Sean moved to help Gavin relax a little. He seemed to be getting antsy with how still he was standing. So, Sean inched away from the maintance door to lean back against the wall by the door. He mirrored the way Mark had lazily leaned against the wall in the interrogation room in the hopes of looking relaxed and casual. It appeared to work. Gavin stopped looking at him like he was a possible threat. The silence between them lingered for exactly three minutes before Gavin asked him softly. "What did you do to that police drone? And... Richard?" Sean crossed his arms over his chest, answering honestly. "I don't really know. When I'm around anything developed by CyberLife, I seem to be able to... connect with them. Change them." Gavin exhaled a light gust of smoke, looking him over closely with curious eyes. After he looked him over, he took another puff of his cigarette, before saying under his breath lightly. "You're not like any android I've seen. What model are you?" Sean looked him in the eyes, calmly replying. "My model number is S34N. I'm the only one of my kind and Hank believes I'm this... RA9."

Gavin huffed with a half chuckle, mumbling. "I'll bet. After what I just saw you do... Whatever you are. You make Markus look like a prototype. Jesus..." Sean read his vitals, then asked him casually. "Are you ok? You seem... troubled?" Gavin avoided the question. Sean saw his heart rate spike. He didn't press him. According to his data and what he got from Richard, pressing him would only make him defensive. Instead, he tried something different. He told him in a grateful voice. "Thank you for saving my life. I couldn't have gotten away without you." Gavin looked at him with a strange look. It wasn't a glare. It was gentle. Surprised. Had no one ever thanked him before? Sean tilted his head back against the wall, telling him warmly. "Hank was right about you. You're a great cop." Gavin's expression turned to stone as he icily growled out. "Don't. I don't need his fucking approval." Sean lowered his chin, giving Gavin a neutral look. Gavin exhaled a thicker gust of smoke, avoiding his eyes now as he grimly uttered out. "He ruined my life. Years after leaving this shithole... I'm still hiding down here. Somebody up there fucking hates me."

Sean looked up at the ceiling not quite understanding. He didn't say anything though. He just let Gavin take a few puffs of his cigarette. Gavin's heartrate started racing, when he opened up numbly to him. "My dad used work down here. He built some of these tunnels... before the androids came in. He got laid off. Couldn't get hired in anything else. The androids were filling every lesser job he was qualified for. Mom died because he couldn't afford her medicine. Dad started dealing red ice just to pay for my schooling. He tried to push me into sports... but androids were more fun to watch. So, scholarships were being pulled out little by little. I still tried for it." Sean stayed quiet, watching Gavin's eyes tear up as he uttered out in a strained voice. "I got caught looking at a guy in the locker room. The football players decided to kick my ass. But I showed them. I can't do a lot... but I can fight. School told my dad though. You should have seen the disappointment on his face. You'd think I ruined his chance at a good life. Broke my hand fighting... No chance to be in sports after that fracture."

Gavin sniffled, his heel tapping the ground anxiously as he shakily mumbled out without looking at him. "Dad lost it after that. He started doing more product than selling it. Started taking our problems out on me more and more. I started running away just to avoid being blamed and beaten. Then along comes Hank. Fucking hero, they called him. Busted the Red Ice dealings. My father included. Sent him straight to prison. Me? Foster care. Wasn't eighteen. So, I couldn't live on my own. Did you know that after the age of ten the odds of you getting adopted go into single digits?" Sean didn't understand everything. However, he could tell by the way Gavin was shaking and starting to cry that this was painful for him. Gavin took a deep breath, taking a deep puff of his cigarette to calm down. As he exhaled it toward the ceiling, he continued in a stronger voice. "At eighteen, they had to kick me from the orphanage. Homeless, I came down here. My plan was to get hit by that fucking automated train... but I couldn't do it. I saw a woman get mugged down here once. Fucking android didn't even respond. It was charging. So, I stepped in. Decided to become a cop soon after."

Gavin wiped the tears running down his cheek, taking another puff as his eyes drifted to the maintance door. Staring at the door, Gavin told him more composed. "I live in a shit apartment with a bunch of rescue cats that I found. Just when I think I'm nothing like my old man... I'm losing my job to androids. Losing any decent relationship to them. And now... I look in the mirror and see him a little more in me every day. Makes me wonder. Will Hank put me in prison too? Will I kill myself in prison too just to get away from this life?" Gavin shot Sean dead eyes, looking for his answer. When Sean said nothing, Gavin darkly chuckled out. "Why am I asking you? What do you know about suffering? You don't starve. You don't get scared or lonely. You don't feel anything. You don't know what it's like to lose and just keep losing." Gavin dropped his cigarette butt, stepping on it to put it out. The train thundered down the tracks and Gavin looked in its direction with a distant look. Sean straightened off the wall. He was ready to answer.

Sean moved closer, telling Gavin in a calm open tone. "You're right. I don't know how to feel hunger or emotion. I can only simulate it. I don't know true suffering... but you're also wrong. I can empathize. Everyday I link with androids that have no choices. Slaves to their programing. Scared of being replaced or broken. I look at you and I see your pain. I can almost feel your suffering... but I also see something you don't." Gavin blew smoke at him, grumbling out bitterly. "Ya... what?" Sean stared into Gavin's eyes, answering him promptly in a serious voice. "Suffering leads people to do amazing things. You're a survivor. Because you didn't jump in front of that train, you saved that woman. You became a cop. How many lives have you saved, Gavin? Because you dealt with men like your dad, you know how they think. You know how to help kids like you get out. YOU can feel their pain. You think you've been losing? Gavin, everything you are makes you a hero to someone out there. You're afraid of becoming your dad? You won't. You became a cop to help people. People like you. That makes you different. When you face his same demons, you'll beat them. Because you are not him. You're not alone, Gavin."

Sean extended a hand out to him, telling him with a warm smile. "Help me understand and I'll help you change this world. We don't have to hate each other. We can work together to make this world better. Give me a chance to prove it to you. We can be friends." Gavin looked at his palm with a neutral expression. Sean didn't lower his hand, he simply added with a brighter smile. "I won't tell anyone. Everything said here will just be between us. All I'm asking for is a chance. You saved my life. I owe you." Gavin exhaled a stream of smoke away from Sean, then took his hand in a firm grip. Sean shook his hand feeling proud. Gavin released his hand, pulling out his packet of cigarettes and asking him curiously. "You want one?" Sean shook his head politely, answering. "No, thank you. It won't do anything for me." Gavin chuckled around his cigarette, stuffing the box back into his pocket as he said. "Didn't stop Richard from smoking one." Sean smirked, honestly admitting. "Well, he is programed to mirror his partner in a lot of things. So, if it makes you more comfortable, He'd do it for you."

Gavin laughed silently to himself, pulling the cigarette from his mouth to blew out smoke in order to hide his blush. Sean was going to ask about this 'crush' Gavin had on Richard, when Gavin suddenly stiffened on his bike. Gavin rose off the seat of his bike to look back where they had come from. Sean stopped to listen more closely and heard it too. A soft beeping noise that was drawing closer. Gavin put out his cigarette, climbing off his bike as he grumbled out. "Fucking security drone. Help me stash the bike." Gavin pushed the bike to a side wall and Sean tossed him a dirty tarp he found. Gavin quickly covered the bike, then grabbed Sean and dragged him into the maintance room. Gavin flipped out a worn blanket and pulled Sean down under it in the corner. Under the blanket, Sean whispered to Gavin. "I can try linking to it. Convince it to leave." Gavin shook his head, whispering back. "Too risky. Don't. Trust me." The beeping grew louder as the drone hovered outside the maintance room. It scanned the area.

A second security drone appeared at the door, turning to peek inside the half open door. Gavin and Sean could only see this through the small line they made between the floor and the blanket. It was small enough not to be noticed, but enough that they could see out just a little. The drone entered the room, hovering out of their sight. All they could see was the scanning light as it ran over the floor. Sean didn't need to breathe, but Gavin was trying hard not too. As a heavy smoker, holding his breath was hard for him. Sean did his best to help disguise his breaths. He could stay as still as a statue. So, he braced himself a little higher than Gavin's body. This way it kept the blanket off Gavin's torso, allowing him to breath without moving the blanket too much. The drone scanned over all the blankets and pillows in the room carefully. Sean tried to figure out if it could see heat signatures, based off the knowledge he got from the ones he linked with before. He didn't believe so, but these could be a different model.

Sean felt something crawl over his lower back but didn't react. Gavin on the other hand, let out a shudder and grabbed his wrist tightly. Sean glanced over at him to see the issue and looked straight into the eyes of a beady eyed rat. Gavin's body was starting to shake uncontrollably as the rat turned away from Sean to look at Gavin. It wasn't acting aggressive. Just curious about them. That didn't seem to matter to Gavin. The more he scooted back from the rat, the closer it got to him. Gavin ended up flat against the wall, breathing sporadically as the rat inched closer to sniff him. Gavin looked like he was about to scream, causing Sean to quickly reach out to cover Gavin's mouth. The scanning light turned to look over their blanket. The blanket was shaking because of Gavin. Rats were beginning to crawl in from a hole in the back wall, creeping under the blanket with them. Sean didn't care. They were seeking the warmth in this damp and cold subway. The more they touched Gavin though, the more he started whining and acting like he was going to bolt.

Sean's big concern was the drone. With the blanket shaking, it was starting to investigate closer. Sean tried to rationalize a way to throw off the drone. Keeping a hand on Gavin's mouth, Sean nudged the closest rat to Gavin's face away. The rat was resisting, but he eventually nudged it out of the blanket toward the scanning drone. The drone scanned the rat, then turned away with sudden disinterest in the blanket. Sean smirked to himself. The drone figured it was a rat nest. The drone left the room, meeting up with the other drone to leave the tunnel. Sean waited, listening carefully to how far away their beeping got. When he calculated that they were far enough away, he flipped the blanket off them. Gavin was laying on his side, shaking badly. When Sean removed his hand from his mouth, he told him in a barely contained freak out. "Get them off! Get them off! NOW!" Sean shushed him, rising up on his knees to pick up the rats and move them away from Gavin. The ones on Gavin clung to his clothes, not willing to come off as easily.

Sean did his best to pull them off without them biting Gavin. The rats thrashed and squeaked loudly though. They seemed almost aggressive to remain on Gavin. One that he took off Gavin came racing back to leap back at his face. Calculating the rat's trajectory, he caught the scuff of its neck before it touched Gavin. It twisted and squeaked aggressively in his hand. Gavin scooted upright, staring at the other rats with frightened eyes. Snapping the aggressive rat's neck, he tossed the body to the other rats. The other rats scrambled for the body, leaving Gavin alone. Quickly pulling Gavin to his feet, he told him with understanding. "I see why you like cats. These rats are... quite aggressive." Gavin panted heavily, scooting around Sean as he uttered out in a quivering voice. "Ya... Little bastards get worse every year... I used to wake up with a few on me." Gavin shuddered uncontrollably, uttering out darkly. "Let's get the fuck out of here. The drones will follow the tracks out and the subway trains routine. So, we should be clear as long as we don't draw attention to ourselves."

Sean helped uncover the bike, then offered to push the bike back down the tunnel. Gavin was still shaking and looked eager to have a quick smoke. The motorcycle weighed practically nothing to Sean. Which allowed them to make good time back to the subway platform. Along the way, Gavin removed his jacket to let Sean wear it. He told him to pull the hood up and keep his head down. To let him do all the talking. While Sean picked up the bike to put it on the platform, Gavin flashed his badge to a few people that gave them questionable looks. Then helped escort Sean back up the stairs to the road. Gavin's plan worked. Android cops barely looked at them. None of them were RK900s though. Gavin avoided all main street roads. Taking him through long winding neighborhoods. They stopped off at a small yard sale on the way, where Gavin bought some clothing. After purchasing the stuff, he took him to a little house at the end of the street and knocked on the door. A young woman opened the door to peek out. Her hair was long and braided down one shoulder.

For her young age, her hair was pure white with black highlights. One look at Gavin and she grinned. Gavin smiled back, then shushed her before she talked. Glancing around, he ushered Sean in and slipped inside. The young woman put her hands on her hips, asking him curiously in a thick accent that Sean didn't recognize. "What's going on? You can't be back already for a haircut. I just cut it!" Gavin rolled his eyes, shoving Sean forward as he told her. "Not me. Him. Can you help him look more... human? It's for a witness protection thing." The woman pushed back the hood of Gavin's jacket to get a look at him. Making a weird face, she told Gavin. "Well, the LED has to go." Sean shook his head, stepping back as he told her. "No, It stays!" The woman raised her hands in surrender, telling him calmly. "Easy. It won't hurt." He knew it wouldn't. He had seen through Connor's memories how it worked. Sean still shook his head though, telling her seriously. "I don't want to remove it. It's... I don't want to hide what I am. It defies the point. I'll cover it, but I don't want to remove it."

The woman smiled a little, telling him proudly. "I completely understand. It's important to remember where you come from." She gestured to a flag hanging proudly in her living room and Sean scanned it. A Greek flag. The woman grinned brightly at him, then sighed heavily. Clapping her hands loudly, she told Gavin. "Well, I've never worked on an android before...but I'll do my best. You can wait in the living room." She gestured for Sean to follow, while Gavin told him. "I'm going to call Hank. Let him know we will be a little late." To Be Continued...