Chapter Three

Connor stood in the hallway outside Wren's hospital room. He folded his arms as he looked at Hank. "Her demands aren't ridiculous, Hank."

"Maybe not, but how the fuck are we gonna hide her from these people? She barely knows anything. I say we lock her crazy ass up and call it a day."

Connor frowned. Perhaps it was the excitement of this new case combined with the lack of activity over the past few months, but he was reluctant to let this go. He had connected to Wren's memory and knew how she felt. She was scared, and Connor wanted to help her. She was a deviant of sorts, which meant she needed to rediscover herself. Connor knew the feeling all too well.

He had spent the past three months waiting for bills favoring androids to pass. While Hank had worked at the DPD, Connor helped Markus, North and Josh. He had spent his time formulating law proposals, guiding new deviants to support groups and contacting representatives to support the android cause. It had taken some time for North to warm up to Connor. It didn't take long for him to discover that the PL600 model he had found at Stratford Tower, the android he had tricked into giving the location of Jericho, the android he had felt die, had been their friend Simon. It was then that Connor first discovered the unpleasant emotion called guilt.

Wren's desire for redemption didn't seem all that outrageous to him. Perhaps, Connor reasoned, he could redeem himself in helping her. He pushed the thought aside as his abdomen tightened. His throat seemed to thicken with a lump. He swallowed a few times to alleviate the sensation.

"I think we should agree to her terms."

"What? Why?" Hank scowled.

"Piecing her past together could help us track down Prometheus," said Connor, "and it helps Wren personally."

"So? Okay, I get taking down Prometheus being good and all, but why do we care about her? She's a killer, Connor." Hank crossed his arms.

"So am I," Connor replied. Hank shifted and looked away, muttering an expletive that Connor ignored. "So was the blue-haired Traci, yet you said it was for the best that we let her go."

"Yeah, but… that was different. Wren admitted to killing good people."

"Under Prometheus's influence. I… I killed humans, Hank. At the CyberLife Tower, I killed several guards. They had families and lives. They were just doing their jobs. I sacrificed their lives for the revolution. I got innocent androids killed at Jericho, too. If I hadn't found the location, it never would've been attacked, but I chose the mission over their lives." Connor's chest tightened and the lump returned to his throat.

Hank dragged a hand over his face. "Why do you care about her so much?"

Connor froze. He blinked, and then frowned. "I-I don't care about her. I simply believe that this case would not be solved by putting Wren in jail."

"Hmph," muttered Hank. He jabbed a finger at Connor. "But you're explaining this to Markus and North. They're witnesses. Fuck, Markus is the target. He definitely needs to know what's going on. I'll go see if I can buy Dr. Willis's silence." Hank turned and strutted down the hall without waiting for a response. Connor watched him for several seconds before leaving.

…

Connor entered Markus's office with North. She shut the door behind her. Markus sat at his desk, reading over a tablet, two fingers pressed against his temple as if he suffered a headache. Connor glanced at the floor, where Wren had been shot. The only evidence that there had been an attack were the red bloodstains in the carpet.

Markus smiled at Connor, who eyed his friend beneath a furrowed brow. Androids didn't necessarily need sleep, though entering standby mode for a few hours often helped restore reduced energy. Androids could function without it, but Markus looked as if he needed it. Leading the androids seemed exhausting. Connor did not envy his friend.

"Connor," said Markus, "what can I do for you?"

"I came to talk to you both about the other night's events," Connor answered, taking a seat across from Markus. North circled around the desk to stand beside Markus's chair. She folded her arms and narrowed her eyes.

"You need our statements?" she guessed.

Connor folded his hands in his lap. "Not exactly," he admitted. Markus and North exchanged a glance, but waited for Connor to continue. "I can't tell you everything, but this case is more complicated than we thought. Wren is a cyborg, and she was ordered to kill Markus. She was fighting her programming by targeting North instead." Connor's eyes flicked to North, who merely glowered.

Markus's brow pinched. "How is she?"

"She's recovering well," said Connor. "She deviated, but she thinks that the people who sent her will send someone else after you, and she wants to help. She proposed a deal: give her a fresh start, and she'll help us protect you and bring down the people after you."

"She put a gun to my head," snapped North, "and you want to help her?"

"She had every intention of getting killed that night. It's my belief that if she had wanted to, she could have succeeded in her mission. You weren't part of that mission, making you an obstacle that she sought out. She was trying to be stopped." Connor leaned forward, speaking directly to Markus. "I'm not asking either of you to trust her. I'm asking that you trust Hank and me to do what needs to be done to solve this case."

North chewed on her cheek while Markus peered at Connor with narrowed eyes. The RK200's expression softened after a moment. "What do you need us to do?"

"We need to fake her death," replied Connor.

North barked a laugh. "Oh, is that all?"

Connor's eyes bored into Markus's. "We've already worked out most of the details. We'll say she died in surgery. Her image wasn't released to the media. Any footage of her here needs to be deleted. The two of you will need to cover it up. Hank is ensuring the doctor's silence on the matter. We will work out the rest of the details in creating her new identity."

Markus tilted his head slightly. "You sure you're okay with this, Connor? This is breaking the law, you know."

Connor looked away. He flexed his jaw before meeting his friend's gaze. "Something about this case… makes that irrelevant."

"Meaning you just have a feeling this is important," said North, shaking her head. She huffed. "Are you sure about this? You don't have to accomplish every mission. You have a choice, now."

Connor tensed. "I connected to her memory. I felt the things she felt that night. She felt cornered, but wanted to do the right thing. She's terrified of this group. They've been controlling her for a decade, and she's been trying to break free. If they're targeting Markus, and we have someone who can provide insight into this group, I think this case needs to be solved."

Markus and North looked at each other. Connor held his synthetic breath, waiting for them to finish communicating silently. At last, Markus broke eye contact with North to look at Connor. The RK200 dipped his head. "Alright. We'll cover it up."

Connor relaxed and stood. "Thank you. Both of you."

"I want to meet her," said Markus, standing. "I have a few questions for her."

The corners of Connor's mouth dropped. A frown creased his forehead. "I don't know if that's the best idea. She's an unpredictable variable. We don't know how she will respond to seeing you, as she experienced psychological conditioning in addition to programming. She could revert."

"Statistically speaking, there's always a chance for unlikely events to take place," Markus said. Connor lifted his chin, recognizing his own words. Markus's lips twitched. "So, there's a chance she won't revert, right?"

Connor nodded. "Hank and I have to be in there with you, though. While her programming won't force her to do anything, we can't assume the human parts of her brain will respond the same way. You can't be in there alone, in case she attacks."

"Agreed," said Markus, grabbing his coat. He looked at North. "You can handle things here?"

"Yep," she said, sitting in Markus's chair. Her brow puckered. "Please be careful, Markus."

Markus smiled and kissed her cheek. Connor looked away, feeling as if he were invading a private moment. Markus rounded the desk and joined Connor by the door. Together, they left the new Jericho headquarters and called a taxi to bring them to the hospital.

…

Connor stood by Wren's bedside, ready to restrain her if necessary. Hank entered the room, followed closely by Markus. Connor looked at Wren and scanned her.

/Stress Levels: 68%/

scan [Accelerated heartbeat]

scan [Temperature Increase ^ 99.1 degrees Fahrenheit]

Connor withdrew from the scan as if no time passed. Wren's stress levels definitely increased upon seeing Markus, though it appeared she was not going to snap and attack him. Connor relaxed slightly, though remained prepared to grab Wren, should she show signs of increased stress levels. He hypothesized that if Wren reached maximum levels of stress, her reaction would parallel that of an android's, resulting in some manner of self-destruction.

"Hello, Wren," said Markus, stepping out from behind Hank, "how are you feeling?"

Connor glanced down at Wren, who lifted an eyebrow. "You're pretty nice for a guy I just tried to kill."

"From what I hear, you weren't trying to," countered Markus.

Wren looked up at Connor. "You told him?"

Connor dipped his head. "The basic necessary information."

Wren returned her attention to Markus. "Yeah… I'm sorry I put your life in danger. It wasn't… really me."

A static memory triggered in the back of Connor's mind:

He knelt before Kara and Alice.

"I was just a machine, taking orders. It wasn't really me…"

Connor blinked and returned his attention to Wren and Markus, his throat tightening.

"We all have a moment where we wake up," said Markus kindly. His eyes flicked to Connor. A smirk tugged at the corners of the RK200's mouth before looking back at Wren. "Connor pointed a gun at me before deviating."

Connor's lips twisted at the memory. Wren glanced toward him, but said nothing about it.

She looked back at Markus. "Look, I know it'll take a while to earn everyone's trust. But I really want a fresh start. I'll do everything I can to protect you. Maybe we can bring down Prometheus, but I don't know. I hope we can."

Connor glanced at Markus, who regarded Wren with a furrowed brow. Connor's eyes flicked to Hank, who wore a frown. The RK800 returned his attention to Wren, a frown of his own creasing the lines around his mouth and between his eyebrows. Something tugged in his chest. Wren reflected him in a few ways. She'd been programmed to stop Markus, leader of the deviants. She was supposed to accomplish her mission at all costs, and had succeeded until she didn't want to. At least Connor had Hank, Markus, North and Josh to help him. Wren had no one.

"Can I ask you some questions?" Markus queried.

Wren nodded, her gaze steady. "Shoot."

"What was deviating like for you? Did you see the red walls? Or was it different because I connected with you?" Markus leaned forward.

"I saw the walls," muttered Wren, "but every time I tore them down, they just reformed. And it burned." She paused, rubbing the back of her neck and wincing. "When I was with Prometheus, they did regular diagnostic and system scans to make sure that I wouldn't go rogue. When the deviancy cases started popping up, they, uh, upgraded my programming." Her lips twisted. She nearly spat the word upgraded. Wren's expression softened as she looked at Markus. "But then you connected with me, and… the walls cracked like glass. I tore them down and… Well, you know the rest."

Connor folded his arms and tilted his head. He wondered if Wren would've been able to become deviant without another deviant's help. He doubted it. He scanned her again.

/Stress Levels: 50%/

scan [Body Temperature Decrease ˅ 97.4 degrees Fahrenheit]

scan [Breaths Per Minute: 12]

scan [Increased Levels of Neuropeptide NPY]

He glanced at Markus and Hank. "She needs to rest and eat soon. Her energy levels are low."

"Don't analyze me," Wren snapped. Connor's eyebrows lifted at the sudden coldness of her tone and hardness of her stare.

Markus unfolded his arms. "I was done anyway," he remarked. "It was nice to officially meet you, Wren."

"You too," said Wren, her tone softening. "I really am sorry, Markus."

Markus's lips twitched. "The one you really need to apologize to is North."

"Well, if I meet her again, I'll be sure to do that."

"We'll walk you out," said Hank, gesturing to Connor, who nodded. He followed Hank and Markus into the hall. They walked way from the room and entered the lobby. Hank crossed his arms. "So, what do you guys think?"

"I think she's free," said Markus, "and she seems sincere about her intentions."

Connor pressed his lips together for a brief moment. "Until we gather further information, her sincerity will remain ambiguous. There's a fifty percent chance that she's lying. However, I still believe that she deserves a chance. As long as we monitor her closely, the likelihood that she will betray us decreases."

"So, how are we gonna play this out? Dr. Willis has agreed to keep his mouth shut. Can we pass her off as an android? Some sort of prototype?" Hank looked to Connor, who shook his head.

"If these events were occurring closer to the end of the uprising, I would say we could claim she were a prototype android. However, because there are no androids in production currently, using that explanation for her unique appearance won't work. I think it's best if we claim she's human."

Hank nodded slowly. "How're we gonna keep an eye on her if we're at work all the time?"

"Well, if she works with you, that shouldn't be a problem," suggested Markus. "I'm sure she can apply her skills to an occupation like yours."

"Get her a job at the DPD?" Hank scowled.

Connor tilted his head, considering the notion. "It would validate her presence at the precinct while we work her case."

"Yeah, but it would require some… fabrication on our part as to who the hell she is, where she comes from and all that." Hank lifted his eyebrows for emphasis.

"Something tells me that Wren might have a way to do that," said Markus. "Any resources you need, I might be able to help with. Let me know."

"Will do," said Hank, shaking Markus's hand.

"Thank you," said Connor. Markus dipped his head and left Connor and Hank to figure out their redheaded cyborg problem. Connor looked at Hank, who worked his jaw, his eyes glazed as he considered the next step.

Connor found himself in a similar train of thought. His programming helped guide him in decision-making before his deviancy, but without it, Connor found himself in a world of grey. As a machine, his programming would have instructed him to accomplish his mission by any means necessary. But Connor wasn't a machine, which left the dilemma of what to do rather complicated. As a detective, Connor knew that fabricating a background for Wren was illegal. He should enforce the law, not break it to help one person. Yet, the threat of Prometheus seemed formidable enough that the complications of allying with Wren outweighed the discrepancies.

He sucked in a superfluous breath. He knew what logic told him to do. But something else in him empathized with Wren. She was a deviant, albeit of a different kind. Connor's mission had once been to capture and quell the deviants. Now, he did his best to help them.

He lifted his eyes to meet Hank's. "Everyone does what they can to get by," he quoted. Hank lifted his chin. Connor's lips twisted. "I think that as long as we don't hurt anyone, we should help her."

Hank sighed. "Alright, let's tell her."

…

Wren gaped at them. "You want to make a background for me and get me a job as a detective?"

"It's a win-win, kid. You get your fresh start, atoning for your sins or whatever, and we get to keep a close eye on you. Plus, we can work on finding out who you are with the DPD's resources." Hank bounced on the balls of his feet.

Wren lowered her gaze and her brow puckered. "you'll need my help to build a false background."

"Yeah, we figured you'd know how to do it."

Wren nodded slowly. "Okay. I need to go by my hotel room to get my laptop. I need to destroy it so that Prometheus thinks I'm dead."

"How would that make them think you're dead?" Hank narrowed his eyes.

Wren looked up at them. "I need to disable my tracker first, which should automatically delete everything on my laptop. It's a failsafe for if I get caught."

"Is there anything on your laptop that might help us?" Hank queried.

"Possibly," said Wren, her forehead creasing, "so we'll need a flash drive or something."

"Connor could hack into it."

Wren shook her head. "No, he couldn't. It's bugged. If he were to try, he'd be infected with a virus."

"Shit," muttered Hank. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

Wren tilted her head. "Actually, if we're trying to say I died in surgery, then I can't leave the hospital until I've disabled my tracker. One of you need to get my laptop and bring it here."

"It's not gonna self-destruct and blow us up, is it?" Hank demanded. Connor tilted his head as he looked at Wren. She blinked, the corners of her mouth dropping.

"Bombing isn't my style, Lieutenant," she deadpanned.

Hank muttered something under his breath before turning to Connor. "You stay with her. I'll grab the laptop."

Connor tensed. "Hank, are you sure –"

"Yes, I'm sure," Hank waved a hand, silencing Connor. The older man looked at Wren. "Give me the address and room number."

"Eastern Motel, room twenty-three," said Wren.

"In Camden?" Hank queried. Connor recognized it, too. It was the motel where he first pursed the AX400 model. He wondered how Kara and Alice were doing, and if they ever made it to Canada. He hoped they did.

"Yeah, why?"

Hank shook his head. "No reason. When's the last time you ate?"

Connor peered at Wren and scanned her.

scan [Increased Levels of NPY]

scan [Dehydration Detected]

/Warning: Fatigue Imminent/

"I guess before I attacked Jericho and whatever fluids the hospital's given me," said Wren, rubbing her face. "However long ago that was."

"Forty hours and thirty-seven minutes," answered Connor.

"Thanks," muttered Wren.

"I'll grab ya something to eat while I'm out," said Hank.

"There's cash in my motel room. And… I should probably mention there's a sniper rifle in a case there, too."

"Anything else I should know?" Hank quirked a brow.

Wren shrugged. "There's a false ID in my bag and some clothes."

"Okay," Hank huffed, "I'm out. Don't go anywhere."

Wren gestured to the IV in her brachial artery. "Where would I go?"

Hank ignored her comment and left the room, shutting the door behind him. Connor's eyes narrowed as he observed Wren. Her eyes drooped, but she forced them open. She looked directly at him, resulting in him jerking his head back.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier. For analyzing me."

Connor frowned and his brow puckered. "There's no need to apologize. You have every right to request that I don't analyze you. I'm aware that my abilities can make people uncomfortable."

"It's not that, it's… Never mind," Wren yawned.

Connor's lips twitched. "You should rest. I'm sure we'll have more questions and work to do when you wake up."

Wren nodded. She settled against the pillow. She peered at Connor for a heartbeat. "Thanks for… helping me."

Connor offered her a soft smile and dipped his head. Wren's eyelids slid shut. After a few seconds, Connor scanned her.

scan [Status: Asleep]

Wren ˄ Neutral

…

Hey guys! Thanks so much for the reviews. Sorry for the delay in updates, I was working on my other fanfics and was out of town for a few days. I know these first few chapters are kind of slow, but once Wren starts working at the DPD, we'll be getting into some fun, lol. I don't know how FF will format some of this, because I was playing around with it for Connor's POV.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is much appreciated!