Chapter Twelve
Trigger Warning: Sexual situations and talk of self-harm
With her arms full of groceries, Wren pushed the door closed with her foot. She set the groceries down on the kitchen table and flipped the lights on. She tried to push her friends from her mind, but the more she tried not to think about them, the more they surfaced in her conscious. Wren wanted nothing more than to go back to those nights with Tina and North, conspiring about how they would get themselves a date. Or to go back to nights of lounging on the couch with Connor and Hank, binge-watching movies, or cooking bacon in the mornings while Connor frowned at their eating habits, or swapping books with Josh, or even trading insults with Gavin…
Wren's chest weighed more than the jug of milk she put in the fridge.
"You should really check to make sure the place is empty before you start relaxing."
Wren stiffened and turned. A light switched on in the living room. 06 sat on her couch, a smirk dragging the corner of his mouth upward. Wren drew in a long, soft breath to calm her panicking heart. She folded her arms. "They don't have anything better to do than stalk me?"
06 snorted. "You think Thomas would trust you to just strut around Detroit like you never left?"
"It seems pointless to send me to work with the DPD if they're also going to send you to babysit me. It's a waste of agents."
"Prometheus always acts within reason."
Wren pursed her lips for a moment. "If that's true, why didn't they tell me more about Zlatko's house? How did they even know that?"
"Your job is to follow leads, not ask questions."
Wren leaned against the doorframe. "Okay, so any leads? There's a lot of shit for us to dig through."
"Thomas said to watch the androids."
"Why is all the intel you give me cryptic?"
06 narrowed his eyes. "Why does your boyfriend go to CyberLife so much?"
Wren's stomach twisted. He knew. He knew about the secure room, and now they were in danger… No, 06 wouldn't be questioning her if he knew about it. "He's not my boyfriend anymore, thanks to Prometheus."
06 pushed off from the couch. He loomed over her, but no fear sparked through Wren. 06 had no reason to attack her, and like he said, Prometheus always had a reason. "You're avoiding the question."
Wren huffed. "I don't know. I didn't even know he went to CyberLife. Why are you watching him in the first place?"
"I have my orders," 06 replied, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "That RK800 seems to be moving on from you. He's got a lot of friends he hangs out with."
Wren shrugged, but her shoulders tensed. "Good for him. Is that all? You could've just called, Skyped, whatever. You didn't need to make a trip to check in with me for this."
06 snorted and headed for the door. "And miss an opportunity to spy on my favorite traitor? Not a chance."
Wren curled her fingers toward her palms. "I'm not a traitor."
"You abandoned Prometheus and deviated from your programming. Everything about you is traitorous."
Wren furrowed her brow. "Doesn't it bother you that we were programmed in the first place?"
"No," said 06 coolly, "because Prometheus always has a reason."
With that, 06 opened the front door and left Wren's apartment. When the door slammed shut behind 06, Wren let out a shuddering breath. She rubbed circles into her temples and sank into a chair at the kitchen table. This hadn't been about giving Wren a lead. This was a warning, a threat. Prometheus sent 06 to watch her, yes, but she already knew they would be monitoring her. No, 06 brought up Connor to threaten Wren. It was a reminder that if she strayed too far from the mission, if she pursued her personal interests, or if she showed any weakness, then 06 knew Connor's routine. Prometheus would send 06 to kill Connor if Wren deviated from Prometheus's goal.
After eating a small dinner, Wren stepped into the shower. Her healing ribs still ached from excessive movement, but the hot water sluicing her skin unraveled the tension in her muscles. She bowed her head, letting the water stream through her hair. Wren closed her eyes and let her mind wander. Of course, she found herself thinking about Connor. Today was the closest she'd stood to him in a long time. They'd been in that closet, and his lips had brushed the tip of her nose when she looked up at him. Their lips had ghosted one another as she gazed into his eyes. His LED had swirled yellow, then red. She'd been very aware of how close they stood to one another; her chest just barely pressed against his. Her hands had itched to grab him and smash her lips against his. Instead, she'd mumbled an apology and scrambled out of the tight space, the back of her neck clammy.
In the shower, Wren's heart throbbed. She wanted nothing more than to collapse into Connor's arms and tell him how much she loved him. But with Prometheus watching and listening, Wren knew the best way to show her love was to keep her distance. She would let Prometheus rip Connor away from her if it meant he would be safe. She tried to push Connor from her mind as she washed her hair.
Wren shut off the water and trembled as water slid along her body. She wrapped herself in a towel and readied herself for bed. She knew sleep would evade her, so she took a melatonin pill and dried her hair, waiting for drowsiness to overcome her. She prayed for a dreamless sleep as she settled in her bed.
"Don't go," he whispered, "please."
Wren squeezed him closer. "I'm not going anywhere."
Connor's lips tugged at the corners. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
He kissed her and his arms slid around her waist, pulling her as flush against him as possible. Her fingers fumbled with the knot of his tie while his tongue traced her lip and entered her mouth. She pressed him against the wall. His hands slipped up her shirt while she unfasted the buttons of his shirt. He paused their kiss to yank off his tie. Wren's lips traced his throat. The breath that left Connor's lips came out ragged. He tilted his head back as Wren trailed her lips down the bare strip of chest, exposed by his open shirt. When her lips ghosted the hem of his pants, Connor gasped. A smile tugged at the corner of Wren's mouth.
Something metal clicked. Wren froze, her hands on Connor's belt. Her eyes traveled up Connor's chest to his face. His LED swirled yellow and his eyes widened. The muzzle of a gun pressed against his temple. Wren jumped away from Connor as Pauline pushed the gun against Connor's head even harder.
"I thought my orders were clear, 01," said Pauline. Her lip curled as she regarded Connor, who held up his hands in surrender. "Keep your distance, and we won't harm him."
Wren shook her head; tears burned her eyes. "Please, don't do this. He has nothing to do with this."
"He has everything to do with this," seethed Pauline. "You will never be loyal to Prometheus while he's still alive."
"Please!" Wren cried, reaching for the gun. "I'll be loyal, please, just don't hurt him. Please."
"Don't go," Connor pleaded. "Wren, please don't go."
"I have to," Wren breathed. The tears that slid down her cheeks mirrored the ones on Connor's face. "I love you, I always will."
"Weapons can't love," Pauline sneered. She pulled the trigger, and blue blood splattered the wall.
Wren kicked awake. Her chest heaved with distraught breaths as she pushed herself up. Burying her face in her hands, Wren tried to focus on something to slow her heartrate.
Ten.
The walls were beige.
Nine.
The light from the streetlamp outside peeked through the curtains.
Eight.
Her closet door was ajar.
Seven.
The towel hanging over the door looked a bit like a person.
Six.
The shag carpet was a darker beige than the walls.
Five.
Her hands trembled.
Four.
The clock on her nightstand read 04:48 AM.
Three.
She was awake an hour earlier than necessary.
Two.
It smelled a bit like paint in her apartment.
One.
The sheets bore the same itchiness that her ones at Prometheus possessed.
Wren sighed and turned her head toward the clock. She could grab coffee or something. Part of her wanted to go by Hank's house. But the memory of her nightmare gave her pause. Great. Prometheus couldn't even let her have a wet dream without interrupting and giving her anxiety. They controlled every aspect of her life, even down to her subconscious. Or, she was letting her fear of them control her. She paused as she pulled on a shirt. Maybe she was letting fear of Prometheus rule her. But she refused to risk Connor's life—or anyone's—just because she was tired of being afraid.
Wren put on a little more makeup than usual, mostly to cover up the dark circles under her eyes. Once ready, she left her apartment. She stopped at a local café for a coffee to go, and then took the subway train to the closest station to the DPD. Even though she walked the rest of the way to take up more time, she still beat the rest of the team to work. Setting her stuff down on the floor, Wren glanced over at the boxes of files from Zlatko's locked inside the conference room. She would have to get a key, as she no longer possessed unrestricted access to the DPD. She was merely their guest, a consultant on a case. Not a member of a team.
She knew better than to snoop. But the hollowness in her chest that ached for Connor tugged her toward his desk. He had decorated since she left. Not much, but more sentimental objects adorned his desk than before. Two framed pictures sat on either side of his terminal. He kept a Christmas card from Tina, which sat propped against the picture frame to the left. Wren chose not to read whatever Tina wrote him and lifted the right framed picture for a closer look. It was a picture of Hank, Connor, and Sumo. Wren had seen this picture before; it was from the Christmas right after the Android Liberation. It was just a few weeks after Connor deviated. He wore a half-smile, looking slightly uncomfortable in the center of attention. Wren's lips twitched as she set the picture down. She wished she had seen Connor pre-deviancy.
Her breath hitched when she looked at the other picture. It was of her, just her. She was grinning with her eyes closed, one hand reached out as if to shield herself from the camera. It was a pretty candid shot, one Wren barely remembered. Tina took the picture after shouting, "You look so cute!"
The elevator dinged with the arrival of someone, so Wren scrambled away from Connor's desk. Tina strolled in, looking tired but chipper with a cup of coffee. She raised her eyebrows. "You're here early."
Wren dipped her head and picked up her own coffee, which was nearly finished. "Yeah. I, uh, woke up before my alarm clock."
"Dang," said Tina, sitting at her desk. "Couldn't sleep?"
Wren sank into her old chair. "Yeah… Nightmare."
Tina's brow puckered. "Wanna talk about it?"
Wren parted her lips, wanting to say yes, but the elevator dinged again. Chris waltzed in, looking his usual happy self.
"Good morning, ladies," he greeted, taking a seat at his desk.
"Good morning," Wren managed a smile.
"Did you get laid?" Tina queried.
Chris gawked at her. "Tina!"
"You're in a better mood than usual."
"You're so vulgar."
"And now you're avoiding the question," said Tina, grinning.
"Just because I'm in a better mood, that means I got laid?" Chris looked at Wren for help, but she shrugged. Chris turned back to Tina. "And I'm avoiding your question because it was a gross violation of my privacy—"
"No need," said Tina, picking up her coffee cup, "your silence is my answer."
Chris sputtered while Wren snickered. She scooped up her empty coffee cup and twirled on her heel to head for the trashcan. Instead, she smacked into a solid body. Connor's body. Wren backed up, chuckling.
"Sorry," she gripped his arm and gave it a squeeze.
Connor raised his eyebrows and gaped before the slightest of smiles tugged at the corners of his mouth. "No problem."
Wren held his gaze for a moment before releasing Connor's arm. She stepped around him and tossed her coffee cup. Connor sat at his desk, and Wren tried to avoid his gaze. As soon as Gavin arrived, Hank opened up the conference room.
"C'mon guys," he said, opening up one of the boxes, "we've got a lot to go through today."
Wren entered the room and opened up a box. She withdrew some of the folders. "We should try a couple of different angles."
"Yeah, Connor and I were talkin' about that in the car," huffed Hank as everyone filed into the room. "We think we should look into clientele, transactions, and… purchases." He wrinkled his nose. Wren caught Connor's gaze and her heart clenched.
"We should look into if Zlatko had a registered android," said Tina. "I don't know if you guys have seen a picture of him, but he couldn't exactly do all this on his own. He's no Superman. Someone had to do the heavy lifting."
Wren nodded. "I'll help you. We can see what happened to the other androids, too."
"Alright, Chris and Gavin, you guys look into the transactions. Where did this guy put his money toward, who gave it to him, did he give a portion of sales to anyone else, that sort of thing." Hank placed his hands on his hips. "Connor and I'll look into clientele."
The team jumped to work, but Wren's mind wandered to Prometheus as she tried to follow the androids' trails through Zlatko's paperwork. They knew about Zlatko's affiliation with Typhon, and they even knew about his secret room. They knew Wren needed to "watch the androids" or whatever the hell that meant. They knew more than they were letting on, but what concerned Wren the most was how they garnered this information. How many allies did Prometheus have and rely on? How many resources and contacts did they have? And more importantly—was this a way Wren could bring them down?
"So far, there are only a few clients who seem to emerge frequently," said Connor. "Viggo Claus, Callum Bailey, and Margret Francis."
"Any of them have records?" asked Chris.
"I'll check." Connor's LED sputtered blue as he scanned their records before shaking his head. "No criminal records. I'll have to conduct a more thorough search to find a connection between them."
Wren returned to following the androids' trail, this time keeping a close eye out for any of the names that Connor mentioned. If those names were frequent buyers, maybe it could lead them to the whereabouts of the androids.
"Hey, look at this," muttered Tina, nudging Wren with her elbow. Wren glanced down at the file. "Zlatko purchased a TR400 android for dirt cheap from Callum Bailey."
Wren frowned. "So, Bailey didn't just buy from Zlatko, he sold to him, too."
"Yeah," said Tina, "and he reset the TR400. But he kept him. Zlatko never sold this android."
"Does he name the android?"
"Yeah," said Tina, lifting up a paper, "here. Luther."
Wren read over the report: Expanding business—deviancy is on the rise, which means so is business. I had Luther spread the word to a deviant. I can raise my prices now that people are more desperate to get rid of deviants, plus the risks are higher for me. Will need to request fund for concealment.
Wren and Tina focused on trying to find out what happened to Luther, but it seemed the android disappeared after Zlatko's death, shortly before the Liberation. Wren stared at the date. November 6, 2038. Markus's peaceful demonstration secured android freedom on November 11, 2038, just a few days after Zlatko's death. Luther disappeared at the height of android deviancy. Had he gone deviant and escaped Zlatko's clutches?
"Connor, when was the first Jericho established?" Wren queried.
"I don't believe there is an exact date," Connor answered, "but if you're referring to when deviancy increased, then I would say around the fifth of November."
"I remember that the first real act that Markus took was breaking into a CyberLife warehouse on the docks, but we never investigated that," said Hank.
"That was November the sixth."
Wren's heart thudded. "Do you think there's any chance that Markus might've known some of the androids from Zlatko's?"
Connor's eyebrows curved upward. "It's entirely possible."
…
Wren leaned against the back wall of the elevator that ascended to the office level of Jericho. Connor stood to her left while Tina leaned against the right wall with folded arms. The knots in Wren's stomach tightened when she stepped off the elevator and fell in step with her companions. She didn't want to treat North, Markus, and Josh with the cold distance she'd been maintaining with her other friends, but she couldn't risk 06 threatening more lives.
Markus greeted them in the hallway. "Hey, guys. Connor said you had some questions for me?"
"Yeah," said Tina. "It's a longshot, but…"
"It could be helpful for our investigation," Connor added.
Markus's brow pinched. His heterochromatic eyes flicked over Wren. His face softened. "Hey, Wren. How are you?"
"I'm well, thank you," Wren said stiffly.
Markus lifted a brow but returned his attention to Connor and Tina. "What can I do for you?"
"We were wondering if you ever came in contact with an android named Luther," said Tina.
"He was a TR400 model," Connor explained.
Markus's eyebrows raised. "Yeah, I remember him. I had another android make passports for an AX400 named Kara. She wanted three passports. One for her, a YK500 named Alice, and a TR400—Luther. They wanted to cross the border and get somewhere safe. I've kept in contact with them somewhat to make sure they settled in well."
"Kara?" Connor demanded.
Wren glanced at him. His brow furrowed and his lips parted.
"Yeah. You knew her?" Markus queried.
"I… Briefly."
Wren stared at Connor until his gaze flicked to hers. His LED whorled yellow before flashing blue, though his frown remained.
"Do you know where they are now? We need to ask Luther some questions about Zlatko," said Tina.
Markus folded his arms. "Josh has their address. But you guys have to be careful. They live in Canada, which doesn't allow androids. They're living under the guise that they're human, so you can't blow their cover."
"We won't do anything to endanger them," Wren promised.
Markus's lips quirked. "I trust you guys. Josh is in his office."
Wren dipped her head and strode to Josh's office, where she knocked on the door.
"Come in!"
Wren pushed open the door. Josh looked up from his terminal and his eyebrows shot up.
"Wren? What're you doing here?" A smile graced his features.
"I'm afraid we're here for business," Wren answered.
"We need Kara and Luther's address," said Tina, glancing at the bookshelves.
A frown shadowed Josh's brow. "They're not in trouble, are they?"
"No," Wren replied. "We need to ask Luther some questions about Zlatko. I would suggest he come here, or do it over the phone, but…"
"They wouldn't let Luther back over the border and phones can be tapped," Josh surmised. "Alright. Connor?"
Connor straightened and shared information with Josh. Connor's eyes fluttered in tandem with his LED. "Thank you."
"No problem. Sorry about all the secrecy."
"You're trying to keep them safe," said Tina. "We should have a game night soon."
Josh beamed. "Yeah, I think we could all use a break from work." His eyes roamed to Wren, who tensed.
"Thank you for your help." She scurried out of the office and headed for the elevator, leaving Tina and Connor to say goodbye.
"Were you just going to come and go without stopping by?"
Wren froze, her finger hovering over the elevator button. She closed her eyes for a moment before turning. "Hey, North."
North crossed her arms and scowled. "Why are you acting so weird?"
"I'm not acting weird."
"Why are you acting like it physically pains you to interact with us?"
Because it does. Wren held North's blazing eyes. "I think it's best if I just focus on the case."
Tina and Connor approached, but Tina held out an arm to stop Connor from moving forward. Her eyes flitted between Wren and North as if she were watching the most intense tennis match of her life.
"So, you're just going to pretend that none of us were friends? You're going to push us away and act like the only thing you care about is Prometheus?" North's lip curled.
Cold washed over Wren. She parted her lips to say she was sorry, to insist that Prometheus wasn't all she cared about, but 06 flashed in her mind and she tightened her jaw. Swallowing her apology, Wren hardened her gaze and smacked the elevator button. "There's no point in acting like everything's gone back to normal because it hasn't. I'm going to go back to Prometheus eventually, and we might as well accept that."
North drew back. "So, you're giving up?"
Wren suppressed a gasp as she backed toward the now-open elevator. "This is bigger than us."
North's brow pinched as Tina and Connor joined Wren on the elevator. Wren held North's gaze until the doors slid shut. The elevator lurched gently as it descended. Tina withdrew her phone and typed a message, avoiding Wren's gaze. Wren's heart clenched and her eyes flicked to Connor. The tightness in her chest sharpened at the look on his face. He hid his distress well, but Wren didn't need to see the color of his LED to pick up on the way his brow twitched and how he parted his lips before pressing them back together. His LED swirled yellow.
Wren looked away. What kind of monster was she, doing this to him?
…
"Canada?" Hank stared at Wren, Connor, and Tina with one eyebrow raised.
Gavin blew out a breath that puffed his cheeks. "Not it."
Chris rubbed the back of his head. "It's not that far of a drive…"
"Maybe Connor and Hank should be the ones to go," suggested Tina as she folded her arms. "I mean, you guys already know Kara."
"Not really," said Hank.
"Prometheus will want me to go, too," said Wren.
"I don't think I can go," said Connor. He avoided Wren's gaze and fiddled with his hands. "There are still laws in Canada prohibiting androids, whether or not I'm a citizen of the U.S. The Liberation still has yet to go international."
Wren folded her arms. "Prometheus might actually be able to help with that. If it's pertinent to our investigation for you to go—which it is—then they have resources and contacts to get you temporary access across the border."
Connor refused to meet her gaze but nodded.
"Okay, so how do we get Prometheus's help?" Tina asked.
"I'll have to get permission to cross the border, too. I'll ask when I do that."
Everyone—including Connor—looked at Wren.
"Wait… You have to go back to them?" Chris demanded.
Wren frowned. "Of course I do."
Hank folded his arms while Connor lowered his gaze back to his hands.
"And… You have a way to contact them?" Hank questioned. His frosty eyes found Wren's and twinkled with concern.
06 flashed in Wren's mind. For once, she hoped he waited for her in her apartment. "Yeah."
"Okay," chirped Hank. "Wren'll go back to Prometheus for her meeting, and… I guess we'll wait. We'll see what else we can find in Zlatko's shit—Connor, the fuck are you doing?"
Connor continued his stride out of the bullpen without a backward glance at Hank or the others.
Wren opened and closed her mouth and glanced at her friends. Then, she followed after Connor, who stormed outside in the Detroit sun.
"Connor!" Wren trotted to catch up to Connor's long strides. She grabbed his arm when he refused to stop. "Hey, what's wrong?"
Connor wheeled to face her. "What do you think?"
Wren let go of his arm. "If you don't want to go to Canada, you don't have to, I just thought Kara and Luther might be more receptive to another android—"
"Drop the act, Wren," Connor snapped. Wren clamped her mouth shut. "We both know this isn't about my going to Canada."
Wren breathed through her nostrils in a controlled manner, but she knew Connor picked up on her accelerated heartrate and her strangled breathing. He knew her stress levels were rising, but he said nothing about them. But Wren refused to speak.
Connor tightened his lips and narrowed his eyes. Wren held his gaze. Connor pushed out a breath, presumably to cool his systems. "You once said that you wanted to tear Prometheus down. But now it seems like you're on their side." His harshness cracked as he bowed his head. "I know they probably told you to keep your distance, but—"
"They did," Wren bit. "And I agreed with them."
Connor's brow puckered. "You did?"
"One day, we're going to solve this case. And when we do, I will return to Prometheus. Maybe we will see each other again, maybe we won't. But… I can't hold onto you anymore. When I was there, I missed you. A lot. I can't do that again. I can't get close to you again. Prometheus isn't all bad, Connor. Atlas Montgomery was. I probably shouldn't tell you this, but I did go on missions while there. I helped take down someone making bioweapons, and saved lives doing it. I'm a Prometheus agent, and—"
"Wren, stop," Connor begged.
"Let me go," Wren breathed. "You'll save yourself a lot of heartbreak." She turned to walk away, but Connor grabbed her wrist. His skin peeled away to interface with her.
Is this just for your cover? Do you still want to take them down?
Wren gazed into his eyes.
Please trust me.
Connor released her wrist. Wren pulled away from him. Connor opened and closed his mouth, and then swallowed. "I do. I always have."
Wren's eyes burned. "I'll see you later, Detective Anderson."
Connor flinched. Wren turned her back on him, her heart cracking.
…
When Wren got home, she found 06 sitting on her couch. She dropped her keys onto the coffee table before plopping in the armchair. "I'm glad you're here."
06 raised a brow. "Right."
"I need to meet with Pauline."
"Director Thomas is a busy woman. I'm sure I can pass along whatever message you have."
Wren hummed. "Yeah, but unfortunately you're not part of this mission, so you're not privy to the information I need to discuss with her."
06 tightened his jaw and nodded slowly. Then, he pushed off from the couch and fished through his pocket for something. He grabbed Wren by the hair and yanked her head to the side, exposing her neck. Without a word, he stuck something sharp into Wren's neck. She assumed it was a needle, and the substance he plunged into her system caused the world to darken the edges of her vision, closing in until there was nothing left.
It was hard to tell if it had been minutes or hours when Wren awakened. However, she knew it'd been hours since she was lying on her bed within the walls of Prometheus. Groaning, she sat up and cracked the joints in her body. She rubbed her neck and looked around her room. It looked exactly the same, except someone had taken her tennis ball. With a sigh, she padded out of her room and down the corridor, blinking away the remaining bleariness in her eyes. Her head and limbs still felt heavier than usual, but she knew the effects would wear off in a few minutes.
Heat itched underneath Wren's skin. She flexed her fingers as she wandered the empty corridor. Where the hell was Pauline? She entered Squadron Two's corridor and entered the cafeteria, where 010, Nina, and Jamie sat eating lunch. Wren softened and joined them. Nina's eyebrows shot up when she noticed Wren.
"What are you doing here?"
"Good to see you, too," Wren grinned, sitting at the table. "010, Jamie."
"Actually, I'm Dex now," said 010.
Wren widened her eyes. "You picked a name?"
Dex shrugged. "Yeah, well… 'Dex' is more efficient to say than 'oh-ten' or 'zero-ten.'"
"He's just being anti-sentimental," said Nina, nudging Dex with her shoulder.
"We're not supposed to be sentimental," muttered Jamie.
Nina stiffened and looked at her plate. "Right."
Wren composed the pucker of her brow before any of the others noticed. She glanced at Dex. "I'm surprised to see you here. You're usually in the gym."
"I gotta eat too, you know."
"For all the time I've been here, I don't think I've ever seen you eat in this cafeteria," Wren laughed.
"What, are you stalking me?" Dex's mouth curved into a smirk. Wren's laughter softened. With a pang, she realized Dex kind of reminded her of Chris.
"How's the case going?" Jamie asked, crunching on a baby carrot.
"Slow going," Wren picked at her artificial nails. "We might have a lead, but no suspects yet."
"I prefer missions," said Dex. "None of the Scooby-Doo shit. Just give me assignment. I go in, I go out."
"I think I'd rather solve a case. They're usually less violent," Wren replied.
Dex smirked. "I didn't say I prefer assassinations."
"Who does?" Nina said quietly.
Everyone lowered their gaze. Wren worked her jaw and then broke the silence. "Have any of you heard of a group called Typhon?"
"We've never really had to deal with them," said Nina, shaking her head. "They mainly attack androids and leave humans alone, so there's no need for Prometheus to get involved."
"We have had to bust one of their Red Ice rings before," said Dex, "but that was a while back. Too many people were overdosing in a single area."
"They're well-funded," said Jamie, "and pretty good at covering their tracks. Good at hiding who's involved for the most part, though I think some people take pride in being involved with them. Otto would know more."
"Otto?" Wren looked at her fellow cyborgs with a furrowed brow.
"08," said Nina. "He picked a name, too."
"Director Thomas is ready to see you now."
Wren twisted in her seat. 06 stood in the doorway, his eyes narrowed at the squad. Wren swung her legs from the bench. "It was good to see you guys."
The walk to the elevator was as heavy as 06's footsteps. He scanned a keycard to summon the elevator. Wren pretended to not be interested in 06's keycard as she stepped onto the elevator with 06. He had a keycard? Did the others? Why was he trusted with one? Did Prometheus trust senior cyborgs? How long had 06 been a cyborg if he was the sixth one? Was Wren never given one because Atlas Montgomery trained her differently, and now she was a "traitor?" Could she earn a keycard?
The elevator's arrival at the office level of Prometheus interrupted Wren's thoughts. 06 led her to Pauline's office and knocked on the door. It slid open, but Pauline remained at her desk. 06 shoved Wren inside.
"Thank you, 06," said Pauline without looking away from her terminal.
06 dipped his head and stepped aside. The door slid shut and Wren approached Pauline's desk.
"01," Pauline greeted, "you weren't expected back for a while."
"I need to request Prometheus's resources," Wren answered, folding her arms.
"And what might those be?"
"Hank, Connor, and I need to cross the border. We have a witness to question, but we need to protect his identity by going to him. Connor needs special access across the border, and since I have no passport…" Wren shrugged.
Pauline frowned. "Who is this witness?"
"Luther," said Wren. "A former android of Zlatko Andronikov, a little-known member of Typhon. But you already knew that."
Pauline's lips quirked. "You followed 06's advice."
"Which came from you, no doubt," Wren replied. She moved away from Pauline's desk to circle the office. She brushed her fingers along the sculpture in the corner of the room. "Why are you so interested in this case? And where are you getting all this information? We never would've found those leads without your direction. How'd you know where to look?"
"Don't concern yourself on where I get my information," replied Pauline. "Just to be clear, you're asking me to protect the identity of three androids living in Canada illegally by allowing you, Detective Anderson, and Lieutenant Anderson across the border."
Wren turned. "Isn't that the point of Prometheus, though? No bureaucratic bullshit? No red tape?"
"The point of Prometheus is to work in the shadows, yes."
"So, the fact that this is mildly illegal isn't a problem; it's your android-phobia."
Pauline's mouth twitched. "Careful, Wren. You're speaking to your superior. Don't make an enemy of me."
Wren lifted her hands in surrender. "Agree to disagree on androids, then."
"I'll get you and the other two access to cross the border."
"Great. You wanna walk me to the elevator? I love our chats."
"You are not dismissed, 01." Pauline stood and straightened her white blazer.
Wren's bravado faltered. "Is there something else?"
Pauline walked around her desk and gestured to the two armchairs in the center of the room. "Have a seat."
Wren treaded to armchair carefully, as if she might step on a landmine. Pauline's heels clicked against the floor like the secondhand of a clock. Wren's eyes followed Pauline's deliberate steps to the armchair.
"I'm impressed with the distance you've managed to maintain with your friends in Detroit." Pauline's voice was as crisp as her skirt. She sat down, her knees together and ankles crossed.
"Well, with 06 constantly threatening me, I've been inspired to follow your rules."
Pauline smirked. "As I knew you would be."
Wren narrowed her eyes a fraction. Everything about Pauline was sharp and deliberate. The older woman tried to feign a casual air, but Wren saw through the façade. Still, Wren waited for Pauline to speak first. Innocent until proven guilty, and one wrong word within the confines of Prometheus could have Wren locked up forever.
"You told 09 that you broke your rib on purpose."
Ice trickled down Wren's back and settled into the pit of her stomach, but she kept herself expressionless. "I don't recall doing that."
"I've seen the security footage, 01."
Fuck. Wren forced her bravado into a cheeky grin. "You're watching security footage? What, you don't have enough to do around here?"
"Answer me."
Fuck, fuck, fuckity-fuck! Wren lowered her gaze and allowed some of her anxiety to bleed through her expression. She picked at her nails and focused on her hands. "I didn't think anybody would find out."
"We always have eyes and ears on you. So why did you do it?"
"You guys keep weapons from us—knives, forks, my goddamn shoelaces—so, I…" Wren drew in a deep breath. "I had to be creative about hurting myself." Wren forced herself to stare at her hands with a pinched brow. Abrupt movement from Pauline suggested that she had not expected this answer.
"You… This was an act of self-harm?"
"It's not like you guys have me in therapy," Wren muttered.
"I didn't realize you had reached this state."
Wren bit her lip and glanced at Pauline before fluttering her gaze away. "I mean, it was just the one time…"
"Do you have any idea what triggered this?"
Wren hugged her middle as she avoided Pauline's icy stare. "My mission in Detroit, when I took the evidence from the DPD. I… It didn't feel right to do that to them. I hadn't seen them in so long…" Wren squeezed her eyes shut. She wished she could cry on command, but the tears might overdo it anyway.
"Will this case escalate these feelings?"
Wren's stomach churned. What if Pauline took her off the case and locked her up in therapy? She rubbed her arms and met Pauline's gaze. "I don't think so… I haven't felt the need to in a while."
Pauline narrowed her eyes. Please believe me, please believe me, please believe me… With a short intake of breath, Pauline dipped her head. "I'll make a note for 06 to keep an eye on your mental health for the time being."
Wren rubbed her palms against her thighs. "Is that all?"
"If you need a morale boost, I can always remind you what we're fighting for: The fate of humanity depends on Prometheus to succeed. Don't put others that are not your kind above that."
Wren smiled dryly. "Well, technically speaking, I'm not entirely human anymore, am I?"
"You're human," said Pauline sharply. "You just have a few extra bits and pieces. Be sure not to forget that. You are dismissed."
Wren left Pauline's office to find 06 waiting for her in the hall. He led her to the elevator, scanned his keycard, and the two of them rode down to their level. 06 parted ways with her immediately, and Wren wasn't sorry to see him go. She trekked back to her room, tension uncoiling in her muscles with each step. She needed to exercise more caution about her snooping if she wanted to get out of Prometheus alive.
When Wren reached her room, she found Nina waiting for her outside the door. Nina's eyes were round and bright. She jerked to attention when she noticed Wren. Without a word, Nina grabbed Wren's wrist, her synthetic skin rippling away. Wren mimicked the action and interfaced with Nina.
I don't know who else to talk to…
Wren swallowed. We can't talk.
That's why I'm doing this.
What's wrong?
I broke my programming. I deviated.
Wren sucked in a sharp breath, but she forced herself to maintain her composure for the eyes of Prometheus. I'd congratulate you, but…
I know, I know! Wren, I'm really scared. I think 06 is starting to suspect.
Has anyone else deviated?
I don't know. What do I do?
Wren shifted so that Nina's head would block her face from the camera. Do what they trained us to do: Hide behind your mask. They can't detect deviants easily. You're going to have to work harder to control your emotions. Stay strong. I'll find a way out of this.
A thin film of tears covered Nina's eyes. A way out?
Wren's chest tightened. Could she trust Nina? You'll be okay.
Nina's brow pinched, but she nodded. Wren pulled her hand from Nina's grasp. "I'll see you around, okay?"
"Okay," Nina croaked.
Wren slipped inside her room and pressed her back against the wall, breathing heavily. Nina was a deviant. Part of her wanted to feel happy, but she knew the danger Nina was in. Wren barely managed to keep herself from the jaws of Prometheus, let alone protect Nina. A lump swelled in Wren's throat. Was this her fault? By encouraging the squad to pick names, did she spark a sense of individualism that had long since been buried? Was the cost of deviancy too high for the cyborgs?
Wren laid on her bed and covered her mouth to stifle a sob. Her entire body ached down to her bones with a heaviness that pinned her to the bed. She wanted to help Nina, Jamie, Dex, Otto, and even 06, if she could. She wanted to tear Prometheus down, brick by brick, and watch as it burned. A scream built in the back of her throat, but she swallowed, just like she swallowed everything else.
Most of all, she just wanted to go home. She missed her friends, her family… She missed Connor. She missed their easy chemistry, their late-night chats, their movie nights, sharing music, dancing in the kitchen… She'd give anything to go back. Fuck, she would give anything to even go back to Connor talking her through an anxiety attack on the roof of the DPD.
It would be easy to tell Rhett that she wanted out. Get her out, let the CIA deal with Prometheus. But would they? Did Prometheus have contacts in the CIA? Would they save Nina and the others in time? Could Wren turn her back on them, no matter how much she wanted to go home?
Wren's eyes were sore from crying as she wiped away her tears. She rolled over and clutched her pillow, begging for sleep to numb her for a few hours.
…
When Wren woke up, she was on her couch in her apartment. She jerked upright, panting slightly. Her head spun and she pressed the ball of her palm to her head. "What the fuck…"
"It's actually easier to dose you when you're asleep."
Wren jumped and narrowed her eyes at 06. "Dosing me this much can't be good for me."
06 shrugged. "I don't really care what's good for you."
Clutching the edge of the couch cushions, Wren glared at 06. "Did you bring the stuff I need?"
"It's on the kitchen table."
"Then what are you still doing here?"
06 smirked softly. He crouched in front of her and tilted his head as he scrutinized her. "I saw the RK800 interface with you. What did he want?"
Wren swallowed. "That's none of your business."
06's smirk stretched. His hand flashed to Wren's face, gripping her jaw so tight that it hurt. "It is my business. Anything about you is now my business. Want to know why?"
"Because you do whatever Pauline tells you to do," Wren spat.
06 squeezed harder. A whimper clawed its way past Wren's lips. 06 merely sneered. "Because you've gotten your filthy little deviant hands all over my squad. And now Prometheus is investigating my squad for deviancy because of you. You're a fucking traitor. When I get proof, I'm going to burn Connor alive right in front of you." He slammed Wren's head back and then released her before whisking out of her apartment. Wren rubbed her jaw, which now throbbed and already started to swell. She buried her head between her knees. 06 seemed to be deviating from Prometheus's wishes—just not the way she hoped.
…
Dang. Big chapter for you guys! I hope you all enjoyed it. Thank you all so much for supporting this story by leaving feedback or bookmarking it! Things are getting a little more dangerous for Wren and the other cyborgs, and Connor's losing patience… Coming soon, we'll see Wren's conditioning, Luther, and Kara! (Heads up: I plan for the conditioning to be graphic, so if that stuff bothers you, you'll want to skip down the chapter or something).
Please leave some feedback, and I hope everyone has a wonderful day/night!