thin bed of snow. He hadn't even noticed the change in the weather. It must have been snowing for hours by now. John trembled as fresh tears spilled. He silently allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. Lin tucked him against his side and walked through the tape, where people quickly crowded around them.

They were reporters. Humans clamouring for a story. They wanted details. How did he feel? What would he do now? Did he believe androids had planned the attack? Had anyone else been injured? What was his name? Was he going to re-open the shop? Where did he stand on the topic of android rights? Was he a sympathiser? Was he crying over an android? John flinched as the questions were hurled at him from all directions, unable to really follow any of them. He picked up a few, but he didn't want to answer. He pushed himself further into Lin's side, burying his face in the blackened material of his shirt. Lin held him protectively, glaring at the surrounding crowd and finding himself the subject of their questions.

"That's enough! Don't you think the kid's been through enough tonight?" Takigawa's stern voice yelled as he pushed through the crowd and put a guiding hand on Lin's larger shoulder. "You should be ashamed of yourselves, you pack of vultures!" he added scathingly as Lin urged John towards the plain black car. Charlie was there holding the door for them and closed it once Lin and John were safely sitting in the backseat. The crowd tried to press Takigawa for details, but the man was stubborn. "No comment! No comment! No comment!"

"Your stress levels are elevated, Sir," Charlie reported as they climbed in the front. Takigawa was still angry, muttering quiet curses about the reporters as he buckled his seatbelt. He couldn't believe their audacity. John was clearly just a kid. He'd lost everything within a few minutes. He was clearly traumatised, and all they could think about was their next big scoop. They were pressing in even now, clamouring to yell questions through the closed windows as cameras flashed against the glass. Unfortunately, he couldn't shield John from such attention. His car wasn't one of the expensive ones with blacked-out windows, so they had a clear view inside. John wasn't looking anyway. He'd pressed himself right into Lin's side, his tear-stained face buried in his chest. Lin was holding him close as his own lip trembled.

"I swear, these people make me want to..." Takigawa trailed off with a few muttered expletives as he revved the engine obnoxiously. It was a clear warning to those outside to move. They were reluctant, but a few jerked back as Takigawa pushed and held the horn. John flinched at the loud sound and Lin stroked his dirty hair and murmured assurances. Uniformed officers quickly swooped in to urge the crowd back, likely sensing Takigawa's murderous intent. Charlie's LED span yellow. It was rare for Takigawa to get angry. He'd only seen it a handful of times. He may not understand emotions, but he did understand that the reporters were being insensitive in human terms, and making a nuisance of themselves. Takigawa gave the uniformed officers a small wave of thanks as he pulled away. He at least drove at a steady pace. He'd head back to his house with John and Lin. They needed somewhere they could clean up and feel safe. Ayako wouldn't mind, he was sure of that. She'd gladly help another deviant in need.