✔️Deviating For Him (RK1700)

12^ Shutdown

Connor sits on my lap as we review the case. "I don't understand. It's like we know everything we need to know, but we're doing nothing about it."
     "Well, worry no longer, Nines," Gavin begins as he walks into the room. "We're flushing out the tunnels today."
     My heart sinks. "O-Ok..." Dammit.
     "You don't have to go."
     "Are you kidding me? Of course, I have to go! I've spent way too long stressing over this case to not see it through!"
     "Ok, ok..."
     "I'm going..." I nudge Connor, and he hops off of me. Together, we follow Gavin to a police cruiser. "We never should've gone to the mall yesterday!" I snap, complaining to them. "We should've been preparing or something! It was just a waste of time!"
     Gavin turns back to me with a grim look on his face. "We wanted you guys to enjoy one last day with each other. We wanted you guys to have one last experience before we did this."
     I stare at him, fearing more and more for the journey ahead.
     "We didn't want you guys to stress about this in your last days. You very well might die down there."
     I don't say anything. Instead, I slowly sit back in my seat, quietly waiting to arrive. Connor holds my hand tightly. I squeeze it.
     When we arrive, I don't feel good. I'm scared. I've never been so scared in my life. I'm forced to walk to the tunnels and file down the ladder, one-by-one. This time, I have an entire team of SWAT with me. It does little to ease my fear. They push me along down a tunnel. Hank, Connor, and Gavin are with me, so maybe I'll die with them. The thought of dying hurts too much to handle, so I force myself to think of the good things that'll happen when I die. Hopefully, this case will be solved. Hopefully, Connor will be alright. Hopefully, Gavin will find a new partner, one better than me. I never deserved him.
     That thought makes me almost ready to die.
     "Quiet," someone whispers. I obey them and stay as quiet as I possibly can. A loud bang sounds as a grenade explodes, and I duck down out of sight. Gunshots ring out as two evils collide. I panic as I realize I can't see Connor, Gavin, or Hank anywhere. I'm alone...
     I pull out my pistol and take aim. Why they didn't give me a bigger gun, I don't know. I fire at anyone not wearing a SWAT uniform, and manage to take someone down.
     I grunt in pain as a stray bullet hits me, and I kneel down again. "Fuck!" I curse. I quickly regain myself and stand up, shooting everyone I don't recognize. I mow through the crowd, stepping forward with each shot.
     Another stray bullet hits me, then another, and I crumple back to the ground. "Nines!" someone screams. I don't know who it is. Within seconds, Connor's face is in front of mine. The first thing I notice is his bullet wound.
     "You're hurt," I rasp.
     "I'm fine. You look more messed up than me." He helps me up. "Let's finish this, ok?" he gasps, helping me walk. Together, we shoot everyone we don't recognize.
     "We're not gonna die," I promise him.
     "Of course, not. We can never die. We're Androids."
     I decide to not talk, knowing it won't help. Instead, I focus on shooting. We've managed to push the crowd to the back of the chamber. A sudden explosion rocks the cavern, making me stumble. "Wh-What was that?" I cry.
     "They must've set off explosives in one of the other chambers," Connor explains.
     "What?! Why?! We're underground! Why would you set off explosives underground?!" I yell, panicking. My LED blinks red, and my stress levels are as high as they've ever been. The cavern rocks as another explosion goes off.
     "They said we were flushing these bastards out! Don't worry, we'll be safe. From the explosives at least." As he says that, he gets hit by a stray bullet.
     Instinctively, I move so I'm in front of him, covering him from any more stray bullets. It works, and another one hits me. I don't take the hit. At all. I crumple again, clutching my Thirium pump, hoping it hasn't been damaged. That thing is my heart. It's literally the thing keeping me alive. And, it's been hit. My vision glitches out, objects become distorted, and it's impossible to make out anything as precious Thirium spills from my body.
     I grip Connor as hard as I can, hoping I can convey to him that I love him through touch. I don't think I can speak it if I tried. I can feel his arms wrap around me as I'm manhandled. I'm moving, but I don't know where I'm going until I feel myself being propped up against something.
     Shutdown in: 00:01:36
     Shit, I curse to myself. I reach out and grab whatever I can, willing myself to speak. Nothing comes out. I begin panicking, not knowing what to do. I'm dying. I'm actually dying. I grab whatever's in front of me, hoping it's Connor.
     Shutdown in: 00:00:58
     Hoping it's Connor, I reach around for his face. When I find it, I bring it close. I press my lips against his in one last attempt at a kiss. It's half-assed, but it works, and I let go.
     At this point, all I can hear is a sharp ringing noise, and my vision is blurred to hell. Luckily, I can still feel. And that's what I do. I feel Connor's hands all over me, poking, prodding, pushing me about, desperately trying to keep me alive. I can tell he knows I'm dying.
     Shutdown in: 00:00:21
     Holy shit, this is actually it. I'm actually dying. It seems so surreal. It's almost as if it's a bad dream. Yeah, it's just a bad dream. That's all. I'll wake up in the morning, and kiss Connor, and hold him, and tell him all about the dream I had where I died, but... deep inside, I know I'll never wake up ever again.
     Shutdown in: 00:00:14
     I can feel him holding my hand. I don't move. I don't even think I could move if I tried.
     Shutdown in: 00:00:08
     I try my best to smile at him.
     We don't die. We're Androids.
     Shutdown in: 00:00:04
     I close my eyes.
     Yes, we do die, Connor...
     Shutdown in: 00:00:00

Connor sits in disbelief as he watches Nines shutdown. "No..." he whispers. "Nines... Nines, please. Please, don't leave."
     Before Connor can say anything else, he's thrown forward and smashes his head against the hard wall of the cavern. Immediately, he's rendered unconscious.

                  .          .          .          .          .

Gavin stands on his balcony, nursing his broken hand. He stares out at the horizon, watching the sun set.
     Hank opens the screen door and joins him. "How's your hand?" he begins.
     Gavin turns on him. "Fuck my hand, Hank! How's Nines?! How's Connor?! Oh, I forgot, they're fucking dead!" he yells, beginning to cry.
     "I just got word from Kamski. Connor's alive. He was never dead. He was just knocked unconscious."
     "Fucking superb, Hank!" he snaps. "Your fuckin partner is alive and well, but what about mine?! Huh?! What about Nines?!"
     Hank says nothing.
     "That's what I fucking thought. He's dead. He's never coming back." Gavin sits down on the balcony, burying his face in his hands. "Fuck... why did I let him die?"
     "Please... don't start blaming yourself, ok? It's not your fault.... And-And, we got Hyperion! We solved the case and broke the human-trafficking ring. We did it."
     "What does it matter?! Nines... is never... c-coming back...!" he gasps, sobbing. He holds Hank's shirt and buries his face in his chest, shaking as he sobs.
     "I promise, It will be ok..."
     "I-I almost don't wanna be alive anymore. I just d-don't think I can wake up every day knowing I'll never s-see him again."
     "Don't talk like that!" Hank snaps, making Gavin look at him. "D-Don't talk like that..."
     Gavin moves past him and walks inside. Hank follows. Out of nowhere, Hank's phone goes off. He heads over to it, snatching it up when he sees who is from. "It's from Kamski!" He answers the phone and puts it on speaker so Gavin can hear. "Hello?"
     "Hank, I have good news!"
     "Ok? Spit it out."
     "Well, for starters, I managed to get Connor back online. He's alive and well, but he's sleeping. He has a bit of head trauma, but it's nothing that can't be fixed with a bit of therapy."
     Hank sighs in relief. "That's good to know, Kamski." He glances over at Gavin, watching as he turns and walks away. "D-Do you have anything for Nines?"
     Gavin stops, listening, waiting.
     "I was just about to get to that. I can repair Nines. He can be brought back to life, but... it'll take a bit of time to repair his body. But, that's the good news."
     "What's the bad news?" Gavin cuts in.
     "The bad news is that I'll have to reset him. He'll be like a newly made Android. He'll have no memory of anything, but he'll be alive. It's your choice whether I continue with this operation or not, Gavin. If having him alive but not able to remember you is too painful, then I won't fix him."
     "No. Do it. Fix him... please..."
     "Are you sure?"
     "Kamski, I literally don't care. I can remake memories with him. I can rebuild our relationship. I just want him back."
     Kamski goes silent on the other side before sighing. "Ok. I'll get on it."