"They think the body was dumped here a week ago, but it's hard to say with the weather turning." Miller was right. It was an especially cold September. They were more than halfway through. Nines tried not to think about the fact that it would soon be Gavin's birthday. The second birthday they hadn't spent together. He would be thirty-nine. His LED blinked red at the thought as he pushed it aside. His current task was to assist Miller with this latest victim. It was a curious case. The body had been left fairly carelessly. Unimportant. The victim meant nothing. Little effort had gone into placement besides it being a less travelled area. Did the killer intend for the victim to be found? Clearly not with the lack of foot traffic in the warehouse district. However, he was not hidden either. He'd been dumped. That suggested either extreme carelessness or the killer believed he could not be traced.

There were many things he could draw from the latter. The killer clearly believed there was nothing on the victim's clothing or body that could be traced back to him. That suggested the killer wore extensive or high-quality protection while dealing with the body, or that he was an android with no need to worry about such things. Thirium dried and turned invisible to the human eye, however a scan revealed no traces. From the state of the victim's clothing, he could tell he hadn't been cleaned up first. Cleaning up the body was hardly an option, considering the state of it. That the body had been discarded so carelessly also suggested the killer either believed they couldn't trace any evidence back to the kill site, or that the site itself was unimportant.

"Forensics may give a more accurate assessment with insect activity..." There didn't seem to be much in the cold weather, with the body being inside in an abandoned warehouse. Even the rats hadn't touched it. That was perhaps unusual, but with the general landfill not too far away, they likely preferred to stay over there. Or perhaps this victim tasted foul...That was possible. Perhaps there was a drug in his system.

"Right. They're on their way, maybe twenty minutes." Nines nodded at the news as he crouched to examine the man. He was unusual for a human. Well over six feet tall, and that was without the head that had been dumped a few feet away. Miller busied himself with his notes as he noticed Nines reaching out to take a blood sample. He'd seen Connor do that enough times to know not to look. Licking his fingers, Nines' brow furrowed as he analysed. Decomposition had started, but there were no toxins in his blood. The bio popped up in his HUD.

"Our victim is Malcolm Wright. Forty-seven years old...He lived alone, and there are no reports of him being missing." There was nothing else notable about him in his record. He'd been arrested for fighting a few times over the years, but nothing stood out. He'd never been married or had children, and had no relatives to speak of. Miller noted it down with a nod and rejoined Nines as he scanned the body. The killing strike had obviously been the one that removed his head, but there was also a deep vertical wound that went all the way through his neck, just above the notch in his collarbone. "From the dimensions of this wound, I believe the weapon was some sort of long blade..."

"Like a sword?" The cut was thick, but swords were fairly rare in these parts. They were rare in general, usually owned by registered collectors outside of museums. There was something else unusual. The edges seemed odd, as if the skin had been ripped. A sharp tipped sword would usually be much cleaner. Nines' brow furrowed as he tilted his head this way and that for different angles.

"It is more like a machete of some sort..." He turned his attention to the decapitation wound, noting the cleanness of the slice. Few things could cut so cleanly through a human spine. "A machete is likely accurate looking at the neck wound here." Miller nodded along, taking Nines' word for it. When it came to matching wounds with weapons, he'd trust an RK model any day. So what happened? Was it a fight of some sort? More than likely, but did that mean there was evidence? It seemed unlikely the body would have been left so carelessly if that were the case.

Nines took his time, making full use of whatever time he had to gather more information. The angle of the stab suggested the attacker had been low. Perhaps Mr Wright had been leaning over his attacker. Which may mean it was a defensive strike as opposed to an attack...He tried to make a reconstruction, suggesting the person with the machete had been on the ground and Mr Wright had been coming in to attack them. The figure on the ground pushed up, forcing the blade into Mr Wright's neck. From how straight the decapitation wound was, it was logical to assume the blade had been held at that exact height. It was therefore likely that Mr Wright, being so tall, had fallen to his knees. He moved the reconstruction on, following the figure on the ground as it pulled out the blade and swung.

Depending on how the figure had been standing, he estimated the height of the attacker to be between five foot seven and five foot ten. It was difficult to tell, but from the strength required, he also assumed it would be a man. He turned his attention to the victim's clothes. A grubby white T-shirt hugged his bloated figure, though a little of that swelling was down to decomposition. He had a large percentile of muscle, not just fat. His clothes barely seemed to contain him with how large he was. His plaid shirt and T-shirt were both heavily stained with blood. Curiously enough, the top of his shoes had largely escaped blood splatter, which lined up nicely with the assumption he'd been on his knees at the time of decapitation.

Nines frowned as he leaned down for a closer look at the dark leather boots. There was no blood on them, but something else had spilled on the surface. Miller hurriedly looked away as Nines leaned down to press his tongue against a tiny section at the tip of his boot. Vomit...The analysis suggested the human had eaten not long before, and been dosed with a sedative. There were also traces of DNA that made his LED spin red. Although DNA was rarely tested and traced from vomit and other such waste, it wasn't impossible.

"Nines?" Miller called as he pushed to his feet and left the scene, heading outside and pacing in the breeze. It seemed impossible. How could this happen after so much time? Was it a mistake? Was it deliberate? "Hey, is everything alright?" He'd forgotten about Miller.

"Secure the area. Only forensics are to have access until the FBI arrives." Miller blinked at the order, but didn't argue. There was no one else around to wreck the scene anyway, but Nines' order and mention of the FBI suggested it was important. "Sure, but why?"

"Gavin...There are trace amounts of Gavin's DNA on his shoes." Miller needed nothing else. He was already on his radio to call in Hank and Connor as he stepped away. Nines couldn't be on the scene, but he'd remain until he was relieved. While Miller handled the DPD, Nines called Colin, who had returned a few weeks ago to take over the Kitty Dawson case. It took him less than a second to answer as he called.

Nines, it's unusual for you to call. Did something happen? Nines couldn't help feeling bad that he'd been so out of touch with his brothers recently. Though he saw Connor every day, he was still distant and distrustful after the cold case incident. He didn't call Colin as much either, trusting that he would be contacted if anything came up. He'd never imagined that he would be in the position to deliver news to Colin.

I found a body carrying traces of Gavin's DNA. The disbelief was palpable, and he could well imagine the way Colin's face would look. Wide hazel eyes, lips parting as he raised his brows in shock.

Wh-a body? Show me! Nines obliged without hesitation, sending through the DNA profile and Malcolm Wright's information. We'll head over right away. Secure the area. It went without saying that Nines had already done so. His thirium pump pounded as he paced, LED spinning between red and yellow. This was mostly good news. The vomit was as fresh as the body, so Gavin had been alive as little as one week ago, suggesting that was probably still the case. But how did his vomit end up on Mr Wright's shoes? Did he work for the Hickory Killer? Was he another captive? He was still pacing and turning things over as Hank and Connor arrived.

"Nines! Miller called us." It went without saying that this homicide would pass to Hank, Connor, and the FBI. Nines nodded a stiff greeting, still wary of his older brother. Connor's hazel eyes pinched as he read it on his face, hesitantly reaching out to offer an interface. "W-would you mind?" Connor's remorse was palpable as their minds touched, and Nines made no attempt to hide the hurt and distrust he felt. He handed over everything. His examination of the body, the reconstructions, his thoughts and feelings, and the moment he'd tested the vomit and left the scene.

"Colin and Agent Perkins are on their way," he added as they parted. Connor nodded meekly as the synthetic skin returned, trickling along his fingers in a halo of blue light. He seemed hesitant, as if he had something further to say. Hank was inside with Miller waiting for him. Despite that, he didn't want to simply leave. He hated that they weren't talking as they used to. For a time, Nines had been his only brother. They had a close bond, and he cared for him deeply.

"Nines, I am sorry about what happened..." Nines sighed softly as his hazel eyes softened. It was a tactic that Gavin had referred to as his kicked puppy look. It gave him a softness and vulnerability designed to pull one's heartstrings. Nines found himself moved by it, despite the hurt and resentment he harboured over the incident a few months ago. "I did want to tell you, but it never felt like the right time." He didn't want to make more excuses or blame Hank and Fowler. They'd all had their reasons, and they'd been right to be cautious.

"I am...upset. You should not have kept something so important from me." Connor knew how he felt about Gavin. They'd interfaced many times, and he'd seen the footage from their home security system that betrayed their secret intimacy. To have such important information and not tell him was a painful betrayal from a brother he'd trusted. That he'd wanted to tell him softened the blow slightly. It would be worse to think that Connor didn't trust him to take the news appropriately. True, storming into Fowler's office didn't improve that opinion, however, if they'd told him, he wouldn't have been so angry. Probably...

"I know, and I'm sorry. You're my brother. You know I don't like keeping things from you, I just...I hoped we'd have a breakthrough and you wouldn't have to find out." It seemed Connor's optimism had been his downfall in this instance. "But now that we have fresh evidence to suggest he's still alive, there's a good chance Hank and Fowler can have Gavin's case reinstated with the homicide division." It would certainly make sense to return it to active status. Gavin was alive, or had been a week ago. Nines' chest swelled at the news. For the first time in over a year, there was hope. If the Hickory Killer had kept him alive this long, it made sense he'd remain that way.

"Detectives," Perkins greeted with a polite nod on the way by. Nines and Connor returned the greeting as he continued on to the warehouse, trusting Colin to liaise with his brothers for the relevant information. Where Connor and Nines remained in their Cyberlife attire, Colin turned up in a black suit that day, only the white shirt and gold tie pin adding a little brightness. He was also wearing a woollen trench coat that was a lot like Perkins' over his suit to blend in more with his human colleagues. They always complained he was making them cold if he didn't.

"Nines, I'm glad you called." What else would he do? He didn't trust anyone else to hunt Gavin down the way he trusted Colin and Perkins. The FBI had better resources and more funding for this sort of thing, and Perkins' reputation spoke for itself. This had to be the most troublesome case of his career, perhaps even harder than the revolution. It was a well-known fact that Perkins was tenacious. He took the dirty jobs and got them done. Now that he had Colin on his team, they were almost unstoppable.

Colin gave him a warm smile as they interfaced, grateful for the faith he'd placed in him. He was also relieved to know he and Connor were approaching amicable terms now. He didn't like it when his brothers fought. It surprised him somewhat that the Hickory Killer had been so sloppy. Was it sloppiness or intentional? Did he want them to know he was out there? That Gavin was alive? Perhaps it was simply unimportant to him. Even if they knew Gavin was alive, they were no closer to finding him. Perhaps there will be other clues on the body. Nines' examination had stopped the moment he realised Gavin was involved.

"I'll head inside and examine things further." Nines inclined his head while Connor looked between them worriedly. He was clearly torn. Duty said he should join Hank and assist, however, that would leave Nines alone with his thoughts. Colin softened in understanding, and even Nines' silvery eyes warmed somewhat as he noticed his hesitation.

"You should join him. I'm trusting you both to perform a thorough analysis." With a grim nod, Connor joined Colin. Nines watched them go, waiting patiently until Miller returned to confirm they'd officially be relieved and could return to the precinct. Despite the grimness of the circumstances, Nines couldn't help feeling relieved. They knew Gavin was likely alive, and that would surely be enough to have his case returned to the homicide division. His brothers wouldn't let him down. They'd do everything they could to find Gavin.