Into the Woods – No One Is Alone
"I'm not entirely sure I understand the point of this," Taylor repeated, her face scrunched up into a perplexed frown. Connor glanced between her and Markus, the latter appearing the portrait of unruffled calm.
"Josh contacted us this morning and said that the tower may not be secure," North intervened, ever the straightforward one. Markus frowned at her, but she kept going, ignoring him. "They're running interference, but it's not safe for Markus to return right now."
"So don't go back to the tower. There are plenty of other places to stay in Detroit." The frown hadn't shifted from her face as Taylor turned her attention to the redhead instead. "Didn't Raj set up other safehouses while he was there?"
"The safest option is to remain here. It will only be for a day or two. President Warren has already agreed to it." Markus cut in, trying to sound reasonable. "Since the hearings began, much of the human population has started to return to Detroit, as well. That limits our options and our movement."
"We can all stay, then." Taylor said next, looking between the two of them. Softly, she added, "I don't like the idea of the two of you staying here alone. Even if it's just for a day."
"Everything is going to be fine, Taylor." Markus stepped forward, placing his hands on her shoulders as he said it. "Try not to worry."
"I can go to CyberLife when we arrive in Detroit," Connor said, trying to sound conciliatory. "I will assist Josh and Simon in making sure the tower is secure. You can return tomorrow."
Markus and Taylor both turned, the former appearing grateful, the latter slightly horrified. She opened her mouth, seemed to reconsider, and closed it again, settling into a concerned frown instead. He had thought to set her mind at ease but had somehow done the opposite instead.
"Thank you, Connor." Markus said, nodding to him. "You see? There is nothing to worry about."
Taylor shifted her blue eyes back to him, looking like she had everything to worry about. She didn't say anything, though. She must have thought it would be futile to argue anymore. Instead, she said, "We're going to be late."
"I'll see you soon," Markus squeezed his hands on her shoulders before he released her, stepping away. She just nodded in return.
Connor led her out of the hotel, taking her hand. Frank was indeed already waiting for them by the curb, the car idling, their bags already loaded into it. He didn't seem surprised that it was just the two of them, so he must have already known about Markus's arrangements.
The protesters were still outside of the hotel as well, and when the two of them appeared, they all started shouting. Connor pulled Taylor closer to his side and hurried her toward the car. Frank met them halfway and escorted them the rest of it, shoving both of them into the backseat and closing the door.
Connor still had a grip on Taylor's hand, and he squeezed it to draw her attention back to him. Frank slid into the driver's seat and pulled the car into traffic a moment later. Connor still had his eyes locked on hers, the slight puckering of her lips into a frown, the lines in between her eyebrows where she had drawn them together.
"Are you upset?" He said finally, when she just kept staring at him, her hand still in his. Her lips quirked, almost into a smile, before her features all smoothed over. She turned back to the window.
"No. Worried." Her head rested against the seatback and she watched the scenery as it passed, stared up at the buildings as they waited at the traffic lights. "This doesn't feel right."
"You gave in rather easily." He said, surprised. Maybe a little disbelieving. He didn't expect she had given up without a fight. She was usually much more stubborn when she thought she was right.
"He's made up his mind." Taylor shrugged lightly. Her expression didn't change. "He isn't going to listen to me."
"He listens to you more than you think," Connor said, insistent. Taylor frowned again, but this time she didn't respond. She stayed quiet all the way to the airport, but she kept her hand in his. Frank escorted them to the plane, another private flight courtesy of the White House.
"I thought you weren't interested in joining the payroll," Taylor said, giving him a surprised look when he followed them onboard.
"I'm to make sure you arrive in Detroit safe and sound. Boss's orders." Frank gave her an easy smile in return and motioned her toward her seat.
"What about David?" The blonde sat as instructed and fastened her seatbelt. Connor took the seat behind her, just as he had on their previous flight, while Frank also sat in his previous spot across the aisle.
"He's still at the hotel. Markus duty." At the surprised look that Taylor must have given him, Frank laughed. "What, you expect Secretary Headley is going to leave him unguarded? The hotel has had someone watching it since the two of you arrived."
"I see." Connor couldn't see her face anymore, but if her tone was any indication, Taylor was not amused by this new revelation.
"Oh, don't be offended. Could you really expect anything less?" He could still see Frank from his seat, and the agent gave the blonde woman another unaffected smile as he buckled his seatbelt.
"No, I guess not," she sighed. Frank looked over his shoulder at him.
"Your seatbelt, too." Connor glanced down, then buckled his seatbelt as instructed. A few minutes later, the plane was rolling down the runway, preparing to take off.
"If you were at the hotel the whole time, why did Taylor get injured by a protestor just outside of it?" Connor asked after they were in the air, the turbulence past. He was concerned with himself that he had not noticed any of them in the two weeks they'd been staying in the hotel, but he couldn't hold back from asking the question.
"Well, no one expected her to return so early that night." Frank looked over his shoulder at him again, frowning now. "Without you." A note of a challenge in that. "But my man did intervene and take her up to her room."
The bellhop. Connor frowned now, but he didn't say anything else. Of course they would have been disguised as the hotel staff. The whole thing had been arranged by Secretary Headley, after all.
"Thanks for everything you've done, Frank." Taylor said from the seat in front of him. Frank shifted his gaze back to her, his eyebrows raising.
"No problem. Just doing my job." He looked at her for a few seconds more, before finally settling into his seat and turning away. Connor wished he could see her face, too. She'd been acting slightly off since this morning. He had the inclination that she hadn't gotten much sleep, but something else seemed to be bothering her as well, even before they had talked to Markus in the lobby.
He would have to ask her about it when they got back to Detroit.
Taylor hovered beside Connor, waiting for the okay to leave. She'd spent a little time saying her final goodbyes to Frank, while he prepared for his return flight to Washington. To resume his real job, no doubt, and stop driving her all around the city, reduced to a professional chaperone.
She'd given him a parting hug and watched him turn an impressive shade of red, much to her surprise. She was still trying to puzzle that out when a member of airport security approached them, telling them they could cross the tarmac.
People had gathered, much like their arrival in Washington D.C. a couple weeks back. As she got closer, Connor right beside her, they started to shout her name. This crowd clearly knew who it was they were waiting on. Connor immediately tensed, but she squeezed his hand.
"They're just fans." She tried to reassure him, but he was still scanning the crowd with a frown on his face. Her eyes caught sight of a small girl near the front. She had a Chloe poster in her hand, waving it frantically back and forth.
Taylor pulled to a stop, then started walking towards the child. A second later, security was walking in front of her again, and she could feel Connor hot on her heels. The security that had been waiting by the terminal doors to receive them headed over as well, everyone looking quite perplexed.
The crowd grew more excited as she got closer, but she knelt down next to the little girl, not paying them any attention. "Hi, what's your name?"
The little girl's mouth dropped open into a perfect 'o'. She had stopped waving her poster, going completely still, but when Taylor addressed her, she looked at the woman behind her uncertainly. Her mother, who nodded, smiling.
"Anna," the girl said, her voice full of nerves.
"How old are you, Anna?" Anna didn't respond this time, just held up five stubby fingers as an answer. Taylor held her hand out, reaching for the poster, and Anna shoved it forward enthusiastically. Her mother offered the marker.
"Would you like a picture?" Taylor asked as she scribbled on the poster. Anna nodded fervently, so Taylor handed the poster and marker back to her mother before beckoning the child forward. She pulled Anna to her side, and her mother snapped the picture.
"Thank you!" Anna waved happily as her mother pulled her back into the crowd. Taylor waved back, smiling. She could tell the security wanted her to move on, but she didn't. She turned to the next person in the crowd.
More people wanted photos than autographs. She knew they would probably be all over Instagram later. As she made it through the crowd, the people started to disperse somewhat. Connor drifted back from anxiously hovering to standing a few feet behind her, content to let her work.
There were only a few people left now, and Taylor knew she would have to leave soon either way. She turned to the next man in the crowd, a smile still plastered on her face. He was smiling back at her, though somehow the expression appeared contrived, not quite reaching his eyes. He offered his hand for her to shake and she took it, wondering what it was about his appearance that was so off-putting.
They were standing rather close already, but he tugged her forward suddenly, and she stumbled into him. A gasp escaped her, and she realized all at once what had bothered her about his looks. His face was perfectly symmetrical. Flawless. Android.
"Power to the people," he said against her ear. She felt the knife go in, but she didn't feel the pain until he pulled it back out, stepping away. He stole the air from her lungs with it, the pain becoming a supernova. The whole thing happened in a span of seconds. No one around them even noticed as he stepped back and merged into the crowd again.
"C-Connor," she managed, her hand coming up to her chest. She could feel the warmth of the blood already seeping through her clothes. Someone screamed as she stumbled backward, her legs giving way.
Connor's arms were already around her, though, catching her as she fell. He lowered her to the ground gently, then pressed his hand against her chest, where she knew the blood must be gushing out. His eyes were wide and frightened, his LED flickering between yellow and red.
"I've called an ambulance," he managed to say. He pressed harder still into her chest and she gasped, the spear of pain nearly making her convulse. "Just hold on. You're going to be okay."
She didn't know which one of them he was trying to convince. With all the strength she had, she moved her hand over his, sticky, coated in blood. Everything was cold, and the edges of her vision were starting to go dark.
She kept her eyes directly on him, though, so she could still see his face. She tried to speak, tried to tell him not to worry, but her breaths were just wet, ragged gasps now. Vaguely she thought he was still talking, still telling her it was going to be okay. She fought to keep her eyes open.
"Taylor, hold on." His voice broke through the haze again. She wished she could say something, anything. The panicked thoughts crowded through her head. I love you. I was going to stay. I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.