Tick Tock Part One - Hickory

The Clock Struck Two

"Well, I'll be...Never thought we'd get you out of those old Cyberlife threads..." Hank gruffed in approval as Nines headed to his desk. Reed watched with a certain amount of smugness as Nines humbly thanked him for the compliment and allowed Connor to examine his outfit more closely. He seemed conflicted and perhaps a little jealous. Connor was the older model, and yet he still wore his old RK800 uniform, like he'd just come off the production line. "Maybe you should take your brother out this Sunday and get him some new threads of his own." Hank smirked at the sour look Connor shot him. They'd agreed to disagree about his uniform.

"The Cyberlife uniform is durable and easily cleaned!" Connor ignored Hank's light scoff as he sipped his tea. He was hardly an expert on fashion. Hell, he was still wearing retro styled shirts like it was the eighties, but he still thought Connor would be better off having an update. He didn't like the way he still wore the Cyberlife logo, like the company still owned him somehow. He couldn't understand why he was so adamant about keeping it, as if he had some underlying insecurity.

"I agree, however, Detective Reed was very persuasive in his assertions. For instance, if something were to happen to your uniform while on duty, what would you do?" Connor paused to think about it. They worked in a dangerous profession and, of course, accidents could happen, but he'd never considered that his clothing could be damaged to the point it would be unwearable. Not without his body being severely damaged in the process. It was highly unlikely, however, he could humour his brother.

"I would simply borrow clothes from storage or a co-worker until a new uniform could be procured." That was something Nines hadn't considered. Hank scoffed softly, making Connor's brow twitch in response. It wasn't an argument he wanted to have. Reed watched curiously from his desk. He was with Hank on this one. It was weird, the way Connor clung so defensively to his old uniform. Maybe it has something to do with it being the first thing he owned...I guess a lot of people recognise him because of it, too. During the revolution, he'd been notorious as a deviant hunter, but later on he'd also led thousands of newly awakened androids into battle and quickly became a hero to many of his people.

"You could at least buy some stuff for when you're not working," Reed piped up from his desk, catching the almost betrayed look Connor shot him. At the very least, Connor had expected him to stay out of the dispute. Nines was quick to offer to show him around the Plaza, almost proud of his now superior shopping knowledge. Connor wouldn't burst his bubble by pointing out that he already knew his way around Detroit pretty well by now, and he'd been shopping more than once to buy Hank new clothes. He was losing a lot of weight now that Connor had helped him return to work properly and improved his diet. Reed tried not to think about how Nines was trying to do a similar thing for him. "Nines, cigarette time," he added as he got to his feet and held a hand out.

"Ha! The kid's really got you trained!" Hank chortled as he leaned back in his chair and cradled his hot mug. Reed flipped him off before returning his attention to his reluctant partner. The packet only had a couple left. He'd have to get another one. Maybe he wouldn't let Nines keep the packet next time. He felt too much like a kid being rationed treats. Though I'm sure most people wouldn't see this as a treat. He took the cigarette and walked up to the rooftop, where he lit up and breathed deeply, looking out over the city as he exhaled.

"Ah, phck..." A familiar black car pulled up at the curb and his heart picked up as he watched Colin climb out, quickly followed by Perkins. He was almost unsurprised when Colin looked up and saw him on the rooftop, giving a shy nod when he raised a reluctant hand in greeting. He still looked shy as hell as he followed Perkins marching towards the precinct. Going to the roof was a big mistake. He was sure Hank's face would be a picture when he caught sight of Perkins. Maybe Nines will be able to show me the footage. He huffed at the thought, reluctant to move from his place huddled against the wall. Their arrival can't mean anything good...