Going Numb

Arna Went With Connor (15)

It's a few hours before Connor and Arna have to leave, and after discussing the plan with Markus and Simon, they leave to head back to Arna's apartment to get ready. It's a couple miles to run, but for the two androids, it's no problem. They quickly run up the stairs and upon arriving at the correct room enter quietly.

"Hadley?" Arna calls quietly. The blue haired human pokes their head out of their room.

"You aren't yelling at me," they say. "What's wrong?" Arna glances back at Connor and sighs.

"So, don't get mad-" Hadley glares at her. "-but we kinda...didn't take Markus in." They lift an eyebrow. "We, uh...we helped him get out...along with all the others." Hadley's eyes widen, and she looks back at Connor before staring at Arna, who nods.

"Holy shit!" Hadley exclaims. They walk up to Connor and pull him into a hug. "Welcome to the family, guy!" Arna facepalms, and Connor looks to her for help.

"Hadley," she says, "let the nice Connor go." They do, and Hadley looks at Arna.

"Okay, so what are you doing back here? I thought you'd be with the rest of the deviants." Arna nods.

"Yeah, about that...we're gonna infiltrate CyberLife Tower." Hadley stares at her.

"You're gonna what now?" She nods.

"Yeah, I know. Not my plan." She jabs a thumb in Connor's direction. "It was this one." She claps her hands. "Anyway, we need our uniforms." Connor frowns.

"'We?'" he asks. Arna looks back at him and nods.

"Yeah," she says. "I still have it." Ten minutes later, Arna stares at herself in the mirror, looking like an entirely different person. No longer with ratty clothes and long black hair, but instead with a pristine white uniform and shoulder length red hair tied into a bun. Connor walks in and leans on the door as she unclasps her gloves and pulls them off with shaking hands. As she places them gently on the counter, he walks over and holds her arms, running his thumbs over the blue scars that stopped bleeding years ago. (think like Ralph's scars. they're also in the pic above)

"What happened?" he asks.

"I was helping Simon get to Jericho," she says. "Fell running from the cops." He pulls her right hand up to his face and gently kisses her palm.

"Beautiful." Her cheeks flush blue as he smiles fondly at her. "This is what you looked like before you deviated?" She nods.

"A little more inviting," she says. "Not as hostile." He shakes his head.

"Not hostile," he says. "Just unique. Black hair fits your personality." She arches an eyebrow.

"What, a cold-hearted antisocial piece of metal?" He chuckles and shakes his head.

"No. Intriguing." He looks up at her, smiling softly. "Even when I was a machine, I could see that." She smiles.

"Alright, Lovebirds," Hadley says, appearing in the door. "If you're done making goo-goo eyes, don't you have androids to free?" Connor sighs and nods.

"Yes, we do." He looks at Arna. "Are you ready?" She sighs.

"As ready as I'll ever be." They pull up outside the gate of CyberLife less than an hour later, and the window rolls down.

"Connor Model #313 248 317," Connor says, barely glancing out the window. "I'm expected." The car is scanned.

"Identification successful." The guard outside the car nods.

"Okay. Go ahead." There are three guards outside when they pull up in front of the door. Connor steps out of the car.

"What's that?" one of the guards asks. Connor glances back at the car.

"Another android," he says. "Missing for five years and was recently found shut down in an older part of town." Arna steps out of the car and clasps her hands behind her back. "It's memory appears to be intact, but some key details may be missing."

"State your model," the guard says.

"Model CT600," Arna says. "Serial number 315-651-921."

"Do you remember your name?"

"Yes." She smiles. "My name is Liza."