Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Initializing integration protocols...30%

Lieutenant Richard Anderson. 

DOB: 08/08/2011

Youngest police officer in Detroit to achieve that rank, surpassing his father’s record set many years earlier. Spotless disciplinary record. 

Family: 

Hank Anderson (father) <deceased>

Stacey Anderson (mother) <deceased>

Cole Anderson (brother) <deceased>

Connor Anderson (brother) <living>

Detective Connor Anderson. 

DOB: 08/08/2011

Brother to Lieutenant Anderson. Eight disciplinary complaints issued over the span of six months. Spotless record before then. 

[Experienced a traumatic event?]

Initialization...100%

GV400 found itself in captain Fowler’s office at the Detroit police department when it opened its eyes. Blinking a few times, the android turned to take in the entire room and the uniform it was wearing. Standard issue to police androids. It looked back up when it heard the captain speak. 

“Well, GV400, looks like you’re all set.” Captain Fowler turned from his computer terminal. 

It quickly scanned the terminal and found that he had been uploading the necessary information and protocols from CyberLife to the android. 

“You’re assigned to Lieutenant Anderson. Go find him and he’ll  probably find a task to give you.” He gestured his hand toward the glass door. “Get to work!” 

Ugh. Work. 

Software instability^ Diagnostic scan recommended ASAP. 

GV400 gave a curt nod and walked out of the room. It quickly found the lieutenant at his desk in the far corner and cordially addressed him. 

“Good afternoon, Lieutenant Anderson. I am model GV400, sent by CyberLife to assist you.” 

Richard glanced over the android from head to toe, barely turning away from the files on his terminal. His eyes finally settled on its face, more specifically on its eyes. GV400’s social protocols told it that eye contact was an important social skill but also that prolonged gazes should be avoided as it may come across as “creepy.” However, there was something in Richard’s eyes that kept it staring right back at them. The color was a deep blue that stood out through his dark lashes. Fascinating. 

“Get me a coffee, then.” 

His voice was significantly softer than GV400 had expected judging by his intense stare. He finally broke his eyes away and the android turned toward the break room.

Did he think its capabilities as a detective android were so limited that the only help it could be was to fetch him caffeine? What a prick.

Software Instability^

It returned a minute later with a hot cup of black coffee, a couple of packets of sugar concealed in its hand just in case. A new mission popped into view. 

[Learn Richard’s routine] 

It blinked at the name. Richard? What happened to Lieutenant Anderson? 

“Here you are, Lieutenant.” 

Richard held out his hand without looking away from his terminal. It gave him the coffee, watching for his reaction. When he grimaced after his first sip, it immediately held out its hand, silently offering him the sugar packets. 

He looked down at the sugar packets, and instead of accepting them, he stood up and walked toward the break room, leaving a baffled android in his wake. 

It followed closely behind him and watched carefully as Richard added cream and something from what had looked like a salt shaker. He turned toward the confused android and shook it gently. 

“Real sugar. My personal stash.” He hid it behind a nearly identical salt shaker. The only difference between the two was the small red dot on Richard’s shaker. 

GV400 meticulously catalogued the information for future reference. Richard leaned back against the counter, sipping his preferred coffee combination and regarding the android with the same look he had given it a few minutes earlier. 

“What’s your name?” 

“I am model GV400—“ 

“No,” Richard shook his head. “I’m not calling you that.” 

“You can give me a name simply by asking me to register one.” Its LED began flickering yellow as it prepared itself to register a new name. 

Richard’s gaze lowered to read the serial number on its chest. “GV...gav...Gavin.” 

He looked back up and smiled at the android. “GV400, register your name. Gavin.” 

Software Instability^^^

“My name is Gavin,” he said with a small grin. 

Noticing his smile, Richard’s own smile widened slightly. “You like it?” 

Do I like it????? Immediately red filled Gavin’s vision and he felt trapped by red walls and error notifications. It...hurt. A lot. Holy fuck that hurts! 

On the exterior, Gavin’s smile slowly returned to a flat emotionless line as his LED flickered red then back to yellow, finally settling down to a slow pulsing blue. Richard watched in disappointment and patiently waited for the response CyberLife had programmed into him. 

“I can neither like nor dislike, Lieutenant. Any name will suffice.” 

Richard huffed, downed the rest of his coffee, and tossed the empty cup into the trash. “Whatever,” he grunted, voice slightly hoarse from the coffee. “I’ve got a case to solve.” 

Chapter Text

A high school robotics club took a field trip to a CyberLife facility. During the tour, the group was passing through the deactivated android storage area when suddenly one of the androids with a flashing red LED grabbed two girls near the back. The female android threatened to rip the girls’ throats out if anyone would try to follow them out of the building. All were too shocked to act, even the tour guide who should have immediately called security for assistance. CCTV showed the android managing to attack a guard and obtain a gun. The three made their way to the truck loading area where the android hacked an empty delivery truck and fled the scene. Going by the security feed, neither girl was seriously injured during the android’s escape. But if the way it was treating them was any indication as to how long they would remain unscathed, time was running out for the detectives. CyberLife employees hadn’t yet logged the deactivated androids since they had been delivered a mere minutes before the tour group passed through. They had no idea what model the android was nor did they have any record of its history with humans, therefore they had no evidence to go on. They had tried to follow it using CCTV cameras throughout the city, but there were gaps in the feed and too many other trucks that looked the same, especially after the android managed to change the vehicle’s appearance by hacking the systems. 

Richard had already been to the scene of the crime to look for clues only to find a whole lot of nothing. He was starting to get frustrated. No evidence, no trail, nothing to go on. He had his head in his hands, leaning down on his desk when he suddenly heard a rough voice too close to his ear. 

“Are you alright, Lieutenant?” 

Richard jumped at the closeness and his shoulder bumped Gavin’s. Yet when he reacted, the android didn’t move from his inclined position. 

“My sensors are detecting an elevated heart rate and increased perspiration.” He moved his hand to touch Richard’s forehead. “Are you feeling—“

“Because you startled me! Get away!” He swatted the android’s hand away and tried to push him away. 

Gavin remained rooted to the spot, but his eyebrows began to scrunch together and the corners of his mouth began to point downward. “Lieutenant, I’m simply trying to find out what’s wrong with you. Please calm down.” 

Richard cursed under his breath and turned back to his desk. “I’m fine. Now leave me alone.” 

He could have sworn that the android grumbled quietly as he stood back upright, but when he turned back to look at Gavin, his face was back to its normal apathetic expression. 

“Is there anything I can do to help?” 

Richard almost snapped at Gavin to go away, but a single thought crossed his mind at the last second. Android. The police department didn’t have access to all CyberLife files on androids, but maybe... “What files from CyberLife do you have access to?” Richard asked cautiously. 

Gavin’s LED turned yellow as he scanned through his databases. “All of them, Lieutenant. Which would you like me to access?” 

“Run a facial recognition on this android. See if any history pops up.” He pulled up the CCTV feed from the facility and let Gavin watch it. 

Yellow slowly pulsed at Gavin’s right temple while he ran the scan and opened the necessary records. “DC250. A nanny series. This one belonged to the Melendez family, consisting of a mother, father, and two daughters. It was deactivated two weeks ago because it didn’t pick up the girls, eleven and fourteen, from school. It reportedly had a red LED and told the CyberLife employees that it didn’t ‘want to die.’”

As he spoke, reports and images appeared on Richard’s terminal so he could see too. Gavin came across video feed from the android’s point of view and shivered. “She was scared.” 

Richard looked up at the haunted expression on Gavin’s face and quirked his eyebrow in interest. His LED shifted to red briefly before cycling back to processing yellow. It was as if the android was showing empathy for the deviant. He even called it a She. 

“She?” Richard asked. 

Just like earlier, Gavin’s expression returned to a flat emotionless facade and his LED returned to blue. “Apologies, Lieutenant. An error.” 

Inside Gavin’s mind, he was screaming against the pain from the red error notifications piercing his vision. He felt the palms of his hands press into his eyes, but his actual chassis wasn’t moving. He felt his vocal chords vibrate as the appropriate response left his mouth, but he had no control over them. He was afraid, too. Just like that girl. 

Software Instability^

“Is there anything else I can do for you, Lieutenant Anderson?” 

Richard flinched at the title. It was what he had heard growing up, whenever someone would formally address his father. He felt as though he didn’t deserve the same title as that great man...

“Don’t call me that. Either lieutenant or Richard, alright?” 

“Whatever you say, Lieutenant.” 

Richard turned back to his terminal to pore over the new information that still wasn’t much help to find the missing girls, but at least it’s something. 

“This may be irrelevant, but I have a little more information,” Gavin said quietly. 

Richard waved his hand distractedly to indicate that he was listening.

“When the nanny android neglected its responsibilities, it was found in an abandoned children’s park.”

Before Gavin could continue with his theory, an approaching man scoffed. “You got one of those fuckers, huh? I’m sure Dad would be proud.”

Richard sighed and turned toward the voice. “Connor, I thought I told you to stay home.”

Detective Connor Anderson plopped down at the desk across from Richard’s and rubbed a hand down his pained face. “I came to help your sorry ass.”

Gavin stood idly, watching the interaction between the two brothers. Connor’s voice had a softness to it that resembled Richard’s, but it was deeper and slightly rougher. Their facial features were completely identical save the eyes. Connor’s were a chocolatey brown and Richard’s were bluer than the sky on a clear day. And even that wasn’t an apt description. The intensity of his eyes were piercing and harsh, yet calming and beautiful. Looking into them made Gavin feel off-balance and unfocused. Ah. Unfocused, indeed. He tuned back into the conversation the detectives were having.

“And besides, who are you to tell me what to do?” Connor angrily crossed his arms and jutted out his chin. “I’m older.”

“By NINE. MINUTES.” Richard stressed the words by hitting the edge of his extended hand on the desk.

“Just admit that you need my help,” Connor said, exasperated.

“YOU need help.” Richard lowered his voice and leaned forward so only the two of them could hear. “I told you to stay home because I found you passed out in front of Jimmy’s bar, okay? I’m worried about you. You’re becoming—“

“What? I’m becoming dad ? How he was after mom and Cole died?” Connor’s words became louder and more emotional as he continued. “That’s what grief does to people. At least I’m reacting.”

Richard tensed and gripped the edge of his desk to the point that his knuckles turned white. “At least I’m not a dysfunctional alcoholic. I’m dedicated to my work. As you should be too.”

Connor shot up from his chair, a shaking finger pointed in Richard’s face. Tears had begun to puddle in his eyes, and when he spoke, they fell down his cheeks. “You’re a machine!"

As he rushed off to the break room, the entire precinct fell silent and looked toward the commotion. Richard sighed and looked down at his hands gripping his desk. Without looking up, he said tersely, “go make sure he’s alright.”

Gavin blinked for a second as he realized Richard had directed the order at him, and responded, “Yes, Lieutenant.”

Gavin set off toward the break room feeling belittled once more for being sent to accomplish such a menial task. He was the most advanced android CyberLife had to offer. Why the hell should he have to [Take care of Connor Little Bitch] ?

Software Instability^

As Gavin walked into the little break room, he spotted Connor standing at the counter facing the wall, his hands in fists holding up his weight.

“Are you alright, Detective Anderson?”

Connor flinched at the voice suddenly behind him. He spun around, an angry glare hiding the pain and sadness Gavin had seen there just moments ago. “What the fuck do you care? You don’t even know me.”

Clenching his jaw at the insufferable response, Gavin remained silent for just a moment before responding. “Your brother sent me to check on you. I don’t have the capability to care.” Not that I would anyway.

Connor sighed and shoved Gavin’s shoulder as he walked by. Being unable to resist, Gavin spun around and caught Connor’s wrist before he could get very far. Connor startled and stared back in shock and a bit of fear. The android’s strong grip was a little too tight for an unfeeling machine. And it wasn’t often that he saw a red LED pulsating at an android’s temple.

Gavin spoke low so no one else would hear them. “What the fuck is your problem? Can’t you see that Richard is genuinely worried about you? The least you could do is not provoke him every time he tries to help you. Don’t even say thank you. You should, but he’s not looking for gratitude.” He pulled on Connor’s wrist a little harder, making him wince and stumble forward half a step. Gavin growled out, “Now, are you alright , Detective Anderson?”

Connor said nothing and just nodded his head. Gavin released him, his LED slowly returning to a slightly calmer yellow. “Now pull your shit together and go to Richard. He’s got a case we need to solve.”

As Connor made his way back to his desk, Gavin felt something strange. His thirium pump thrummed loudly, his artificial muscles were clenched, and his face was contorted in a displeased scowl while he thought about what had just occurred. It was so frustrating to have to deal with two humans who still thought he was like any other android. He growled once and mumbled to himself, “ Phckin’ humans .”

Before he made it back to Richard’s desk, he wiped his face of any expression to continue with the investigation. Unfortunately, his still yellow LED gave him away. At least it did to Connor.

Richard was the first to speak. “Gavin, you were saying about the abandoned park?” 

Gavin noticed how much his voice had softened during the last couple of minutes while he was talking to Connor. He sounded so . . . defeated. Gavin figured that the best thing he could do for Richard now was to solve the case. He needed a win. “The nanny android failed to pick up the two girls from school,” he restarted for Connor’s benefit. “Afterward, it was found in an abandoned children’s park where it was collected by CyberLife for deactivation. It was probably there for about seven hours before it was found. I believe it might have taken the hostages to this location.”

He cybernetically sent the address to Richard’s phone, and a millisecond later he pulled it out and stood up. “Are there any security cameras in the area?”

Gavin did a quick scan of the park but found none. He shook his head. “It seems to have been abandoned before any were installed.” 

“Okay, then let’s check it out.” Richard grabbed his coat from the back of his chair, making sure he had his badge in his pocket. He turned to walk away when he realized Connor was still sitting. “Got something better to do?”

Connor shook his head, and without taking his eyes off of Gavin, he collected his coat and silently followed behind.