Author's Note: The videogame on which this fanfiction is based, Watch Dogs 2, has been a recent revelation for me. However, I must confess I have neither played Watch Dogs or Watch Dogs: Legion yet… Please, forgive my possible plot or character related inaccuracies.
There are references to the year 2016 as well as to popular culture. I've also been inspired on social media and other videogames to create some of the dialogues. One of the inspirations is Sombra from Overwatch, one of my most beloved heroes, who also happens to be a hacker.
Last but not least, I'd like to make clear I'm by no means an expert in technology: in fact, I understand very little about it; the fanfiction you're about to read is not just a result of my imagination or fanatism, it's also the result of a lot of research concerning the subject (computer science, engineering, hacktivism) as well as the English language, which I'm trying to improve every single day, especially considering people might be interested in reading what I've got to tell.
Rated M for now, as I plan there will be violence in future chapters.
It was another ordinary day at the Hackerspace – nothing had really changed except for Horatio's tragic absence as well as the addition of a brand-new member, Ray, who was, by no means, a substitute for the hackers' deceased friend.
Indistinct chatter and distant music could be heard from Gary's Games & Glory store upstairs. Downstairs, at the hackers' hideout, everyone was calmly doing their own thing in what seemed a fairly uneventful afternoon:
Sitara was entirely focused on her phone, surfing on social media in order to enhance Dedsec's virtual presence.
Josh, who hadn't left his office chair all night, was coding like a maniac – that was both his function at Dedsec as well as his favourite pastime.
Ray was leaning on a desk close to the young hacker, his head resting on his chest as though he was having a quick nap. And that's what Marcus was doing, too: sleeping comfortably on the sofa close to Wrench's working station.
As for the masked man, he was listening to music while working hard on his new robot – he was so proud of his hardware, he'd call it Wrench Jr.
The music Wrench was listening to was obviously punk, his favourite music genre – he loved it because it was as crazy and chaotic as he was.
His earphones were blaring so loudly that one could almost deduce the song he was listening to: Wave Goodnight to Me by Jeff Rosenstock. Other than that, there was a peaceful silence in the room – the intrinsic silence of an early morning. It lasted for a bit longer, until it was broken by an incredulous Sitara:
"Guys, come have a look at this!" she exclaimed, loud enough to wake the sleepy hackers. In fact, Ray woke up as he was letting out a semi-loud snore.
Josh left his desk and made sure to gently wake up Marcus. Then, everyone approached Sitara – except Wrench, of course, who hadn't heard her at all.
Marcus gave Wrench an elbow – immediately, his mask displayed two exclamation marks followed by two question marks. He was the last to close the circle around Sitara.
The girl hacker then revealed what she had just found out on her phone. It was a photograph of Dušan Nemec, the CEO of Blume Corporation, and a woman shaking hands in what seemed a professional context.
The photo had been posted to Blume's official account with a caption that read: In Blume, we believe that collaboration is the key to success – that's why, we would like to congratulate Raiden and her marvellous CEO: Clara Clarke's long-life ambition of connecting the world became a reality in 2010, when she was a 21-year-old woman trying to pave her way in a man's world. Since 2014, her team of exceptional engineers have worked hand-in-hand with Blume in the development of many of its products. We hope to see many more years of friendship!
When Sitara finished reading, she zoomed in Clara Clarke's face and raised her hand in disbelief. "How come we have never investigated Raiden Corporations?"
"We don't really know what Raiden's role is in the development of cTOS," Josh pointed out, scratching the side of his head.
"Precisely!" Sitara replied vehemently. "We know Raiden is a brilliant hardware company. But what does Raiden do for Blume, exactly?"
"I believe Blume subcontracts Raiden for the creation of the components of their technology – Raiden creates the hardware of Blume's servers, home computers, supercomputers and probably the Central Operating System, too," Ray explained. "It's a company that has thrived in the recent years – partly because of their deal with Blume but also because of the CEO's other achievements."
Wrench's eyes displayed a pair of suspension points, which indicated a trailing of thoughts. "Raiden could or could not be benefiting from Blume's putrescent deals and the data they collect," he reasoned.
"So far we have found no evidence that they are directly involved in the plot," Marcus said, thinking out loud. "What's clear is that Clara Clarke has remained anonymous for quite a long time. I have personally never heard of her existence," he admitted.
"Well, she is currently the wealthiest self-made woman in the United States," Sitara added.
"That's right and considering she has been appointed as the most influential female entrepreneur of the decade, she is an inspiration to the ladies," Ray continued.
Josh, Marcus and Wrench shrugged, which made Sitara roll her eyes, adorned in colourful make-up. "I'm not surprised you men barely know about her. Women's accomplishments often tend to go unnoticed," Sitara sighed. "I'm so disappointed to find out she's been working with Blume Corporation all this time."
"Something feels off, though," said Ray, grabbing Sitara's phone to have a better look at the photo. "I've heard she is extremely popular for her charity work: active TED talker, civil rights advocate, has donated millions to the research of cancer and MS, has even brought countless of Syrian refugees to the US and provided them with an education… She's an absolute gem – she spends half her fortune in charity work. The media and the press do not precisely pay attention to her but it's all positive when she's under their scrutiny."
"To be fair, she doesn't look like the type of person who would willingly collaborate with Blume's revolting schemes," nodded Josh.
"We must consider all possible scenarios – we don't know the kind of person she really is. This could all be pure façade," Marcus crossed his arms, thoughtful.
Speaking of thoughts, Wrench seemed to be full of them. He had remained extremely quiet for most of the conversation. His mask still displayed the same symbols – his eyes, however, the ones under his mask, were fixed to the photo of that gorgeous woman shaking hands with one of San Francisco's most disgusting men. How could a girl so pretty, so intelligent and so seemingly innocent be involved in this man's filthy stratagems?
"I think we should research this stunner first," he finally said. Wrench's mask changed once more, from winky-face to the next expression: ( X X ) "We clearly don't know much about her and her company's true intentions."
"I agree," Marcus nodded. "We should get an address, find out where she works and get close enough to hack her phone or computer. Let's see what secrets she hides."
Sitara nodded, agreeing to Marcus's plan. "Okay, let's do that. Marcus, I want you in this quest."
Wrench innocently raised his hand. "I'll join you, M – you might need help."
Sitara, who was normally the brains and leader of the group, arched an eyebrow at the masked hacker. "I think this is out of your specialisation, Wrench."
"Well, the chick is an Information Systems engineer, isn't she? I'd say that's pretty much my field," he answered, crossing his arms. "Can a man not be allowed to have fun from time to time, Your Highness?" Wrench asked sarcastically, his eyes emoting an angry face: ( \ / )
"Of course," Sitara replied apologetically.
"Wrench, you can be the distraction. You know, talk to her while I hack her – engineer to engineer," suggested Marcus, knowing there was a reason for Wrench's interest in the mission – whether it was his passion for engineering or for women.
In other circumstances, Wrench would have not enjoyed being the distraction but, being a pretty lady involved, he thought that was an excellent idea. His mask displayed the next emote: ( O o ) "Really? So, can I go?" he asked, to which Marcus replied chuckling and tapping his shoulder.
"Sure, fam. But first, let's observe her."
Raiden's headquarters were full of security – in fact, it was probably one of the most secure buildings in the city. The hardware they created was extremely valuable, hence the crazy amount of surveillance.
Marcus's first target was Clara Clarke's secretary Margot, who was in charge of managing the CEO's professional agenda. He hacked her phone on a coffee break she took every day at the cafeteria in front of the company building.
Margot's notes turned out to be extremely valuable to them and worked as a great starting point; they included Clara's personal plans and arrangements, which was useful because it would allow them to know exactly where she'd be most of the time. In fact, it seemed that her presence at Raiden was rather limited, since she was frequently on business trips in and out the States.
That day, Marcus and Wrench broke in her gated neighbourhood and observed her from a distant hill using binoculars as well as the Quadcopter's camera. The CEO was calmly working out at the "privacy" of her backyard while listening to some invigorating electronic music.
Wrench was fascinated by the woman, who looked flawless even while she was training so intensely, more intensely than he had ever trained before. Truth was, Wrench barely worked out at all – though he did some weight lifting and ran occasionally, he looked pretty lanky. His appearance didn't correspond to his level of fitness, though – he was great at parkour, which made him extremely agile and fit. He also had brute force as a result of having destroyed numerous devices in order to manipulate their hardware.
He noticed Clara's long hazel hair was up in a high ponytail that graciously brushed her sexy back and shoulders with every movement. The CEO was wearing some grey elastic leggings combined with a Nike's sports bra and some black Asec trainers. Her skin was tan from the summer and shining like she was smeared with oil.
"This mission is the most enjoyable I've ever been at since I joined Dedsec," admitted Wrench, emoting an excited face: ( ^ ~ ) as he watched the hot sweaty girl doing a lot of reps in provocative sportswear: from regular squats to glute bridges and in-place running, it was now time to get in plank position and start swinging left to right in order to work those hip dips. This made Wrench especially excited.
"She's definitely a looker," agreed Marcus, as he inspected the area with his Quadcopter: Clara Clarke's house was definitely pretty big – 500m2, to be precise. Four bathrooms, three bedrooms as well as five additional rooms, which consisted of her private office, a gaming room, a pantry room, a laundry room and a dressing room.
Wrench zoomed in with his binoculars and reminded himself he should modify his mask and incorporate this function into them, as he couldn't see as clearly as he'd wanted at that moment. He squinted his eyes under his mask, which emoted a similar expression: ( = = )
"Her office has got direct access to the backyard. She doesn't seem to have HAUM's home security system installed – just some cameras in strategic places as well as some high fences and an innocent Maine Coon cat strolling around. I see no further security at the moment, though it may be reinforced at night – rich people gotta protect their wealth," explained Marcus, realising Wrench was engrossed in the white chick working out under the warm Californian sun. "Dude, are you even listening?"
"Erm, yes – we can order pizza tonight and jerk off to this amazing memory," answered Wrench, nodding excitingly at the views. Had he been ignoring Marcus completely or was he just fooling around? Who knew!
"Sometimes you unsettle me," said Marcus, slapping Wrench's binoculars off his grasp.
"Hey!" Wrench complained, emoting a pair of exclamation marks followed by an angry face. "Why do you enjoy hurting me, Marcus? I haven't seen a pretty lady since…"
"The chick at the café, yes. What about her?"
Wrench shrugged, rubbing the back of his head. "She turned out to be pretty boring – didn't have much in common."
Marcus shook his head. "If you're looking for your female version," he said, squeezing Wrench's shoulders as he pointed down to Clara Clarke. "I don't think she's the one – she doesn't seem to be half as crazy or eccentric as you are."
"She could be great fun, though," Wrench replied, clapping his hands enthusiastically, then emoting a winky face. "There's something extremely exciting about forbidden, unachievable chicks – just give me some time to seduce her."
"Let's hack her phone first," Marcus sighed, closing his laptop and collecting his Quadcopter.
"Now?" Wrench asked, his mask emoting two big question marks.
"No, not now. You wouldn't focus after having an erection," joked Marcus. Wrench emoted an angry face but, before leaving, had a discreet look at his crotch.
According to Margot's notes, Clara Clarke would leave her office at exactly six o'clock next day. After that, they would have exactly five minutes until she got on her private car and went to the psychologist's. Marcus and Wrench had discussed this would probably be the best moment to intervene.
The two hackers waited round the corner; their eyes fixed to the main door of Raiden's headquarters.
"So, what's your plan, exactly? Remember she'll be escorted by three security guards. The woman barely walks alone since she was a victim of armed assault," Marcus explained, opening his laptop and sitting on the floor close to some dumpsters.
"I don't know, man. I'm good at improvising," shrugged Wrench, whose mask was emoting the following face: ( O O ) He was alert, staring at the main door of the company.
"Just make sure to win her trust, this might not be our first encounter with her," explained Marcus, adjusting his sunglasses and earphones.
"M, I'm adorably charismatic. OneRepublic's Everybody Loves Me should be the main anthem of my life soundtrack," he joked, though probably meant what he said. That's how Wrench was – unpredictable, magnetic and somewhat of a narcissist. Moments later, the company doors finally opened and Wrench's expression changed to two exclamation points. "There she is!"
He started sprinting towards her. He had nothing prepared for their encounter, so he figured the best distraction would be colliding with her, as it sometimes happens in a busy city such as San Francisco. Wrench ran extremely quickly until he reached her. He closed his eyes strongly under his mask, ready for the collision.
Clara Clarke and her bodyguards had barely taken two steps when the masked man crashed into her. Instinctively, she let out a scream to which her three armed men reacted.
Back at the alley, Marcus grimaced at Wrench's stupidity and lack of discretion.
The masked man took his hand to his head, complaining at the impact, his mask displaying the following: ( X X ) When he looked up, he saw two men ready to jump to him and his expression changed again to two exclamation marks.
"Wow- Chill down, fellas! I was just running late for the bus," he said as he stood up and brushed the dirt off his jacket.
"Are you okay, ma'am?" said the third bodyguard as he helped Clara get back up to her feet. She ignored the man's help and commanded the others to lower their guns.
"Gentlemen, that won't be necessary," she reprimanded them in an inquisitive tone, turning back to Wrench. "Are you okay?" she asked in an agitated yet sweet voice.
Wrench's digital eyes blinked as he stared at the pretty girl through his mask. When he recalled Clara working out in her leggings, he flashed two heart symbols for a brief moment, to which Clara smiled briefly.
"Please, get the car ready," she ordered, which made all bodyguards share a hesitant look:
"But ma'am…"
"It will only be a minute," she insisted.
Two of the security guards left and the third one kept some distance, giving her boss and the masked stranger some space.
"I'm sorry, they can be pretty scary sometimes…"
"It's okay – I'm used to dealing with masculinity complex losers," Wrench joked, emoting a winky face: ( ^ ~ )
Clara couldn't help flashing a discreet smirk. She then nodded at him and tilted her head, staring at Wrench with great curiosity: "That's some impressive tech you're wearing on your face," she admitted, which Wrench found extremely flattering coming from a hardware genius like her – a woman who could appreciate his technology was definitely a woman that interested him.
"Heh- Thanks," he replied, rubbing the back of his head.
Just as timidly, Clara tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Her sweet perfume was as intoxicating as her big mandrake green eyes. Wrench also noticed she looked a lot younger than she really was. Unlike American women, many European girls had this innocent, childlike face that made them extremely adorable. Wrench also noticed she was not as tall as he had first expected; in fact, she was much smaller than him – he was not surprised he had completely knocked her down.
He then returned her phone – she had dropped it when they had both collided. What she didn't know was that he had implanted a chip amidst all the confusion.
"Oh, thank you! I didn't even notice. You're a lifesaver – all my life is in that phone!" she smirked, putting it into her light coat pocket. Her style differed so much from the young hacker's – although she was wearing mostly black, her clothes were elegant and minimalistic.
"Erm… You work there?" Wrench asked, pointing at Raiden's headquarters. Clara chuckled and nodded. Wrench's expression changed once again: ( ^ ^ ) "You must be a smart cookie, then," he said.
"Not smart or imaginative enough to create a mask like yours. May I know where you bought it?"
That woman, Wrench thought, was indeed charming as fuck. He chuckled, twirling around like the outlandish idiot he was and giving her not one, but two thumbs-up. "Well, it's homemade. I made it."
"Really? Are you an engineer, too?" Clara asked, visibly surprised. When Wrench nodded quietly and her smile grew bigger. She couldn't help feeling intrigued by the masked man, so she quickly reached out her purse and took out a business card out her wallet. "That's very impressive and original… I'd be very interested to learn how you made it. Perhaps you could consider joining my team, too, if you'd like."
Wrench grabbed the business card and looked back bewilderingly at her – he had made such a big first impression, he'd been offered a job at Raiden Corporations!
Just then, one of her guards cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt, ma'am. But your 18:30 appointment…"
"Yes, yes," she murmured, looking back at Wrench. "I'll be waiting for your call. Your name is…?"
"Uh- my friends call me Wrench."
Clara frowned at the stranger's nickname and nodded, taking a few steps backwards as she smiled and was ready to leave. "Right. Nice to meet you, Wrench."
A minute later, just after Clara had got in her car, he heard Marcus's voice in his ear. "Damn, Wrench! She really liked you! And clearly, you liked her too…"
Wrench's mask displayed two heart eyes. His expression didn't change until Clara's car left his sight. He then cleared his throat, his mask emoting a pair of suspension points. "Marcus, I know we shouldn't mix business with pleasure… but this is the perfect cocktail for an epic love story," he said in calm voice.
"This epic love story can only end in heartbreak…" Marcus chuckled. "Anyway, come see your wifey's phone. I've already cloned it and have access to it from my computer."