"Dad! Welcome home." Connor managed a half-hearted smile as he stepped inside and closed the door, but Niles knew he didn't feel it. It had been the same for months now, especially within the past few days since Nines had disappeared. They still talked, of course, but any attempts to track him down inevitably ended in failure. Finding Nines wasn't their priority anyway. They were too busy trying to find Gavin and keeping on top of the workload left behind. Miller was doing his best to keep up without Nines, but it was harder and he often needed help. It wasn't safe for them to work alone these days. Connor tried to set work aside as Niles' arms wrapped around his waist.

"Thank you. How was school?" He wasn't sure if Niles knew he needed it or if he was just excited to tell him about his day, but he didn't miss a beat before launching into a play-by-play of his latest training session. Baseball season would start in the summer, so they were training harder than ever to be ready for the league. It was only elementary level, but they still took it seriously. Many of the human children were especially enthusiastic about the chance of being scouted for better schools. Niles didn't consider himself gifted, but he enjoyed playing with his friends and he was a strong player.

"And then I pitched the ball so hard it almost knocked Jimmy off his feet, and I-"

"Wait, Jimmy Cummings?" Connor's LED span yellow as he recalled the incident almost two years ago. Has it really been that long? It seemed hard to believe it. Niles was already in his fourth year of elementary school. Niles stalled as if he'd let something slip by accident. His LED blinked red before settling on yellow as if he thought he might be in trouble. "Jimmy Cummings who started a fight with you that time?" Niles almost winced at the reminder. Connor had been called into school over it, and it very much seemed like he and Jimmy would be bitter enemies after that.

"Yeah...He joined the team last year, and we sort of patched things up." Connor softened a little at that. It wouldn't be the first time someone with anti-android sentiments changed their mind. Gavin was proof enough of that. "You can't tell anyone though! We're keeping it a secret from his dad. He'd go crazy if he knew!" Connor wasn't wholly surprised to hear Mr Cummings hadn't come around. From the moment they'd met, he'd seemed like the stubborn sort. Old-fashioned and stuck in his ways. It wasn't impossible that people like that could change, like Hank and Agent Perkins, but people like that needed a push. He very much doubted there was an android in Mr Cummings' life who could provide that.

"Are you friends, or are you tolerating his presence for the good of the team?" If they were really friends now, it wasn't an issue, but if he was being bullied into taking one for the team, then he'd have to keep a closer eye on things. Perhaps he should attend a training session or two and see for himself. Niles shook his head at the suggestion, and Connor was pleased to see the honesty in his hazel eyes as he looked across the table at him.

"Oh, no! We're best friends now!" That was high praise indeed. Connor knew for a fact that Niles had excellent friendships that had existed for far longer. That Jimmy had worked his way up so high suggested he'd changed a great deal in the past couple of years. "Things were a little tense at first. We didn't really want him on the team, but the coach insisted he'd be good because he's so much bigger than us." That was true. Even two years ago, Jimmy had been much larger than Niles and his friends. It was perhaps troubling an adult had forced them into such a position, knowing their history.

"Did you fight at first?"

"No, Jimmy only started something that one time. Guess we scared him off." Connor huffed softly at the news. It wasn't surprising. Bullies often backed off when met with superior strength. "We were all a little nervous during the first training session, but when he didn't cause any trouble, we relaxed a bit. At the beginning of the second session, Jimmy asked to talk and promised he wouldn't start any trouble, and a few weeks later he apologised and said he was wrong about me back then." That sounded very mature, but humans often did a lot of growing as they hit puberty and formed their own personalities. It sounded like Jimmy was slowly breaking out of the mould his father had forced him into to become something better. "I-I've actually had him over once or twice with Simon to do our homework." Niles winced a little, looking again like he thought he might be in trouble.

"And how did that go?" Niles' smile suggested it had gone extremely well.

"He loves Simon! And he had so many questions about what happened in the revolution and how it all happened, like he really wanted to know everything about us!" It was promising that he had such a drive to learn. He was throwing off the propaganda he'd been fed at home and looking for other sources of information to improve his knowledge and make his own decisions. "He's still a jerk sometimes. One time, he almost made my circuits overload by giving me a theoretical to solve, but I got him back good by giving him an impossible maths equation to figure out. It took him over a week before he realised!" From the grin on Niles' face, Connor supposed that was their way of bonding. It was somewhat worrying to hear how close he'd come to an overload, but Niles assured him it hadn't happened since. After talking to the technician that worked on him, he'd realised how much of a problem it could have been. "We still give each other problems to solve, but only when there's an actual answer."

"It sounds like you have an interesting friendship." It almost made him think of Gavin. They never went so far as exchanging puzzles, but they had developed a healthy level of banter over the years. His chest cavity felt hollow at the thought that he might never experience it again. Getting to his feet, he crossed to the fridge and looked inside. Hank wouldn't be too far behind. He was just finishing up some paperwork, which had increased without Gavin there to do his share. "How are you getting around Mr Cummings?" Being on the baseball team, it was likely he went to watch games in the summer.

"He doesn't really come to school much. It's Miss Emily, his mum, who usually comes to pick him up and watch the games. Sometime she brings her boyfriend, too. Rick's really cool! I've never seen an android like him! He's huge!" Connor's eyes widened at that. It certainly explained Mr Cumming's attitude towards androids. He knew from looking at Mr Cumming's file that he was divorced, but it was listed as a simple no fault divorce. They even had joint custody, though Mr. Cummings had been the primary caregiver two years ago. What changed in that time? "Jimmy only really sees his dad at weekends these days, and even then, he only stays over on Saturday night because of school."

"Well, I'm pleased he's changed so much. He was a miniature copy of his father the last time I saw him." Niles laughed at the comment, but instantly leapt in to defend his friend and insist he was a better person these days. Running his eyes over the stocked shelves in the fridge, Connor started building a meal in his mind. There were a few possibilities depending on the meat they chose. I really should use the chicken first..."What would you prefer, kebob sticks or sweet and sour chicken?" The same vegetables could be used in either, and he definitely had a jar of sauce in the cupboards somewhere.

"Oh! Kebobs for sure!" Connor smiled as he pulled the chicken and vegetables out and instantly setting Niles to work with washing and cutting the peppers and onion while he diced the chicken. There was a familiarity to their routine now. He no longer needed to worry or coddle as Niles handled the knife, and he could leave him unsupervised to watch things on the stove and take things out of the oven when they were ready. He'd built and honed his cooking skills during the time he'd lived there, and school had taught him even more. It was pleasing to see his budding independence and maturity. He'll be ready for a new body in a year or so...

The thought almost made him sad, but it was for the best if he was going to keep up with Jimmy and the others. They'd already developed his teenaged body. An aged up version of what they believed he would look like if he grew naturally. Since Niles' face had come from his own design, it was also what they believed Connor would look like if he was aged down. By the time he was ready for an adult body, Connor hoped he might choose a face of his own rather than requesting an RK800 replica. They'd come a long way from those early days of hero worship when Niles looked at him like he was his whole world. His circle had expanded since then. Hank, Markus and North, Simon, Josh, his school friends, his android friends at Jericho, Chloe and Elijah, Colin, and Gavin and Nines. With so many personalities to draw from, he was really becoming his own person.

Hello? Someone had called his internal line.

Detective Anderson! Sorry to disturb you so late, but there's been an...incident. It was unusual for him to be called out after his shift. From the yellow spin of his LED and the troubled look on his face, Niles cottoned on that something was up. Connor gave him an apologetic grimace as he washed his hands and stepped away from the counter, leaving dinner in his capable hands. Niles took over without missing a beat, picking up where he'd left off once he was done with the vegetables.

What happened? Connor returned to kiss the top of Niles' head. "Sorry, it's work related. I might have to head back and help. Will you be alright?" He was a child in body, but Connor was now confident in leaving him unsupervised for a few hours, especially with Sumo in the house. If Niles was disappointed, he did a good job of hiding it as he sliced the chicken. He was used to interruptions these days, especially since Gavin's disappearance.

"Sure. I'll skewer these and wait until you and Grandpa get home." Connor smiled at that as he continued the call. Hearing him call Hank Grandpa had been strange once, and even Hank had been surprised the first time. Now, it was as natural as calling him Dad.

We found another body. It's one of ours this time. A police officer? Connor's eyes widened slightly at the news. The body was found by chance, reported by an anonymous call to the FBI. Lieutenant Anderson is already en route. I'll send you the address and have the report ready by the time you get here. Connor was already stepping out as the call ended and an address came through. Niles appeared in the doorway to wave him off as he pulled out of the driveway, only closing the door once he'd passed the end of the street. Connor did his best not to speculate as he traversed the evening streets. Speculation would only lead to stress. He was pretty sure they would have told him if it was Gavin, so he wasn't too worried about that, but if not Gavin, then who?

Hank was already there by the time he arrived, standing with Perkins as Colin crouched by the body that sat slumped sideways in the chair. Connor only vaguely recognised the body as a detective who worked in gang crimes. Was it gang related? Why call the FBI in that case? Colin gave his usual coy smile of greeting as he joined him and crouched on the other side. He could easily see how he'd died. There was a bullet in his forehead. A scan gave him the average time and calibre of the bullet, as well as the angle, possible height, and distance of the shooter.

"It was a Glock 22." Speaking out loud was mainly for Hank and Perkins' benefit. Connor nodded his agreement. That certainly fitted the scene so far. "That's Detective Reed's chosen sidearm, correct?" Hank frowned a little at that. The question felt like an accusation, and from anyone else, he'd treat it as such. Colin seemed almost apologetic as Connor's brows furrowed.

"That is true, but it's standard issue for all officers in the area. We also recovered Detective Reed's firearm from the safe in the penthouse, so it couldn't be his." That didn't mean it couldn't be him though. Looking at the trajectory and scanning the ground further out, he could estimate the shooter's height and position. It was unpleasant how closely it matched with Gavin. But why? He certainly wouldn't do such a thing willingly.

"Didn't Detective Reed have some history with the victim?" Perkins was a little more sensitive as he broached the subject, unwilling to believe it himself. Hank hated the fact he was going to have to admit it on record, but it was a well-documented fact that Yates had hounded him for years. Hounded him, sure, but not enough for this!

"Yates was an asshole, sure, but this? This is overkill." Perkins seemed to agree as he nodded. Shooting someone in the head like that was cold. It was an execution! He was tied to a chair for Christ's sake!

"It's possible that Detective Reed was present. The prints here are an exact match to his chosen footwear, and the height of the shooter is also within range...If we can agree his presence is a possibility, then perhaps we can ascertain why." Much as Connor hated to admit it, it was perfectly possible that Gavin had been there. From the fact that Perkins and Colin were already there and had opened the investigation with Gavin as the prime suspect, he assumed they'd received the tip from a reliable source. Nines? But Nines would never point the finger at Gavin. But did that mean he'd ignore the evidence if that's what it led to? Maybe not.

"If I had to place Gavin as the shooter, I'd say someone definitely forced him to do it. There's no way he'd willingly kill another cop, even one as shitty as Yates." Connor agreed with Hank. This wasn't Gavin's style at all. But why choose someone they know he didn't get on with? To make it more palatable? To make him more willing to go along with it? Or is it for us?

"Could they hoped we'd believe he was a willing accomplice? We know he didn't like Detective Yates. If anyone other than us looked at this case, they might place Gavin as the chief suspect right away." They were lucky the FBI was allowing them to work alongside them so closely and respected their advice. They were even luckier that Perkins knew and liked Gavin, and agreed that he was more respectable than this crime suggested. Colin nodded thoughtfully. That lined up with what he'd been led to believe already.

"Does our victim have any other enemies that you know of?" Perkins asked, mainly looking at Hank for this one. He'd been on the force longer than anyone else in his department, besides Fowler. It stood to reason he'd know more about Yates because of it. Hank shrugged, blue eyes roving over the slumped body. Yates was sitting back in the chair, leaning towards Colin with his head lolling to one side. Only a thin stream of blood had trickled down his nose and cheek. Most of the damage was at the back, where his skull had all but exploded with the exit wound. Hank didn't envy the cleanup on this one.

"He's not well-liked, but enemies? No, not at the precinct itself. Local gangs though? Sure. He took down his fair share over the years." In more recent years, he'd been a little more insidious. No one had proved it, but they suspected he'd been playing off various sides against each other and taking bribes on the side. Something to add to the retirement fund. Unfortunately, it wasn't rare for that to happen in local law enforcement.

"Is there a reason you believe Gavin is involved?" The tread of his shoes aside, there was really nothing concrete to point to him. Colin seemed reluctant to answer as Connor looked at him, LED spinning yellow as he glanced off to the side. Nines. He always looked like that when he was keeping a secret, and that usually led to Nines. The look on his face must have said as much when Colin winced.

"I received information from a reliable source that the Hickory Killer's android was spotted in this area within the correct timeframe. With that in mind, and after examining the scene, I believe there were at least three individual present. Some of the tread marks are a potential match for that android, while the shooter's tread and height are both a likely match for Detective Reed. With their history, there is also a plausible motive." Connor's LED blinked red at that, and Colin immediately winced. Though it was unpleasant to say it out loud, it was also true. Connor sighed, reminding himself once again that everyone here was on Gavin's side, and none of them truly believed he'd played a willing role in any of this. Least of all Nines. If Nines had been here already and thought Gavin was involved, surely he would have tampered with evidence if he thought he'd been a willing participant.

"If the Hickory Killer has gone from making Detective Reed fight for survival to forced execution, he must have some sort of motivation," Perkins grumbled as he stared at the body. From the intensity of his dark eyes, and knowing his human habits, Connor assumed he was putting himself in Detective Reed's shoes. What would make him pull the trigger? Why would he agree to shoot someone?

"Kitty Dawson," Hank groused, cursing under his breath and scuffing the ground with his shoe.

"Kill one or the other dies...It's possible." It would make sense that Gavin would choose his goddaughter over a random stranger or someone he didn't like. Choosing Yates may have been strategic. It was someone he knew, but not quite an innocent. But why? What did the Hickory Killer get out of this? What did he hope to gain?

"Now that he's moved on to people he knows, we should keep an eye out." Hank was probably right. Gavin didn't like Yates, but they'd worked together. Were there others like Yates? People Gavin knew, but didn't have perfect morals? Connor sighed. It bothered him. If they were going to figure out who was next, they needed to figure out why Yates had been chosen and what the Hickory Killer hoped to gain by making Gavin play this game. Whatever it was, it wasn't good.