"Connor! It's good to see you again," Markus greeted warmly as he watched the pair approach the imposing glass tower. Reed looked up and shivered. The tall building was cold. Almost daunting. Somehow soulless. From ground level, it also looked a little dilapidated. Many of the front windows had been smashed outward, likely by the army of androids marching out during the final hours of the revolution all those months ago. Within, he could see the large entrance hall was covered in scattered debris, mechanical and otherwise. Markus, the revolutionary hero, had dressed simply and comfortably in a long-sleeved black top and dark jeans. He seemed more normal and casual than Reed had expected.

"Who's he?" North's sharp voice piped up from the back. Her deep hazel eyes were laced with distrust as she turned her attention towards Reed with a sneer. She trusted Connor. He'd saved them at Jericho, and she'd met Hank before. Hank had grown on her rather quickly, especially with all the stories Connor told them about how he'd helped him to deviate. He'd also helped him to deviate the android army. This one, though, she was uncertain of. His green eyes levelled at her with an almost hostile defensiveness. He shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged deeper into his jacket at the unwanted attention, staying just behind Connor.

"This is Detective Reed. Hank was unavailable today, so he agreed to accompany me instead," Connor replied smoothly as he stepped aside to present Reed. North folded her arms as she stared at him unblinking, red hair resting over her shoulder in its usual braid. Reed looked away, unable to meet the judgement in her level gaze. Best behaviour. Best behaviour. He tightened his jaw as he held back his snark. Markus stepped a little closer, regarding him with cautious warmth. If he'd been chosen by Connor, then he couldn't be all bad. He was skittish, though. Clearly on edge around unfamiliar androids.

"My name is Markus, and these are my colleagues, North, Simon, and Josh," he introduced politely, indicating each of his companions. North made no response to her introduction, but Simon smiled warmly while Josh inclined his head. Reed recognised a couple of their models. He'd seen a lot of Simons around. Common domestic androids. Josh, he could recognise, but not quite place. North, he had no clue, but from her figure it wouldn't surprise him if she'd been a pleasure-bot. Connor had already told him that Markus was a custom model. A prototype within his own family group. The only known RK200 in existence.

They were all dressed in casual, practical clothing. They expected today to be long and somewhat messy. The building had been, quite literally, trashed. They didn't know whether it was the work of the humans working there or the androids fighting to escape, but most of the items within had been broken. There were also many levels that had been left unexplored. There was a large team of androids already working within, clearing debris and salvaging any equipment they could find. Reed nodded to the group, suddenly feeling very out of place. He was the only human there, as far as he could tell.

"Gavin Reed...So, what did you bring me along for exactly?" he asked quietly, mostly directing it towards Connor as he rubbed the back of his neck. He knew it was company policy to have detectives work in pairs, generally, but this didn't really seem like DPD business. Connor nodded his understanding at Reed's quiet confusion.

"We are representing the DPD, and offering assistance in the event of any danger. Strictly speaking, we're not required, but Markus and I thought it would be good to put forward a positive and collaborative effort," Connor explained in his usual bright, enthusiastic tone. A small snort escaped North in a scoff as she raised an eyebrow at him. It seemed she sometimes disagreed with her lover, but she respected him enough to go along with his plans. He was their leader, and he hadn't let them down yet. "You can join us in exploring the tower," Connor offered politely, not missing the way Reed's brow pinched slightly at the idea.

"I wouldn't want to get in the way...How about I just wait around the foyer while you do your thing? I'm sure you have some catching up to do," Reed compromised, hoping that the suggestion didn't make him seem lazy. It wasn't that he was reluctant to do his job and walk around securing the area, but the idea of being closed in with so many androids around made him nervous. There was probably no reason to be. Markus wouldn't have allowed him entry if he didn't trust his people to treat humans with respect, but Reed couldn't help how he felt. Guess that training is easier to complete on paper than it is to put into practice...

"If that would make you more comfortable..." Connor trailed off almost questioningly, agreeing at Reed's small nod. Markus led them inside and waved his arm invitingly, telling Reed to make himself at home. He also mentioned that he was welcome to change his mind and do a little exploring of his own. Reed had Connor's internal number so he could contact him at any time. Reed nodded and looked around the large, tiled hall. The floor had once been white, but was littered with dirty boot prints, faded red smears, and shards of glass from the windows. Sunlight beamed in from outside. The day was somewhat crisp. It was early autumn, so a little of the summer's warmth lingered. It was almost a waste to spend the day inside.

Reed watched the five androids walking away. Connor and Markus were already deep in conversation as they headed into a cavernous area filled with open walkways. There were smashed and disused podiums lining the pathways, where androids had once stood like displayed statues. The whole interior looked like a mess of glass and white metal that criss-crossed overhead. It was elegant and futuristic. They'd had skilled architects working to put the place together. He could tell that much.

Reed wandered around the entrance hall for a while before he noticed a computer and turned it on. He was almost surprised that the terminal worked. It gave him a layout of the building from the ground to the uppermost floors. There were hundreds of labs and offices. The big one up on forty-four had belonged to the CEO, and took up an entire floor. It probably had quite the view from up there, like a giant goldfish bowl. Who the hell needs a whole floor for an office? He idly played with the map for a while before noticing that there were actually a lot of floors below ground that were simply labelled off-limits. Secret labs...Connor was probably made down in one of those. He continued to toy with the terminal. No one bothered him. It was almost like the whole ground floor was abandoned, though that made sense. The ground level was likely the first to be explored. Shame no one cleaned it up...

Since he was staring at the computer screen, he didn't notice the cameras that had come to life. Small red lights flickered as they turned to focus on him, zooming in and out. Reed looked up, instinctively reaching for his gun as the front doors slid shut. It didn't really make a difference without the glass, but the act of the doors shutting had still spooked him. Who the phck did that? I didn't even realise there was power in them...He looked around and listened warily, slowly stepping around the desk towards the doors. He flinched as the doors to the walkway opened and closed a couple of times. Are they testing the mechanisms? Maybe they only just got power back...

He waited, doing nothing for a while. He slowly relaxed and started to lower his gun until the doors did it again. They opened and closed twice before opening again. He took a step back and looked around, but this time the doors opened and shut three times, almost in objection. Reed tentatively took a few steps closer. The doors opened and shut once. A positive sign. Is someone phcking with me? Reed edged closer and looked through the open doors cautiously. He held his arm out, ready to pull it back at a moment's notice, but the doors remained open. He hopped through quickly, keeping his gun in hand, but lowered as he looked around cautiously.

He took a few steps towards the twisted metal walkway, almost stumbling as a series of lights lit up along the edges. It was like a path was being lit for him to follow. This is some weird shit...Maybe I should call Connor...but that seemed silly. It was probably just his imagination, and Markus had said he was welcome to look around. The path flashed, almost in encouragement. I'll call him if I find something worth reporting. That sounded reasonable to Reed as he edged his way onto the path and followed it around the huge statue in the centre. There was a large glass elevator around to the right. The path of lights led straight to its wide-open doors. Reed paused and looked around, turning back as the doors opened and closed twice. This way...

He walked towards the lift and hesitated by the doors. How do I know that whoever's controlling these doors isn't just going to drop this glass box with me in it? He was wary as he looked around. Still, no one had come by. He couldn't even hear anything. It was eerily silent besides the quiet whoosh of the doors opening and closing again. They wouldn't do that...Whoever it is, they have a reason for leading me this way...I just need to find out why. It would make no sense to lure him all the way here, just to kill him in such a simple manner. Right?

Up above, the tower was open. A towering cylinder of glass filled with criss-crossed walkways of white painted metal. He couldn't hear a sound. No one was in the central pillar. Maybe there aren't that many people here...He nervously returned his attention to the open lift doors that beckoned him. Am I seriously doing this? His feet were unwilling to move. Whoever was controlling things would probably control the lift and where it went. He briefly considered calling Connor, but again, he reasoned that nothing had happened so far. It would be a waste of time to lure me in just to kill me. I haven't even been here before, so why would they? He took a breath and stepped inside.

The doors shut with a soft whoosh, trapping him inside. Reed slammed his hands against the glass in a brief surge of panic. Suddenly, stepping inside a moving glass box didn't seem like such a good idea. His heart slammed into overdrive as the glass box dropped. He gripped the support rail nervously, unsure how fast the lift was supposed to be moving. It felt too fast. It also didn't seem to be stopping. The levels just kept ticking down and down and down. Well into the minus numbers. Outside was dark, the lower levels left abandoned for now.

Looking through the glass walls, Reed watched the levels pass, releasing the bar as he stepped closer to the glass. They'd dropped through the floor, leaving the bright cavernous pillar of glass and falling into darkness. The lights came up, revealing a towering metal warehouse level with a dark grey floor. There were two things that startled him about it. The first was that it was just an empty cavernous space. The second was the single smartly dressed body slumped on the ground. The lift read minus forty nine when it finally landed. The doors opened and Reed stepped out, gun held loosely in one hand as he scanned the area and made his way across the floor.

"Connor!" he realised in alarm, his voice echoing in the hollow space. He lowered his gun and ran, crouching down and resting a hand on the android's shoulder. He turned the body on its back and stared at the singular hole in the forehead. The signature curl of hair was still immaculately in place, hazel eyes staring blankly. But he was fine! He was with Markus and the others. What the phck happened? He took a shaky breath as he appraised the android. Its skin was completely cold, as if it had been lying there for days. It was as he looked it over that he slowly realised his mistake. It's not Connor...He sighed, surprised by just how relieved he felt. They were literally twins. The only thing that gave the deactivated RK800 away was the uniform. Connor hadn't worn his since about a week into his return to the DPD. He wasn't even sure if he still owned it.

Reed gave the android a singular squeeze to his cold shoulder, almost apologetic as he got to his feet. Whatever had happened to the android wasn't his concern. For some reason, the thought bothered him. A few moments ago, he'd cared. He'd felt worried, but since it wasn't Connor, it suddenly wasn't important. I wouldn't feel that way if it were a human body...He pushed the thought aside as he looked around the hall, raising his gun once more. Well? You led me this far...Where to next? He walked aimlessly across the cavernous space, his shoes making muffled taps that echoed loudly as he swept and cleared the area.

He paused as he noticed a flickering light above and looked up to see the lights turning off set by set. Dread filled his chest as he was slowly plunged into darkness. He could almost hear the electricity shunting through the cables as it darkened, ring by ring. His breath caught the last lights went out. He was shrouded in darkness, unable to see a thing. What the phck? Panic rose in his chest. He took a hesitant step back, wondering if he should try for the lift. He flinched as a new elevator appeared ahead of him. The only light in the darkness. He was suddenly reluctant to move forward. He was filled with caution, listening for any other signs of life.

This elevator was different. It had thick metal doors and walls. I've come this far...Reed quietly encouraged himself before stepping inside. The doors closed and some form of scanner went off. A wave of red lasers ran up and down from ceiling to floor, scanning him. The box made a beeping noise before a hand panel slid out of the wall. Will this even work for me? I'm not a Cyberlife employee...He was reluctant and quietly worried about what would happen when the system realised he wasn't authorised to be there. It's not like I can get out of here if I don't though...There was no exit button. He raised his hand slowly and rested it on the pad.

"Phck!" He wrenched his hand back as he felt a sharp stabbing sensation in his fingertips. He looked at his hand and saw a few small pricks of blood forming. One on each finger. He looked around the box worriedly, listening to a series of beeps before a small message appeared. Kamski recognised. Reed tilted his head with a frown. Kamski? Is someone messing with the circuits in here? The lift began to move even lower. The trip wasn't as long this time, just one or two floors.

The metal doors opened into a long white corridor. It was clinical. Spotless. Reed stepped out cautiously, guessing that this was close to the final destination. Adrenaline coursed through his body as he raised his gun and scanned the area. There was a series of doors lining the walls. The lack of windows felt a little unusual, considering the amount of glass above. He edged his way down the narrow hall, keeping an eye on each closed door as he went by until he found one that stood open. Despite his nerves, his hands were steady. Trained by years of practice.

"Detroit Police! Is anybody here?" He pressed his back against the wall beside the door, holding his gun at chest level, ready to aim around the corner. He paused a few moments and listened, but there was nothing. He took a breath, licking his dry lips before stepping around the doorframe. He swept his gun and eyes over the room. It was quite wide, with three flat metal tables and rolling carts of tools. There were more tools lining the walls. Some of them were unexpected in a science lab. There were various hammers, picks, bats, bars, guns, and even a small case of grenades. What the phck was going on in this place? He lowered his gun a little and looked around to the right. There were a couple of desks, the glow on the darkened wall telling him that one of the screens was still running. Has it been on all this time?

Curiosity got the better of him, and he cautiously walked towards it. He looked down to find a fuzzy grey video feed. It was a pre-recorded video that seemed to be on a loop. There was no volume, but he watched as a middle-aged scientist spoke to the camera about something before he stepped back to reveal an android. The picture was a little grainy, but he could see that the android was naked as it sat obediently on the edge of the table. Is that...Connor? They seemed to be running tests. The android was hooked up to the monitors on the walls above. Reed didn't understand the blurred text on the screens, but he understood the sick feeling he felt as another scientist grabbed a large sledgehammer and swung it into the android's sternum. What...the-actual...phck...

The android crumpled, arms automatically raising to protect its torso. Reed didn't know much about androids, but he did know they had a power core somewhere in their chest. The video flickered and skipped, moving forward to a future time. He watched the scientist take a hammer and chisel. He bashed the sharp point into the android's shoulder. The android sat patiently, accepting the damage. The phck are you just sitting there for? Reed leaned lower over the screen, boring holes into the image with his sharp green eyes. It was pathetic. More tools. more wounds. The android did nothing. Parts of its casing had been cracked. Thirium trickled from various wounds, and still there was no reaction.

That changed when they brought in electrical currents. Reed had thought that androids couldn't feel pain, but it seemed they must feel something. The android's face contorted. Its mouth opened wide as it threw its head back. It wore an expression of pure agony. The scientists continued until one of them stopped with a frustration wave of his arm. He motioned his hands towards his own ears with an annoyed expression. After a few words with his partner, he stopped and tore open the android's neck port to rip something out. Reed didn't know what it was, but after that, they didn't seem so bothered by the noise. The android continued to writhe in pain with an open mouth as they continually shocked him. What were they trying to do? Reed watched until they finally stopped. He saw it.

The android looked afraid in a way it hadn't before. It shook its head and raised its hands imploringly as one of the scientists grabbed one of the smaller handguns. After a few words, the android obediently lowered its arms to its sides, still looking terrified and desperate for compassion. Reed flinched as a silent shot rang out. The bullet hit the android square in the forehead. It was still sitting there. Shaking and terrified. Thirium trickling from the hole as its lips trembled. It's still active? Reed watched in mute horror as more shots rang out. Each one seemed to do minimal damage to the android. Why hasn't it done anything? It could easily take those guys out! He felt more than a little frustrated as the android continued to sit and take it.

"Hello?" Reed called as he heard a scuffle, instantly on guard as he raised his gun. There was no response, but he'd definitely heard something. Someone was in the room. "Who's there? I won't hurt you...Come out." He made his voice softer, though he couldn't keep the gruff nervousness out of his tone. He reached the first workbench and leaned down a little to look underneath. Clear. He moved to the second one. Clear...That just left the final bench on the far side. He paused beside the metal table and counted along with his pounding heart beats, licking his lips in preparation. One...Two...Three!

He stepped around and aimed down. A flurry of movement knocked him back against the tool bench behind. He saw a blur of pink and blue as he was pushed away, landing heavily against the edge of the worktop. Hurried steps pattered across the tiled floor. Reed regained his balance and looked around again. The android had never left the room. He could hear gentle scuffles on the floor. It hid again...Like a scared kid. He shifted gears. The android could have hurt him. It had chosen to run away and hide. It was clearly scared. That doesn't mean it isn't dangerous...but it was a promising sign.

"Hey, it's okay...I just want to talk..." Reed began hesitantly as he stepped around the bench and slowly made his way across the room. He stayed back and peered around the bench near the door. The naked android instantly shuffled across the tiled floor to hide further beneath the cold metal surface. "Hey-hey-hey! It's alright...It's alright...I'm a police detective. I'm not here to hurt you," Reed soothed assuringly, slowly lowering his gun and returning it to its holster. He held his hands up afterwards. "See?" He was unarmed. He was peaceful.

The android regarded him fearfully, curling in a ball as he looked over his shoulder. He was doing all he could to protect his chest. His power core. Reed winced as he recognised and blue gashes and holes in the synthetic flesh. Usually, android flesh would heal in moments, so this damage clearly went straight through to the casing. I'm surprised it's still functional. He couldn't keep the sympathy from his thoughts. A static sound escaped the android's lips as Reed stepped closer. He slowly crouched down so that he didn't tower above the android, hands still raised and open.

"It's alright...It's okay..." Reed murmured as he slowly removed his brown leather jacket. The android curled up further. His shockingly blue eyes stared at him in terror. "Here...That's it..." Reed cooed in soft encouragement as he tucked the warm leather over the android's large torso. He watched the blue eyes fill with confusion as he blinked. Reed looked sheepish for a moment. The android wasn't human, so he wouldn't feel cold, but he did seem to be in some form of shock. He was traumatised. Not surprising if the shit in that video is anything to go by. How long has he been down here?

The android froze, looking between the jacket on his shoulder and Reed as he crouched beside him. Reed could feel the ethereal eyes scanning him. A slightly glazed look crossed the android's face as he looked into various databases. Reed wasn't sure, but he figured this android would have the same access to the DPD and Cyberlife as Connor. Technically, he was a Connor. It was eerie, seeing a machine so alike and yet somehow so different to the one he knew.

He hadn't been able to tell from the grainy video, but this Connor was actually a little larger than the RK800s he'd seen. Not by much. Barely two inches in height, but he was more filled out in muscle mass. Like Connor on steroids. It was an almost amusing thought. He took in the slightly stronger jawline and cheekbones. His eyes were the most eye-catching difference. They were beautiful and terrifying at the same time. They were blue, but a silvery blue that almost seemed ethereal. Luminous. Like wolf eyes. They could both comfort and unsettle, depending on the android's expression.

"Are you the one who brought me here?" Reed asked softly as he rested one knee on the floor and settled a little more comfortably. The android looked hesitant and afraid, but finally gave a small nod. "Well, that's good...You called for help, and I came," Reed praised softly, watching the android's blue eyes flicker to him hesitantly. He raised his hands and tried to signal. Sign language? Reed tilted his head with a frown. He felt bad as he raised his own hands. "Stop-stop...I don't understand. I'm sorry." He felt bad as the android's expression dropped in something akin to defeat.

Reed was hesitant as he slowly reached a hand out, pausing every so often to make sure the android was okay with it. The android stared at his hand, blinking as he kept his expression neutral. Reed put it down to some sort of defence mechanism. He didn't want him to know how scared he felt as his hand reached out. Reed was slow as he lowered his hand to rest on the android's covered shoulder. He just rested it there at first. He didn't grab or pull. He just touched. He could actually feel him tremble. He slowly closed his grip and squeezed assuringly.