Chapter Twenty-Eight

A/N: I thought I put a warning but forgot! Sorry about that. NSFW ahead!

Connor jumped away from Wren and looked toward Tina, who gaped at them. Connor glanced toward Wren, whose cheeks drained of color.

Tina turned her wide eyes to Wren. "Y-you're an… android?"

"No," Wren said, holding her hands up, palms forward.

"Then what the fuck was that? Because I know those weren't prosthetics, because prosthetics can't connect to androids!"

Connor stepped toward Tina. "We can explain."

"Yeah, you better start fucking explaining!" Tina snapped. She turned her dark eyes to Wren. "What kind of android are you? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm not an android," Wren insisted.

"Then what are you?"

"I… I guess a cyborg."

Tina frowned. "A… A cyborg? I didn't even know those existed…"

Connor saw Wren flinch out of the corner of his eye. He looked at Tina sharply. "As far as we know, Wren's the only one."

"We can explain everything, but please… Not here. We're too exposed." Wren looked around.

Connor nodded.

Tina merely recoiled. "Exposed? To what? What the fuck is going on? What else are you hiding?"

"Let's go to Hank's house," said Wren.

Tina shook her head. "No, I'm not going anywhere with you. Not until you explain something."

Connor exchanged a glance with Wren. She pursed her lips as she gazed at him. Shadows circled her eyes. Connor resisted the urge to take her hand. Wren turned away from him and faced Tina.

"I won't explain everything out here. But I'll try to answer some of your questions. Okay?"

Tina pressed her lips together and nodded. "Fine. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Hank, Connor and I made the decision not to tell anyone for our safety."

Tina's eyes glistened with tears. "What are you involved with that's so dangerous?"

"I can't answer that out here," Wren breathed. "Tina, you're one of my best friends."

"How do I know that's not a lie? How much of you is a lie?"

Connor heard Wren's intake of breath and he reached for her hand. Their fingers intertwined. He faced Tina. "Do you trust Hank?"

Tina sniffled. "Yeah."

"Then let's go to his house," Connor insisted. "Or we can go to Jericho. Markus and North can explain as well."

"North knows?" Tina demanded, her voice reaching a higher octave.

"Yes," Connor replied. "She's part of the reason Wren's here." He looked down at her. Despite the tension, he couldn't help but reminisce on how far they'd come.

Tina grimaced. "Who else knows? Gavin? Chris?"

"They don't," murmured Wren.

Connor gritted his teeth for a moment. "Chloe knows."

Tina's eyes widened. "C-Chloe?"

The smallness of Tina's voice tugged at Connor's thirium pump. He pinched his brow. "Tina, let us explain. Come with us to Hank's."

Tina looked away for several seconds before nodding once. Connor walked with Wren, his hand still gripping hers, past Tina and toward the elevator. The silence choked him. His thirium pump palpitated, sending blue blood through his biocomponents with more speed than necessary. He breathed to help cool and ventilate his systems. He only imagined how Wren felt. He scanned Tina.

[Elevated heartbeat]

[Stress Levels: 59%]

Connor saw no reason to scan Wren's stress levels. He knew based on how tightly she held his hand.

Tina drove to Hank's. While she drove, Connor texted Hank what little he could.

Connor: We're coming home. Tina's with us. She knows.

Hank: Knows that?

Connor: Wren.

Hank: Shit.

Connor leaned his head back against the seat. "Shit" summed up the situation nicely. He rubbed the back of Wren's hand with his thumb. He stole a glance at her, but she stared ahead, her expression empty. Somehow, that unnerved Connor more.

Tina pulled up beside Hank's house. For a moment, no one moved. Then, Wren got out of the car. Connor followed. Tina got out, though she avoided Connor's eyes. The three of them strode toward the house. Tina hugged herself as they neared the front door. Connor wondered what she expected them to tell her.

They entered the house. Hank leaned against the threshold of the entrance to the kitchen, his arms folded. A frown puckered his brow.

"Tina," he greeted.

"Hank," Tina returned. Her voice sounded shaky.

"Everyone hand over your phones," said Hank. "I doubt anyone's listening in, but… Just to be safe."

Connor and Wren handed over their phones, but Tina hesitated.

Hank sighed. "Tina, I've known you for years. You really think I'm gonna hurt you? That any of us are going to hurt you?"

Tina's eyes flicked to Wren, but she handed her phone to Hank. Hank turned all of the phones off and put them in another room. He returned with an extra kitchen chair, which he placed at the table. He sat down and gestured to the other seats. Connor sat in between Tina and Wren. Hank raised his eyebrows at Connor.

"Alright, so how'd you two fuck up?"

"She saw us interface," Connor muttered. He looked down and away. Heat prickled up his neck. His biocomponents churned. He should have been more careful. He should have listened for Tina stepping out onto the roof. He should have been better.

Hank huffed and looked at Tina. "What are your questions, then?"

Tina parted her lips. She gaped at Hank for a few seconds, her dark eyes flitting to Wren, who stared at her hands on the table. Tina closed her mouth and swallowed.

"What is she? She said she's a… a cyborg, but… Those don't exist."

"There are sentient androids and you're saying cyborgs don't exist?" Hank snorted. He glanced at Wren, his eyes softening. He turned his gaze back to Tina. "Cyborgs don't exist to the public. And that's the point."

"How'd she get here? Why'd she come? Why the fuck does everyone seem to know but me?" Tina's voice wavered again.

"She's not a fuckin' alien," said Hank. "I assume she got here by car or something."

"She's sitting right here," muttered Wren. She folded her arms and leaned back in her seat. "I don't know exactly how I got here. I got here the same way I get to the locations of all my missions. They put a bag over my head and knock me out. I just wake up in a motel room with my equipment."

Tina's brow twitched. "Who's they?"

"Prometheus," Wren replied. "The people who made me into this." She lifted her right hand. The synthetic skin rippled away. The white plastic gleamed in the kitchen light. Tina seemed to suppress a flinch.

"That doesn't really answer my question."

Wren huffed. "I was in a terrible car wreck. Shattered the bones in my limbs. Even with physical therapy, I wouldn't have been able to be myself again. CyberLife found me and amputated my limbs and replaced them with android ones. But they did more than that. They gave me a processor, added wires and whatever they needed to make me what I am. They needed someone easy to control. Ten years ago, machines were easy to control. But humans are weak, too. Prometheus is an organization that does whatever it takes to protect humanity. They trained me and turned me into a weapon. I could manipulate anyone or kill anyone. I did whatever they ordered me to do. It was easy at first. Part of me believed I was doing the right thing. And it was safer to just agree with them. There's a lot of pain involved when your software becomes unstable." Wren smiled grimly. "But I started to doubt them. I fought my conditioning and my programming. I broke free when they sent me here to kill Markus."

Tina furrowed her brow. She seemed to add things up in her head, because her eyes widened. She looked between Hank and Connor. "The hostage situation… That was… That was Wren?"

"She took North as a hostage. We managed to stop her. She deviated from her programming," said Connor.

Tina looked at Hank, tears brimming in her eyes. "But… Why? Why didn't you lock her up? Why did you trust her?"

"I didn't trust her," said Hank. "But she offered to help us. She wanted a fresh start, but she'd help us take Prometheus down. She said she'd help protect Markus. So, we got her into the DPD to keep an eye on her. She didn't remember who she was, so we started by trying to figure that out."

"When we did, we found her family. The more she was exposed to things from her past, the more she began to remember," added Connor.

"And… We hit a dead end," said Wren. "I thought that once I figured out who I'd been, I could retrace my steps and figure out who Prometheus was. We talked to Kamski, which is why Chloe knows about me. She was there when we talked to him. He didn't have much information. He just said that it looked like his work, if a bit modified. He explained how the whole cyborg thing worked, because it was his idea. I was a product of CyberLife, after all. I still am."

"We haven't been looking for Prometheus because it's been quiet," said Hank. "And… We never expected to care for Wren. Or trust her. But we do."

Connor's lips twitched. His chest warmed and he looked at Wren, who offered Hank a small smile before turning to Tina.

"Tina, I only hid all of this to protect myself. To protect Markus. To protect all of you. Prometheus is dangerous and I don't want any of you to get hurt by them."

"So why endanger us?" Tina snapped. "Why have you hung around? Why haven't you gone looking for them?"

Wren blinked. "I…"

"I won't let her," said Hank. "She can't face 'em alone. And frankly, I don't want her to face 'em. I want her to forget about it all and just have her fresh start."

Wren sighed. "Hank, I've told you that I can't do that—"

"We're not arguing about this again," said Hank. "Not here. Not now."

Connor turned to Tina. "She's still Wren."

"Is she, though?" Tina said. Her eyes reddened. "How do you know she hasn't been manipulating us this whole time? Apparently, she's very good at keeping secrets. How do we know all of this isn't a lie?"

"Because I've seen her memories," Connor insisted, creasing his brow. He gazed at Tina in earnest. "More than that. I've felt her emotions."

"The fact that even North trusts her should be a pretty big tell," muttered Hank. "Wren held North at gunpoint and she and Markus trust her."

"Tina, I swear, that everything else was real. Our friendship is real. My fear of driving is real. My fear of being thrown into fucking pools is real. I told you most of the truth—"

Tina shook her head. "Stop. That… That somehow makes it worse, that you told me a bunch of half-truths and lies. I opened up to you about my parents… I trusted you with my life on the field, and you didn't have the decency to trust me with your true identity!"

"I-I couldn't," Wren said, tears welling in her eyes.

"Couldn't, or wouldn't?"

"I couldn't," Wren insisted. Her eyes flicked to Connor's. His chest ached to see the pain in her gaze. She looked back at Tina. "I swear, I was doing it for protection. Which is why you have to keep this secret now—"

"Were you ever going to tell me?" Tina demanded.

Connor glanced toward Wren, who pressed her lips into a flat line. She looked at her hands and uttered, "I don't know."

"It's not something that's easy to bring up," said Hank.

"I don't care," snapped Tina. She looked at Hank. "I looked up to you, Hank. And you lied about her. We're supposed to serve and protect, and you lied about someone who took a hostage!" She turned to Connor. "And you. I never would've thought you'd do this. You do everything by the book, exactly how you're supposed to do it. And now you guys expect me to keep this secret from Chris? From Gavin? From Fowler? I've known them longer than I've known Wren!"

Connor swallowed the lump in his throat. "I calculated the risks when we decided to make a deal with Wren. Her information was too valuable for her to go to jail."

"Tina, don't drag them into this," Wren muttered. "You can be mad, but… Just be mad at me."

"You know what? No," barked Hank. Wren, Tina and Connor looked at him, but Hank's eyes bore into Tina's. "You can be mad at me and Connor. We did what we thought was best because if there was even an ounce of truth to what Wren told us, we knew Markus was in serious danger. So yeah, we broke some rules. And you can be all pissy for us lying to you, but we did it to protect Wren. We lied to protect Markus, to protect Jericho, to protect you. The little we know about Prometheus is enough to tell me that they're dangerous and will do whatever it takes to protect humanity. So, you're in on the secret. We're trusting you not to tell anyone."

Tina pushed away from the table and stood. She walked toward the door and stopped, looking over her shoulder. "I… I need some time and space to think about all this. It's probably best if you don't come home tonight."

Tina left the kitchen and walked out the front door. Connor turned toward Wren, who gaped at the front door from their view in the kitchen. Connor's eyes flicked to Hank's. Hank sighed and placed a hand over Wren's.

"You know you're always welcome here, kid," he muttered.

Wren lowered her gaze. Her shoulders slumped. "Yeah. Thanks."

Connor's thirium pump twisted. The three of them sat in silence for several seconds before Hank finally stood and went to bed. Connor turned to Wren and pinched his brow.

"Are you okay?"

Wren avoided his gaze and nodded. She stared at her hands. The synthetic skin deactivated, and she stared at the white plastic. Connor's chest smarted for her. Did she ever wish for her human limbs? He remembered in old pictures of her that she used to have tattoos. Did she miss them?

Connor reached for her hand. His skin disappeared and the plastic of his hand covered hers. Wren lifted her eyes to meet his. His lips parted at the haunted depths in Wren's eyes. She broke off their contact, both eye and physical. She stood, but paused in the doorway of the kitchen.

"Can we… Can we share the bedroom?"

Connor nodded. He followed her into his room. He had decorated it some since Wren moved out. On the dresser sat a few framed pictures, one of Hank and him, one of Sumo and one of Wren and him. He rummaged through his drawers and pulled out a DPD T-shirt and sweatpants. He never wore them, but received them when the DPD promoted him to detective. He handed them to Wren, who thanked him quietly. She slipped into the bathroom and changed. Connor dressed into his usual pajamas and put his clothes into the hamper. Wren entered the room. His clothes were too big for her. She held the hem of the T-shirt with her teeth as she tried to tighten the sweatpants with the ties.

Connor caught himself staring at Wren's exposed stomach. She bore a few scars on her abdomen. His eyes traced a thin, faint one. He recalled patching that one up after she got slashed in an alleyway. Two scars near her lower ribs were foreign to Connor. One darker one, in between and slightly lower than her breasts, caused his mouth to dry. He remembered trying to stop the bleeding, trying to keep her alive, trying to keep his thirium pump from beating right out of his chest—

"Connor?" Wren queried. She dropped the hem of his shirt, covering her stomach. "Are you okay?"

Connor licked his lips and swallowed. He nodded, forcing himself to snap out of the memory of Wren nearly dying. "Y-yes. I'm sorry."

"For what?" Wren asked. Her voice sounded heavy.

"For…" Connor looked away from her. "Staring. And I'm sorry about Tina. I should've heard her come onto the roof…"

"It's not your fault," Wren sighed. She sat on the bed. "I… I didn't expect her to be so hurt by the lie. Some part of me is glad she knows. I'm tired of lying. I just… I didn't think it would destroy all of her trust in me. But I understand her hesitance to believe us about Prometheus. I've been here nearly a year and we haven't found anything. We just have my memories and we know who I used to be. That doesn't prove anything about Prometheus. It just proves that I'm… I'm crazy or something." She buried her face in her hands.

Connor frowned. He stepped toward her and crouched in front of her. "You're not crazy."

"But to someone who can't see my memories like you can, what proof do I have of Prometheus?" Wren demanded, dropping her hands from her face. Tears filled her eyes. Connor's thirium pump hurt to see her so upset.

"Kamski all but admitted that he knew of Prometheus and that he originally created your design," he said. "And your disappearance. What we know of who you used to be tells me that you wouldn't have just abandoned your family without absolutely need to. You were forced to leave. And you recognized Atlas Montgomery."

Wren pressed her lips together and looked away from him. Tears slid down her cheeks. "That doesn't prove anything. You and Hank could lose your jobs because you kept this a secret, because you trusted that we'd find Prometheus, and we haven't—"

Connor held her hands. "Listen to me, Wren. You matter more to me than finding Prometheus. I don't care if I lose my job. I care about what happens to you."

Tears dripped from Wren's eyes and splashed down her cheeks. She tugged on Connor's hands and pulled him close to her. He held her as she buried her face in his chest. Her body shook as she sobbed, and Connor just held her. He squeezed his eyes shut as Wren cried and clung to him. He wanted to take this pain from her, to see her smile again. But he knew there was nothing he could do except hold her.

…

It was a bit of a relief to find that Tina had not told anyone when Connor, Hank, and Wren arrived at work the next morning. However, Tina's coldness toward Hank, Connor, and especially Wren raised a few eyebrows. She usually treated them with warmth and jokes, but she went out of her way to ignore them. She regarded Hank and Connor stiffly when necessary, but refused to even look in Wren's direction.

Connor observed Wren, who pretended to ignore Tina, but he saw tightness in Wren's forehead and around her mouth. She was hurting, no matter how much she hid it. Hank and Gavin left the precinct to answer a disturbance call. Connor looked through the cases on his terminal, trying to determine which one required the most immediate attention. However, his processor continuously deviated from the task to Wren.

She used her hand to prop up her head as she looked through cases on her terminal. Her eyes bore a glazed sheen, and Connor knew that her she wasn't focusing on anything. She looked around when Tina and Chris got up to go to the breakroom. Connor waited for a moment and followed them. He took the elevator down and crossed the bullpen to the breakroom, where Tina and Chris fixed cups of coffee for themselves.

"Hey, Connor," greeted Chris. Connor flashed Chris a brief smile before making his way over to the coffee machine to fix Wren a cup. "Since when do you drink coffee?"

"I don't," Connor replied. He added the precise amount of cream and sugar that Wren normally used.

"Ah, getting your girl some coffee? Nice of you," said Chris.

Connor stirred the cream and sugar into the coffee and smiled slightly. "She didn't sleep much last night."

"Gee, I wonder why," muttered Tina. Connor turned and met her gaze.

Chris looked between them and frowned. "Is… Is everything okay? You and Wren haven't talked all day." He looked at Tina.

Connor's thirium pump. He braced himself to stop Tina from blurting out Wren's secret.

"She just hasn't been a very good friend lately," Tina replied. Connor relaxed.

Chris furrowed his brow. "Oh, man. What'd she do?"

Connor tensed.

Tina held Connor's gaze and said, "She just hasn't been honest with me."

"She had her reasons," Connor snapped.

Tina narrowed her eyes. "Friends shouldn't lie to each other."

"Whoa, hey," said Chris, lifting his hands, "whatever's going on, I think it's best if you guys keep it to yourselves and out of the office, alright?"

Connor dipped his head but eyed Tina. She remained quiet. Chris looked between them, but Connor pursed his lips and exited the breakroom. He rode the elevator with his left hand in a fist. In his right he clenched Wren's coffee. He pushed a breath through his nostrils before exiting the elevator. He brought the coffee to her and set it on her desk. She jerked as though he woke her.

"You didn't have to do that," she said.

"I know," Connor replied. "I wanted to."

Wren's lips twitched with the ghost of a smile. She took a sip. Her eyes warmed with a smile. "Thank you."

Connor returned the smile, feeling his own insides warm up. He just wanted her to smile again.

…

They stayed late at work again. Hank went home, as they could easily take a cab. Tina left without ever uttering a word to Wren. Connor pulled his chair up next to Wren's as they sifted through Atlas Montgomery's past. They looked through records, some of which they possessed access to due to their occupation, though some required some fenagling.

It seemed as though they reached another dead end when Connor read something interesting in Montgomery's property records.

"There's a house in Detroit that belongs to him," he said.

Wren frowned. "But he lives in Quantico."

"This house is under his name," said Connor. "It seems he paid cash for it."

"Cash? For a house? That couldn't have been cheap," said Wren.

"It wasn't," Connor replied. "He used a lot of his inheritance from his parents."

"You wouldn't pay cash for a house unless you don't want to leave a paper trail," Wren replied. "How'd you even find it?"

"He's been making large payments to renovate it," said Connor. "He isn't paying for those in cash. See?" He showed Wren the records of the renovations to the house.

Wren whistled. "Those aren't cheap. What the hell is he doing?"

Connor frowned as he examined the bank statement. "Many of these payments are for re-flooring and keeping the house in stable condition. There's nothing suspicious about that."

"No," agreed Wren, "Prometheus wouldn't leave a trail for two lowly cops to find." Her lips twitched. "But it is interesting that he paid cash for the house. I think it's worth checking out."

Connor stiffened. "Maybe. But what if we're wrong?"

"What if we're not?"

Connor scowled at her. "Wren…"

"Doing nothing is driving me crazy," Wren insisted. "Connor, please. I'll go alone—"

"No," Connor stated. He glanced at the address of the house. Then, he met Wren's pleading gaze. His thirium pump tugged. "What if we don't find anything?"

"Then… I'll back off Atlas Montgomery. I'll try to forget this. Or I'll wait for some other genius plan." Her joke hung weakly between them as Connor furrowed his brow.

"Alright," he relented. "When should we go?"

"Tomorrow night," said Wren. "He's supposed to have some pro-android function."

…

Connor found himself unable to focus the next day. Wren seemed just as antsy as they analyzed a crime scene. Connor analyzed the same blood sample three times (earning a "Connor you're so fucking disgusting" from Hank) before he realized he hadn't even examined the bullet casings on the floor.

They left the crime scene after analyzing it thoroughly. Hank peered at Connor with narrowed eyes. "Do you kiss Wren with that nasty mouth?"

Connor raised his eyebrows. "What?"

"Please tell me you wash your mouth before you kiss her," said Hank. "Especially after analyzing blood samples. Or anything."

"Of course I do," Connor replied.

Hank relaxed. "Good." He sighed as he parked the car at the DPD. "So… You guys are really gonna do this thing tonight?"

Connor exchanged a glance with Wren. She leaned forward from the backseat.

"Hank, I know you're against it…"

"Damn right, I'm against it," snapped Hank. He folded his arms. "I don't see why you gotta do this."

"My nightmares are getting worse," said Wren. "I know something's happening. I can't ignore a gut feeling."

Hank sighed. "I know, kid." He twisted in his seat to peer at Connor and Wren. His eyes looked wetter than usual. "Look, uh… You kids are the only family I've got. I'd rather not lose either of you. But I'll be there when you need me, okay?"

Connor's throat tightened and his eyes pricked. He worked his jaw and hoped the burning in his eyes would lessen. "Hank, I…"

"No need to say anything," Hank replied. He cleared his throat and faced the front. "I know."

…

Later that night, Hank dropped them off near the woods, in which Atlas Montgomery's secret house nestled. Connor promised Hank that he and Wren would meet him at the nearest gas station. Hank knew to call for help if Connor and Wren didn't show within an allotted amount of time.

Connor and Wren hiked through the woods until they arrived at a wire fence, sectioning off the Montgomery property. They climbed a nearby tree and shimmied along one of its branches before dropping down on the other side. They crept through the trees. Fortunately, the snowfall from that day provided them with softer footsteps. The darkness helped disguise their footprints, too. Connor flattened against a tree as a guard patrolled past. Wren stood with her back against a tree near Connor. They waited for the guard's flashlight to pass before moving.

They reached the edge of the trees and crouched by the bushes when the house came into view. It was a large house, a borderline mansion. Connor presumed that Atlas got the house cheaper because of its poor condition, hence all the renovations. It was too large and nice a house now to be purchased in cash.

Connor scanned the area. He counted one guard patrolling this side of the house. There were security cameras on the house, too.

"I can't hack the cameras unless we get closer," he murmured.

"I wouldn't hack them," Wren hissed back. "That'll just alert security that something's going on. There's a blind spot. Look." She pointed. Connor looked and noted the blind spot toward the corner of the house, underneath a window. He glanced at the guard.

"We'll be too exposed."

"Watch their patrol for a second," Wren muttered. They waited and watched. The guard walked in a pattern that never wavered.

Connor and Wren waited for the guard to turn his back to them. While he walked toward the front of the house and grumbled about the cold, Wren and Connor scurried toward the side of the house.

"Lift me up," Wren breathed. Connor kept his eye on the guard's back as he lifted Wren toward the window. She broke the lock with her knife. She opened the window and pulled herself inside. Connor took a few steps back and then charged for the house. He jumped and caught the window sill. Wren pulled him inside.

He dropped into a bedroom. "Why would Montgomery hide that he has a second house?"

"I'm gonna be mad if all he's hiding is a secret family or affair like every other politician."

Connor frowned. "I doubt he'd have this much security just for a secret family."

"I know," said Wren. "I was kidding."

"Got it."

"We should find the security room."

Connor nodded. They pushed open the bedroom door and peered into the hall. No guards patrolled it for the moment. They crept down the hall and checked the rooms. They were all bedrooms. Wren felt along the paneling of the walls and Connor scanned for discrepancies in the framework, but they found nothing. So, they moved back down the hall and down a set of stairs. They stepped onto a landing. Connor and Wren crouched, seeing a patrol of guards on the floor below. They crept along the wall and snuck inside the first room.

"Whoa," Wren whispered. The room was stacked full of CyberLife boxes. Wren opened one of them to find android arms inside. She and Connor exchanged a glance.

[Corresponding with CyberLife?]

They entered the next room through a door behind a CyberLife box. The next two rooms were like the first, stacked full with CyberLife boxes. They entered the landing once more. There was only one door left at the end of the landing.

Crouching, Wren opened the door. Connor scanned the room upon seeing two guards, sitting with their backs to the door. They observed a few monitors.

Incapacitate guard on left

Connor lunged for the guard on the left while Wren took the guard on the right. Connor wrapped his arm around the guard.

"Hey!" barked the guard to the right. Wren hit hiss head very hard, effectively knocking him out.

Connor choked the other guard until he slumped, unconscious.

"We should hide them," Wren whispered.

"And take these," Connor murmured. He removed the two guards' earpieces and handed one to Wren. She stuck it in her ear while Connor placed the other in his. They moved the unconscious guards into a closet and locked it.

"Alright, we don't have much time," Wren whispered. She looked at the monitors. Connor followed her gaze and frowned. It seemed there were only enough cameras to monitor the outside of the house and the main rooms of the house.

"There. That's his office," said Connor, pointing.

"What is that?" Wren pointed to the screen directly to the right of the office.

Connor squinted at the room, but the lights were off inside. "I don't know… It looks like… A laboratory of some sorts."

"That's what I was thinking." Wren stood. "Okay. We've got to get to the main level—"

"Williams," crackled a male voice in Connor and Wren's earpieces, "come in. Thought I heard a yell."

Connor quickly sampled the right guard's voice. "False alarm," he said into the microphone. He released the button.

"Copy that," radioed the other guard.

Wren's eyebrows lifted. "I didn't know you could do that."

Connor merely winked at her. They left the security room and snuck down the stairs. They managed to avoid guards by ducking inside rooms and behind furniture. At last, they reached the office. Connor hacked the lock on the door. It clicked open, and they slipped inside. Connor locked the door behind them.

Connor made his way over to the computer at the desk. His skin rippled away as he reached for the computer to hack into it.

"Wait!" hissed Wren, holding up a hand. Connor halted, his hand hovering above the terminal screen. "Remember how I told you not to hack my laptop when we first met?"

Connor frowned. "You think this could give me a virus?"

Wren shrugged. "It's part of Prometheus protocol."

"Then what do we do?"

"Look for paper."

"Paper?"

"Paper can't be hacked," Wren explained. She turned on her heel and ran her hands along the bookshelf behind her. "There's got to be a safe or something…"

The skin returned to Connor's hand as he helped Wren search for some sort of hidden safe or cabinet. Connor scanned the room and detected a metal spot behind one of the wooden walls. He pointed it out to Wren. She felt along the wood paneling and pressed it. It slid to one side, revealing a metal door.

"Do you think it's safe to hack?" Connor asked.

"Let's see," Wren replied. She placed her cybernetic, skinless hand on the door before Connor could offer to do it. The metal door slid open. "No virus. Though I wouldn't be surprised if it sent some alert to Montgomery or something."

Connor poked his head into Montgomery's office and hacked the camera so that there would be no evidence of their search later. He followed Wren through the metal doorway. They walked down a set of stairs.

"You should let me risk a virus," he advised.

"It would be easier for you to get me out of here than for me to drag you out," said Wren's disembodied voice. They felt along the walls for a light switch. Connor knew she was right. He was heavier than her. If a virus disabled him, Wren would have a much harder time dragging him out than he would have carrying her. He still didn't like Wren risking viruses, no matter what the logic behind it said.

Light flooded the room when Connor found the switch. He blinked as his visual components adjusted to the sudden brightness. He disabled the camera in the far corner of the room before he registered what the lab contained.

"Oh my God," whispered Wren.

Connor widened his eyes and his mouth fell open. Android bodies littered the laboratory. Some lay strapped to tables. Some hung by their wrists from the ceiling. All of them bore gaping holes in their abdomens, wires hanging out like intestines. Containers of thirium lined the walls on shelving racks. Connor brushed past an android hanging by his wrists. The android's entire lower half was gone. Wires and tubes dangled in its place. A lump formed in Connor's throat. His thirium pump beat so fast he thought it might explode.

He glanced toward Wren for some comfort. Her face was ashen as she looked around. He reached for her hand. She returned his grip just as tightly. They stood in the lab full of android bodies without moving for a few seconds.

Wren cleared her throat. "We… We should look for…"

"Yeah," Connor croaked. He released Wren's hand to search for anything that might link Atlas to Prometheus. However, he found the android bodies incriminating enough. He opened up a storage closet. Inside stood at least fifty shut-down androids. They were not mutilated like the ones in the main portion of the lab, but they were not alive, either. Connor's mouth dried.

"Over here," Wren called. She sounded hoarse. Connor tore his gaze away from the storage room. He closed the doors and found Wren in a corner of the lab where a filing cabinet sat. They sifted through files. Connor read faster than Wren, even though she read faster than most people. They managed to get through several files within a matter of minutes. Connor's brow puckered as he withdrew a set of blueprints for a familiar building. His eyebrows raised.

"These are the blueprints for Jericho," he stated. He showed Wren.

She bit her lip for a moment. "He has enough information to cripple the building if he wanted to."

Connor's blood seemed to freeze. He licked his lips and took a picture of the blueprints. In the same file were reports on android systematics and blueprints of their bodies, as well as the blueprints for a building that Connor didn't recognize. Wren found designs for explosives. Connor met Wren's gaze.

"You were right," he breathed. "He's definitely planning something."

Wren took a picture of their findings, as well as one of the lab. "Okay, we should be good to go—"

"Williams, you idiot! What the fuck are you doing up there? Montgomery's here and you didn't report it! I just got my ass chewed out because of you!" The guard radioing in definitely sounded displeased. Connor lifted his eyebrows as he met Wren's wide eyes.

"He shouldn't be back yet!" Wren hissed. She closed her eyes. "Fuck, that door… It must've sent an alert to him…"

"It doesn't matter why he's back," Connor replied. "We need to go, now."

Wren hurried to the light switch and shut off the lights while Connor put everything back into the filing cabinet. His visual components adjusted to the darkness, and he spotted Wren moving toward him. He scanned the room for a way out. He spotted a window, but the snow outside would make maneuvering out of it difficult. He opened his mouth to mention it to Wren, but footsteps outside of the laboratory door.

"Hide!" Wren breathed. Connor grabbed her and pulled her into a closet. He shut the door as they slid inside. He locked it for good measure. The limited space forced Connor and Wren to stand extremely close together. Connor was hyper-aware of Wren's chest pressed against his. He felt her hips near his. He gripped her waist, partly out of comfort and partly to keep her this close to him.

"Sir, we haven't had anyone in the house," said a guard. Connor stilled. Wren held her breath.

"The alarm went off," said Atlas Montgomery. Connor listened to the click of dress shoes against a concrete floor. They scraped as Atlas turned. "Did one of your men come in here?"

"Not that I'm aware of," stated the guard. Connor recognized the voice as the guard on the radio.

Atlas's footsteps neared the closet. Wren gripped the lapels of Connor's jacket. He squeezed her waist tighter. If they were discovered, they wouldn't have much of a chance to fight their way out of this. Wren's breath tickled Connor's neck. Atlas's footsteps passed the closet. Wren flinched when Atlas slammed open the filing cabinet door next to the closet.

"Is anything missing, sir?" queried the guard.

"No, it's all here…" Atlas hummed.

"Uh, sir? We've got a situation," said a voice in Connor's earpiece.

"What is it?" said the guard in the room.

"We found Williams and Morris in the security room. They were compromised."

"Shit. Are you sure?"

"Positive."

The guard in the lab sighed. "Sir, some of my men just found the two on security duty. I think we should move you to a safer place. We'll search and secure the area."

"If it's who I think it is, you'll never catch her. 01's good at her job," muttered Atlas. He stood right outside the closet door. Connor gripped Wren closer.

"Well, you should still be somewhere safe," said the guard. "Especially if it is 01. You said she might have a vendetta against you."

"Might," said Atlas. "Fine. But if you find her, I want her alive. If she's got that RK800 model with her, I want it, too."

"Yes sir."

Connor and Wren waited until both sets of footsteps left the room. He let out a sigh.

"We should go," Connor whispered. His thirium pump stuttered when their lips brushed. Being this close to Wren, even in danger (or possibly because of the danger), was doing strange things to him. He unlocked the closet door and pushed it open. The lab was shrouded in darkness, but it was no darker than the closet had been. He gripped Wren's hand and examined the windows at the top of the walls. He searched for one with minimal snow piling up in front of it.

"Connor," Wren muttered, stopping. Connor halted. He followed Wren's gaze toward a single model standing, unpowered. Connor's brow puckered. The android looked like him, but it was not him. This android looked an inch taller. He wore a black shirt and a high-necked jacket. Imprinted on the jacket was his model number: RK900.

Frowning, Connor exchanged a glance with Wren. He pulled her toward a window. "We should go."

Wren nodded and tore her gaze away from RK900. Connor climbed up to the small window. He smashed it open with his elbow. He crawled through snow, glass tearing at his jacket. He carved a path for Wren, who followed him easily. They looked around. Seeing no guards, they sprinted toward the forest. They didn't slow down until they reached the fence. Connor touched it to make sure that it wasn't electric. Satisfied, he nodded to Wren. They backed up a few steps and then charged toward the fence. They climbed it easily and landed on the other side. They ran through the forest until they reached the main road. They stopped so that Wren could catch her breath.

"That RK900… He… He looked like you," Wren panted.

"I know," Connor murmured.

Wren straightened. "You've never seen him before?"

"No. I've only seen one other RK800, and Hank killed him. I wouldn't doubt if there are more, but I'm sure they're locked in a CyberLife warehouse somewhere." The thought chilled Connor to his synthetic bones. He swallowed. "We should meet Hank before he calls for back-up."

"Right," Wren huffed. They walked along the road for about a mile before they reached the gas station where Hank waited.

Hank started up the car as soon as he spotted them. They climbed into the car. Wren shivered from the cold. Connor stripped of his jacket and wrapped it around Wren's shoulders. She leaned into him and he held her. Hank blasted the heater.

"Well? What'd you guys find?"

"I think he's planning to attack Jericho," Wren murmured.

Connor searched the address of the building he didn't recognize from earlier. "Hank, what is Vernor Hall?"

"Vernor Hall? Uh, it's a building where people can rent out spaces and have events in. People don't use it as much as places like the Solitude Banquet Center and whatnot, but… I guess it's still in use. Why?" said Hank.

"I found blueprints of it in Montgomery's file," said Connor. "The same file that contained blueprints of Jericho and android bodies."

"Did you say android bodies?"

"As well as designs for a bomb," added Wren. "It was horrible, Hank. Like a lab… They were… They were just hanging there…"

Yellow flickered inside the car from Connor's LED. He swallowed as Wren weaved her fingers through his.

"Okay, so you guys found something… You think he's planning on attacking Jericho? How so?" Hank said. He leaned against the door as he drove.

Connor furrowed his brow, going over the schematics in his processor. He widened his eyes. "I think he might be making bombs out of the android bodies. He's going to send them in and set them off."

Wren straightened. "That makes sense. He had all those untouched androids… He's perfecting his technique so that the androids are still functional while they're living bombs. He had the blueprints of Jericho, so he knows exactly where to send these androids in order to cripple the building."

"But why did he have blueprints of Vernor Hall?" Hank queried.

Connor frowned. "We should check out what events are planned for Vernor Hall. Atlas might be targeting a specific one."

"Alright, we'll worry about that tomorrow. You guys have done enough tonight."

Connor agreed as he settled against the car door. Wren leaned against him. He couldn't forget how it felt to have her against him in the closet. Warmth pooled in his abdomen and settled between his legs. Heat rose to his cheeks. He shifted, hoping this feeling was just a malfunction. What was wrong with him? How could he be… aroused? He'd been locked in a closet with her, inches away from getting caught and killed… But the thought of being so close to her, her hips in such proximity to his, overwhelmed his processor.

The warmth faded over the drive. By the time they reached the house, Connor felt relieved that his inopportune arousal was no longer an issue.

"Alright, it's late. I'm goin' to bed," said Hank. He paused before his bedroom door and glanced back at Wren. "I'm glad you guys are okay."

"We are, too," Wren breathed. Hank slipped inside his room and shut the door. Wren and Connor entered Connor's room. He closed the door behind him. Wren leaned against the dresser and folded her arms.

"That was too close," she muttered. "We were lucky we weren't caught. Almost too lucky."

Connor's brow pinched. "Do you think he let us go?"

"I don't know," Wren rubbed her forehead. "I don't think he knew we were there… But I feel like he's got something worse planned. He knew it was me. I have a really bad feeling about all this…"

Connor agreed. He crossed his arms. "We need to figure out when he might attack."

"Assuming he doesn't change his plan," Wren replied. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "All of those androids… The whole time we were locked in that closet, I couldn't help but think of Atlas doing that to you if he found us… I'd lose my mind if he did."

Connor's thirium pump tugged. The closet reemerged in his memory, too. He crossed the room toward her and cupped her face. He kissed her gently, allowing his lips to linger on hers as he murmured, "I'd lose my mind if he hurt you, too."

Wren's eyes met his. He held her gaze for a long moment. Then, she grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket and kissed him. He widened his eyes at the passion behind her kiss before melting into it. His eyes slid shut and he reciprocated, moving his mouth in tandem with hers.

Wren's hands ghosted down his chest. Connor shivered as the warmth returned, pooling in his stomach before settling between his legs. He breathed out into Wren's mouth to ventilate his systems. His pants tightened when Wren gripped his belt and pulled his hips toward hers. He grabbed her waist to hold her closer. He wanted to have her as close as physically possible.

Wren grinded against the tightness in his jeans and Connor moaned. He and Wren froze. Connor didn't even know he could make a sound like that. His eyes stretched open and he met Wren's gaze.

"I-I don't know what that was—"

"That was hot," Wren breathed. Connor's systems stopped for a moment. He swallowed the lump in his throat. He closed his eyes and kissed her deeply. His body twitched toward her. He wanted her.

Wren broke off the kiss. "Are you okay with this?"

Connor nodded, feeling a little dizzy. "I… I don't have any experience—"

"That's okay." Wren kissed him again. Connor let her take the lead. She walked him toward the bed. His knees buckled when they hit the bed. He sank onto it. Wren climbed onto his lap. Connor held her waist and watched as Wren unbuttoned her flannel, letting the shirt fall open and expose her black bra and otherwise bare torso. His eyes roamed over her scars. His body trembled. His eyes zeroed in on a particular scar, the one that marked where she took a bullet for him. He pressed his lips to the scar.

Wren let her shirt fall to the floor. She unclamped her bra and tossed it to the side. Connor gazed at her for a moment.

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He kissed her breasts and gripped her tightly. Wren leaned her head back and sighed. Connor dug his fingers into her back. Wren pushed Connor's jacket off. Her fingers unbuttoned his shirt with surprising deftness. Connor shrugged out of the shirt. He wanted to feel Wren's chest pressed against his. He wanted to feel their skin touching. He held her close, feeling her heartbeat and warmth against him.

"You okay?" Wren queried, cradling his head as he rested it on her breasts.

"Yes," Connor breathed. She pushed him back. He pushed himself back to lie against the pillows. Wren kissed down his neck, along his collar and down his chest. As her lips brushed near the area where his thirium pump regulator was located, Connor tensed. She couldn't see it due to his synthetic skin, but she could easily wrench it from his body. He never felt more exposed. But Wren kissed it. He shivered and leaned his head back. His breath hissed between his lips in shaky pants.

Wren's lips trailed down to the hem of Connor's pants. His hips bucked slightly. He was throbbing as she unbuckled his belt and unzipped his pants. She jerked them down, exposing him to her. He gripped the sheets. When her lips wrapped around him, he arched his back.

"Ah, f-fu—ah—" He couldn't speak. He sought her hand and intertwined their fingers. He tugged for her to come back toward him. She crawled to his lips. He captured them with his, breathing a shaky moan into her mouth.

They were less ceremonious about removing the rest of their clothing. To see Wren naked overwhelmed Connor. She trusted him enough to be this vulnerable with him. He held her close to him for a moment, his eyes heavy. He drew back to gaze at her, hoping his eyes showed how much he loved her. He kissed along her neck and down her breasts. She squirmed underneath him. He kissed her hip bones and Wren let out a soft, breathy moan. Connor looked up at her, a shiver running through his body.

"Make that noise again," he murmured.

Wren stared at him. "Make me."

His lips twitched. He kissed her thigh. Wren writhed under his lips as he neared her. When he used his tongue, he managed to make Wren moan. Each soft noise sent a shiver down Connor's spine. His whole body hummed with want, and he longed to be inside her. He trailed kisses back up her body. Wren rolled on top of him. She hovered above him, panting slightly. Their eyes met, and he nodded. She sank down onto him, and he groaned.

He couldn't take his eyes off her as she rode him. The way her hips moved, Connor knew her body remembered her life as a dancer. She was so beautiful. He gripped her hips and bucked into her. Her lips parted in a gasp. Connor's own breathing came in breathy pants and rasps. When Wren rolled her hips slowly, Connor let out a particularly loud moan.

Wren lowered herself, flattening her chest against his. She placed her fingers over her his lips and grinned. "Shh… You'll wake up Hank."

Connor leaned his head back and squeezed his eyes shut. He stifled another moan. "S-Sorry." He breathed a smile as he met Wren's gaze. He moved so that he was on top of her, taking the lead. He reached for her hand, wanting to connect beyond the physical. Their fingers interlaced. Connor's synthetic skin around his hand dissipated. Wren mimicked the action. The jolt that ran through his body when they connected forced a grunt out of his mouth. He poured how he felt into the connection. He wanted—needed—Wren to know how much he loved her, and what it meant to be this intimate with her. Similar feelings channeled to him from Wren. There was something else there, too. He felt her fragility, how overwhelmed she felt that this wasn't just sex. This wasn't fucking. This was so much more.

Connor's heart ached with tenderness. He bowed his head, burying his face in Wren's neck as he thrust inside her. He was close, he loved her so much—

"Ah, f-fuck…" Connor gasped and jerked as he climaxed. Still inside Wren, Connor used his fingers to help Wren orgasm. She trembled and bucked as she got close. She moaned and clung to him until finally, her walls clenched around him, drawing a whimper out of him. She collapsed into him, heaving for breath. Connor pulled out of her, but remained pressed against her, holding her close to him as they faced each other.

He tucked some hair behind her ear as he gazed into her eyes. "I… I love you so much."

Wren's lips twitched. Tears sparkled in her eyes. Connor widened his eyes as Wren covered her face with her hands. She shook with a soft sob. Connor grabbed her wrists gently and leaned over her.

"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"

"No, I'm… I'm so happy," Wren whimpered.

Connor's face twitched with a frown, and he released Wren's wrists. "You're crying because you're happy?"

Wren wiped her eyes and lowered her hands. Connor held her face in his hands; his brow creased. Wren chuckled weakly. "I'm sorry, I'm such a loser for crying after sex… I'm just so happy to have you and no one's ever been so loving and gentle with me during sex like you were and—"

Connor hugged her tightly as tears filled her eyes again. He closed his eyes as he wrapped his fingers in her hair. "You're not a loser. I love you, Wren. I hope you know how much I love you, and I will never hurt you."

Wren pulled back to look at him. She cradled his face in her hands, the corners of her eyes still wet. "I love you more than anything."

Path Unlocked: Wren: Lover⌂

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