Chapter Twenty

Trigger Warning: Violence, anti-android slurs and hate, sexual situations, anxiety, etc. The usual.

Nicolette headed for the dining room, holding her head high and swaying her hips while she walked. Connor remained in her room, informing Rhett that they had settled in and successfully infiltrated Axel's estate. Axel himself stood in Nicolette's path.

"Miss Black," he greeted, offering his elbow to her. Nicolette looped her arm through his.

"Do you treat all your recruits like this?"

"Oh no," said Axel, grinning. "I need to ask you something before we begin everything."

"Oh?"

Axel stopped and faced Nicolette, blocking her entrance to the dining room. Nicolette gazed up at him, her eyebrows raised. "Why do you have an android?"

Nicolette smiled bashfully. "You really want to know a lady's private business?"

Axel returned Nicolette's smile, though it was considerably colder. "It affects your probability of being accepted into Typhon, so yes."

Nicolette pursed her lips for a moment. "Fine. I've got it because it's the best sex toy I've ever had. Better than any vibrator. It's better than any boyfriend because it doesn't get jealous, isn't clingy or needy, and I don't have to do shit for it. Only downside is that it doesn't help me make money. All my meals are on me."

Axel smirked. He stepped aside and offered his arm to Nicolette once more. "You're a cold woman, Miss Black."

"Call me Nicolette," Nicolette purred. She tilted her head to look up at Axel. "And I'm only cold when it comes to those things." She wrinkled her nose at an android who passed by them. "I'm multifaceted."

Axel chuckled. "As I'm sure I'll come to find out."

Nicolette took a seat beside Axel, who sat at the head of the table. Two androids served them food and wine. Wren tried not to look at them. Her heart panged every time she saw the blank looks on their glossy grey-and-white faces.

Axel lifted a glass of bloodred wine. Everyone stilled and directed their attention toward him. "Tonight, I want you all to introduce yourselves. Tonight is a night where we get to know one another before the real work begins. Go around and say your name and occupation, as well as who nominated you. Ladies first."

Nicolette shifted, pleased to have everyone's eyes upon her. Inwardly, Wren rolled her eyes. Icebreakers? "I'm Nicolette Black. I'm an art curator and liaison. Chelsea Harding and Dylan Jonz nominated me."

The others went around and introduced themselves. Jerry the grocer nominated by Walter Coldwell, Adler the electrical engineer nominated by Flynn Morton, Ellis the lawyer nominated by Perry Sullivan, Argo the Red Ice dealer nominated by Dylan Jonz, Shaw the CyberLife guard nominated by Chelsea Harding, and Grant the musician nominated by Chelsea Harding. Wren committed their names to memory. The most likely candidate to be the killer was Adler the electrical engineer, but Wren doubted that he was the killer.

Axel held up his glass again. "We are going to make history and take America back from the machines. They think they're gods but no—humans are the Titans and we will destroy Olympus if we must. A new world shall be reborn from the ashes. You're on the right side of history, my friends."

Axel's words froze Wren's bones. Would Typhon really try to destroy the world? She doubted they could accomplish something like that, but they could definitely deal quite a bit of damage to Detroit. How many lives were in danger because of this madman?

After dinner, Wren returned to her room, where Connor squatted, updating Rhett on their situation. Not wanting to repeat everything she just heard, Wren chose to interface with Connor instead. His brow furrowed when Wren merely took his hand in hers, their synthetic skin melting away to forge their palms together. The worry lines of Connor's forehead sharpened as he witnessed Wren's memories of dinner, and of the speech that Axel made. As soon as the Wren relayed the memory to Connor, she slipped her hand from his and hurried to the bathroom. She gripped the edge of the counter and peered at herself in the mirror. She barely recognized herself.

Would she be the same when this was all done? What about the other cyborgs? Were they okay? How was she supposed to take down Prometheus when she was here, playing the part of the enemy? How many roles did she have to play?

…

The next several days passed by in a haze. Wren attended "classes" as if she were at some bizarre, perverted school. She listened to Axel teach Typhon's philosophies, about America was no longer safe, and how machines were the bane of every humans' existence. One day, Axel shared his story.

"I was at a rally protesting androids because they keep taking our jobs," Axel leaned against the arm of the leather sofa. "A couple of them cornered me after the rally. They beat me to a pulp and left me for dead in the alley. Someone found me and got me to a hospital, but I would've died because those androids didn't like a human voicing their opinion."

As he spoke, Wren placed a listening bug under the edge of a table casually. She made it look as if she were gripping the edge of the table to support herself because Axel's story affected her. She shook her head in feigned disgust.

"A little fear of the other is a good thing," Axel continued, pushing off the armrest to pace in front of his apt listeners. "We need to inspire a little fear in people of androids. Some are sympathetic to their cause, but we need to show them they have reason to fear androids. If we aren't on top, then we're at the bottom. We need to eradicate androids from society!"

Argo and Grant nodded while Adler and Ellis clapped. Nicolette dipped her head to Axel when she caught his eye.

"But sir," said Shaw, "if you want to eradicate them, why do you have them?"

The air in the room crackled with tension. Everyone but Nicolette eyed Shaw with a mixture of panic and irritation. Nicolette merely peered at him with a lazy lift of her eyebrows, mildly impressed by Shaw's balls to speak up. It seemed that not everyone was a glassy-eyed mouth-breather who accepted everything Axel said.

Axel's smile did not quite reach his eyes. If anyone was on his shit list, it was Shaw. "I have androids around to remind them who their master is."

Wren's stomach knotted. The urge to take a shower and wash away Axel's words overwhelmed her, but she merely shifted her weight from one hip to another, as if she were bored. Axel dismissed them shortly, and the newcomers shunned Shaw for questioning him. However, Nicolette merely regarded him indifferently. She returned to her room and locked the door behind her. Connor stood as soon as she entered.

"Are you alright?"

Wren pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yeah. Just… compartmentalizing."

Connor's LED flickered. "You mean disassociating."

"Whatever gets me through this hellhole."

Connor crossed his arms. "Rhett wants us to place more bugs."

Wren sighed and slipped out of her heels. "I've already placed four."

"I know, but we've been here for two weeks now and have yet to hear anything about this killer."

"I don't think the killer's part of Typhon," Wren muttered. She slipped her shirt off and Connor looked away quickly. Wren's heart warmed slightly. He was so sweet.

"Even if they aren't, we still haven't found much on Typhon that's necessarily illegal and enough to bust them."

Wren dropped her pants and slipped into pajamas. Connor refused to look at her until she was fully dressed. Sinking onto the edge of the bed, Wren placed her hands on her knees. "Okay, I'll try."

"I could do it," said Connor. "I barely leave the room. When I do, no one notices me."

"Yeah, but you hate walking around skinless."

Connor's lips pulled downward. "Yes, but I was prepared to take on this persona to catch this killer and bring Typhon down."

Wren dragged her teeth across her lip. "I don't know…"

"Do you trust me?"

Wren's eyes snapped to his and a scowl scrunched her features. "Of course I do."

"Then let me do my part."

Wren softened, hearing the edge in Connor's voice. She stood and crossed over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Immediately, he enveloped her in a hug. His chin rested atop her head. Wren let her eyes fall shut. For a moment, they weren't in Axel Brewer's estate pretending to be anti-android radicals. For a moment, there was no Typhon at all. Even Prometheus faded from Wren's mind. In Connor's arms, she wasn't an assassin, or even a cyborg trying to figure out how to bring down an underground crime syndicate and a terrorist group. In Connor's arms, she was just Wren. She hoped he felt in a similar way in her arms.

Tilting her head back to look at him, Wren allowed herself to really look at him. Her eyes zigzagged to each freckle. A slight shadow darkened his undereye area. Even androids got tired from emotional exhaustion. "Just be careful, okay? I don't wanna lose you."

Connor's frown softened. "You won't."

…

The next day, Axel announced that the recruits were going on a field trip. Wren and the other recruits piled into a van, which one of Axel's guards drove. Wren couldn't help but notice the gun on the man's hip. The message was clear: if anyone tried to run, they'd be dead. Not that Wren would. Connor was still at the estate, as much as Wren hated to leave him behind. She didn't like the separation, but she knew how to handle herself, and Connor knew how to take care of himself. But after spending several weeks just together—even if they hadn't been quite themselves—had settled Wren into a routine of expecting Connor. She reveled in his presence, even though she knew she was being distant from him. She knew how it tore him apart—it ripped her heart to shreds to keep Connor at arm's length—but she didn't want Prometheus to hurt him or lock her away before they could figure out how to save her and the other cyborgs. She needed to stay on Prometheus's good side just enough to have an advantage, and unfortunately, that meant hurting Connor.

Though, Wren mused with a slight twitch of her lips, cuddling every night didn't seem to be too much of a problem. A kiss or two might not hurt, either. Well, it hurt whenever 06 was involved. But Wren would gladly take a punch to the face if it meant she could kiss Connor.

The van arrived at a soup kitchen, and Wren and the recruits followed Axel inside the building to the kitchen. Axel smiled broadly and extended his arms. "Grab a hairnet, some gloves, and an apron. We're feeding the homeless."

"Seriously?" said Grant.

Axel's smile faltered. "Yes."

"What does this have to do with anything?" grumbled Argo.

Nicolette tied her hair into a bun and placed a hairnet over it. "We've got humans in our best interest, right? These people are homeless because of androids and we owe them all the support we can give."

Axel beamed. "Gentlemen, you should take notes after her. Get to work."

Wren spent hours spooning soup into bowls and passing the tray to Grant, who placed a slice of bread on the plate, and then Argo placed a drink in the top left corner of the tray. Shaw was in charge of the silverware, while Ellis sliced the bread. Axel went around the tables in the dining area, networking with the homeless. Wren watched him through the serving window. Axel was certainly charismatic. He patted people on the back, sat with them at their tables, laughed at their jokes, shared stories, and genuinely brightened peoples' days. Wren's skin crawled at the sight.

Her heart ached for the homeless, but seeing Axel, this monster of a man, interact with them… It unnerved her. He was a domestic terrorist with radical views toward androids. The worst part about working undercover within Typhon was that Wren understood where the fear of androids came from. The people in the dining area were hungry because they were jobless. The reality was that the job market was strained and limited, and androids certainly did not help with that. Of course, Typhon was awful, but Wren understood where the hatred originated. Hatred so often came from fear, and it was a fear of inadequacy, a fear of being replaced by something or someone better, a fear of not being able to provide for one's family, that sparked hatred for androids. As much as it tormented her, Wren knew where it came from.

Some part of her felt dirty for understanding Typhon. Pauline would've told her that it meant that Wren was merely fully immersed in her undercover persona. But Wren still felt gross for understanding Nicolette, and to an extent, Axel. She hated Nicolette. She hated Axel. She hated Typhon, and she especially hated Prometheus. Wren's mouth twisted. And she feared them, too.

…

Two more weeks passed with Wren and the other recruits attending charity events where they volunteered to feed, clothe, and comfort the homeless. It broke Wren's heart to see so many still affected by the shitty job market. Markus, North, and Josh focused on android rights, which Wren understood, but they couldn't deny the number of people affected. Wren handed a care package to a woman about her age. The woman looked horrible. She was too skinny, her dirty hair hung about her face in greasy strings, dark circles shadowed her undereye area, and her teeth appeared yellowed and decayed. This woman looked like she was rotting alive. Wren tensed as she recognized the stench of Red Ice smoke clinging to the woman's skin and clothes. But Wren's heart merely hurt for the woman. Could Wren have ended up like her?

Typhon disguised itself as a charity, but Wren knew they were capable of horrific evils. Yet, in her time working undercover for them, Wren had not witnessed Axel Brewer commit any real crimes. Sure, Dylan Jonz's club was insanely illegal, but Brewer could easily write off that they had no affiliation. There was no solid proof that the two worked together. But what about the reset androids in Brewer's estate? Could that be enough?

When Wren returned to her room, she found Connor cycling through the recordings from the bugs they placed throughout the house. As soon as Wren entered, he paused the recordings and looked at her expectantly.

"Are there any laws prohibiting the resetting of androids?" Wren asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Connor's brow puckered. His LED flickered as he researched Wren's question. "No. There is a law prohibiting the unjust and unwilling work of androids, but there's nothing against resetting them."

"Loophole," Wren muttered.

Connor folded his arms. "It's not enslavement if they don't know they're alive and supposed to be free."

"We need to tell Markus and North about that as soon as we get out of here."

"Agreed." Silence lapsed between them. Connor peered at Wren under a furrowed brow. "Are you alright?"

Wren hugged herself. "I'm not sure."

Connor moved closer and sat beside her on the bed. "Talk to me."

Wren refused to look at him, focusing on the elaborate rug. "I feel like I've been Nicolette too long."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm starting to understand where this fear of androids comes from," Wren's voice cracked. She looked at Connor, tears welling in her eyes. "I don't mean I empathize with these people or agree with their philosophies, but I've seen the people affected by the job market, Connor. People who are hungry and cold because they don't have a job. There are children without homes. I-I saw a girl today who was my age. She was a Red Ice addict. That could've been me. And those kids… God, every time I see a child in those homeless shelters, I have to take a moment in the bathroom to cry."

Connor intertwined his fingers with Wren's. "Just because you're an ally to androids doesn't mean you have to forget the struggles of humanity. Wren, you are nothing like Typhon or Nicolette. You care about humans without being afraid of androids or blaming them. You care for both sides so much. It's one of the things I love about you."

Wren rested her head on Connor's shoulder. Tears slipped past her lashes. Her nose wrinkled with disgust for herself. "But to understand Typhon—"

"It just means that you are incredibly empathetic, Wren," Connor insisted. "You can empathize with your enemy and understand them. You take the time to understand your enemy because you don't take the loss of life lightly. Even people who commit atrocities, even people who hurt you, you take the time to at least understand them." Connor moved out from under Wren's head and knelt before her on the floor, taking both hands in his. "It's easy to hate an enemy and hurt someone that you don't see as alive with feelings and motivations. It's easy to kill someone who you don't see as a person. But you try to see the reasons so that you can prevent atrocities in the future."

Wren smiled sadly. "Connor, I'm just one person. I don't know if those are my motivations."

"I do," Connor persisted. "You may not think them on the surface, but you've shared your memories with me. I've felt how you've felt in situations. Even when 06 attacks you, you don't hate him. Even when Jonah said those awful things to you and hurt you, you never hated him. You don't even hate Prometheus."

Wren shook her head. "You're wrong. I do hate them. I hate what they've turned me into, I hate how they took everything from me. I hate how they keep trying to take everything I care about from me." Her voice burned and dripped with acid. Her blood simmered underneath her skin. Her fingers itched to tear something apart, to destroy something. Her fingers wanted to dig into the very bricks of Prometheus and wrench them out, to send the whole building crumbling into dust.

"Relax your jaw," Connor advised gently. Wren didn't even realize she clenched her teeth. She relaxed her jaw, her mouth throbbing from the sudden release of tension. Connor continued to gaze up at her with his soft, tender eyes. "You're angry, and you're scared. Prometheus is an establishment, and it's okay to hate it. But you don't hate the people inside it, do you?"

Jamie, Dex, Otto, and Nina popped into Wren's mind. She thought of the cyborgs who tried to kill her last year, the one's who should've been on her squad. She thought of 06, and the barely-concealed anger and hatred he bore for Wren. She thought of Juno, the android she loved once, the android who was supposed to manipulate her but ended up harboring feelings for Wren, too. She even thought of Pauline, who was so desperate to protect humanity because deep down, that woman feared androids and failure. Sure, Wren was angry with those people. Sure, she was terrified of some of them. And sure, she might kill some of them to protect her loved ones. But she couldn't say she truly hated any of them. Maybe Pauline, but even then, Wren still tried to understand where Pauline came from.

Slumping her shoulders, Wren shook her head. "I guess not."

"Even if you did hate them, you still try to understand them, and that's admirable, Wren."

Wren grimaced. "Not everything I've done is something to be proud of."

"Well, I'm proud of you." Connor stood and kissed Wren's forehead.

A knock sounded at the door. Connor and Wren jumped apart, and Connor removed his skin while Wren answered the door. An android stood at the threshold, smiling vacantly, her head slightly tilted to one side. Wren's stomach churned. Even without her skin, Wren recognized the same android model as Kara.

"Mr. Brewer would like you to prepare to attend your first meeting with other Typhon members. Dress in cocktail party appropriate attire."

"When is it?" Wren asked.

"Tonight at seven o'clock. You have three hours and thirty-seven minutes to prepare. Have a pleasant afternoon." The android walked away as Wren slid the door shut. She locked it and faced Connor, whose skin already began rippling back over his plastic skeleton.

Wren stared at him, wide-eyed. "Holy shit."

…

When Wren stepped into the living room, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Normally, she would not wear such bright colors like hot pink. But Nicolette liked attention, and this short, hot pink dress with a plunging neckline suited her well. Nicolette sashayed her blonde hair past her shoulder and straightened her posture. The other recruits waited. Grant and Argo paced, Ellis bounced his knee while seated on the sofa, Shaw looked like a statue by the hearth, Jerry chewed on his fingernails, and Adler stared at his hands. Wren felt their anxiety, but Nicolette was not bothered. Wren feigned Nicolette's excitement behind an air of disinterest.

"Where are they?" demanded Adler, pushing up from the sofa.

Nicolette twirled on her heel after examining her lipstick in the mirror. "Would you stop your worrying? Axel will come get us when everything's ready."

"It's seven fifteen," snapped Adler, getting close to Nicolette. "We should've started the meeting, or at least seen people arrive."

Nicolette shrugged and leaned against a decorative table. "I'm sure Axel will have a good explanation."

"Mr. Brewer didn't even tell us which room to meet in."

"Should we go look?" asked Jerry.

"What about that android? Maybe we could get it to tell us," said Nicolette.

"You are very fond of androids, Miss Black." A sneer curled Adler's mouth. He stepped closer to Nicolette, who peered up at him with raised eyebrows.

"Fond of androids?" Nicolette snorted. "What makes you say that?"

"You rely on androids more than any of us," Adler inched closer, so that his minted breath washed over Nicolette's face. "You want to send for that android, and you brought one fucking with you."

Nicolette stood taller, unafraid of this weasel. "We made them to be used, to serve us, right? I'm just reverting them back to their natural state. Axel has androids around, and that doesn't seem to bother you. But when a woman does it, you're suddenly against it?"

"It has nothing to do with what's between your legs, bitch," spat Adler. "Although you're the only one who calls him Axel. You fucking him? We all know you don't deserve to be here. You just fucked your way to the top, didn't you?"

"If I did, it's none of your business, you fucking neckbeard," Nicolette gritted out.

"You goddamn whore—"

"Alright, alright, that's enough," snapped Shaw, pulling Adler away.

Nicolette crossed her arms, glaring at Adler. He narrowed his eyes at her, his chest heaving with his breaths. Footsteps sounded outside the room, and Wren recognized the click of Axel's dress shoes. He entered the parlor.

"Everyone's waiting," he greeted. "Come with me."

Nicolette shared a glance with Shaw before following Axel. He led them to the elevator and pressed sublevel two. The elevator lurched into its descent. Adler leaned against the wall, his arms folded.

"We didn't see anyone show up," Adler grumbled.

"That's because they didn't come through the front," Axel replied.

"Why didn't you tell us to meet downstairs?" queried Ellis.

"Because there are things seasoned members of Typhon wish to discuss that mere recruits aren't privy to," replied Axel coolly. The elevator halted, and the doors slid open. Sublevel two consisted of one vast room. It looked as if it were used to host events, like formal dances. The first three quarters of the room were empty, but at the front, where a pulpit sat, were rows of chairs. Sitting in them were members of Typhon. Wren swallowed the lump in her throat as Axel led them to the front. He gestured for the recruits to sit in the very front row. Wren estimated that about twenty-five people sat in the room. Some faces she recognized, like known senators. Chelsea Harding and Dylan Jonz sat toward the back.

"Welcome," Axel greeted, standing at the pulpit, "to the Detroit chapter of Typhon. Elder members, please welcome our new recruits."

Applause echoed throughout the room. Wren acted as if she were adjusting the red sash across her waist. She withdrew a listening bug. It would help to have someone listening in on this. She activated it and held it tightly in her hand. She couldn't place it underneath her seat without being noticed, so she just continued to hold it out of sight.

"It has come to my attention that many of you are dissatisfied with Typhon's progress as of late," said Axel. "Why is that?"

"If I may," said Senator Charlotte Holt, "we have not attended any rallies or made our voices heard. People know of HSC's growing popularity, but no one knows that Typhon is working to save humanity. We're losing momentum."

"It doesn't help that those things' leader is gaining political favor," spat Walter Coldwell.

"And that fuckin' serial killer is ruining business," added Jonz. "The pigs are crawling all over Detroit with extra security."

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd. Wren's stomach twisted.

"Any suggestions?" Axel sounded tired.

"We could at least do a march," said Charlotte Holt.

"Senators can't get involved yet," snapped Senator Jordan Radcliffe. "We've gotta lay low."

"There are people who would take our side if they knew we existed," said Charlotte. "But no one knows of Typhon—"

"The public isn't ready to know of us yet," said Axel. "If we exposed what we've done, the public would label us as enemies. The android leader Markus has gained too much popularity."

"Because we've let it get too far!"

The corners of Axel's mouth twisted and his eyes narrowed. "That killer has blamed Typhon for the crimes. Not many know of Typhon's existence. Someone has a grudge against us, and they want us to take the fall for their crimes. They know our symbol. They know we exist. If they expose us, we won't defeat the androids."

Wren's stomach plummeted. That was it. The lead they needed. The killer had nothing to do with Typhon. All of her and Connor's work—nearly three months of strategic planning and pretending to be the enemy—wasted. All of this time, they could've been looking for the real killer. They could've been working on a plan to stop Prometheus. Wren clenched her teeth to keep herself from trembling.

"So, we continue to hide behind HSC?" Charlotte queried, leaning back in her chair.

"Unless you want everything we've worked for to be wasted, yes," said Axel.

"But how can we disrupt Markus's political favor? The more he gains popularity, the more humans suffer."

"I happen to know," Axel raised his voice over the discontented voices, "that the androids are planning to march in favor of android-human relationships."

"Disgusting," muttered Adler.

"The HSC can attend and march against them, to show our support for humans only. No violence, just marching to make our voices heard. We will send the recruits to march, along with anyone willing to go. I suggest that those of us who are more known to the public stay out of this."

When it was decided, the meeting dispersed. Wren placed the listening bug back in her sash and mingled with Chelsea and Dylan before they left for a party. But Wren was shaking. The killer wasn't part of Typhon, and they had yet to gather any evidence of Typhon doing something tremendously horrible. Nothing that garnered a bust on behalf of SWAT.

Once enough people left, Wren headed to her room with Connor, still trembling. She reached inside and leaned against the locked door, her stomach knotting. Connor stood, his brow crinkling.

"Wren? Is everything alright? What happened?"

Wren gazed up at him before placing the bug in his hand. His LED flickered as Wren moved past him, kicking off her heels. "This is pointless. This whole mission is pointless."

Connor set the bug on the T.V. stand. "Why? What happened?"

Wren placed her hands on her hips. "Axel said it. The killer isn't associated with Typhon. Now we're stuck here, doing nothing."

Connor stared at the bug for a long time, his LED swirling yellow before it flicked back to blue. He shook his head. "It's not pointless. We're making progress in taking down a massive crime syndicate—"

"No, we're not!" Wren hissed. "Connor, we have found jack shit in the past few weeks here. The only thing we've found is Dylan Jonz's club and a few Red Ice dealers. We've placed bugs all around this place, and we still haven't found anything worth a damn. Meanwhile, that killer's still on the loose, and we've left the DPD with nothing."

Connor pursed his lips for a moment. "Maybe you're right. Maybe we should be focused on the killer, not Typhon."

"I don't know what the right thing to do is," said Wren. She sank onto the bed. Tears welled in her eyes. "I don't know if I'm just ready to go home, or… If I really think there's nothing worth investigating here."

"I've tried going to the other levels, but the androids aren't allowed free access throughout the estate," said Connor. "The basement is off-limits."

Wren wrinkled her brow. "Maybe he's hiding something down there."

"Maybe. On our next check-in with Rhett, we'll inform him of everything. Wren, look at me." Wren looked at Connor, tears already slipping down her cheeks. Connor thumbed them away. "Everything is going to be alright. I promise."

Wren's lips twitched. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

…

Wren carried a poster that read: ROBOPHILIA IS AN ABOMINATION. She felt dirty for carrying it, as if her action was a direct betrayal of Connor. She was glad he had not seen the poster, though she knew he eventually would when he saw her memories or saw the march on the news. Some of the members of Typhon chanted, "SAY NO TO ROBOPHILIA!"

Nicolette joined in the chanting as they stood on the sidelines of the android march. Enough minor members of Typhon showed to surround the rally. Some people protesting the androids were not even part of Typhon. A preacher had a voice amplifier and preached, "God hates these devils! He is angry that we've played god; we've insulted his good and holy name! Say no to this abomination!"

Some androids and supporters of them shouted insults at the HSC. A blue-haired android carried a poster that read: THE HSC IS TERRORISM. Grant threw a beer bottle at her. It shattered at her feet, barely missing her. Her short-haired partner flipped him off. "Fuck you, bitches!" Grant roared.

"Go blow your dad, asshole!" sneered the blue-haired android.

Grant stepped forward. "You shut the fuck up!"

"Don't fucking touch me!" yelled the blue-haired android.

Grant grinned. "Oh, I recognize your model. You're a fucking Traci. Why don't you ride my cock like a good little robot bitch?" He thrusted his pelvis toward the blue-haired Traci.

"Get off her!" shrieked the other Traci. She shoved Grant back. He punched the short-haired Traci.

"Ripple!" cried the blue-haired Traci, dropping beside her girlfriend. Typhon members and android supporters surged toward one another, throwing punches and shoves. Wren got shoved aside by another member of Typhon rushing to attack an android. She rushed forward and grabbed his wrist. Her cyborg strength kept the man from throwing a punch.

"No! Axel said no violence!"

The man pushed her. "Fucking sympathizer!" He spat in Wren's face. She smeared his disgusting saliva off her face and wiped it on her pants.

Wren rushed to Shaw and Ellis. "We should get out of here!"

"What about Gant?" Jerry demanded, joining them.

"Fuck him, he started it!"

"What, you feel bad for these things or somethin'?" Ellis's lip curled as he peered down at her.

"Fuck you!" Wren snapped. "I actually want to be inducted, and that means following Axel's orders!"

The others shared a look. Shaw nodded. "Fine. Let's grab Grant."

"I'll find Adler," Wren promised. "Who's got Argo?"

"I do," muttered Jerry.

"Meet at the van," Wren shouted, pushing her way into the crowd. It would be impossible to find Adler in this.

"Stop! We shouldn't resort to fighting!"

Wren froze. She recognized that voice. She pushed her way past fighting people until she burst into a clearing of people. The blue-haired Traci faced off with Adler, but Josh stood between them.

"Echo, come on, let's just go!" Josh pleaded, turning his attention away from Adler to look at the android.

Echo's eyes widened. "Josh!"

Wren saw the knife before Josh did. She surged forward as Adler slashed downward. She rammed all of her bodyweight into Josh. Adler's knife nicked her shoulder blade.

"Fuck off, you skinjob!" Wren snarled. Josh recovered quickly, blinking away his surprise. Wren met Josh's gaze. They stared at each other for a split second before Wren grabbed Adler. "What the fuck are you thinking? Axel said no violence!"

"Don't touch me, bitch!" Adler jerked from Wren's grasp, but the two hurried to the van, where the others waited.

Wren turned to Grant. "You fucking idiot. If you've ruined everything for us, I'll kill you."

"At least he's got the right idea," said Adler. "These things need to be reminded that we're the masters."

"They need to be exterminated," muttered Grant.

"And you're standing up for them! I saw you rescue two different androids!" Adler rounded on Wren.

"I was covering Typhon's ass, you fucking moron. I know you like to walk around with your head so far up your ass that you can taste your own ball sack, but please, try to use one brain cell here! Were you at the meeting last night or not? Did you listen to Axel?"

"Nicolette's right," said Shaw. "We're trying to cover Typhon, and you two acted like complete fucking idiots today."

"I hope he kicks you to the curb. We're trying to make real progress. Typhon has no room for people like you." Nicolette stepped into the van. The others followed, and a tense silence thickened the air the whole drive back to the estate. When they arrived at the estate, Axel looked murderous.

"You risked exposing Typhon," he said, pacing in front of the recruits. Gone was his air of casual charisma. He vibrated with rage. "We are trying to gain social favor, and you set our progress back by months! Do you understand what you've done?"

Adler shrugged. "It was just a fight. These things happen at rallies all the time."

"Just a fight? You don't know the extent of your sins, do you? The consequences?" Axel's voice was barely above a whisper. "I sent seasoned members of Typhon to witness the event. Their job was to report on your progress. Within ten minutes of the fighting, one of our own was killed, and an android was destroyed."

"Well, good riddance to the android!" Grant's voice wavered.

"Oh yes," said Axel. "But now we've tarnished HSC's reputation, which was the only thing Typhon had to gain a favorable footing in society." Axel nodded to someone standing behind them, but Wren dared not to look. Four of Axel's guards carried in two bodies. They laid them on the floor. The man had been trampled and was hardly recognizable. The android, an ST300, had her regulator ripped out. Her lifeless eyes stared directly into Wren's. Axel pointed at the bodies. "This is the cost of your recklessness. I told you we were going to tear down their Olympus. But it takes skill and elegance to kill gods, not brutish temper tantrums!"

Wren tore her eyes away from the android. She looked up at Axel, who pinched the bridge of his nose. He drank a sip of his Scotch and set it back on the mantle.

"Typhon cannot afford to have such reckless members." He withdrew a pistol from the back waistband of his pants. Everyone tensed. "Kneel on the floor, Grant and Adler."

"No, no, no! Please, I don't wanna die!" Adler begged, tears glistening in his eyes.

"Make them kneel," Axel ordered Shaw, Argo, Ellis, Jerry, and Nicolette.

"How do you even know it was us?" said Grant as Shaw and Argo kicked the backs of his knees, forcing him on the floor. They pressed onto his shoulders, even though he struggled against them.

Nicolette helped Ellis and Jerry force a sobbing Adler to his knees.

"I told you I sent members to observe your progress," said Axel. "You started the altercation with that Traci. You catalyzed the whole fight." He pressed the muzzle of the gun to Grant's forehead. "I don't tolerate those who jeopardize the good of Typhon."

Grant's eyes widened. "Please—"

Axel pulled the trigger. Blood splattered the couch, and Grant's body slumped over. Wren didn't flinch, but remained stoic. Axel stepped before Adler, who looked up at the barrel of the gun.

"Please, Mr. Brewer, give me another chance—"

"You hurt one of your own," said Axel, his eyes flicking to Nicolette, "and so you must die. If we cannot look out for one another, then we are a threat to the whole system."

He pulled the trigger. Adler's body jerked under Nicolette's grasp. She dropped her hold on him, letting him fall to the floor. Axel looked to his android servants. "Clean up this mess. Miss Black, come with me."

Axel placed his gun on the mantle and waved off the others. Nicolette followed Axel, her heart slamming in her chest. Some part of her told her Axel was not planning to kill her, since he killed the other two right in front of her. If she'd been accused of what they were accused of, she'd be dead, too. Or at least, exposed. She could've fought off Axel and the others, as they lacked the training she possessed. They also lacked Connor as an ally. But he was three floors above her at the moment. Did he even know that she was possibly in danger?

Axel led Wren into a bathroom. "Remove your shirt."

"Excuse me?" Wren asked.

"I am going to stitch you up," said Axel, removing supplies from the cabinet. "Remove your shirt. You may keep yourself covered if you like."

Wren gritted her teeth and removed her shirt to expose her back, but kept the sleeves and front of it on. Axel's fingers were icy as he slipped Wren's bra strap aside.

"I don't believe you actually need stitches," said Axel. "Just a bandage." He used an alcohol wipe to clean the wound. Wren did not utter a sound. Axel placed a bandage over the wound and replaced her bra strap. His fingers drifted over Wren's bare back. She tensed and gritted her teeth. "You are a strong woman."

"Are you done?"

Axel gripped Wren's face and pressed himself into her back. "Why have that plastic prick when you can have someone like me?"

Wren held her breath. "I don't want anyone to accuse me of fucking my way to the top. Adler already did."

"Adler's dead."

Wren pushed away from Axel, who watched her—not with that hungry lust—with curiosity. "And he accused me of not truly earning my place here. I'm going to prove you all wrong." She let her shirt fall back into place. "Am I excused?"

"Yes." Axel stepped aside, allowing Wren to pass. "Nicolette?"

Wren turned, adrenaline pumping through her. "Yeah?"

"You've earned your place," he assured her. "You'll be inducted tomorrow night."

Wren dipped her head. "Thank you."

She refused to look back at him, holding her head high as she walked to the stairs and took them to the third floor. She entered her room, barely hiding her quivering. She rushed to the toilet, hunched over it, and vomited.

"Wren?" Connor hurried into the bathroom as Wren retched. He filled a glass of water and crouched beside her. Wren flushed the toilet and wiped her mouth on the back of her hand. She accepted the water and drank it.

"I saw Josh," Wren croaked.

Connor's brow puckered. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah, I pushed him out of the way," Wren set the glass down on the floor and leaned against the wall.

"Pushed him out of the way of what?" Connor stared at Wren; his eyes narrowed.

Wren's skin rippled away so that she could interface with Connor. He accepted her hand, and Wren shared her memories of the past few hours with him. His LED swirled red when Wren got nicked by the knife, flickered yellow when he witnessed the murders, and returned to red when Axel came onto Wren. Connor withdrew his hand, his LED still red.

"You're not safe here," he muttered. "We have to get out."

"I'm being inducted tomorrow night," said Wren. "That seems like a good time to send in SWAT. I'm sure there'll be other members of Typhon here to catch."

"I don't know if we've found enough evidence to get SWAT."

"We need a new plan," said Wren. "If it means extraction, fine. If it means continuing…"

"You can't handle much more of this."

"I have to," Wren murmured. "It's the only way to stop them."

Connor stood. "I'll contact Rhett and see what we should do."

Wren watched him leave the bathroom, but she stayed on the floor. She looked at her hands, which trembled as the adrenaline filtered out of her bloodstream. She couldn't help but hope that Rhett decided that they'd had enough and could extract them. Surely two murders was enough to send in SWAT? But Wren knew that it wouldn't satisfy Rhett. He wanted to take down Typhon brick by brick, and to do that, they needed to find something big, something that threatened humanity and androids.

…

Sorry for the late update, guys. I've been out of town and having to catch up on school. Next chapter is gonna be pretty long and intense, so it might take a little longer to post, but thank you for your patience and continued support! Please leave some feedback!