Chapter Twenty-Nine

A/N: Warning for the next 2 chapters: Talk of sex and violence ahead!

She stepped along a linoleum floor. Who knew hell looked so much like a hospital? She reached the end of the white hallway. She gritted her teeth at the buzzing noise from the florescent light above her. An open doorway before her gave her pause. But there was nowhere else to go but forward. She stepped inside the room.

The walls were dark grey and metal. She narrowed her eyes at the dimness. A chair with leather restraints attached to it sat in the middle of the room. Her heart jumped to her throat. She stumbled back toward the entrance, but her back hit a solid wall. She glanced around, her breathing growing more frantic. There were no doors or windows.

"Ah, you're here," greeted Prometheus, appearing in the center of the room. He turned. He still bore no eyes or nose, but now he possessed a mouth. He smiled and Wren's body chilled. "Come, have a seat. It'll make things much easier for both of us."

Wren shook her head, but she couldn't speak around the lump in her throat.

Prometheus frowned. "CY001, I command you to sit."

"No."

"Cy, just sit in the chair." Wren turned toward the new speaker. She parted her lips.

"Rhett?"

The CIA operative furrowed his brow. "Just sit in the chair."

"Rhett, no, I can't…"

Rhett's gaze grew pained. "You always chose Prometheus over me. Why not now?"

Wren backed away. "I can't…"

"Kid, don't," said Hank from behind Wren. She wheeled to see Hank and Connor. Connor extended a hand.

"I won't let them hurt you," Connor murmured. "I promise."

Wren managed a small smile. She reached for Connor's hand.

"It's not yourself you should be worried about," Prometheus whispered in Wren's ear. She widened her eyes.

The RK900, his eyes still closed, appeared in between Wren and Connor. The RK900 turned his back to Wren and reached toward Connor. There was a click and Connor grunted. The RK900 turned around, holding Connor's thirium pump regulator in his hand. Connor dropped to his knees, one hand covering the hole in his abdomen. Thirium dripped between his fingers. He lifted his eyes to Wren's.

"Help… me…"

"N-no," Wren whimpered. She stepped forward, but Prometheus held her by her throat.

There was a sickening, metallic crunch as the RK900 crushed Connor's pump regulator.

Connor collapsed. Hank dropped beside him.

"Connor! No!" he breathed, cradling Connor. Hank lifted his head to face Wren. "You… You could've saved him! Why didn't you save him?"

"You should've sat in the chair." Prometheus's whisper raised the hair on the back of Wren's neck.

"Wren?" Connor's voice permeated Wren's nightmare. She opened her eyes and looked around. Connor peered down at her with a creased brow. "You were muttering in your sleep. Was it another nightmare?"

Wren closed her eyes and nodded. She pulled her knees to her naked chest. "I didn't obey… I didn't obey and they killed you. It should've been me…"

Connor shifted so that he sat up. Wren flinched slightly when he placed a hand on her back. "It was just a dream."

"I know, but that doesn't make it any less horrible. I'm getting tired of seeing you die. Even if it's not real."

Connor's arms enveloped around her. She turned to bury her face in his bare chest. He stroked her hair. "I wouldn't want to see that, either. I'm sorry."

Wren wrapped her arms around Connor's waist. She gripped him tightly, flattening her chest against his. Her face smushed against his skin. "I just want it to stop."

"I know. I'm sorry… I wish I could fix this," Connor breathed. Wren's eyes pricked with tears. Connor pulled away from her. Wren tilted her head back to look at his face. Connor's eyes searched Wren's. "It'll be alright. Do you trust me?"

Wren nodded. "I trust you."

Connor's mouth twisted with a crooked smile. "I have a feeling that it'll be alright."

Wren hummed. "A feeling…"

Connor kissed her chastely. "And I'm an advanced prototype. I'm not helpless."

Wren relaxed. "For some reason, in these dreams… You never fight back. And I'm always too slow. And Hank, he doesn't move, either. He waits until you're dead, and then he looks at me and asks why I didn't save you."

She laid back against the pillows and stared up at the ceiling. Connor stretched out beside her but propped himself up on his elbow to gaze down at her.

"I think in an actual situation, you can trust Hank and me to not just stand there and do nothing. We're a little more useful."

Wren's lips twitched. She met Connor's gaze as he smirked. Wren couldn't help but return the gesture. She poked Connor's side. "Smug little shit."

Connor's smirk fanned into a lopsided smile. "You seem to forget that we managed on our own before you came along."

Wren rolled her eyes. "Silly me. Here I was thinking that your life started when I entered it."

Connor's smile softened. "It did, in some ways."

"Hmm," Wren's gaze flitted toward the ceiling. "You know, I remember watching the news coverage of that night. It caught off shortly after you showed up with all those CyberLife androids. I never imagined that I'd meet you, let alone fall in love with you."

Connor's LED flashed. "Or point a gun at me?"

"I hadn't deviated when I took North hostage. I was trying to," Wren turned her head to meet Connor's gaze. "Besides, nothing says true love like shooting the person in the shoulder."

Connor snorted. "Well, I hope the shooting is behind us."

"I'd say it is."

"Good," Connor murmured. He kissed Wren's lips.

Wren snaked her arms around his neck. "I prefer this anyway."

…

Wren dressed and readied herself for work while Connor left for the kitchen. As Wren finished applying mascara, the aroma of coffee permeated the air. It seemed to summon Hank from his bedroom, too. Wren and Hank entered the kitchen, where Connor fixed them both cups of coffee, just the way they liked it.

"You didn't have to do that," Wren murmured, hopping onto the counter. She cradled her coffee mug.

"I wanted to," said Connor. He padded to Sumo's bowl and scooped kibbles into it. Sumo wagged his tail and munched on his food.

"I heard you guys talking last night," said Hank, sipping from his coffee as he read the news on his tablet. "What time did you guys go to bed?"

"Late," said Wren. She sipped from her coffee.

Hank looked up from his tablet. His eyes flicked to Wren, who exchanged a glance with Connor. Blue flushed across Connor's nose. His LED flickered and Hank widened his eyes. He leaned back in his chair with a scowl.

"Argh, Jesus, you two are so disgusting—in Cole's old room? The fuck's the matter with you two?"

Wren caught the twitch of Hank's lips and tried not to smile.

"I-I… We… We didn't…. We weren't trying to disrespect Cole—I'm sorry, Hank, it… It won't happen again—" Connor's eyes were wide. He looked to Wren for help, his LED flickering yellow. Her eyes slid to Hank, who snorted and waved a hand.

"I'm just fuckin' with you, Connor. It's your room now. Though I'd rather not know what the two of you are doin' in there… Just work on keeping your composure, got it?"

"Got it," choked Connor.

Wren snorted into her coffee mug.

"So," said Hank, "you gonna research Vernor Hall today?"

"Yeah. We should figure out what events are planned there. We should also tell Markus about what we found and warn him."

"Agreed," Connor said, sounding eager to change the subject.

"And I should head over to my house," said Wren. "Pack some clothes. Thank God you had an extra toothbrush and I had some stuff in my bag…"

"You're not gonna try to talk this out with Tina?" Hank lifted a brow.

Wren shrugged. "There's nothing more to say. I'm giving her space to wrap her head around this. Hopefully our friendship means more to her than the things I kept from her… But I don't know. It's up to her to decide."

"Alright," sighed Hank.

Wren finished the rest of her coffee, rinsed out her cup and placed it in the dishwasher. She disappeared in the bathroom to brush her teeth. Once Hank finished readying himself, the three of them left for work.

Tension knotted Wren's muscles as she rode the elevator up to the Human-Android Division level. She held her breath as she approached her desk. Tina glanced up from her terminal. Wren flashed a small smile in Tina's direction, but Tina merely looked back at her terminal screen. Wren's chest ached as she sat down. She caught Connor's eye. His LED flickered and his brow puckered, but he said nothing.

Gavin, as per usual, strolled in fifteen minutes late. He smirked as he entered their cluster of desks. "Sup, fuckers?"

Wren glanced toward Connor again. Connor looked down and away, smiling slightly. Wren's heart warmed. At least she still had him.

She sighed and turned her attention to her terminal. She ignored her DPD duties and focused on researching Vernor Hall. She reviewed its blueprints until she memorized its layout. Then, she looked over its events planned over the next week or so. She researched each host, looking for people of interest. She froze when she came across the name Allen Woodward. She quickly analyzed his name.

[Woodward, Allen]

[Born November 15, 2001]

[Criminal Record: None]

[Status: Business owner]

[Well-known anti-android affiliate]

Wren chewed on her cheek and leaned back in her chair. She leaned forward and clicked on a few articles regarding Allen Woodward's affiliations with anti-android protest groups. He voiced his opinions for any media platform who might listen.

"I don't know how anyone's latched on to this idea that androids are alive. They're machines. Does no one remember 2018, when the first android came out? Or before that? There was a time before androids, and if we're not careful, we won't live to see a time after androids."

Wren clicked on another article.

Allen Woodward, known anti-android activist, had this to say on the matter: "Yeah, they might seem alive, but are they really? They don't need to eat. They don't need health insurance. They can withstand conditions that humans can't. A homeless android can survive whereas a homeless human can't. We paid thousands of dollars for lifetime use, and now they expect salaries for jobs they were built to do? And we're supposed to sit around and take it? We need those jobs more than they do!"

Wren bit her thumb for a moment. Allen Woodward seemed an ideal target, if Atlas were pro-android. But Atlas was most definitely not…

Wren continued researching, but for the next few weeks, the events scheduled at Vernor Hall were weddings and one meeting about the education system.

Why would Atlas possess blueprints of Vernor Hall? Had Markus planned on using the event center as a place for a speech? Wren made a mental note to ask him about it later.

…

After work, Connor rode in a taxi with Wren to her townhouse. They exited the car and Wren withdrew her key to unlock the front door. Before she could place the key in the keyhole, however, the door swung open. Wren widened her eyes at Chloe.

"Wren, Connor," Chloe greeted them. She pinched her brow. "What are you two doing here?"

"I live here, you know," Wren muttered. "I paid my half of rent the other day."

"We came to pick up a few of Wren's things," said Connor.

Chloe's eyes softened. "Come in."

Wren pushed away the itch under her skin at being allowed entrance into her own home. She started toward the stairs but stopped to look at Chloe.

"I'm surprised you're here, actually."

Chloe's eyebrows lifted. "Why?"

"Tina was pretty pissed off that you knew about the whole cyborg thing and didn't tell her."

Chloe lowered her gaze. "She wasn't happy with me."

Wren paused on the steps and turned toward Chloe, leaning on the banister. "What did you say to her?"

Chloe lifted her eyes. "I… I told her the truth. I thought she already knew. I never mentioned it because it was your business. I told her that I don't know much about Prometheus, just that they scare Elijah. So, I didn't talk about it. She… She was mad at me all night, but… Wren, I think lonely. She forgave me pretty quickly. She's hurting."

Wren's chest felt hollow. She gritted her teeth. "So am I."

Wren hurried up the stairs before Chloe could say anything else. Wren pushed a hot breath through her nostrils to calm her thrashing heart. Tears pricked her eyes. Tina was hurting? Yeah, well, so was Wren. She burst into her room, still feeling rather hot.

She grabbed a backpack from under her bed and packed some clothes rather aggressively.

"Are you alright?" Connor murmured from the doorway.

Wren looked at him, her brows squishing together. She hadn't heard him follow her. "I'm fine."

"Wren…" Connor sighed.

Wren paused in packing her backpack. Her throat swelled with a lump and the knot in her chest built into hot pressure behind her eyes. She bowed her head and her body wrenched with a sob. Connor's arms enveloped around her in an instant.

"I miss her," Wren whimpered into Connor's chest. He cradled her head.

"I know," he breathed.

"And I'm mad at her."

"I know."

"I-I understand why she's angry and upset with me, but… I don't know why I'm so angry."

"She's your friend," Connor's chest hummed with his voice. "It's okay."

Wren squeezed her eyes shut, allowing a few tears to escape past her lashes. She gripped Connor tightly. "I'm tired of losing people."

"You haven't lost Tina," Connor assured her. He pulled away to hold Wren's cheeks. She gazed up at him. His eyes glowed with warmth. "I'm still figuring out relationships, but… I know you and Tina care for one another. I don't think this is the end of your friendship. Did I tell you that Hank once threatened to shoot me?"

Wren puckered her brow. "No."

"Before I deviated, Hank put a gun to my head," said Connor. The corner of his mouth twitched. "Our friendship didn't end. It got better."

"Were you keeping a huge secret from Hank?"

"No…"

"It's not the same," Wren sighed, pulling from Connor's grasp.

"Maybe not," said Connor, "but I think that your friendship matters a lot to Tina. I think you matter to her more than this secret."

Wren wiped her face and looked at him, her arms folded across her chest. "You think so?"

Connor nodded. "Yes."

Wren sniffed. "Okay. Let's go. We need to tell Markus, North, and Josh what we know about Atlas Montgomery."

…

Wren and Connor sat facing Markus, North, and Josh in their penthouse living room later that evening. Wren rubbed her palms together and exchanged a glance with Connor before looking at her friends.

"We think Atlas Montgomery is a rogue Prometheus agent," said Wren.

Markus's brow pinched. "No, that can't be right… He's been helping us fight for our rights."

"When I ran into him the other day, it triggered a memory," said Wren. "I remembered his voice at Prometheus. Markus, he's the one who ordered me to kill you."

Markus's lips parted and he raised his eyebrows. North folded her arms and scowled. Josh bowed his head.

"How did we not see it?" Josh muttered.

"Prometheus is good at blending in," Wren offered. "And he never tried anything to make you think otherwise."

"So, Atlas is with Prometheus… What do we do now?" North asked, leaning forward.

"Nothing yet," said Wren. "I have reason to believe he might be planning to attack Markus." She looked at Markus. "Have you planned any events at Vernor Hall? Or mentioned it to Atlas?"

Markus shook his head, his eyes still wide. "No, I… No."

Wren frowned as she looked at Connor. His brow furrowed. He looked at North, who regarded them inquisitively.

"We discovered blueprints of Jericho and Vernor Hall at a hidden property of Atlas's," Connor explained.

North widened her eyes. "Blueprints? How did he get ahold of those?"

"No idea," replied Wren. "There's more."

"What?" Josh frowned.

Wren and Connor looked at each other. Connor's LED flickered yellow. Wren swallowed the lump in her throat and looked back at the other three.

"We found… bodies. Of androids. There were tons of them… Some were torn open and mutilated. Others were shut off, just standing in a storage waiting for God knows what. I don't think they were deviants… They were just…" Wren looked to Connor for help.

He opened and closed his mouth. His jaw tightened. He swallowed and met Markus's gaze. "They weren't awake. The mutilated ones were dead. Along with the blueprints of Jericho and Vernor Hall, we found blueprints of android bodies and plans to build a bomb. It looked like Atlas was trying to weaponize biocomponents."

"Shit…" Markus dragged a hand down his face. He balanced his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands.

"But why kill Markus?" Josh demanded. "We've already obtained our freedom. We're working out finer details and other things, but… Why kill him now?"

"Josh is right," said North. "They can't stop what we've done. Even if they did manage to kill him, they'd only make him a martyr."

Wren puckered her brow. "That's what I can't figure out, either. And the only person of interest hosting an event at Vernor Hall is Allen Woodward."

North snorted. "Yeah, I know him. He preaches about how androids shouldn't be paid and aren't alive, but I distinctly remember him hanging out at the Eden Club right before I deviated."

"If he's anti-android, that doesn't make him much of a target," said Josh.

Wren's frown deepened. "Maybe…" She pursed her lips. "I can't shake the feeling that Vernor Hall has something to do with this, though. Woodward's event is planned in three days. I think Jericho needs to be empty that day. And Markus, I think you need to be doing something where there are lots of witnesses, or completely hidden from the public eye. Whichever you prefer."

Markus nodded. "Of course. When should we evacuate Jericho?"

"Try not to make it obvious that it's an evacuation," said Wren. "We want the element of surprise on our side. But Woodward's event is in three days, to answer your question."

"Okay, so we need to make sure everyone's out in three days," said North. "We can do that discreetly. In the meantime, I'm not letting this asshole interfere with us living our lives. Wren, you look like you need a break. You're still not sleeping, are you?"

Wren's cheeks burned as everyone looked at her. "I slept most of last night."

"Well, that's a start," said North. "Markus and I are going to paint at Carl's house tomorrow. You and Connor should come."

Wren opened and closed her mouth. She found no reason to argue, however. "O-okay."

"And you should sleep over," said North.

"Sleep over?"

"Connor told me you're not allowed at your own place right now," said North, her brow furrowing. "I'm sorry about Tina. Connor can stay the night, too."

Wren looked at Connor, who offered her a soft, crooked twitch of his lips. Wren looked back at North and managed a smile. "Thank you."

"Sure," said North, leaning back. She frowned. "So, what exactly happened with Tina?"

"Connor and I were interfacing," Wren muttered. "She saw, so Hank, Connor and I filled her in. She didn't take the whole secrecy thing well. We told her you guys knew, too."

"So that's why she hasn't spoken to me, either," said North. She scrunched her lips together. "Chloe knew too, right?"

"Yeah, but she and Chloe are on good terms. Chloe was pretty innocent in all this."

"Tina'll come around," North said. "She loves you. She likes Chloe, and they're super cute together, but you guys are super close."

Wren's chest clenched. She lowered her gaze. "I hope so. She's also really stubborn."

"I'll talk to her," North offered. "I mean, she's my friend, too."

"Yeah… I'm really sorry."

"Don't be," North sighed. "I'm sure she's more upset about the fact that you kept this from her than she is that you're a cyborg."

"That's what it seemed like," Wren agreed. She frowned. "It's just hard to say that Prometheus is dangerous and that I lied for safety reasons when there's hardly any evidence that Prometheus even exists."

"You found out about Atlas," pointed out Josh.

"I found out that Atlas is doing some shady shit," Wren corrected. "I know he's associated with Prometheus, but I don't have any proof. Right now, it's his word against mine."

A tense silence met Wren's words.

Markus lifted his head. "What will you do about Atlas?"

Wren bit her lip. "I… don't know." She knew what her operative instincts told her. She swallowed a dark, I'll kill him. If she could find a way to expose Atlas and Prometheus for trying to use her to murder Markus, she could possibly bring the organization down. At the very least, she would be able to free herself by going public with her information. The only problem was, who would believe her without proof?

Connor recorded their evidence at Atlas's property, but they had broken and entered, so that evidence was not necessarily viable in court. Wren could probably share her memory with Connor and transfer it to a viewable source, but so much transferring would corrupt the audio and visuals. She could possibly get Atlas to admit his involvement… No. Wren knew how Prometheus trained its operatives. While Atlas was not an operative, he was still Prometheus. He knew how to keep a secret. Unless Wren tricked him into admitting his guilt… It still required a confrontation.

"I could draw Atlas out, possibly," she said aloud. "I could confront him. That doesn't guarantee that he'll admit to anything—"

"What, use you as bait?" demanded Josh.

"That's not happening," snapped Connor. Wren looked at him. His jaw tightened and he pressed his lips into a thin line. His LED flickered yellow.

"If it ensures all of your safety, then I'll do whatever it takes," Wren insisted softly.

˄North

Connor worked his jaw. His LED remained amber, though occasionally it flickered red.

Wren reached for his hand. "Connor…"

"No," he snapped, looking at her. His eyes lost their softness. "We are not going to use you as bait. We'll find another way."

Wren's shoulders slumped. Part of her wanted to remind him that her life was not worth all of theirs. The other part, the louder part, thanked him. She nodded. She faced North, Josh, and Markus. "Hopefully we can draw him out within the next few days with whatever he's planning."

North folded her arms. "Hopefully."

…

Wren, Connor, North, Markus and Josh destroyed the living room with pillows and blankets. They piled together and watched movies—Wren insisted on comedies—until just after midnight. Wren fell asleep, her back pressed against Connor's chest. His arm looped around her as she slumped against him, unable to fight the urge to sleep anymore. The others continued watching the movie. Wren saw movement and flashes of light behind her eyelids, but even those faded into darkness.

She pulled against the restraints around her wrists and ankles. She tried to free herself from the chair, but the restraints kept her fastened to it. She looked around, her breath hissing through her teeth.

"It seems, child, that you are Prometheus… And I am the eagle," said the faceless man. Wren widened her eyes as he stepped into her view.

She jerked at her restraints. "No, please, don't—"

"Don't have any regrets, 01," said the faceless man, "you've accomplished your mission."

A chill rippled down Wren's spine as the faceless man plunged a syringe into her neck. She tried to scream, but it died on her lips. She couldn't move. She couldn't speak. She could only watch. Markus, North, Josh, and Connor appeared before her. Wren whimpered as the faceless man carried a gun. One by one, he shot Wren's friends—her family—in the head. Their blood splattered the walls with blue. Flecks of it dirtied her clothes, smeared on her face—

"Wren!"

Someone jerked Wren by the shoulders. She opened her eyes. North gripped Wren's shoulders. Connor placed a hand on Wren's back. Markus sat behind North and peered over her shoulder while Josh knelt beside North.

"Are you okay?" Markus queried.

Wren swallowed. "Y-yeah."

"It was hard to wake you up," said North, releasing her grip on Wren.

Connor wrapped his arm around Wren's waist. "Was it Prometheus again?"

Wren nodded. "I couldn't do anything…"

Connor squished his brows together. He rested his forehead against Wren's temple. "I know. It's okay. It's over."

"How often do you have these nightmares?" North asked, sitting back.

"Every night. Sometimes there are more than one in a night."

"Is it the same one every time?" Markus asked.

"No."

"You've got to get out and do something fun," North sighed, shaking her head.

"I don't know if I'll be very much fun anytime soon," Wren's lips twitched.

North rolled her eyes. "You say that like you're ever any fun." She nudged Wren playfully with her shoulder. "Prometheus is controlling you with fear, and you're not even with them anymore. You can't keep giving them this power over you."

"I don't think I'll ever not be afraid of them," Wren muttered. "I didn't mean to wake you guys."

"We were just in stasis mode," North shrugged. Her eyes softened. She parted her lips to say something, but then stopped. Wren curled against Connor once more. They interlaced their fingers, and their synthetic skin dissipated. Wren closed her eyes as Connor's concern transferred through her systems, full of static. Wren squeezed his hand and rested her head on his chest. She closed her eyes and waited for a dreamless sleep to envelope her.

…

The next day, Connor and Wren joined North and Markus at Carl's in the early evening to paint. Wren's chest tightened. Carl seemed frailer than usual. Wren exchanged a shadowed look with North, who pursed her lips and jerked her head.

Carl smiled at them. "North, Wren! It's been a while since I last saw you two…"

"It has, Carl," North replied. Wren's lips twitched. She never heard North speak to a human with such tenderness before. North kissed Carl's cheek.

"Finally decided I was worth the visit, huh?"

"You're always worth the visit," said North. She rolled the wheelchair toward the art studio.

"You guys came at a good time," said Carl, "I just restocked on canvases and paints for you. Where's Josh?"

"He had something to work on at Jericho, but he says hello," said Markus. While Markus and North worked on setting up canvases on easels and gathering paints, Carl turned his wheelchair to face Wren and Connor.

Carl's eyes zeroed in on Wren and Connor's intertwined fingers. His eyes crinkled at the corners. "I see the two of you reconciled."

Wren puckered her brow. "Reconciled?"

"Last time Connor was here, he said that something had changed between the two of you. He was afraid you were drifting apart."

Wren looked at Connor, who avoided her gaze. Blue tinted his skin underneath his freckles. Wren's mouth curved with a smile as she turned back to Carl.

"Yeah, we're good."

"I see. Is this a double date for all of you, then?" Carl wheeled himself to direct his question toward Markus and North.

Markus grinned and shook his head. "Carl…"

"So it is," Carl sounded gleeful, though his voice wavered slightly. "I'm happy to host."

Wren and North started painting before Markus and Connor. Carl showed them his massive portrait and demonstrated a few stroking techniques. Wren leaned toward North.

"So? How are you and Markus? Catch me up."

North raised her eyebrows. She dabbed her paintbrush into a neutral color and stroked the canvas. "We're good! Really good, actually. We've been on a few dates now. I think Josh wants to crawl into a hole and shut down sometimes when we're around though." She grinned.

"You guys aren't all lovey-dovey in front of him, are you?"

"We are, but mainly because we know it annoys him."

Wren snorted. Her smile faded as she glanced over her canvas and toward Connor. He had his back to her as he gazed up at Carl's portrait. He was handsome, even from behind.

"What about you and Connor?" North queried.

Wren's lips twitched. She began to paint, silhouetting a figure from the shadows of her mind. "We're good. We've been on a date. It was really sweet. He showed me what he looks like without his skin."

North paused in her painting. "Really? That's… That's huge, Wren."

"Yeah."

"Anything else? You guys seem all… I don't know. You guys seem closer than ever."

Wren's cheeks burned as she glanced over at Connor again. "I don't know… Fearing for your life with someone has a way of bringing you closer to them."

North laughed. "Yeah, I guess so." She puckered her brow. "But, more than that… You guys are more affectionate."

"Well, we… We might've… ya know."

North raised a brow. "Boned? Dirtied the sheets? Knocked boots? Baked the potato?"

Wren cringed. "Baked the…? The potato? What?"

North snickered. "Wren, I was a Traci. I know over four hundred euphemisms for sex. Some of them are dirty and some are stupid."

"And funny." Wren grinned.

"So? Did he bake your potato?"

"Stop calling it that!" Wren hissed.

"Well, he's not gonna know what we're talking about. I'm trying to be discreet since he's standing right over there."

Markus and Connor now stood by their easels, painting. Wren stared at Connor again. Her mind wandered to the feeling of Connor's skin pressed against hers, to the way he held her hand as he rolled his hips against hers, to the way his eyes seemed so soft…

"Holy shit, he did! You're blushing!" North gasped.

Wren widened her eyes. "I am not!"

"You are. It must've been good then, for you to get all flustered."

"North, I swear…"

"Come on, you and Connor getting together was one of the tensest things that happened this year. I get to tease you about this."

"Are you sure my taking you hostage wasn't the tensest thing to happen this year?" Wren challenged.

North scoffed. "You're not the first person to point a gun at me. Get over yourself."

Wren chuckled. "Okay, fine, yes, it was really nice. He was… He was really sweet. I felt bad because I cried afterward."

"You cried?"

Wren glowered. "Every time I've had sex, people have always been rough with me. Either I was using my body as a tool or some one else was using me because they were horny or bored. It was different with Connor."

North's amusement softened. Her brow wrinkled. "Oh, Wren…"

Wren shrugged. "Not that it fixed everything, and not that it was the grandest show of love or whatever, but… Yeah. It was special. We nearly died that night. I think we wanted to communicate in a way that couldn't be articulated with words."

North lowered her gaze. "Markus and I haven't yet. The thought freaks me out. I was used a lot, too, as a Traci." She stopped and inhaled. Wren offered her a soft smile. "He's understanding about it. We're just taking things slow."

"There's nothing wrong with that. It's okay to not like sex."

North's lips twitched. "Thank you. It's nice to hear you say that. Sometimes we're too similar."

Wren smirked. She returned to painting. She glanced over at Connor. She glimpsed his painting as he moved to add more color to his brush. Her heart tugged, seeing two android hands with their palms pressed together. She knew that the hands were hers and his. Wren glanced over her painting. She painted herself, but the faceless man leered behind her. He covered her mouth with her hands.

North eyed Wren's painting. "Is that your nightmare?"

Wren nodded slowly.

"They can't silence you. Even if they kill you, they can't shut you up. Because you have us. We won't keep your story in the dark."

Wren's lips twisted. "Thanks. But I'd rather not die."

…

Wren looped her fingers through Connor's. His mouth quirked at the corners and his eyes smiled. Wren returned the warmth and faced Markus and North in the Jericho parking lot.

"Thank you for inviting us along," Wren said. "That was nice."

"Of course," said Markus. "You guys are welcome anytime."

"And I'll talk to Tina," said North. "She can't be mad at us forever."

Wren huffed and nodded. "I can only hope." She looked at Markus. "Make sure to change any appointments you have at the last minute. We want to keep surprise on our side."

Markus dipped his head. "I will. Thank you for all your help."

Wren pressed her lips together for a moment. "Well, I feel like some of it's my fault."

"It's not your fault," Connor insisted. "If you weren't on our side, we wouldn't know Prometheus even existed."

Wren offered him a smile. He squeezed her hand. North feigned a gag. Wren rolled her eyes at her friend. "You're one to talk—"

"Operative CY001, you have failed your mission and will be terminated."

Wren tensed at the unfamiliar voice behind her. Her sensitive audio sensors picked up on the click of a hammer. She released Connor's hand only to grab him by the jacket and shove him forward.

"Get down!" Wren screamed. She crouched behind a car with Markus, North and Connor. Wren crept along the car, cursing herself for not bringing her gun earlier. She peeked around the edge. A woman with a hard expression stalked toward their position, pistol raised. Wren glanced toward the next car.

[Calculating… Low risk]

She scurried to the car. She peeked over it.

Preconstruct

An outline of herself moved around the car, but that simulation failed.

[Error: Would be too late]

The next preconstruction showed Wren's outline jumping atop the car. This drew the Prometheus agent's attention toward her and away from her loved ones.

[Warning: High risk]

Wren withdrew from the simulation and jumped on top of the car. The Prometheus agent wheeled and raised her gun. Wren jumped off the car and kicked the agent's gun from her hand. Wren positioned herself on the agent's back and held her in a choke hold. The agent stumbled back and slammed into a car. The agent grabbed Wren by the jacket and launched her off with inhuman strength, smashing Wren into a car so hard the windows shattered. Wren crumpled to the ground with a grunt. The agent was a cyborg.

Wren lifted her head, only to see the other end of a gun. But Connor was there before the cyborg could pull the trigger. He kicked the gun from the cyborg's hand. He tried to punch, but the cyborg grabbed his wrist and twisted.

"Ah!" Connor gasped. Wren knew he couldn't feel pain like a human, but she knew how it felt to have her robot hand twist in a way that congested the wires. It sent electrical shocks through the body that often caused a ringing in the ears or spasms. It was the android equivalent to pain, and Wren's heart lurched to see Connor in danger.

Wren launched herself at the cyborg and kicked with both feet. The force of her kick sent the cyborg sprawling back. Wren somersaulted to her feet. The cyborg withdrew a hunting knife. They charged at each other. Wren threw up her arms to block her face. The cyborg's knife sliced across Wren's forearms. It was an odd sensation, like cutting the skin where anesthesia had been applied. It tingled.

Wren gripped the cyborg's wrists and twisted. The cyborg freed one hand and punched Wren. She released her grip on the cyborg and stumbled back. This cyborg seemed faster than Wren, jabbing and punching and advancing with both hands. Wren blocked each blow, but she found herself mostly unable to deliver a strike. She was aware of Markus and North on the outskirts of her vision, but she lost sight of Connor.

The cyborg kicked Wren in the stomach. Her back slammed against a car. She dodged another blow from the other cyborg and swung her leg out, knocking the cyborg to the ground. Wren clambered on top of the cyborg, who attempted to slash at Wren, but Wren caught the blade. Thirium oozed from her palm and along the blade and down Wren's arm. The blade slipped from the cyborg's grip. The slight falter was enough to tip the fight in Wren's favor.

Wren snatched the knife out of the cyborg's hand and held it to her throat, the tip pointed at the jugular.

"What's your model number?" Wren demanded.

The cyborg spat in Wren's face. "You should know better than to ask questions."

The cyborg wrapped her hands around Wren's and drove the knife into her own jugular.

"No!" Wren cried. Blood spurted from the cyborg's throat and around Wren's hands. She gaped at the woman, who convulsed on the ground before slumping. Wren trembled as she stood, her right hand still gripping the knife. Her heartbeat slammed through her bloodstream. Her ears rang.

"Wren?"

"Wren?"

"Are you okay?"

The voices were muffled. She couldn't hear. She didn't want this. Prometheus would never let her escape this crime.

"Wren, look at me."

Wren forced herself to turn toward Connor's voice. She looked up at him, heaving for breath.

His LED circled red. His brow creased and the lines around his mouth hardened.

"I…" Wren stared up at him and her heart stuttered. She never wanted him to see her like that. As a murderess. As an assassin. A killer.

Connor crouched to lower the gun in his hand. Wren recognized it as the cyborg's pistol. It seemed he planned to kill the cyborg for her. He straightened and gripped her shoulders.

"Wren, are you okay?"

"I'm…" Wren sucked in a shaky breath. "I'm sorry."

Connor's brow furrowed. "Wren, drop the knife. I promise, everything's going to be alright."

Wren lowered her head. Her hand still gripped the bloody knife. Red coated her hands. She released the knife and let it clatter to the ground. Wren flexed her hands, still staring at the blood. Her right palm flickered with blue light, allowing a peek inside her circuitry and cybernetics. She lifted her head and met Connor's gaze.

"What… What are we going to do?"

"I'm going to call Hank," Connor murmured. "Okay?"

Wren nodded. The world seemed to tilt. She stumbled back, but North caught her.

"She should sit down," said Markus. He and North walked Wren toward a car that wasn't damaged in the fight. They sat her down. She leaned against the car, staring at her blood-caked hands.

"Looks like they've decided to attack sooner than we thought," said North.

Wren's brow twitched. "N-no… If they were here for Markus, she would've attacked him… She called my name… My model number…"

"Do you think she was with Atlas?" Markus queried.

"No," said Wren. "I think she was with Prometheus."

"How'd they know you were here?"

"I'm sure Atlas tipped them off somehow. Maybe anonymously. I don't know. Prometheus has a lot of resources…"

Connor walked over to them. He crouched in front of Wren. His LED glowed yellow. "Wren, Hank is bringing the team. You're going to have to explain to them what happened. We'll figure this out, okay?"

Wren swallowed the lump in her throat. "Okay." She frowned and pushed up from the car. Her torso ached from the beating she just took. She figured that the bruises would appear within a few hours. She trekked over to the cyborg's body and crouched beside her. Wren struggled to take the cyborg's jacket off. North walked over and pushed the body up. The cyborg's head lolled to one side. Wren stripped the jacket off the cyborg.

"What are you doing?" Markus demanded.

"Checking for a model number," Wren muttered. She felt along the cyborg's arms. The synthetic skin on Wren's hands melted away. She used her android hands to interface with the dead cyborg, forcing the cyborg's synthetic skin to vanish to reveal the human parts of the body. Wren's brow pinched. This cyborg had far more android than just her limbs and inner-mechanisms. Part of the woman's torso was also cybernetic. Wren lifted the woman's shirt, searching for the same tattoo that she had on the underside of her arm.

There, underneath the woman's left breast was her model number in CyberLife Sans font: CY003.

Wren stared at the number for several seconds before exhaling a trembling breath. "003…"

"That means there must be at least one other," said Connor, standing slightly behind Wren. She lowered the cyborg's shirt and put the woman's jacket back on her. Wren and North stepped away from the body. Wren's hands felt sticky with the drying blood.

"There are probably more," said Wren. "And it looks like with each addition, they improve them." She worked her jaw. "I'm obsolete."

Connor's jaw tightened. His eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced back at the dead cyborg. "No. You managed to get rid of her."

"Yeah," Wren huffed. She lowered her gaze. She'd rather not kill other cyborgs. If they were like her, that meant this wasn't their choice.

Hank, Gavin, Chris and Tina arrived within the next few minutes. Hank jumped out of the car and hurried over to Connor and Wren.

"Jesus Christ, Wren," Hank widened his eyes at her. Wren glanced down at herself. She was covered in blood. She felt flecks of it on her face. "Are you hurt?"

"No, it's… it's not my blood." Wren glanced over her shoulder at the body. Hank's face darkened.

"Tina and I explained some things to Gavin and Chris on the way, but… You'll have to fill in some of the gaps." Hank patted Wren's shoulder.

She hugged herself as she faced Chris, Gavin, and Tina. Gavin extended his arms and looked around.

"What the fuck is going on?"

"I'm assuming they told you who I am, right?" Wren murmured.

Chris nodded. "Yeah, that you're… You're a cyborg? From some secret agency…? Is this some kind of a joke?"

Wren's synthetic skin melted away, revealing the white plastic of her hands. She showed them her palms. "I'm afraid not."

"You killed somebody," Tina breathed, staring past Wren at the body several feet away.

Wren's eyes pricked. "It's not what you think—"

"It was self-defense," said North, stepping forward. "That other cyborg attacked Wren. She had no choice. She would've been killed."

Wren flashed North a glance of gratitude. She turned back to her team. "I've… I've run out of time. Prometheus knows where I am. I… I…" Wren trailed off. Her heart fluttered in her throat. She couldn't breathe. She clutched her chest. Connor placed a hand on her back.

"It's okay," he murmured. "I'm right here. You're okay. Tell us what we need to do."

Wren squeezed her eyes shut. If she didn't gather more information, Prometheus would blindside her again. The best way to get information was to examine the body—

"You killed someone," Tina repeated, a little more vehemently. "Even if it was self-defense, we have to take you in. This is a crime."

"You'll be safer at the station, anyway," agreed Chris.

Wren shook her head. "No, you can't take me into custody—"

"What, you think because you're some super-secret spy that you can just get out of everything?" snarled Tina. She gestured to the body. "You fucking murdered someone!"

"I know," Wren muttered. "But if you take me into custody, we won't learn anything about Prometheus. I need to examine the body—"

"Oh, so you're a coroner too, now?" Tina snapped.

Wren gritted her teeth. "I'm trying to stop Prometheus—"

"How do we even know that person is from Prometheus?"

Wren opened and closed her mouth. She knew. But it seemed that no matter what, Tina wouldn't believe her.

"She's a cyborg, like Wren," said Connor. "She was trying to terminate Wren for failing her mission—"

"That proves jack shit!"

"Tina, please," Wren insisted. "Listen to me. We have to move the body and you can't take me into custody—"

"No!" Tina yelled. "We're police. You're asking us to lie for you to cover up your crime because some secret organization might be after you? Fuck you! I won't break my oath for a liar and a murderer!"

"Tina, I am trying to protect all of you!" Wren shouted. Everyone stilled as Wren stepped forward. She pointed back at the body. "If you take me into custody and leave the body, Prometheus will send someone to clean it up. And then they will kill all of you because you're witnesses! Stop acting like I'm some fucking lowlife!"

The air rang with Wren's yell. Tina gaped at Wren. She parted her lips to say something, but a black SUV pulled into the parking lot, blocking the exit. Wren's blood seemed to stop.

"It looks like Prometheus may have already found us," said Chris.

Wren clenched her teeth for a moment as she eyed the man getting out of the SUV. "That's not Prometheus."

Rhett Anson wore a Kevlar and pointed a gun at Wren. Connor shifted as if to shield Wren. Rhett gestured with his gun. "All of you, back! Hands where I can see them!"

Connor stepped in front of Wren, but she placed a hand on his arm. "Connor, do what he says."

"Who the fuck are you?" Gavin demanded.

"Special Agent Anson, CIA."

Gavin's eyebrows shot up. He held up his hands and backed off. Tina and Chris stepped back. North and Markus held hands as they moved out of the way. Connor remained where he stood.

"Connor," Wren murmured. "Please."

Connor looked at her. His LED flashed bright red. He parted his lips and pinched his brow. Wren offered him a tiny smile.

"Move, now!" Rhett snarled as he neared Connor and Wren.

"Connor, come on, son," called Hank. Connor backed toward Hank, his eyes never leaving Wren.

Wren faced Rhett. "Hey, Rhett."

Rhett's eyes narrowed a fraction. "Put your hands up, where I can fucking see them."

Wren sighed and raised her hands in surrender.

"Behind your head."

Wren closed her eyes for a moment but placed her hands behind her head. She opened them as Rhett held his gun with one hand and grabbed a pair of handcuffs off his belt.

"CY001, you're under arrest for desertion and the murder of your fellow agent, CY003." Rhett holstered his gun and held Wren's hands behind her back. The clink of cuffs locking around her wrists sent a chill down her spine. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked toward Hank and Connor. Connor stepped forward, but Hank held him back. Connor's LED flickered red. His mouth hung slightly open.

"I'm assuming the DPD has a holding cell I can borrow? CIA didn't provide me with a base of operations this time."

"Hold on," snapped North. "What the hell does the CIA have to do with Prometheus?"

Rhett glanced down at Wren. "How much did you fucking tell them?"

"Everything," Wren replied.

Rhett glanced skyward. "Great." He looked at the others. "Well, I guess now I have to involve local police. Come on."

Two more black SUVs pulled up and a few CIA agents poured out. Rhett jerked his head in the direction of CY003.

"Body's that way. Secure the civilian witnesses." Rhett led Wren with a grip on her cuffed wrists to his SUV.

"Whoa, whoa," said Hank. "You don't think we're about to just let you take off with her?"

Rhett sighed and looked back at them. "You're more than welcome to escort me to the station. Cy rides with me."

Hank and the others exchanged a glance. Two CIA agents led Markus and North aside. Hank dipped his head. "Fine. Let's go."

"Excellent," chirped Rhett. He shoved Wren into the passenger side of his SUV. Rhett circled to the driver's side. Wren shifted to ease the discomfort of sitting with her hands cuffed behind her back. Rhett started the car and waited for Hank to lead. Gavin drove behind the SUV, blocking Rhett in. Wren's chest expanded with warmth for her team. She tried to ignore the hardness in the pit of her stomach.

"Why are you even here in Detroit?" she asked.

"Got a tip that a supposedly dead and rogue Prometheus operative was here and would need handling. What the fuck happened to you? You left Prometheus and tried to assassinate Markus, and now you've killed one of your fellow agents?"

"You're missing a lot of crucial details," Wren snapped. "Who gave you the tip?"

"Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you," sneered Rhett.

Wren looked out the window. "I'd bet my right hand that it was Atlas Montgomery."

"The senator?"

"Yep."

The silence crackled with tension. Wren closed her eyes for the rest of the trip. She tried to control her breathing, to keep her heart from exploding from her chest. When they arrived at the DPD, Rhett jerked Wren out of the car and led her through the precinct to the interrogation room. Heat prickled up Wren's neck as officers who she saw everyday gaped at her. Rhett forced her into the interrogation room. She sat down and Rhett cuffed her to the table. He left the room, presumably to go into the observation room on the other side of the two-way mirror.

Wren sighed and buried her face in her hands. She wondered if Hank and Connor stood on the other side of the glass, too. She couldn't forget the look in his eyes as he watched her get arrested. The minutes dragged by, and with each one, the urge to scream boiled in Wren's chest. They were wasting her time. She figured Rhett was getting her team's story. Eventually, Rhett entered the room.

"So, you convinced the android and lieutenant to let you stay, but you didn't tell the rest of your team about your identity until recently. I don't know how you managed to convince Markus into letting you hang around after you tried to kill him." He sat across from Wren.

"Prometheus sent me to do it. I deviated."

Rhett snorted. "You're not an android."

"Don't be an idiot, Rhett. You know how my programming works."

Rhett narrowed his eyes. It was harder to read his expression under his beard. "You expect me to believe that Prometheus sent you to kill Markus? Come on, Cy. You can do better than that. You're a master liar."

Cold gripped Wren's heart. "Rhett, I'm telling you the truth. How would I have gotten out of Prometheus to kill Markus anyway? I could never leave them without a mission. You know that."

"No one gave you the mission to kill Markus, Cy."

"Someone did!" Wren insisted. "Someone had the power to send me after Markus. When I failed, they didn't send anyone after me to collect or terminate me because they couldn't. It would've given them away. I've been in Detroit for nearly a year. Why would they send someone now? Why would they wait this long? Use your head, Rhett."

"You're suggesting a rogue agent," said Rhett. "Let me guess: You think it's Atlas Montgomery?"

"I know it is."

"How?"

"I recognized his voice."

Rhett laughed. "That's it? That's your evidence? Cy, come on. How stupid do you think I am?"

"I don't think you're stupid," Wren snapped. "Rhett, you know better than anyone how Prometheus wipes memories. How I never saw my supervisor. How much they conditioned me. You're right. Prometheus wouldn't send me to kill Markus. They'd do anything to protect humanity, but killing Markus wouldn't stop the Android Liberation Movement. And it would only cause a civil war. I was ordered to kill Markus by someone rogue. I deviated and faked my death. I've been trying to put the pieces together ever since. I only just figured out it was Atlas."

"Because you recognized his voice? Seriously?" Rhett raised his eyebrows. "We worked that case together and he's on TV a lot. You could've heard his voice from anywhere."

"No, it triggered a memory," said Wren. "A specific memory."

"And… what?" Rhett shrugged. "That still doesn't prove anything. And cyborgs don't deviate. You're not an android."

Wren clenched her teeth. She glanced toward the observation glass. Connor. She met Rhett's gaze. "Have Connor probe my memory. He can prove to you that I deviated. He can show you. Androids can download their memories to screens. He can download mine to his."

Rhett frowned. He glanced toward the observation glass. He turned his gaze back to Wren. "What about Atlas? You still need more than just telling me about a memory."

Wren blew out a breath. "I broke into his house."

"You what?"

"You heard me," Wren snapped. "I found evidence that he might be planning an attack. Have Connor probe my memory and show you. I deviated and I have proof that Atlas is the rogue agent."

Rhett narrowed his eyes. He stood from the table and left the interrogation room. Wren worked her jaw as she waited. A few minutes ticked by and then Connor entered the interrogation room, followed by Rhett. Connor sat across from Wren. His brow creased.

"I…" He stopped and swallowed. His LED flashed yellow. He looked over his shoulder at Rhett, who folded his arms and stood in the corner of the room behind Connor. Connor twisted back to face Wren and leaned forward. "I don't want to… to violate you."

Wren offered him a pained smile. "You're not." She extended her hand. "I can't guide you to the right one. You… You have to find it yourself."

Connor nodded. He pursed his lips. The lines around his mouth sharpened for a moment. The synthetic skin of his hand disappeared. He gripped Wren's hand, forcing her synthetic skin to melt away. Electricity jolted between them. Wren screwed her eyes closed and gritted her teeth. She felt Connor's presence in her coding. The electricity jolting through her circuits and wires thrilled through her body. Static memories flashed through her processor as Connor sought the proper memories. He withdrew as soon as he found the memories and recorded them in his own processor.

He released Wren, who gasped. Connor gazed at her for a moment, his mouth slightly open. He turned to Rhett. "I-I have the memories."

Rhett pushed off from the wall. "Okay. Let's go."

Connor stood. "Wren left out a piece of vital information in her story."

Wren frowned. "Connor…"

Connor ignored her as Rhett narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. "I was with her when we broke in Atlas Montgomery's house. I assume she didn't tell you because she didn't want to incriminate me, which I appreciate." Connor glanced at her and offered her a twitch of his lips. He looked back at Rhett. "But I recorded the entire operation and streamed it to my terminal. It has everything we saw on there."

Rhett looked between them for a moment. "Alright. Fine."

They exited the interrogation room and left Wren alone.

…

Rhett did not return for another hour. He entered the interrogation room and Wren lifted her head from the table. Rhett sat down in front of her.

"Your memory of deviating was full of static because of all the transferring, but… I believe you. That android, Connor, is pretty adamant that you're telling the truth. He says that Markus and North will attest to your deviancy as well. I'll have to get their official statements, but…" He inhaled and folded his hands on top of the table. "I also saw the infiltration of Montgomery's property. The illegal action of that aside, I agree that Montgomery is planning something. However, none of that proves that he is a rogue Prometheus agent. I know you were ordered to kill Markus, but right now, that just says Prometheus ordered you to do that, even if it doesn't make sense for them to."

Wren relaxed slightly. "Well, can I go, then?"

"No," said Rhett. "You're still under arrest."

Wren frowned. "What? Why?"

"Because whether or not we agree with Prometheus's actions, they're still backed by the White House. They're protecting national security, and if they order you to kill somebody, they have a reason for it. You're still guilty of desertion."

Nausea bubbled up Wren's throat. She swallowed. "So, you're going to do nothing to protect Markus?"

"Oh, I'll stop Montgomery. I believe he's acting independently. But you're still going back to Prometheus." Rhett stood and headed for the door. Wren's heart crumpled. She clutched her chest and tried to breathe, but her throat closed. Tears welled in her eyes. As soon as Rhett left her alone, Wren broke into tears.

…

Just one more chapter left and then we're on to part two! Thank you guys SO MUCH for your support for this story. You guys have kept me going in ways you don't even know!