Chapter Thirty

Warning: Violence, anxiety, some slight NSFW (very mild but still nudity and stuff)

Wren jerked her head up when the door to the interrogation room slid open. She didn't remember falling asleep. She blinked the bleariness from her eyes as Connor and Hank entered the room.

"Hey, kid," said Hank, taking a seat across from her. "How are you holdin' up?"

Wren cracked a smile. "I'm fantastic."

Connor's lips flattened, hardening the lines around his mouth. His forehead creased. "You've been crying."

Wren closed her eyes as another wave swelled behind her eyes. She forced it down. "Rhett believes me about Atlas Montgomery."

"Well, that's good," said Hank. "Means we can get you out of here soon."

Wren opened her eyes but avoided both of their gazes. "He told me that Prometheus is still backed by the White House and that they still protect national security. He said that I'm still guilty of desertion." She squeezed her eyes shut and swallowed a whimper. "He said I'm going back to Prometheus."

"That's not happening," Connor snapped. Wren looked at him as her eyes filled with tears.

"I don't know if we can stop it."

"We'll find a way, kid," said Hank. He reached across the table and cupped his hands around one of Wren's.

"You're technically a deviant and we can prove that," said Connor. "That means that Prometheus shouldn't have any legal hold over you."

"I bet Markus knows an android lawyer or two who can help you out," said Hank.

Wren furrowed her brow. "I could possibly go public with some of my information…"

Connor's face relaxed. He crouched in front of her. He held Wren's other hand. "I promise that I won't let anything happen to you."

Wren's heart warmed. Before she could say anything, the door slid open and Gavin entered the room. He pressed his lips together in a grim smile.

"We're moving her."

Gavin strode over and detached Wren's handcuffs from the table. She stood, her wrists still chained. Hank patted Wren's back and walked with her, Gavin leading the way. Connor followed. Gavin led Wren to a holding cell. She suppressed a sigh as she entered it. Hank and Connor followed her inside.

Connor approached her and unlocked the handcuffs. He cradled her wrists for a moment. "They won't take you."

Wren met his gaze. Her throat swelled with a lump.

"Hey, uh, Captain Fowler wants to see you and Connor," said Gavin to Hank.

"Alright," Hank sighed. "C'mon Connor."

Connor closed his eyes and his LED swirled yellow. Wren reached up to cup his face, saw the dried blood on her hands and then stopped. She lowered her gaze.

"I'll be okay, Connor," she murmured. He placed a lingering kiss on her forehead before following Hank out of the holding cell. The glass door slid shut, leaving Wren alone. She sighed and strode over to the sink. She observed herself in the mirror. Most of the blood stained her sleeves and hands, though an alarming quantity stained the front of her shirt. Flecks and streaks of it darkened her face. She smelled like rust with a faint hint of decay. Suppressing the urge to gag, she turned on the sink and scrubbed her hands clean. She stripped of her jacket, but she had to live with her shirt. As she scrubbed the dried blood from her hands and out from under her fingernails, someone knocked on the glass of her cell. She turned and shut off the water.

Chris stood at the door, holding a bundle of fabric. Wren approached the door and crossed her arms.

Chris smiled slightly. "You're not gonna try to escape if I open this door, are you?"

"Not yet," said Wren.

Chris opened the door and entered the cell. "Thought you might want to get out of those nasty clothes." He held out the bundle.

Wren grabbed the folded clothes and blinked rapidly to hold back the tears pricking her eyes. She beamed at Chris. "Thank you."

"No need to get so choked up about it," said Chris, averting Wren's gaze. But his lips twitched with a smile. He patted Wren's shoulder. "This'll all be over soon. Hang in there."

Wren nodded. Chris left her in the cell. She peeled off her bloody shirt and picked up the one Chris gave her. It was just a DPD T-shirt, but Wren's heart swelled. She pulled it on. The other article of clothing was a DPD sweatshirt. Wren put it on, too. The precinct was always cold, and it was even colder outside. Wren returned to the sink and washed her face, careful not to dampen the sleeves of her sweatshirt. She shut off the faucet and gripped the edges of the sink. Her eyes lifted to meet her reflection's gaze.

She looked haunted. Shadows circled her eyes, and her lips looked chapped. Prometheus entered her mind again. Her cell at the DPD reminded her of the one she used to live in at Prometheus. Would she have to go back? Would she spend forever in chains?

Nausea bubbled up her throat. Wren dropped to her knees beside the toilet and vomited. Her body wrenched and tears slipped from her eyes. Her throat burned and her mouth tasted of stomach acid. She leaned against the toilet while sweat beaded on her forehead. She trembled and closed her eyes for a moment.

Once she could stand, she flushed the toilet. She rinsed out her mouth in the sink several times, even scrubbing her tongue with her fingers until she no longer tasted vomit. She turned off the faucet once more, shaking.

Later, Gavin brought her a toothbrush and toothpaste. He supervised her before taking it away. "No shanks for you."

Wren rolled her eyes at him. She laid on the bed as the precinct shut its lights off. She choked with tears, which rolled past her temples and into her hair. What she wouldn't give to be in Connor's arms again…

…

In the morning, the door to her cell slid open and Rhett entered. Wren jumped out of bed and faced him with crossed arms.

"Well?"

Rhett put his hands in his pockets. "What's with the hostility, Cy?" He pursed his lips for a moment and shook his head. "That's not your name, is it? Wren."

Wren lifted her chin. "Why am I hostile? Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's because you arrested me—"

"You killed someone—"

"She forced me to stab her! You saw that in my memories—"

"Your hands still held the knife."

"You interrogated me like I'm a fucking criminal—"

"You are!"

"And now you've got me locked up in a cell even though you believe me—"

"Because you deserted!"

"From a place that you tried to convince me to leave years ago!" Wren yelled.

Rhett curled his lip. His nostrils flared. "Yeah, and you chose to go back to them."

"Because I was scared," Wren seethed. "And every time I experienced a software instability, I got fucking electrocuted! I was terrified that if I left Prometheus, they'd kill me! But when they ordered me to kill Markus, I didn't care if I died because I knew killing Markus was wrong."

Rhett folded his arms. "How long have you known your name was Wren?"

Wren's brow twitched. "What do you mean?"

"Even after deviating, you shouldn't have known your name was Wren."

Wren clenched her teeth for a moment. She lowered her gaze. "They tried their best to make me forget who I was. They almost succeeded. But… Every night, I would tell myself: My name is Wrenley, and I'm twenty-five years old. They asked me my name every day. Every time I told them it wasn't CY001, they'd beat me or torture me… One day, they had enough. They locked me in a fucking box. They left me there for weeks, only opening it to feed me…" Wren trembled and tears jumped to her eyes. "I thought I was going to lose my mind in there. But I clung to Wren because it was all I had. They conditioned me to feel pain every time I said my name was Isabella Blanchard. But I kept Wren to myself. They couldn't take that from me."

A tear dripped down Wren's cheek as she lifted her head. Hank and Connor stood in the doorway of her cell. Rhett narrowed his eyes and parted his lips. Hank and Connor wore equally horrified expressions.

Rhett rubbed the back of his neck. "We're going to secure Jericho and the android leaders. Thought you should know."

Wren glanced at Hank and Connor before flicking her gaze back to Rhett. "What about Vernor Hall?"

"Just seeing a blueprint of the building isn't enough for me to send a squad to investigate it. Besides, I don't have the manpower. And attacking Vernor Hall doesn't really fit a terrorist's profile. You know that." He exited the cell, pushing past Connor rather roughly.

Connor's brow furrowed, his LED flickering. He turned to Wren and entered the cell. "We're going with him."

Wren nodded. She swallowed the sharp lump in her throat. "I figured."

Hank inched toward her. "You never told us how you knew your name, kid."

Wren smiled sadly. "You never asked."

Hank's brow crinkled. "I'm sorry, kid. You will never go back to Prometheus. Okay?"

"Okay."

He pulled Wren into a hug. She squeezed her eyes shut and gripped him tightly. He patted her back before withdrawing, his mouth quirking with a lopsided smile. He sidled out of the cell to give Wren and Connor a moment alone. Connor cupped her face.

"When I get back, we will fight Prometheus with everything we've got."

Wren nodded. She weaved her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. He held her close in return, leaning his cheek against her head. "Please be safe. Wear a Kevlar."

"I will."

They withdrew from their embrace. Connor kissed her lips lightly and then he was gone.

…

Wren paced her cell. Atlas was a terrorist, yes. But he fit the savior complex, too. He would want to make a statement with his attack, but one he believed was for the benefit of humanity. He wanted to get rid of androids, but just killing Markus wouldn't do the trick because the Android Liberation Movement's progress had surpassed even Markus. She couldn't shake Allen Woodward and Vernor Hall.

Wren stopped pacing. If Atlas wanted to turn humans against androids, then it would require the androids betraying humans. They would need to be violent towards humans, not other androids. Ice trickled through Wren's blood.

She approached the cell door and banged on it. "Chris? Gavin? Tina! Somebody?" She hit the glass again. "I need to talk to you!"

An officer rounded the corner. "Back away from the glass."

Wren held up her hands, palms forward. "Okay, okay. I need to talk to Detectives Miller, Reed, and Chen. It's extremely important. Lives are in danger."

The officer frowned. He backed away and disappeared for a few minutes. Wren bounced on the balls of her feet. Finally, Chris, Gavin, and Tina entered the holding cell hall.

"What's up?" Chris asked.

"Montgomery's planning on making a big statement—something that could endanger androids and set back their progress."

"Yeah, dipshit, we know. That's why your little CIA boyfriend took Hank and Connor to Jericho," said Gavin, folding his arms.

Wren shook her head. "Jericho isn't the target. Killing Markus won't do anything to stall progress. It'll just make him a martyr. Montgomery wants to turn humans against androids. He's going to make these androids attack humans!"

"Okay, let's say you're right. What do we do about it?" Chris said.

Wren curled her hands into fists. "You have to let me out."

"What? We can't fucking do that," Gavin hissed. "You'll probably just run off."

Chris lowered his gaze. "Wren… I don't think we can let you out. I'm sorry. We can call Connor and Hank and tell them your theory—"

"Rhett isn't going to listen and I can't send Connor and Hank there alone," said Wren. She turned to Tina, who avoided Wren's gaze. Wren's eyes filled with tears. "Tina, I know you have no reason to trust me, but… Everything was real. Our friendship, me and Connor… Please. We have too many androids in our lives who we care about for us to risk not doing something—"

"Oh, shut the fuck up, I'm letting you out," snapped Tina. She opened the cell door. Her brow puckered as Wren stepped into the hall.

"We saw your memories, too," said Gavin. He swallowed. "It was fucked up."

Wren's lips twisted. "Yeah. You see why I wanted to get away from them?"

"Yeah," said Gavin.

"What do you need us to do?" Chris queried, squaring his shoulders.

"We can come with you," said Gavin.

"No, tell Connor and Hank. If I'm right, we're going to need backup. I might be able to evacuate the building. But… I need to borrow someone's ride. Preferably not a car."

"Seriously?" Gavin scowled. Tina and Chris looked at him. Gavin rolled his eyes and fished his keys out of his pocket. "If you scratch up my bike, I will personally blow your fuckin' brains out."

"Noted," Wren replied, taking the keys.

Chris shrugged off his DPD jacket. "It's cold out there."

Wren smiled and put it on. "Okay. Get ready to send backup to Vernor Hall. Make sure that Markus and Jericho are secure, first. I don't want to be wrong about him not being a target." She turned to hurry away, but Tina caught her.

"Hey, um… Don't get yourself killed, okay? It would be pretty boring being the only woman here."

Wren softened. "Love you too, Tina."

Tina pursed her lips and pulled Wren into a hug. Wren squeezed her friend, her heart twisting in her chest. She pulled away, offered Tina a small smile and rushed out of the precinct and into the parking garage.

She found Gavin's motorcycle easily and hopped on it. Wren cranked the bike and peeled out of the garage.

|Calculating route . . . Route calculated|

Wren veered left. She revved Gavin's bike and sped through traffic. She weaved around cars, earning her a few middle fingers and angry shouts from other drivers. She stuck out her leg as she whipped to the right. She sped even faster down a straight road. The meeting at Vernor Hall was scheduled for four o'clock. Her internal clock told her she had about thirty minutes. She sped faster, weaving in and out of traffic. As she descended a hill, she caught so much speed that when she reached the top, she caught air. Gavin's bike tires slammed the ground. Wren grimaced.

"Sorry, Gavin… probably wasn't good for your tires."

She continued speeding along, following the route her processor calculated. At last, she arrived at Vernor Hall. She parked Gavin's bike and dismounted it. She wished she'd brought a gun.

Wren entered Vernor Hall and found Allen Woodward's reserved room. She committed the layout to memory and then found the stairs to the sub-level of the building. Hiding androids disguised as bombs was not as easy as just planting a bomb in the scaffolding or ventilation system. She entered the basement level and crept in the dim light, her eyes scanning for androids. But the vast room seemed empty, save for storage shelves and supplies.

Then, a body dropped on Wren. She crumpled to the ground as the person's boots pinned her to the floor. Wren twisted and the person stumbled. They tried to kick Wren in the face, but she whipped back. She used both legs to kick her attacker in the stomach. They both jumped to their feet and Wren squinted in the dark. Her opponent was a woman, and Wren assumed it was another cyborg.

The cyborg grabbed Wren's wrist, but Wren lurched forward, forcing the other cyborg's grip to loosen. The cyborg swept her foot under Wren's legs, knocking both of them to the floor. The cyborg straddled Wren and grabbed her by the throat. Wren shifted and elbowed the cyborg's elbow outward, knocking her grip loose. Wren rolled on top of her attacker, who punched her squarely in the mouth. Wren fell back and tasted blood. The cyborg kicked, but Wren jumped back and to her feet. The cyborg grabbed a handful of Wren's hair. Wren grabbed the cyborg's hand with both of her and ducked and twisted so that the cyborg's arm twisted. Wren elbowed that twisted arm. The cyborg released Wren with a grunt.

They faced each other, panting. Wren held up her fists to block her face. She jabbed, but the cyborg blocked. The cyborg punched, but Wren blocked. Punch, jab, block. Wren kicked the cyborg's knee and she stumbled back. Punch, jab, block. The cyborg kicked Wren in the stomach, crashing her into the wall. Wren wheeled around and kicked the cyborg in the stomach. Wren lunged for another punch, but the cyborg elbowed her in the chest. She gasped, but still tried to punch. The cyborg caught Wren's arm by twisting her leg around Wren's arm and rolling to the ground. Wren managed to punch the cyborg, not really aiming for anywhere in particular. The cyborg used both feet to kick Wren away. Wren rolled to her feet and grabbed a storage shelf. She pulled it down on top of the cyborg with an earsplitting crash.

The cyborg groaned, stuck underneath the shelf save for her head. Wren perched on top of it, crushing the other cyborg.

"Where are the bombs?" Wren yelled.

The cyborg flashed Wren a bloody smile. "You think he'd stick to his original plan once you figured it out?"

"Then why are you here?" Wren snapped.

"Well, I would've been the one to kidnap the RK800, but it seems 04 got that chance…"

The color melted from Wren's face. She jumped from the storage shelf and dragged the cyborg out from under the storage shelf. Her synthetic skin peeled away, and Wren grabbed the cyborg's wrist to probe her memory.

She viewed flashes of memory with no audio, but Wren knew where to go. She punched the cyborg in the face, hard. The cyborg slid down to the floor, unconscious. Wren picked the handcuffs out of the cyborg's pocket and cuffed her to the storage unit.

Atlas Montgomery changed his plan, and now, he had Connor.

…

The first thing Wren noticed about Montgomery's estate was the lack of guards. She entered through the front door with no trouble. Tension squeezed her shoulders.

Will you walk into my parlor? said the spider to the fly.

Wren shivered as she stepped into the living room area. She narrowed her eyes. She knew how to get to the lab, but she failed to explore the other section of the house last time. She veered left, toward where a kitchen and dining room would be located. However, as soon as she stepped through the doorway, she stopped.

In the center of the vast room sat a table with a massive computer. Next to it stood a machine that Wren recognized, one that sent chills down her spine. Two chairs sat beside the table. Connor sat in one of the chairs, his hands handcuffed behind his back. Blue blood dribbled from his nose and past his lips. His eyes widened a fraction as Wren entered the room, but he remained oddly still. Atlas turned from the computer and his lips fanned into a grin. Wren's heart twisted sharply. A male cyborg stood with a gun pressed to Connor's temple.

"Hands where I can see them!" barked the cyborg.

Atlas sneered. "Oh, she'll behave, won't she? She wouldn't want us to hurt her little boyfriend, would she?"

Wren gritted her teeth and lifted her hands, palms forward. "Where are all your guards?"

"I gave them the day off," said Atlas. "No sense in wasting so many human lives. What happened to 05?"

"Took care of her."

Atlas hummed. "Well, I figured RK800 here would either go to Jericho or Vernor Hall, so I had 04 and 05 waiting. But, it seems you got there first. Anyway, this makes this all so much easier." He turned and pointed an odd-looking gun at Wren. He pulled the trigger, though nothing visible shot out of the barrel. But Wren's cybernetics ceased mobile functionality. She collapsed to the floor like a noodle. Connor's eyes watched her fall. Wren understood: Connor wasn't moving because he couldn't. A low whimper hummed in Connor's throat.

04 walked over and grabbed Wren. He dragged her to the chair, lifted her into it, and then cuffed her hands behind her back.

"Handy, isn't it?" Atlas said. "It's a prototype, but it was specifically designed to disable androids without destroying them. The effects aren't permanent, but it made 04's job of capturing RK800 easier."

Wren tightened her jaw.

"What now, sir?" queried 04.

"Bring the RK800 here," said Atlas. Wren struggled to move, but her cybernetic limbs refused to obey.

04 removed Connor's handcuffs and dragged him to the machine next to the computer. Wren recognized it as the same machine Zlatko used, the same machine that Prometheus used on her, to wipe memories. Her heart jumped to her throat.

"No…"

She clenched her teeth, trying to force herself to move. Nothing happened. She could only watch as Atlas and 04 forced Connor's hands into the contraption. He dangled there, limp and expressionless, except for his flashing red LED. His eyes flicked to hers, bright and feverish. Her heartbeat fluttered in her throat and she felt it in her fingertips. Wren tried again to move. Her fingers twitched and her heart leaped.

"Leave him out of this, please! Do what you want with me, but let Connor go. He has nothing to do with this!" she yelled.

Atlas turned to the computer. "Don't lie, 01. You can't lie to us. Connor has everything to do with this."

"Because I dragged him into all of this! Please, don't punish him for what I've done," Wren begged.

Atlas clucked his tongue. "So narcissistic… You think this is about you? No, this is a grander scheme. I wasn't able to grab Markus because you tipped off that stupid CIA agent, but I was able to grab Connor. Or, 02 was. Just think: one of the leaders of Jericho attacking androids' biggest ally… Anyone on the fence about whether they support androids or not will make their decision against androids. If androids attack their own allies, who is safe?"

Wren swallowed the bile that rose in her throat. Atlas turned to Connor and unbuttoned his shirt. Atlas felt along Connor's chest and stopped at the center. Atlas gripped the edges of Connor's thirium pump regulator and twisted it. Connor groaned.

Tears sprang to Wren's eyes. "Please…"

Atlas yanked Connor's regulator out. Connor grunted and his eyelids flickered. His body jerked involuntarily. Wren struggled to free herself, but her body still refused to cooperate effectively. Atlas set Connor's thirium pump regulator on the desk and grabbed a different regulator. Wren narrowed her eyes at it, still struggling to get her hands to move. This regulator, Wren realized, had been weaponized. It was a bomb, and Atlas stuck it in Connor's chest.

Connor grunted and seemed to stabilize. His lips parted as he looked at Wren. She tried to move her arms. This time, her hands jerked.

"Now, to take control of Connor's program, I need to wipe his memories and erase his deviancy," Atlas hummed. He typed on the computer and 04 plugged a wire into the back of Connor's neck. The monitor showed a loading bar.

|Reset: 1% Complete|

Wren wiggled her fingers. She tried moving her toes. Her eyes watched 04, who stood in front of her, watching her.

"What are you going to do with me?" she demanded.

"Well, it'd be a waste to kill you. You've now managed to best two cyborgs more advanced than you. We'll work on resetting you. Wiping memories on a cyborg is always more difficult than on an android, and now that you're deviant…" Atlas shrugged. "Well, if it doesn't work, then I'll just kill you."

Wren's eyes flicked to the monitor.

|Reset: 9% Complete|

Wren glanced toward Atlas again. She flexed her fingers. "You sent me to kill Markus, didn't you?"

Atlas smirked at her. "I knew there was a risk in sending you directly to him. I wanted to see if you'd succeed, but you were the most expendable of my squadron of cyborgs. You're the first model, after all. Prometheus has made improvements since your debut. I expected you to die. And for a while, I thought you had."

|Reset: 21% Complete|

An ache flashed through Wren's veins. She glanced at Connor, who grimaced. He seemed to be trying to struggle against his restraints. Wren looked at the cyborg. He held the android disabling gun. Atlas stood with his back to her, watching the monitor. She needed to act fast, and she needed to grab the gun first. Her legs were not restrained, at least. She popped her thumb out of place and slid her hand out of the handcuff without moving her arm. She held the cuffs to keep the metal from clinking.

Wren kicked 04's knee as hard as she could. She jumped from her seat, her limbs still feeling a little slow. But she managed to grab the android disabling gun from 04, who was still dazed from her sudden attack. She shot the cyborg. He crumpled to the floor and Wren launched the gun at the wall, damaging it.

Atlas grabbed Wren from behind. She elbowed his side and twisted out of his hold. She faced him and he immediately threw a punch. Wren blocked, but Atlas continued trying to punch her. He showed more skill in fighting than Wren expected, but he never received the level of training that Wren did. She blocked his punches.

|Reset: 65% Complete|

Wren kicked a chair toward Connor. He used it as leverage while Wren fought off Atlas. She kicked his knee. While the cyborgs could not feel pain in the areas of their body that were replaced with machines, Atlas was fully human. The force behind Wren's kick resulted in a sickening crack and a cry from Atlas. He dropped, clutching his leg.

Connor dropped to the floor from the machine and let out a moan.

Wren punched Atlas in the side of the head, and he slumped. She ran to the desk and grabbed Connor's thirium pump regulator. She knelt beside Connor. He wrenched out the weaponized regulator. Wren plunged Connor's thirium pump regulator into his chest. He gasped and his body jerked.

Wren huffed, and her heart's frantic beating slowed to a steady hammer. Connor panted as he sat up. Wren's gaze softened as she regarded him. They stood, both a little out of breath. Connor grabbed the key to Wren's handcuffs and removed the one still chained to her left wrist. She popped her thumb back into place.

"We need to find a detonator."

Connor nodded and turned to the monitor. Wren walked over to Atlas, who groaned and spat out a mouthful of blood. Wren crouched beside him and grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket.

"Where's the detonator?"

Atlas chuckled. "Fuck you."

Wren punched him. A tooth flew from Atlas's mouth. She gripped him tighter. "Where is the detonator?"

Atlas spat a blood in Wren's face. She punched Atlas so hard he fell over, unconscious. She walked over to Connor, who straightened from searching 04.

"We should check the lab," Connor said.

Wren nodded. They left the room and crossed through the living room. They entered Atlas's office and opened the door to the lab. Wren led the way down the steps. She flipped on the light and gasped. All of the androids—including the RK900—were gone.

"I doubt all of them have been weaponized. Either he moved them to a secondary location or he sold them," Connor muttered, walking around the lab. His LED flickered yellow.

Wren strode to the filing cabinet. "Let's see if we can find something in the blueprints."

They sorted through files and blueprints until Connor snapped a folder shut. "The bombs are timed. There's no detonator, and there's no way for us to stop them—" He stopped and grabbed Wren, pinning her against the wall. A gunshot sounded and Connor grunted. Thirium splattered Wren. She widened her eyes at the hole in Connor's shoulder. She noticed movement at the other end of the lab, grabbed Connor by his shirt and pulled him down with her to the floor as more gunshots sounded. Wren grabbed a tray that held what looked like surgical tools on it and tossed it in 04's direction. She charged toward him, jumped and tucked her legs in, then kicked 04 in the face with both feet. She rolled away as 04 tried to regain his composure. Wren kicked the gun away while 04 grabbed her by the throat.

Connor tackled 04, who whipped out a hunting knife. While 04 slashed at Connor, Wren hurried around the cyborg. She crawled up his back like a spider and wrapped her legs around his neck. She used her body to pull 04 to the floor and choked him with her legs.

"Go! Get Montgomery!" Wren yelled.

Connor froze in the doorway before leaving her in the lab, his LED spinning red. Then, he picked up the gun and took off.

Wren's distraction provided 04 with an opportunity to kick her off of him. She rolled back to her feet and stood. 04 slashed his hunting knife and Wren threw up her arms to block. The knife cut threw her forearms. 04 jabbed and Wren twisted, but the knife slashed her side, in between two of her ribs. Her skin stung, but the adrenaline pumping through her veins allowed her to continue fighting. 04 slashed and punched with the knife, but Wren dodged his attacks and kicked him in the stomach. He stumbled back and Wren jumped and kicked 04 in the face. He slammed into the wall and tried to stab Wren as soon as she landed. She caught his wrist and twisted it. She kicked 04 in the crotch. He doubled over with a grunt and his grip on the knife slackened. Wren grabbed and jabbed 04 in the throat with it.

04 gripped his neck, blood spurting over his hands. Wren twisted and then yanked the knife out of 04's neck. Blood gushed out, and 04 slipped to the floor. Wren eyed him for several seconds, clenching the knife in her hand before running out of the room. She ran up the stairs and through Atlas's office, up the stairs to the upper level and searched each room. She frowned, not seeing Connor or Atlas in any of the rooms. Instead, at the end of the hall, she found a steel door. Wren opened it and widened her at the steel-lined stairwell leading up to the roof. She hurried up the stairs and burst onto the roof, where Connor stood with his back to her, pointing the gun at Atlas, who stood at the edge of the roof, arms outspread.

Police sirens sounded in the distance. A news helicopter circled around them. Wren widened her eyes. All the media saw was an android pointing a gun at a senator, an android ally. Wren placed a hand on Connor's shoulder.

"Don't."

Atlas grinned at Connor as he lowered the gun, his nose crinkling.

"You're too late," Atlas murmured. "They're already here."

Wren furrowed her brow. A few androids—ones with weaponized thirium pump regulators—stepped onto the roof from the stairwell. Wren watched them march toward Atlas. She had no idea where they came from, or how to stop them. Her heart slammed in her chest. Connor holstered the gun and wheeled toward Wren.

"We gave to go!" he yelled. He grabbed Wren by the hand and they ran into the stairwell. Connor shut the door right as the androids exploded.

The steel stairwell managed to protect Wren and Connor from the initial blast somewhat, but the minor shockwave knocked them off their feet and they tumbled down the stairs. Connor fell on top of Wren in the hall. The section of the ceiling where Atlas and the androids once stood had been blasted apart, save for the stairwell. It seemed the thirium pump regulator bombs were not drastic enough to cause immense damage to the house, but there was nothing left of Atlas or the androids. Wooden beams crashed down and ruptured electrical wiring within the house. The wood of the house caught flame. Connor grabbed Wren's hand as smoke wafted up to them. Wren covered her mouth and nose. Connor hurried with her down the hall and to the main staircase. Wren glanced up, her eyes stinging.

The ceiling was on fire from the heat of the blast. Black smoke blocked the sky. The fire from the ceiling spread to the walls, whipping the air with heat. Sweat beaded on Wren's forehead and she forced herself to look ahead as they descended the stairs. Connor glanced toward the ceiling and grabbed Wren. He wrenched her forward and threw his body over hers as debris crashed toward them. The debris landed on Connor's left leg.

"Ah!"

Wren scrambled out from under him. She pushed the debris off of Connor, grimacing with the effort. The heat of the debris singed her hands, forcing some of the synthetic fluid to retreat. She shoved the chunk of ceiling aside. Connor twisted to look back at his leg. His LED swirled red. Wren glanced at his leg and her heart dropped. From the knee down, his leg was crushed. His jeans were tattered and burned.

"My leg isn't functional," he stammered. He looked at Wren with parted lips and wide eyes. "I can't walk."

Wren flinched as somewhere behind her, something crashed in flames. "It's okay, we'll be okay…"

"Go without me," Connor urged.

Wren glowered. "What the fuck? No, I'm not leaving you here!"

She crouched beside him and looped his arm over her shoulders. She stood, and Connor helped to the best of his ability. They hobbled forward. Wren's eyes stung. She tried to blink the smoke out of her eyes, but tears leaked past her lashes. Smoke burned her throat and filled her lungs. She coughed as she bore much of Connor's weight.

"Wren, you're inhaling too much smoke. I'm only slowing you down."

"Shut up," Wren coughed. "I'm not fucking leaving you." She drew in a ragged, strained breath. "Crouch down. We have to crawl." She laid on the floor with him. They pulled themselves along the floor with their elbows. Connor jerked Wren out of the way of some falling debris. She couldn't breathe and she could barely see. Her body slowed. Connor gripped the back of her jacket.

"Come on, we're almost out!"

Wren pulled with her arms, dragging herself toward the door. She shrugged off her jacket and grimaced as it pulled on her fresh cuts and bruises. She forced herself to stand and wrapped the jacket around the doorknob and pushed the door open. Crouching, she supported Connor and they shambled out of the burning house and into the snow. Wren collapsed on the ground and wheezed.

Connor's hand found hers. "Are you okay?"

Wren closed her eyes. "Yeah."

"We need to get further from the house."

Wren rolled over and shouldered Connor once more. They limped several yards away from the house; Connor left a trail of thirium behind them. Wren dropped to her knees and laid Connor on his back. She looked at his leg and her heart lurched. She wanted to vomit. Fresh tears welled in her eyes. She bowed her head.

"I thought I was going to lose you," she breathed. Connor pulled her close and she buried her face in his chest.

"I'm not going to die… I'm okay…" Connor's voice hummed through his chest. Wren lifted her head as Connor sat up. He thumbed her cheek and his LED circled yellow. A black SUV and two patrol cars pulled up to the house. An ambulance followed.

Hank jumped out of the first patrol car and ran over to them. "Connor! Wren! Are you guys okay?"

He knelt in the snow beside them.

Connor glanced at his leg. "I will need a replacement."

Hank's face paled at the sight of Connor's mangled leg. He turned to Wren and looked her over. His brow furrowed. "You're bleeding, kid."

Wren touched her side and drew back her fingers. Blood coated them. Connor's mouth fell open and his LED flashed red. Wren clutched her side and winced. The adrenaline wore off a little. "It's not deep. Just long."

Gavin, Tina, and Chris exited the second patrol car. Gavin and Chris hung back but Tina dropped beside Wren and threw her arms around Wren's neck.

"Oh my God, we found that cyborg at Vernor Hall and then we heard the news and we thought we were gonna be too late!"

Wren blinked and then hugged Tina close. She squeezed her eyes shut. "We're okay."

Tina withdrew, her eyelashes wet with tears. She withdrew. Blood splotched her jacket. She glanced at it, and then lifted her gaze to Wren. She turned to the ambulance. "We need a medic over here!"

Rhett crouched beside Wren. "You okay?"

"I've had worse."

Rhett cracked a smile. "Yeah, I know." His smile faltered. "We need to talk later."

Wren's throat dried. She jerked a nod and turned back to Hank and Connor, who both narrowed their eyes at Rhett. They never looked more like father and son.

A paramedic walked over. He helped Wren stand. She glanced at Connor. "He needs help, too."

The paramedic looked at Connor, then waved his android partner over. As the short-haired android walked toward Connor, bag in hand, Connor widened his eyes.

"Traci?"

The former Traci model smiled as she squatted beside Connor's leg. "Actually, I go by Rose now."

Connor looked at Hank, who beamed. Wren lifted a brow, but allowed the human paramedic to walk her over to the ambulance. She sat inside it while the paramedic shined a light in her eyes. He placed an oxygen mask over Wren's mouth and nose.

"How long were you in the fire? Use your fingers."

Wren held up five fingers. She shrugged to indicate that the three minutes was an estimation. It had probably been more like seven. The paramedic indicated for Wren to lift her hoodie and jacket. She did so, revealing her cut and bruises from her multiple fights. Her lip throbbed and parts of her face ached. She wouldn't be surprised if she couldn't move later.

The paramedic knelt and began cleaning her knife wound. She hissed at the burn of disinfectant. The paramedic placed a bandage over it and stood. "You'll need a few stitches, but it's not too serious."

Wren let her shirt drop down. She looked around, still breathing through the oxygen mask. Tina walked over to the ambulance.

"Hank and Connor are headed to CyberLife Tower."

Wren's heart jumped and she moved the oxygen mask. "They're taking me to the hospital. I need a few stitches."

Tina dipped her head. "Well, as soon as you're cleared, I can take you to Hank and Connor."

Wren nodded. Tina turned to leave. Wren bit her lip for a moment, and then called after Tina, "Will you ride with me? I don't want to be alone."

Tina turned and her expression softened. "Yeah. Sure."

The paramedic glanced down at her. "That's not really allowed…"

"Dude," said Tina, climbing into the back of the ambulance, "she's had a rough few days."

"I spent two nights in jail, got kicked out of my house, nearly got blown up…" Wren shrugged.

The paramedic sighed. "Alright, fine. Rose! Let's go!" He hopped out of the back of the ambulance and climbed in the front. Rose slid into the passenger side, leaving Tina and Wren alone in the back.

Tina sat across from Wren. "We did what you said, you know. We sent backup to Vernor Hall. Hank called us to tell us that they couldn't find Connor. We found that cyborg at Vernor Hall. Rhett arrested her. We tried getting her to talk, but… We were having no luck. We needed an android's help, so Josh probed her memory. And then the news started reporting that a few androids were marching up to an estate of Montgomery's in protest. While we were driving there, we watched how Connor was about to shoot Montgomery and you stopped him and then…" Tina swallowed. Her eyes reddened as tears filled her eyes. "Those androids grabbed Montgomery and just… exploded. We all thought that you and Connor were dead."

Wren cracked a smile. It pulled at the split in her lip and she tasted blood anew. Tina pulled out a tissue and passed it to Wren, who nursed her bleeding lip. "We got lucky. Very lucky. The stairwell was made of steel and on the other side of the roof, so… We weren't right next to the blast or anything."

"Yeah, the three androids together made up a nice-sized blast, but alone… They weren't very formidable bombs."

"I don't think they were meant to be. Or maybe they didn't perfect the technique. I don't know."

Tina nodded. She offered Wren a twitch of her lips. "I'm really sorry. About everything. About how I treated you, and kicked you out—"

"It's okay," Wren murmured. "I know all of this is a lot to wrap your head around. It took Hank forever to trust me. Remember how we worked that stalker case, and I wasn't there to stakeout with you?"

Tina smiled slightly. "Oh yeah, and I was super pissed."

"Yeah, Hank wasn't letting me leave the house. He never wanted me out of his or Connor's sight."

Tina raised her eyebrows. "No way."

"Yeah, and I tried sneaking out of the house to come help you, but Connor caught me. He tackled me in the yard."

Tina grinned. "So you were on house arrest, then?"

"Basically."

"How'd Hank start to trust you?"

"After I risked my life to save a victim. He saw I was trying to turn over a new leaf."

"I thought I felt some tension between the three of you…" Tina trailed off, grinning. "I just never imagined it'd be all this."

Wren's eyes crinkled with a smile. "Yeah." She lowered the bloodied tissue from her lip. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I wanted to, but this isn't an easy topic to bring up. I wanted to protect you guys, but I was also being selfish. I didn't want our friendship to change. I didn't want you to look at me any differently."

Tears dripped down Tina's cheeks. She leaned forward and extended a hand. Wren grasped her friend's hand, and her throat swelled with emotion. Pressure built behind her eyes. Tina smiled, despite her tear streaks. "Listen, I was angry because you know me… I'm stupidly loyal. I felt a little betrayed because I thought we told each other everything, but… I understand, Wren. And now I know the truth. You're like family to me. I love you."

The tears welled in Wren's eyes and spilled over. "I love you, too."

…

As soon as the doctor cleared Wren to leave, she and Tina headed for the CyberLife Tower. Her stomach quivered the whole way, and by the time she rode the elevator down to sublevel seventeen, her stomach twisted itself into knots. Her breath quickened and she tried to control it as she walked toward the room Hank texted Tina.

Wren burst inside the room. The dark navy floor caught the reflection of everything standing directly upon it. A long, steel table sat in the middle of the room. Large machines with arms and tools attached to the ends stood on either side of the table. Hank leaned against the left wall with folded arms while Elijah Kamski stood to the right of Connor, who paced back and forth, testing out his new leg.

Connor turned when Wren entered the room. His LED flashed yellow for a second. His lips pulled into a soft, crooked smile. Wren's anxiety melted. She staggered toward him, exhaustion crashing over her. She hugged him, and he wrapped his arms around her. His head rested against hers.

"Are you alright?"

Wren nodded into Connor's chest, gripping his jacket tightly. He squeezed her before pulling back to examine her face. His LED swirled yellow as he took in the bruises, split lip and overall bloodiness. His lips pressed together, and the lines around his mouth hardened. Wren kissed the hollow of his cheek.

"I'm okay," she murmured. "Nothing too serious."

"Doc cleared you? You didn't escape, did you?" Hank said, sauntering over to them.

"Yes, he cleared me," Wren rolled her eyes. "Tina was there."

"Alright, I believe you." Hank's lips tugged with a smile. Wren hugged him. He held her for a moment before patting her back.

Wren withdrew and sniffed. She turned to Kamski. "Thank you for your hint."

He smirked and tilted his head. "You're welcome. I'm no fan of these Titans. But you still have more to go."

Wren's heart dropped and the color leaked from her face. She swallowed. "Prometheus won't win."

Kamski narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. "Prometheus isn't the only one." He turned to Connor and smiled. "Let me know if you experience any malfunctions." He strode out of the room, his hands clasped behind his back, the soles of his shoes clicking against the hard, glossy floor.

Hank raised his eyebrows and turned to Wren. "You wanna grab something to eat? You look about ready to pass out."

Wren placed a hand over her stomach. "Yeah. That sounds great."

The three of them walked out of the room and down the hall, only to find Rhett waiting for them by the elevator. Rhett lifted his chin in greeting.

"Wren." He blocked the entrance to the elevator. Connor and Hank tensed beside Wren. She merely crossed her arms.

"Rhett."

"You know what's gotta happen," said Rhett. "An agent from Prometheus will be here in two days to take you."

"She's not going back," snapped Connor.

Rhett scowled at Connor. "That's not your choice."

"But it's mine," said Wren. "And I am not going back to that hellhole."

"It isn't your choice," said Rhett. "You deserted—"

"We're not at war!" Wren snapped.

"It's still desertion," replied Rhett. "They're not gonna execute you."

"Taking me back there will basically be a death sentence, Rhett," hissed Wren. She clenched her teeth for a moment. "You know what? Let them come for me. I'm going to fight them with everything that I have. So you and Prometheus can fuck off. You're in our way."

Rhett pursed his lips but stepped aside. "You're making a mistake, Wren."

Wren ignored him, but she couldn't ignore the nausea in her stomach.

…

Wren stepped into the shower and let the hot water run down her back. She avoided letting her stitches get too wet. The water pooling at her feet turned brownish red as blood washed away. Wren scrubbed her hands cleans. She took gentler care of her face, but rinsed her hair with shampoo. She leaned her head back, allowing water to stream through her hair. She sighed and shut off the water once all the soap and blood washed away. She grabbed a towel and patted herself dry, wincing at the parts of her body that ached from fighting. She wrapped the towel around her and stepped into her bedroom (which Tina so graciously offered back to Wren).

Wren tucked her hair behind her ear and froze, seeing a pair of familiar shoes. Her gaze lifted to meet Connor's. He stood by the closed door, his eyes wide.

"I—Tina said—I'm sorry."

Wren stared at him for a few seconds, taking in his haggard appearance. He wore new clothes, but soot and thirium covered his face. Rubble, dust, and soot covered his hair. Wren bet that underneath the new clothes provided to him by CyberLife, he was filthy.

"It's fine, I just didn't know you were coming over."

Connor's brow furrowed. "If you don't want me here—"

"Of course I want you here."

Connor relaxed. "I assumed that after what we went through… I didn't want you to be alone." He lowered his gaze and his LED flickered yellow. "I didn't want to be alone, either."

The corners of Wren's mouth twitched. She held out a hand. "Come on, you need a shower."

Connor nodded. He took Wren's hand, though he frowned. "You just got out of the shower, though."

Wren pressed her lips together for a moment. "Yeah…"

"I can shower on my own."

Wren looked at him. "Do you want to?"

Connor's lips parted. His LED flashed. "No."

"Okay then," said Wren. She returned to her foggy bathroom and started up the hot water in the shower. She turned to see Connor undressing. She turned away and let her towel drop before getting back into the shower. After a moment, Connor joined her.

As presumed, Connor was filthy. Soot, dirt, blood, thirium… The cleanest part on his body was his new leg, which looked exactly like his old one. Wren peered down at it.

"Did they find a compatible leg from another model or…?"

"There were RK800 spare parts in one of the warehouses," Connor replied. He lifted his head. The water dampened his hair, flattening the lock that usually hung in front of forehead. "As much as I believe that I'm alive, sometimes the idea of spare parts reminds me that I wasn't always… And that I'm not human."

Wren furrowed her brow. "There's nothing wrong with spare parts. Humans replace organs all the time. I mean…" She held up her right hand. The synthetic skin melted away. "I'm alive because of spare parts."

Connor pressed his lips to the palm of her hand. "I'm very grateful for that."

"I wasn't always grateful for it," Wren replied, watching her synthetic skin cover the white plastic. She lifted her head. "And you wear an LED. If you were trying to appear more human…?"

"I wear my LED because it helps people read my emotions better," said Connor.

Wren tilted her head. "I knew that. But… Why do you care?"

"When people aren't able to read my emotions, I feel… less alive."

Wren wrapped her arms around Connor's neck. "Sweetheart, most people have a hard time reading other humans' emotions. Besides, I'm sure Hank and I are decent at reading your facial expressions, LED or no LED."

Connor leaned his head toward her. "Part of me likes it, though. I'm not ashamed to be an android."

"Good," said Wren. She kissed the corner of his mouth and withdrew. "Alright, let's get you clean." She grabbed a loofa and squirted soap onto it. Then, she rubbed it along Connor's chest. His eyes fluttered shut and he leaned his head back. Wren continued washing away the grime. When she finished, she moved Connor under the stream of the water. Wren turned Connor around and worked on his back. Her fingers drifted along a section of skin that appeared tauter and slightly puckered.

"Is this where he shot you?"

"Yes," Connor murmured. "Kamski says there shouldn't be much of a mark, though they did have to cauterize it."

Wren closed her eyes and then pressed her lips to the mark. Connor shuddered. He turned toward her; his eyes seemed heavily lidded. His lips touched hers, though he kept the kiss chaste. His fingers traced the bruises shadowing her cheekbones, the split in her lip, the cut on her forehead. Then ran his hands down her arms and examined where the knife slashed her forearms. The doctor treated her well enough. He told her the marks on her arms would fade with time. Her palms, however, bore faint marks forever. She burned herself moving debris off of Connor, and while synthetic skin patches fixed much of the burn, the damage proved severe enough to leave a faint mark on her palms. Connor kissed both marks. His eyes traveled down to her side, where she suffered the knife slash. His fingers brushed the stitches. Wren winced, and Connor's eyes flashed to hers.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

"It didn't hurt. It's just sensitive."

Connor rested his hands on Wren's hips. "We shouldn't do anything that'll disturb your stitches."

"Yeah," Wren murmured. She rested her head on Connor's chest. He held her close. Their hips remained close together. Wren pulled back after a moment. "Let's wash your hair."

Connor stooped so that Wren could lather his hair and scrub it clean. He rinsed the soap out. Wren watched him, her eyes roving over his toned chest, down to the V of his hips. Her eyes traveled back up to his face. He looked peaceful with his eyes closed as he ran his hands through his hair, water creating rivers down his body. If Wren weren't so exhausted, she would want him.

Once Connor was clean, Wren turned off the water and hopped out of the shower. She wrapped her towel around herself and handed a clean one to Connor. He wrapped it around his waist after patting himself dry. Wren returned to her room and dressed into pajamas. Connor knelt beside a duffle bag. Wren's lips twitched when he withdrew sweatpants and a T-shirt. She averted her eyes as he dressed and worked on drying her hair with the towel. She avoided looking in a mirror. She knew she looked bad.

Wren and Connor crawled into bed as Wren turned on the TV. "You know, we still have a few movies on our list."

Connor smiled. "We still haven't watched A New Hope."

Wren grinned, feeling lighter than she had in many days. "Star Wars it is."

…

The next day, Rhett showed up at Wren's door while Connor and the others returned to work. Wren answered the door, saw Rhett, and tried to slam the door in his face. He caught the door with his hand.

"Really? You're going to be a child about this?"

"Prometheus will have to take me, kicking and screaming," said Wren.

"I came to talk to you about that, actually," said Rhett, entering Wren's house without permission. "Have you bugged the place?"

"No," Wren scowled.

"Good, because what I'm about to talk to you about is highly confidential," said Rhett, facing Wren with his hands in his pockets. Wren shut the front door.

"Okay…"

"Look, the reality is, Prometheus isn't going to let you go. You know too much, and you've told too many people too much information."

Wren worked her jaw before answering. "I told you that I could come forward with my information. They've done some shady shit—"

"Not shady enough," snapped Rhett. "Yeah, you could fight this out with them. I bet Markus, North, and Josh could find you an amazing lawyer. But Prometheus still has government backing. They're still powerful and you know it. You could fight this in court with them. You might even win. But that doesn't mean they'll leave you alone. That's just asking for you to die or mysteriously disappear. Or they might come after someone you love."

Wren's eyes snapped to Rhett's. "So, what do you suggest I do?"

"Go back to them willingly," said Rhett.

Wren's heart recoiled. "You're insane. I am never going back to them."

"Hang on," said Rhett. He held up his hands, palms forward. "Go back to them, but as an undercover CIA agent."

Wren rolled her eyes. "What, be a double agent?"

"Yes."

"Prometheus won't trust me to get close enough to learn anything important."

"Maybe not right away. But they could. Go back, and we can bring them down."

Wren folded her arms. "What's the CIA's interest in bringing down Prometheus, if they've still got government backing?"

Rhett shook his head. "I can't tell you anything unless you sign on. We need to find something shady enough that the government drops them, and CIA already has an angle we're working on. You could be the key to bringing them down, Wren. If the government drops them, they'll be powerless to come after you."

Wren choked. She closed her eyes as tears welled up. Rhett was right. She wouldn't be truly safe from Prometheus until they were dealt with. But she would have to leave her family and friends to do it.

"I know this isn't an easy decision. The Prometheus agent arrives tomorrow. You'll have to decide by then, at least. And remember, you have to make your departure convincing."

Wren looked up at him. "I know how the game works."

Rhett's lips twisted. "I know." He opened the front door. "Just think about it."

…

Wren took a taxi to Hank's while everyone was at work. She used her key to enter the house. Sumo woofed at her when she entered. He laid his head on his massive paws and let out a low whine. Wren crouched beside him and pet him. She trekked into Hank's room and searched the drawers for pen and paper. It was easy enough to find; Hank was far more sentimental than he let on.

Wren entered Connor's room and wrote a letter. She swallowed the bile rising into her chest and ignored the pressure building behind her eyes. She folded up the paper and opened up the framed picture of Connor and her. She stuck the letter behind the picture and replaced the back of the frame.

She returned home and waited for Tina to get back from the DPD. Her stomach twisted itself into knots. Her heart beat so fast she felt it thrumming in her neck. She buried her face in her hands and tried not to cry.

When Tina returned home, she stopped by the living room, her brow furrowed. "I thought you were going to Hank's tonight?"

Wren lifted her head. "I am."

Tina's frown deepened and she sank onto the couch. "Are you okay?"

"Can I ask you something?"

Tina nodded. "Yeah, anything."

"If there was something to do that you knew was the right thing, but doing it meant hurting some people you love, would you do it?" Wren avoided Tina's gaze.

"Wren, is this about how I reacted to the whole cyborg thing? If it is, I'm really sorry, I understand now—"

"No, this is just a hypothetical."

"Why is this hypothetical making you miserable?" Tina demanded. "Wren, you're freaking me out."

Wren placed her fingers to her lips. "Sorry. It was… It was just a nightmare. Anxiety."

"I would do the right thing," murmured Tina. Wren looked at her. Tina pinched her brow. "It might hurt your loved ones, but… I think they'd understand. If it's the right thing, you should do it."

Wren's heart plummeted. She wanted to throw up, or scream, or cry. Returning to Prometheus, leaving her friends, her family, breaking Connor's heart—it was the last thing she wanted. But she also wanted to burn Prometheus to the ground. Nausea wrenched her stomach every time she thought about killing those cyborgs. It hadn't been their choice to attack her—they had yet to deviate and break their conditioning—and Atlas led them astray. Atlas called them his "squadron" which meant more squadrons of cyborgs existed. She might could save them, but it would take her returning to Prometheus, gaining their trust, and eventually discovering something to dismantle the organization. It was the right thing to do.

Wren's lips tugged. "You know that I'm not mad at you, right?"

Tina nodded. "Yeah. Chloe told me you were upset when you came by, and you got kind of mad, but… I know. You know I'm not mad at you?"

"Yeah," Wren smiled, "I know." She hugged Tina and then took a cab to Hank's house.

Hank ordered pizza, and the two of them ate while Connor set up the next Star Wars movie. Then, the three of them piled together on the couch and watched the movie. Wren leaned into Connor. Her heart throbbed. She wished she could dig into her chest and rip it out to stop the pain. After the movie, Hank drifted off to bed. Wren watched him go, her eyes pricking.

In Connor's bed, Wren hugged him tightly. "You know I love you, right?"

Connor's LED flickered in the darkness. "I know. I love you, too."

Wren laid her head on his chest. She pretended to sleep, but the way her insides quivered kept her awake.

…

At work the next day, Wren flinched at every loud sound. She checked the elevator every few seconds to check if Rhett and the Prometheus agent arrived. Her nightmare unfolded at precisely two in the afternoon.

A petite woman with a sleek bob haircut stepped off the elevator. Rhett walked with her, looking like he were at a funeral. He avoided Wren's gaze. Hank faced the Prometheus agent and crossed his arms.

Connor straightened in his seat and stared at Rhett and the agent, remaining absolutely still. His LED flickered.

Tina, Gavin, and Chris watched. Tina squared her shoulders, ready to fight. Wren's chest swelled in gratitude while her stomach knotted.

The woman regarded Wren coldly. "CY001, I am Pauline Thomas. I'm sure Agent Anson briefed you on my arrival."

"He mentioned it."

"I would like to have a private word with you. Is there somewhere we can speak alone?"

"I'd like to remind you, Mrs. Thomas, that I am to accompany you and CY001."

Pauline Thomas worked her jaw. "Yes, Agent Anson, I am aware of the CIA's disappointment. 01, if you will." She gestured for Wren to escort her.

Wren stood from her seat, trembling. Connor caught her wrist as she walked past. Wren looked down at him. His LED circled yellow. "Remember that we can fight this."

Wren nodded. Connor released her. Wren took Rhett and Pauline to the roof, where there were no cameras.

Pauline's heels clacked the concrete in a way that grated on Wren's nerves. Pauline looked at the skyline before spinning on her heel to face Wren. "Agent Anson informed me on your willingness to cooperate and return to Prometheus."

"Let me make this clear," Wren snapped, "the only reason I am willing to cooperate is because I know that even if I will be free, Prometheus will never leave me or my friends and family alone. Prometheus must never come near them."

Pauline dipped her head. "Deal."

"And you can't recondition me or try to wipe my memory. None of that bullshit. If I work for you, I work as an agent, not a fucking prisoner."

"Well, you're deviant now. Even if we wanted to wipe your memory, we couldn't. Montgomery had a… different approach to his conditioning than many Prometheus supervisors. You won't be reconditioned or brainwashed, or any other horrors you have in your head."

Wren glanced at Rhett before returning her gaze to Pauline. "And they all think I'm ready to fight this. It's up to you to figure out why I'm not going to, got it? I'm not going to lie to them. That's your job."

Pauline narrowed her eyes. "Fine. Anything else?"

"CIA wants to keep in contact with Prometheus, as well as Wren and whatever squadron she works with. Obviously, since she was one of Montgomery's… CIA will be keeping an eye on all of you. Prometheus has risked national security. You're on thin ice."

Pauline sucked her teeth and looked at the ground. "I'm well aware, Agent Anson." She lifted her head. "Let's inform your friends, shall we?"

Wren wanted to vomit. She tried to control her shivering in the elevator. She bowed her head as she followed Pauline and Rhett to the HAD cluster of desks.

"I'm sure all of you are aware that you must keep what happened entirely confidential and among yourselves. Unfortunately, whatever CY001 told you cannot be undone, so we are trusting all of you to remain quiet. Do you understand?" Pauline eyed them coldly.

"Yeah, we're not idiots," said Gavin.

"And your decision on Wren?" Hank queried.

"CY001 is returning to Prometheus effective immediately."

Wren's eyes slid shut as coldness spread throughout her body.

"What? No fuckin' way," snarled Hank. Wren looked up as he jumped from his chair. "You're not taking her."

"Yeah, you can't just take her away!" Tina snapped.

"Actually, I can," said Pauline. She withdrew a tablet from her large purse and fiddled around on it. She showed them what looked like a document. At the bottom was Wren's signature. Heat whipped down Wren's back. She tried to act like she had seen this before, but in truth, she had never laid eyes on this document. She didn't even remember signing a document. "As per her contract, she owes several more years of service. CY001 agreed to join Prometheus as payment for the mechanisms that keep her alive. Prometheus saved her life, so she owes us hers."

"She doesn't owe you shit!" Hank seethed.

"She broke through programming, right?" said Chris. "That means she's a deviant. There are laws that protect deviants."

"She is not an android." Pauline enunciated each word with cold finality.

"So, what? You're just gonna drag her back, kicking and screaming? We can get her a lawyer—"

"No, she is going to come willingly. There's no need to involve legal action."

"She's not gonna go willingly," sneered Tina. "This is such bullshit!"

Wren's eyes flicked to each of her team members' faces, except for Connor's. She couldn't bear to look at him.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way. CY001 still owes her payment for her biocomponents, mechanical limbs and surgery. If she wants to be free now, if you want to get a lawyer, by all means, go ahead. We can just take those things keeping her alive away." Pauline smirked as she looked at Wren.

"Wren," muttered Connor. Wren looked at him. She never noticed him stand. His brow creased and his lips parted. His LED swirled red. "Her name is Wren."

"It doesn't matter what name she goes by here. To Prometheus, she is CY001." Pauline glanced at Wren. "You have five minutes to say your goodbyes."

Wren's stomach lurched. She stumbled toward her team, her friends, her family.

Chris gripped her shoulders. "This isn't goodbye forever. Okay? We'll see you on the other side of all this."

Wren nodded. She hugged him. Her body moved slowly to face Gavin, who pressed his lips together. He shook his head and then pulled Wren into a hug.

"Stay strong, Red."

Wren pulled away and faced Tina, whose eyes were red. Wren pulled her friend in for a hug. "Take care of Connor."

"Take care of yourself," Tina breathed back. They parted. Tina blinked, and tears dripped down her cheeks. "Some nightmare, huh?"

Wren lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry."

"Hey," Tina murmured, gripping Wren's arm, "if… If it's the right thing… I'll tell North and the others."

Wren's eyes flashed to Tina's. She blinked back tears and hugged her friend again. Then, she faced Hank and her heart nearly crumpled like an empty soda can.

Hank opened and closed his mouth. Wren threw her arms around him, and he let out a soft oof. He hugged Wren tightly. "Hang in there, kid. We will get you out. We'll find a lawyer or something. I promise."

Wren withdrew and shook her head. "No, don't get involved. Please. Not… Not like that."

Hank's brow puckered. "You can't expect me to let those shitbags win, can you?"

Wren smiled weakly. "Just… Don't put yourself on their radar. Please, Hank. I couldn't bear it if you guys got hurt trying to save me."

"Yeah, and I can't stand watching you go back to them without a fight. What's the deal, huh?" Hank snapped.

Tears filled Wren's eyes. "I'm sorry."

At last, she faced Connor. The look in his eyes knocked the breath from her lungs. His jaw was set and his eyes seemed hard as they looked away from her. The tension in his face revealed his attempt to control himself.

"Time's nearly up," called Pauline.

Wren cupped Connor's face in her hands. His eyes lifted to meet hers.

"Why aren't you fighting back?" he whimpered.

Wren's heart broke. She closed her eyes and tears splashed down her cheeks. "One day you'll understand." She opened her eyes. "I love you, more than anything. I'll never forget you." She thought of the letter hidden in the picture frame. "I'll never forget the day we took that picture in the park." Connor's brow pinched. Wren dropped her hands from his face. "Please don't forget me."

Connor's face crumpled. He pulled her close to him. "Never. I-I love you. So much." Tears welled in his eyes.

Wren wanted to scream at Pauline, to beg Rhett to help her, to make herself stay and forget Prometheus, but she couldn't. Wren hugged Connor, and he buried his face in her shoulder, clutching her tightly.

"Time to go," said Pauline.

Wren squeezed Connor tighter and then let go. She turned her back on her loved ones and followed Prometheus to the elevator.

…

Whelp, that's a wrap on Part 1! Part 2 will be coming soon (official title is Of Red and Blue Blood).
Thank you so so so so much for all the reviews, favorites, follows, etc! They all encourage me, but the reviews are especially uplifting, and I'm always overwhelmed with the amount of kindness and positive feedback (and the constructive criticism), and how much you guys speculate what's going to happen next, the love you guys have for Connor and Wren, and even Tina and Chloe, and North! I can't express to you guys how much your reviews mean to me! Part 1 was 543 pages in my Word Document. That's a lot of work, but all of you helped make it ten times better (I thoroughly enjoyed writing this and can't wait to continue it!) I hope you guys continue your support for this series by following on to Part 2!