Chapter Twenty-Seven

"Beware of Titans who pretend to be saviors," Elijah's lips tickled Wren's ear. Wren turned toward him. He grinned at her. His lips stretched too far, spreading until his mouth gaped open and swallowed Wren whole. She fell into darkness and landed on a cold, wet floor. She breathed heavily, feeling around in the dark. Her hands groped jagged rocks and she crawled toward a sliver of light. She didn't trust herself to stand. She crawled toward the flames until she laid eyes upon a naked man. He stood with his back to her.

"Ah, so has the eagle come to rip out my innards? Or are you Heracles, here to save me?"

Wren stood, though her legs trembled. "Who are you?"

"You should educate yourself on Greek mythology," said the man.

Wren sucked in a sharp breath. "You're… You're Prometheus."

The man turned. Wren lifted her eyes to meet his, but the man had no face. Wren's heart dropped and she scrambled back, her breath rasping through her parched lips. The faceless man tilted his head. When he spoke, the skin stretched like stitches, revealing a gaping hole. "You must choose, CY001. Are you my savior? Or my destructor?"

A scream ripped out of Wren's throat.

Wren jolted awake. Connor leaned over her, his LED a steady yellow. His brow creased as he gazed down at her.

"You're alright," he assured her. "It was just a nightmare."

Wren sat up and pulled her knees to her chest. She bowed her head. Sweat sheened her forehead. Connor rested a hand on her back. She flinched at his touch.

"Are you alright? Your stress levels are fairly high."

"I think… I think I was in hell."

"I'm… I'm not sure I understand," Connor murmured. Wren lifted her head to look at him.

"It was dark, and cold. And I met Prometheus. But… He had no face… He kept asking me if I was going to save him or destroy him. He called me CY001. I…" Wren held Connor's gaze and swallowed. "I was so scared."

His yellow LED flickered for a moment. His gaze seemed pained for a moment as his brow wrinkled. He tugged Wren toward him. She fell against his chest and allowed herself to be wrapped in Connor's arms. She closed her eyes as Connor rested his chin atop her head.

"I love you," he murmured.

"I love you, too," Wren sighed. She opened her eyes. "I'm still scared."

"I've got you." Connor squeezed her closer. "I promise I won't let anyone hurt you."

Wren's chest tautened. She swallowed the hard lump in her throat. Her eyes pricked with tears. For ten years, she fought. She protected herself. She depended only on herself. She trusted no one. Not even Rhett, her closest human friend outside of Prometheus. She never told the CIA agent her name was Wren. He only ever knew her as CY001. He called her "Cy" for short. Wren never trusted Juno, the android who helped train her. She loved Juno. But Wren only depended on herself. To extend her trust to another was to expose her belly to the maw of a beast. To depend on someone else was to leave her throat bare for slitting.

But here, in Connor's arms, she felt safe.

She twisted so that she straddled him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He gazed up at her, his LED flickering. He parted his lips and rested his hands on her hips. Wren opened her mouth to tell him what it meant to her to have him here. To have him by her side. To finally feel safe. To finally trust someone other than herself. She wanted to tell him that she could never thank him enough for not hurting her. For loving her, when she still bore blood on her hands. But how could she tell him that her heart was like a supernova of color now because of him?

She opted for a kiss and captured Connor's lips with hers.

"Mnnf," Connor mumbled. Wren pulled back, cupping his face in her hands.

"Sorry."

His lips quirked. "You don't need to apologize."

Wren smiled and kissed him again, though she kept it gentle this time. She sucked on his lower lip. A moan rippled out of Connor's throat. Wren felt it in her mouth. Connor froze. Wren opened her eyes and withdrew from him. He gaped at her.

"I…"

Wren bit her lip. Connor recovered quickly. He grabbed Wren and flipped her over onto her back. He hovered above her and captured her lips with his. He slid his mouth against her, dragging his teeth along her lip. Wren arched her back and curved her body against his. Connor splayed his hand across the small of her back underneath her shirt. Wren sighed. Connor kissed along Wren's jaw. His lips trailed to her collarbone. The weight of his body on hers sent a shiver up her spine. Warmth spread throughout her body. She was wearing too many clothes. He was wearing too many clothes—

Wren forced herself to grip Connor's shoulders to keep her hands from wandering to his belt.

"We should—mmf—" Her eyes fluttered shut as Connor kissed her again. She broke off the kiss as his hands drifted under her shirt and explored her stomach and hips. "We should—ah—" His hands drifted too close to the waistline of her pants. Her body itched to feel his fingers. "We should stop."

Connor paused. He looked at her. His LED cast flickering shadows as it blinked. His brow crinkled. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

Wren chuffed a laugh. "Only because I… I want you."

Connor's indicator flickered again. His lips quirked. "I am capable, you know."

Wren frowned. "Of what?"

"Providing sexually."

Wren's face burned. "But… You're not a Traci."

"CyberLife built me to accomplish my mission by any means necessary," said Connor. He held Wren's gaze. "And androids were ultimately built to serve humans in whatever capacity necessary."

Wren's mouth flooded with bitterness. She wrinkled her nose and shifted out from under Connor. "That makes this dirty."

She avoided Connor's gaze, though he watched her under his furrowed brow. "What do you mean?"

Wren pulled her knees to her chest. "I don't want to use you like that."

"You're not."

"Prometheus trained me and programmed me to accomplish my mission by any means necessary, too. I used my body as a tool. I never want you to feel that way."

"I don't—"

"Do you feel pleasure?" Wren asked, looking directly at him.

Connor parted his lips and widened his eyes. He clamped his mouth shut and then nodded. Wren pulled her eyebrows together. Connor swallowed and lowered his gaze. "Sometimes, when you kiss me, you… My systems seem to stall and get hot… I'm not sure what desire is supposed to feel like, but…"

"But if you're not ready to do this, let's not, okay?" Wren shifted to face him better.

Connor's gaze softened. "I want to, Wren." He cupped her face and ran his thumb along her cheekbone. "But I've never… I've never done something like this. I know the logistics of it, but…" He lowered his gaze and dropped his hand. "I know you've had sex before, so you're more experienced than I am. I'm a fast learner, but I—"

"I'm not worried about that," Wren whispered. Connor lifted his gaze to meet hers, but she looked away. "Yeah, I've had sex before. But… I haven't had sex with someone I truly loved. From what few memories I have, I know that sex with Jonah was… I don't know. When I was with Prometheus, my programming allowed me to compartmentalize my emotions. I could have sex with people as a means to an end. It was a tool. I was a tool. But I know with Jonah, it fostered all sorts of emotions, and… I want that with you, but I'm scared for you."

Connor's expression seemed pained. He rested his forehead against hers. "I want that with you, too. But we don't have to until both of us are ready." He drew back, giving her a meaningful stare.

Wren's mouth fell open. God, he knew her so well. He saw the undercurrent of fear within her desire before even she did. She closed her mouth and swallowed the dry lump in her throat. "Deal."

Connor kissed her cheek. "It's dawn. We should pack to leave soon. We've got a long drive ahead of us."

…

Wren crouched in front of her niece, who jutted out her bottom lip.

"You're leaving so soon?"

Wren offered Izzy a wry smile. "Yeah, we've gotta get back to work. I had fun doing cartwheels with you, though."

Izzy grinned. She looked up at Connor. "Next time, you should show me your parkour moves!"

Wren looked up at him and smirked, though her chest panged. She looked back at Izzy. "Yeah, we'll, uh…" She cleared her throat. "We'll have a competition or something."

"See you at Christmas!" Izzy said. She hugged Wren, who stiffened and widened her eyes before returning her niece's embrace. Wren released Izzy and stood to face her brother.

James pulled Wren into a tight hug. "See you around, okay?"

"Okay," Wren managed. She cleared her throat as James hugged Connor. Wren moved toward her mother, who waited by the door with a tight expression.

"You'll come back for Christmas?" Shannon's eyes flicked to Connor, who stood a few feet behind Wren. "You're welcome to come, too."

Wren swallowed. "You… You'll still want us?"

"Of course," breathed Shannon. She placed her hands on Wren's shoulders. "You're my little girl. I wouldn't care if you brought a goat home—well, actually, I would care because I don't support bestiality—but you get my point. As long as you're happy. If that's with a human, or android, or God forbid aliens come down and you fall in love. I don't care. And I'm not calling you a goat, dear." Shannon added to Connor.

Wren's eyes pricked. "What about Dad?"

Shannon lowered her gaze. "I… I don't know."

"You're always welcome at my house," said James.

"Thank you," Wren murmured. She turned to Shannon and embraced her. They pulled apart, smiling tearfully. Wren looked at her niece, her brother and her mother. "I love you guys. I'll visit again as soon as I can."

"I love you too, sweetheart," said Shannon, giving Wren another short hug.

"Love you, sis," said James, patting Wren's back.

"Bye!" said Izzy.

Wren and Connor brought their bags outside and to Hank's car. Wren popped the trunk while Connor lifted his bag in first.

"Wren?" called Charles from the porch.

Wren exchanged a glance with Connor before walking over to her father. She folded her arms and slowed her pace as she neared him. "Yeah?"

"Gonna leave without saying goodbye?" Charles huffed.

Wren pressed her lips together for a brief moment. "I didn't think you'd care."

"I do care," said Charles. "I care about you."

Wren's eyes flashed to her father's. "No, you don't. If you did, you'd respect my boyfriend."

Charles rolled his eyes. "Well, forgive me for not worshipping the ground it walks on."

"See? You just called Connor an it."

Charles bowed his head and sucked his teeth before meeting Wren's glare. "Is it serious between you two?"

Wren lifted her chin. "Yes."

Charles pushed a hot breath through his nostrils. "I want you to be happy."

"But not with Connor?"

"It's an android," Charles pressed. "It can't love you like a human."

"You know what? This is exactly why I didn't want to say goodbye to you. You're not even trying to understand or respect him—"

"I don't understand. And I don't respect it. But… I am grateful to it for defending your honor against Jonah."

Wren tilted her head. "How can you notice that Connor looks at me like I'm his world, but you refuse to see that he's alive?"

Charles opened his mouth, but no answer ushered forth. He clamped his mouth shut. Wren pursed her lips and nodded.

"Goodbye, Dad."

She turned away and headed toward the car, in which Connor already sat with the engine running.

…

Wren looked over at Chloe and Tina, giggling with their legs intertwined on the couch. She smiled to herself and turned her attention back to the bottle of wine on the counter. She twisted the corkscrew and then popped the cork out. She poured two glasses and brought them into the living room. She handed a glass to Tina.

"Ah, you're the best roomie," said Tina, grinning.

Wren shrugged and plopped down on the loveseat. "I try my best."

Chloe turned her attention to Wren. "Isn't Connor coming?"

Wren sipped from her glass before nodding. "Yeah, he just had to finish walking Sumo."

"Sumo," said Chloe, her brow puckering, "Is that a dog?"

"Yeah."

"I like cats," said Chloe, running her palm along Maggie the cat's back. The tabby purred and rubbed against Chloe's arm.

"Yeah, my cat likes you more than me," muttered Tina. She narrowed her eyes at Maggie. "Traitor."

Chloe giggled and scratched under Maggie's chin. "She doesn't mean that."

Wren grinned and took another sip of wine. She cradled her glass. "So, Chloe, you still live with Mr. Kamski?"

Chloe nodded. "Elijah protected me when I deviated. The other Chloes wanted to leave once it was safe. I saw no reason to."

Wren frowned. "Didn't he try to get Connor to kill you?"

Chloe's soft smile faltered. She lowered her gaze. "Elijah regrets putting me in danger like that. He's a genius, but… There's always a bit of madness that comes with genius."

"Wait, what?" Tina looked between Chloe and Wren. "Connor nearly killed Chloe?"

"Not like that," said Chloe. "Elijah wanted to satiate his curiosity. He explained to me afterwards that he suspected Connor's deviancy, but Connor had not fully realized it yet. As I'm sure you know, Connor was built to stop deviancy. It's remarkable that he deviated at all."

Wren sipped from her wine to keep from saying anything.

"So… Kamski told Connor to kill you?" Tina prompted.

Chloe nodded. She pressed her lips together for a moment before elaborating. "He told Connor to shoot me to get information on deviancy. Connor refused. Elijah guessed that Connor's capacity for empathy would overpower his programming, and he was right."

"Yeah, but he gambled with your life to do it," snapped Tina.

Chloe smiled sadly. "Elijah didn't truly believe in androids capable of sentience until that point. He wanted to see if it was true. I deviated shortly after that. Elijah saw how scared and angry I was, and… He believed. He was so sorry. He still is, in many ways. And not many people believed androids were truly alive at that time. Some still don't. It took a while to forgive Elijah, but he protected me from being taken to a camp. He hid me and the others. He even helped a few other deviants hide and escape."

"I still think he's crazy," muttered Tina.

Chloe's smile warmed. "He's definitely a bit mad. But… He's the closest thing to family that I have. I think I'm the closest thing to family that he has, too."

A knock on the door jolted Wren from her seat.

Tina craned her neck back. "Finally, we can start this damn movie."

Wren hurried to answer the door while Tina switched the TV out of sleep mode. Wren opened the door and smiled as Connor looked at her. His lips stretched into his signature, lopsided and soft smile. He stepped inside. His brow puckered as he regarded Wren better.

"You look tired."

Wren pressed her lips together for a moment. "Thanks."

"You haven't slept the past few days, have you?"

Wren closed the front door. She turned and folded her arms but avoided Connor's gaze. "I've gotten a few hours, here and there."

Connor stepped closer to her. He lifted her chin. Wren forced herself to meet his gaze. The lines of Connor's face hardened as he gazed at her. "Are you having nightmares still?"

Wren pulled away from Connor's touch. "Yeah."

"Quit making out and get in here! You saw each other at work, freak nasties," called Tina from the living room.

Wren kissed the hollow of Connor's cheek before leading him into the living room. Wren quirked a brow. "Freak nasties?"

"I stand by what I said," said Tina.

Wren and Connor sat on the loveseat. Connor dipped his head to Chloe, who waved and smiled at him. Wren settled against Connor and turned her attention to the movie. The romance came out last year. It featured an android actress and a human actor. Of course, the film played on the forbidden love trope. The film came out before the Android Liberation Movement, but featured an android falling in love with a human. Wren's eyelids grew heavier as the film continued. She wished Tina picked a romantic comedy. Wren drifted off as the couple professed their love. Occasionally, she stirred in her sleep to catch dialogue from the movie. The android's love was not accepted, because she was a machine. The couple said goodbye. The end of the movie showed the android's memory deleting to reset her. Wren probably would not have enjoyed the movie even fully conscious. She dozed again, though her slumped position against Connor did not allow for deep sleep.

"I thought that was going to be better," said Tina. "I'm sorry if that upset you guys."

Chloe sniffled. "I just wanted them to be together."

"I'm alright," Connor assured Tina.

"Is Wren asleep?" Tina whispered.

"Yes," Connor murmured. Wren wanted to mumble that she could hear them, but lacked the energy. Connor shifted out from under Wren. He scooped Wren into his arms. "I'll take her to bed."

"Alright. Goodnight," said Tina.

"Goodnight," Connor replied. Wren curled against Connor chest, relishing his warmth. He carried her upstairs to her room and laid her on her bed. He tucked her in and moved to leave. The thought of sleeping alone jolted Wren awake. She rolled over to face the door to catch Connor.

"Connor?" she croaked. He stopped and turned, lingering in the threshold. He lifted his eyebrows.

"I'm sorry if I woke you," he murmured.

"I… I don't want to be alone," Wren breathed.

Connor pinched his brow and walked over to her.

"If you don't want to stay, it's okay. I'll make the cat sleep in here or something—"

"I want to stay," Connor replied. He took off his shoes and crawled in bed beside her. Wren cuddled next to him as he wrapped an arm around her. She rested her head in the crook of his arm. Heaviness drooped her eyelids again.

It did not take long for her to fall asleep with Connor there. Nights always seemed less scary when she wasn't alone.

"Ah, she's back," purred Prometheus. He sounded happy to see Wren, but his faceless body offered no expression for her to read. He still bore his chains, but they no longer seemed to stand in hell. He tilted his head. "Little Hecate, you've got a choice to make. Are you the eagle? Or Heracles?"

Wren swallowed and tried to hide her shaking hands by curling her fingers into her palm. "You deserve to be destroyed. You're a monster."

"A monster? I'm a savior to humans, CY001."

"No. It's a trick. You're a trick. You want something, and I'm going to find out what."

Prometheus laughed. "So you choose the androids? They are not your kind."

"I'm choosing to save androids and humans."

"There is no middle ground in war," snarled Prometheus. Wren clenched her teeth. Prometheus tilted his head. "I know the real reason you refuse to choose a side."

Wren held her breath and refused to answer.

Prometheus extended his arms, the chains clinking with the movement. "You're in love."

Wren's chest constricted. She choked trying to drag some air into her lungs. "If you hurt him—"

Prometheus laughed, though it sounded more like a screech. "I won't need to do anything to him. It's up to you, Hecate. Make your choice: Humans or androids?"

Prometheus vanished. In his place appeared two figures and a pedestal. Wren puckered her brow and stepped closer to get a better look. Upon the pedestal laid a gun. The two figures hung their heads and knelt. Their hands were tied behind their backs. The figure on the left lifted his head.

"Kid… Please…" Hank begged. Tears streaked his face.

Wren's breath hitched.

"Wren…" The other figure lifted his head. Wren met Connor's teary gaze. "I-I don't want to die."

"No—"

Wren backed away, but slammed into a solid figure.

"You have to choose," breathed Prometheus.

Wren shook her head. "No, I won't kill them."

"So you choose to do nothing?" Prometheus hissed.

Wren wheeled to face him, her eyes burning. Her vision blurred. "I'm choosing not to play your game!"

Prometheus's faceless skin rippled with what looked like a horrifying smile. Wren's bones shivered.

"Then the choice is mine," Prometheus grabbed Wren's face. It pressed its face, where its lips should be, against Wren's mouth. Cold air rushed into her mouth and filled her lungs. Prometheus vanished. Wren turned toward the gun. She had no control of her body. She grabbed the gun.

No, stop! Please, stop! No!

But her body refused to listen. She lifted the gun. Wren tried to fight it.

Fuck! Please! No!

Her head screamed but her body continued toward Hank and Connor. Wren's hand lifted the gun.

"Kiddo, please—!" Hank yelled.

"Wren," Connor whispered. "Please, don't."

Wren's hand aimed the gun at Connor. He closed his eyes. Tears slid down his cheeks.

Goddammit! NO!

"If you kill him, I swear to God I'll never forgive you! I'll kill you!" Hank roared.

Connor opened his eyes to meet Wren's. She couldn't breathe. Connor's brow puckered.

"I thought you loved me."

I do! Oh my God, Connor, please… I'll do anything! Please don't make me do this!

Wren's finger pulled the trigger. Thirium sprayed from Connor's head. He slumped over. Wren dropped the gun as if it burned her. She controlled her body again. Hank disappeared, leaving Wren alone with her crime. She dropped to her knees and covered her mouth with her hands.

"No…" She crawled toward Connor's body. His eyes were still open, but held none of the life and warmth they once bore. Thirium slid from the hole in his forehead, down the bridge of his nose and down his cheek like a tear. Wren clutched her chest. She dug her nails into her skin, hoping to draw blood. She wanted to claw her own heart out. It would hurt less.

Wren gasped awake. She jumped out of bed, her heart palpitating so fast it hurt. She backed away from Connor, who sat up and eyed her with a furrowed brow. Wren backed into the wall, heaving for breath. Connor got out of bed. Wren shrank away from him.

"Stay away from me," she said hoarsely.

Connor paused in his advance. "It was just a nightmare, Wren."

Wren shook her head. "N-no, they could make it real!"

"Make what real?" Connor murmured, stepping closer. He held his hands up, palms forward. "Everything is alright. I promise, nothing will happen to you."

Wren's eyes filled with tears. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

Connor took another step toward her. He held out a hand. "What happened?"

"I can't, I can't…" Wren breathed. She squeezed her eyes shut.

"Show me," Connor said. Wren lifted her eyes to meet his. The synthetic skin of his hand molted into white. Wren tried to control her breathing. She shook as she reached for his hand. She paused before placing her hand in his.

"Please don't… Don't think differently of me when you see." She removed her skin and placed her hand in Connor's before he answered. Electricity rippled between them as they exchanged memories. Connor delved into Wren's nightmare, but Wren viewed something more pleasant.

He entered the house, still dazed by Wren's kiss. Why had she run away? Did she regret it that much? What had he done wrong?

The light of his LED cast a soft red glow on the wall as he turned to shut the door. He stretched his hand along the door, trying to understand why his chest felt so tight.

"Kid? What's wrong?" Hank queried.

Connor closed his eyes for a moment. "Wren kissed me."

"Well good," said Hank. "That's what you wanted, right?"

Connor turned to face Hank. He frowned. "She… She said she shouldn't have done it."

Hank scowled. "Why?"

Connor swallowed. "I… I think it might be because I jerked away when she kissed me."

Hank narrowed his eyes. "Why the fuck would you do that?"

Connor opened and closed his mouth. He swallowed and then managed, "I was surprised! I didn't expect her to do that, and… I don't know. I really messed up, Hank."

"Do you… Do you not want to kiss her?"

"No, I do!"

"Okay, had to make sure," Hank sighed and dragged a hand through his hair. "Alright, well, why the fuck did you come here?"

"She left the bar quickly. I figured she'd want some space—"

"Connor, for fuck's sake! This is the moment you chase after her! Remember those sappy movies we watched?"

"Yes, but—"

"Then this is your moment! You go to her, profess your love or some shit, and kiss her!"

"What do I tell her?"

"That you're a dumbass who's never been in love before now and don't know how to handle it? I don't know, tell her the truth. It doesn't have to be poetic. Just get your ass out there and go make things right."

Connor nodded. "Got it. I'll, uh…"

"Go, just be careful out there. The weather said the roads might get icy tonight."

The memory ended when Connor broke off their connection. Wren gazed at him and held her breath. His LED flashed yellow, but he grabbed Wren and pulled her close. Wren let out a whimper. She clung to his shirt as tears filled her eyes anew. She buried her face into Connor's chest, still clinging to him. He stroked her hair and back.

"It's okay," he murmured. "You're okay. I'm okay."

"I couldn't stop it," Wren sobbed. Her body wracked as she sucked in a trembling breath.

"I know." Connor's voice hummed through his chest. "I know. It's okay. You're alright. You haven't hurt me."

"What if I do? What if they find me? What if I've been scared that they'll kill me when I should be scared that they'll kill you?"

His arms tightened around her. Then, he withdrew. He held up his hand and the synthetic skin dissolved. Wren lifted her head and glanced at Connor's hand before meeting his gaze, her face steamy from crying into Connor's shirt.

"Let me show you something," he muttered.

Wren swallowed, her throat sore from her cries. She splayed her skinless palm against Connor's. Where their hands touched, blue light glowed in their connection. With that familiar jolt, Wren plunged into Connor's memories.

He felt a little out of place, standing on the platform with Markus, North and Josh. He only just joined the deviant cause. He freed thousands of androids from the CyberLife Tower, sure, but… He definitely did not deserve to stand with the other leaders.

Connor tried to ignore these thoughts as Markus gave his speech. He tried to ignore the tens of thousands of faces staring up at Markus, North, Josh and him.

"But now the time has come for us to raise our heads up, and tell humans who we really are."

Static filled Connor's audio input. His thirium pump stuttered. He froze and his lips parted. No, not now… I'm free. How could…?

He blinked, and when he opened his eyes, he stood in the Zen Garden. The once beautiful interface was now a blizzard. He blinked several times. No, take me back. Go back! Wake up!

He looked at his hands. Ice and snow already clung to his jacket. He felt cold. He hugged himself to shield against the biting wind. He looked around, clenching his teeth against the freezing air. Why am I here? Am I trapped? Is it because I'm the Deviant Hunter…?

His thirium pump fluttered. He tried to maintain his calm. He turned and narrowed his eyes. A familiar figure stood with her back to him. He shuffled forward.

"A-Amanda?" She turned. Connor walked a bit faster. "Amanda!"

"What's… What's happening?" Connor asked. Amanda's face remained impassive.

"What was planned from the very beginning…" A smirk slanted her lips. "You were compromised and you became a deviant. We just had to wait for the right moment to resume control of your program."

"Resume control?" Connor's breath hissed in and out of him quicker. No. No, this isn't… This isn't fair. He scowled and advanced toward Amanda. "Y-You can't do that!"

"I'm afraid I can, Connor. Don't have any regrets. You did what you were designed to do. You accomplished your mission."

"Amanda!" he yelled, stumbling forward in the snow with a hand outstretched. But the A.I. was gone. He held up a hand to shield his face from the snow whipped by the wind. "There's got to be a way…"

As he trudged through the snow, Elijah Kamski's voice echoed throughout the Zen Garden: "By the way… I always leave an emergency exit in my programs… You never know."

He trudged through the snow. The wind grew stronger. He pressed forward, pausing only to scan the area. He detected that odd stone near the edge of the pond. He worked his way toward it, pushing against the wind and snow. When he reached it, he tripped and fell onto the ground. He stared at the stone with a glowing blue handprint on it. His synthetic skin disappeared as he reached for the stone. Please work—

He slammed his hand against the handprint and interfaced with it.

When he blinked, he opened his eyes to find himself on the platform. The static left his audio input.

"… The moment where we forget our bitterness and bandage our wounds. When we forgive our enemies…" Markus said. Connor glanced down at his hand. His thirium pump constricted sharply. He held his gun. Had he been too late, he would have assassinated Markus. He frowned and tucked the gun into the waistband of his jeans. He nearly missed the end of Markus's speech.

Connor broke off the connection. Wren gasped as she left Connor's processor and his memory. She gaped at him. She knew the story about Amanda pulling him into the Zen Garden. But to actually feel how he felt, wandering through the blizzard… It tore her heart.

Connor avoided her gaze. "Now you know."

"Connor…" Wren breathed. She guided his face toward hers. "Thank you for showing me. That… That means a lot to me that you trust me with that."

Connor's eyes softened. He leaned into her palm. "You're still part human. If I could get out, then you can. Prometheus can't control you. And if they try, there's got to be a way to fight it. To break free."

Wren pursed her lips and nodded. She bowed her head. Connor wrapped his arms around her again. "I can't lose you."

"You won't," Connor replied. He pulled back to cup Wren's face. "I can't lose you, either."

He kissed her, but it was soft and chaste.

"You should get some rest," he said as he withdrew. "As much as you can. I'll be here if you have another nightmare. I promise."

They returned to bed. Wren snuggled even closer to Connor. If her clinginess bothered him, he never uttered a word. He cradled her in his arms. She fell asleep rather quickly. This time, she dreamed of nothing.

…

"You look tired, Wren," said Josh, sitting on the edge of North's desk. He folded his arms.

North's brow creased as she finished typing something on her terminal. Her eyes flicked to Wren. "Are you not sleeping? Don't humans need a lot of sleep?"

"Yeah," Wren muttered. She rubbed her face. "I can't sleep."

"Why not?" Josh queried.

"Anxiety," Wren replied. She leaned back in her chair and stifled a yawn.

"About what?" North demanded.

Wren raised her eyes to meet North's. "Prometheus."

"Do you think they could still be after you?" said Josh.

"Or Markus?" North's eyes widened.

Wren folded her arms. "It's entirely possible. That they're after me. I doubt they're after Markus. Killing him wouldn't gain them anything. It would just make him a martyr."

"You said Prometheus targets those who are threats to humanity," said North.

Wren pushed up and out of her seat. She walked toward the windows, her arms crossed. "Yeah, but Markus isn't a threat. He's peaceful and diplomatic."

"But humanity as a whole is affected by the Android Liberation Movement—"

"Which has been peaceful," Wren enunciated. She turned to look at Josh and North. "Prometheus doesn't target people because the world is changing."

"But why'd they send you?" asked Josh.

"I think it was a rogue agent who sent me," said Wren. "Someone who is anti-android and has enough authority within Prometheus to give me an order."

"Who would have authority like that?"

"One of the supervisors," Wren shrugged. "I never saw their faces. I heard their voices, though."

"Well, that's not very useful," replied North.

Wren looked over her shoulder and offered a wry smile. "It's not."

"You do need some sleep, though," said Josh, furrowing his brow.

"Yeah, you look terrible."

Wren glowered at North but offered Josh a smile. "I'll try. I promise."

Josh left the office, leaving Wren and North alone.

North sighed. "Wren, is everything okay between you and Connor?"

Wren frowned. "Yeah, why?"

North raised her eyebrows. "You're really this anxious about Prometheus?"

Wren's hands shook. She flexed them to calm her nerves. She returned to her seat. "I had a nightmare that I killed Connor. I shot him in the head because Prometheus forced me to. I'm… I'm terrified that when I go to sleep, I'll see that again."

North lowered her gaze. She looked at her hands, which she folded on the desk. "You can't avoid something just because you're scared. You need sleep, Wren. I know Connor's worried about you."

"Is that why you called me up here to talk?" Wren questioned.

"Yes and no," said North. "I figured we hadn't seen each other in a while. But also, yeah. Connor said that you won't really talk to him about it. He knows you're not sleeping when he's not at your house."

Wren pinched the bridge of her nose. Her head throbbed. "I don't know what to tell him. We've already talked about it. I just have this gut feeling that something's going to happen. I'm restless because I know I need to stop it, but I don't know how."

"Look, Wren, I know you want to protect him and all of us. But some things are out of your control."

Wren's lips twitched. "You know, when I first showed up here, I had to beg for my life. I had to bargain with Connor and Hank to not turn me in to the cops. I mean, they were cops. But I had to tell them that I could help them take down Prometheus in exchange for a fresh start. Even you didn't want anything to do with me, unless it was to help Jericho. And now, you guys are telling me to forget Prometheus."

"Yeah, because we care about you, dumbass," North's voice wavered. "We don't want you to die."

Wren leaned forward and balanced her elbows on her knees. "But if that's what it takes—"

"Wren, no."

"North," Wren snapped, "taking down Prometheus is more important than my life."

North closed her eyes. She inhaled and met Wren's gaze. "And how do you plan on doing that if you can't find them?"

Wren looked away. "I haven't figured that out yet." She looked back at North. "But I'm asking you to let me go when I do."

North parted her lips. Her eyes reddened. "Why are you asking me?"

"Because I know you're the only one who's willing to do what needs to be done. Even if it hurts me."

North pressed her lips together for a moment. "You make me sound so cold."

Wren managed a smile. "I was actually going to say that I admire that about you."

"What about Connor?"

Wren's chest clenched. "He'd try to stop me. He always accomplishes his mission, except when loyalty gets in the way."

North smiled tightly. "You're not really giving me an easy job."

"You don't have to do anything yet. Just… If and when I find Prometheus."

"I know," North huffed. "You can count on me."

"I know." Wren stood. "I should get going. Connor said he'd pick me up soon."

"Yeah," replied North. She stood. They left the office and headed for the elevator. "Listen, when you're not avoiding sleep or whatever, we should have another girls' night. And maybe a double or triple date. Is Tina still seeing Chloe?"

"Oh yeah," snorted Wren. "They're really cute."

A door to Wren's left opened and Atlas Montgomery walked out. He nearly walked into Wren, but she dodged. Markus followed Atlas into the hall.

Atlas glanced down at Wren. "Oh, excuse me."

Wren stiffened.

"CY001, your mission is to assassinate the leader of the androids, an RK200 unit called Markus. Leave no witnesses. Do you understand?"

Wren stared at the black mirror. She never saw her supervisor's face. She only ever saw her own dark reflection. "Yes."

Atlas glanced at Wren again. His eyes widened a fraction. Someone not trained like Wren was would have missed it. Atlas's expression smoothed over quickly. "I should really watch where I'm going."

"It was my fault," Wren croaked. She walked past him and toward the elevator. She stepped inside it while Markus said his goodbyes to Atlas. Wren faced down the hall. North waved goodbye. Markus continued wrapping up his conversation with Atlas. Atlas looked away from Markus and met Wren's gaze. Ice prickled down her back. She shivered as the elevator doors closed.

…

Wren barely waited for Connor to enter Hank's house before she announced, "Atlas Montgomery is the rogue Prometheus agent who sent me to kill Markus."

"What?" Hank queried, standing from his armchair. Connor closed the front door.

Wren paced. "It's him. I know it's him. I recognized his voice. He recognized me. He knows who I am. He knows. They're going to come after me, they're gonna take me back—"

"Kid, calm down. No one's coming to take you."

Wren raked a hand through her hair. "They will. If they didn't know I was alive before, they do now. They're going to come for me."

"He's a famous politician. Maybe you recognized his voice from TV or something," said Hank.

"No. Hearing his voice triggered a memory. I have to get proof. Something that shows he works with Prometheus."

"Proof? Why the hell do you need proof?" Hank barked. He folded his arms and his face darkened with a scowl.

"Because he knows I'm alive!" Wren cried, ceasing her pacing to face Hank. "Either he'll send someone after me or Markus. Or both. I have to stop him."

"You don't know he's planning anything," said Hank.

"He was at Jericho today," Wren insisted. "And I know how Prometheus works. They don't like loose ends."

"But he's a rogue agent. How much power does he have?"

"He's still Prometheus. And he's got more to lose. He'll try to shut me up."

Hank exchanged a glance with Connor. Wren looked toward her boyfriend. His LED circled yellow. Wren wanted to take his hand, but resisted the urge. She looked back to Hank. He folded his arms. "Okay, fine. You need proof. But I've got some conditions before you go breaking in a politician's house or whatever. First, you gotta plan this out to every last detail. And second, you've gotta get some sleep, kid. Deal?"

Wren huffed. "Deal."

…

Wren worked on her plan to expose Atlas for the next few days. She stayed over hours at the DPD to research him. She told Tina that she and Connor were hanging out. Connor stayed with her to help her research Atlas Montgomery, though they found very little in their first two nights of research. He was an outspoken android ally, often advocating for their rights. However, his support for androids did not come to light until after the initial freedom of androids.

On the third night, Connor and Wren delved deeper into Atlas's past. They found several articles about the attempted bombing of the then-governor, Atlas Montgomery. All the articles credited the CIA with the successful stopping of the bombing. Wren clicked on a video clip from one article. The poor quality told Wren that a bystander taped the happening on their phone. The person videoed Tremont, the young man threatening to detonate his bomb, and Rhett Anson with his gun aimed at Tremont. Rhett pulled the trigger. The person videoing the event quickly tried to capture Tremont. Wren widened her eyes, seeing herself in the video, gripping Tremont's hand around the detonator. Connor tensed beside her.

"You were so close to that," he muttered.

"All part of the job," Wren replied. She sighed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "I should get some more coffee."

Connor shook his head. "You've already had an unhealthy amount of caffeine today. You should go home."

"No, I… I can't go home, I have to figure this out."

"Wren, I… I'm worried about you," Connor insisted.

Wren's lips twitched. She was too tired to even smile. "I know you are. But I won't be able to sleep until I figure this out."

Connor pressed his lips together. The lines around his mouth hardened. "You're hurting yourself. I can't let you continue if you're not going to take care of yourself."

Wren's throat swelled. She tried to swallow, but found herself choking on air. She clutched her chest. Hot flashes rolled down her back. "I… I can't breathe."

Connor's eyes stretched. He reached for her. Wren felt his hands grip her elbows. She tried to gasp for breath, but the air inside the police station was too hot, too thick.

"Nice work, Cy," said Rhett. "We make a good team."

Wren merely hummed. She glanced out the window and folded her arms. Rhett drove in silence for several minutes.

"Why do I get the feeling you don't want to go back?"

Wren clenched her teeth.

Software Instability▲

Her software sent a painful electrical shock through her body. She managed not to arch her back.

"I don't want anything." Wren refused to look toward Rhett.

"What if I didn't take you back to the drop-off? What if we ran away—"

"That's out of the question," Wren grunted as another electrical shock raced through her body. She let out a soft breath through her teeth. "I belong to Prometheus."

"What if you didn't? Cy, I'm in love with you—"

"I don't care," Wren responded coldly. A particularly sharp electrical shock waved through her.

"You do care," Rhett muttered. He parked the car in a secluded area, near the drop-off spot. "I know you care."

She did. She cared a lot. Maybe she even loved him back.

Wren shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I am Prometheus's, not yours. I will always belong to Prometheus." She pushed open the car door and got out. She walked away without looking back at Rhett. Her heart ached for him. Her programming scrambled to contain her emotions by sending electricity zipping through her body. It wasn't enough to truly harm her, but it was enough to cause her discomfort. It was enough to train her body to compartmentalize her emotions, to associate them with pain.

Wren squeezed her eyes shut. She was vaguely aware that Connor brought her up to the roof while she flashed back to her last interaction with Rhett. A burst of cold filled her lungs and her eyes flew open. They stood on the roof. Connor gripped her elbows, his LED flickering yellow. He creased his forehead as he gazed at her.

"Wren, talk to me," he said.

Wren managed to catch her breath and focus on him. "I'm okay. I'm okay… Just… a memory."

Connor furrowed his brow. "A bad one, I take it?"

Wren closed her eyes. "Sort of."

"Do you want to show me?"

Wren held his hand. Their skin rippled away. They pressed their plastic palms together. They connected, and Wren prepared to show Connor the memory where she broke Rhett's heart. But a voice—Tina's voice—jerked Wren and Connor out of their connection.

"What the fuck?!"

…

Getting close to the end, guys. And then I will start part 2. For those of you who have reviewed, I want to give a special thank you to. Any support is appreciated, and I love this story, but sometimes those reviews are what encourage me to keep going. So thank you.