#Fanfiction Writer Solutions | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

shadowsshowdown · 2 years

Text

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Shadow’s Showdown: Chapter 20

youtube

The Simplest Solutions.

Sweden - Gamla Uppsala.

Adam was kneeling by the unconscious Laura in a vain attempt to make her wake up.

"Call an ambulance!" he ordered Faridah without a second thought, and taking a handkerchief from his coat pocket, he wiped the blood with it.

Malik nervously tried to type in the number, and when she succeeded, Miss Werner, who had just regained consciousness, stopped her.

"No need, I feel better now," she protested, trying to stand up.

"You need the medical attention," Jensen said in a stern tone and took her in his arms not caring about what she wanted.

"It's really nothing," she insisted. "Besides, I can walk by myself."

"Out of the question!" the Head of Security growled. "We're going back to Detroit as soon as possible."

She didn't like that tone, she didn't like him screaming. It was too well ingrained in her psyche and always caused fear. Adam obviously felt that he had scared her, but he couldn't understand why. What had happened in Laura’s life that was now influencing her behavior so strongly? If he knew who her ex is, he could look for something in the police database. Faridah was silent in helplessness, but also did not support Laura's decision. A quarter of an hour later they were home, and the girl didn't even protest when Jensen put her in his bed. It wouldn't do any good anyway.

"I'll go change and brew some tea," Faridah said, giving herself an excuse to leave.

"Get some rest before you start packing your things," he muttered to Laura, reaching for his bag. "We will not fly to D.C."

Laura couldn't lie still when he said that. She was unable to accept the fact that he might be fired because of her. She momentarily rolled off the bed as if burned by his words.

"Out of the question," she hissed. "I ruined this trip, and I won't let Sarif fire you because of me!" she said stressing every word. "Do you understand? I won't allow it!"

Adam's hand clenched tightly on the bag he held in it, and when he loosened the grip the piece of cloth fell to the ground. He wanted to yell at her, tell her how stupid and reckless she was, but he couldn't get a word out. He leaned against the dresser on his outstretched arms and looked out the window. These few words, spoken with such firmness were too much. He couldn't allow such a sacrifice, but he clearly didn't have much to say, which worried him.

Laura wasn't feeling well, her head was spinning again but she managed to get the situation under control before Jensen turned around. She was determined and would do anything to execute the plan.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked completely calmly, looking intently at the girl.

"Doing what?" she asked surprised, frowning.

"You're not feeling well, and yet you want to fly to Washington."

The girl sighed and shook her head. "You still don't understand, do you? That's what friends do - they help each other."

The Chief of Security heard too much, felt overwhelmed by her declaration. Laura managed to break through his solid wall, behind which he was stubbornly hiding all the time. He was seized with fear of where this was all going. At the same time, he wanted to see the light, to let go of what the future would bring, without constantly defending himself against it. He was simply tired of that endless, pointless fight.

"Thank you," was all he could say at the moment.

"Tea is ready," Faridah interrupted them, peeking into the room.

Laura, on her way out, stopped on the threshold turning her head.

"You’re not going?"

"I'll join you in a moment," he replied.

Faridah sat at the table with a grim expression and sipped her tea. She didn't want to go back to Detroit, and Laura's fainting made her even more worried.

"You look old with that expression. Smile please, you'll cry at my funeral," she muttered as she sat down across from her.

"This old one will teach you a lesson..." Malik growled teasingly. "You feel better?" she asked with concern.

"Yes, better," she replied which was partially true. "We'll fly to Washington and no buts."

"You know what I think, but you're the one crazy here," she said, taking a sip of her tea.

"Adam has his own task, and he must do it. End of the topic."

Malik was also surprised by her attitude. Not long ago it would have been indifferent to her, or even desired to get rid of Jensen, but now she defends him like a lioness to her cubs. She liked the change, even though she found it strange and unexpected.

When Jensen arrived, his tea had already gone cold, but he didn't care. He wanted to drink it reaching for the mug, but Laura forestalled him by taking the mug from under his nose.

"It's gone cold, I'll brew some fresh," she informed him as he looked at her reproachfully.

Jensen was about to say a few words regarding that he wasn't a child and didn't like her behavior, but Faridah's significant gaze warned him not to make that mistake. He took a deep breath to cool down. Miss Werner shouldn't be the one making the sacrifice. Laura returned with the fresh tea and the remaining kanelbulle. Adam had to admit she had an excellent sense of when and what remedy to use to make him feel better. With each bite, he forgot that just a moment ago he had been angry with her.

With regret, they said goodbye to this cozy cottage and secluded Gamla Uppsala. Adam was struggling with Laura, forcing her to let him carry her backpack. He had to endure her protests and whining, but she quickly got over it. They walked down the same alley past Valhalla, hoping to come back here again someday.

"I'll go hand over the keys and complete the paperwork if there is any left," Faridah said. "You two better go to the helipad," she added, handing Adam a small rectangular VTOL remote.

"Okay, we'll wait inside," he replied.

When they got there, Jensen took care of the luggage and Laura sat down in her seat. She felt the sudden sadness that always accompanies someone when something lovely ends and you need to come back to reality with only memories left. Even though they had explained everything to each other, she knew what would happen next. She felt it with all her being. It was like a short but very intense dream or a carefree holiday romance. It was and will not happen again. Adam had brought her to a state from which she could no longer withdraw. He put the demons to a deep slumber awakening new emotions, the one Laura never knew. She had fallen in love or at least fascination, hopelessly and without mutuality with this grumpy, stiff Head of Security. That was not the plan, but it happened.

"Are you okay?" he asked with concern seeing her sad expression and sat down next to her. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying, only my eyes are sweating," she replied as she did when she was a child.

"I understand," he replied with fatherly understanding and wrapped his arm around her. "I'd like to come back here again sometime, but only with you," said softly, trying to make her feel better.

"Why with me? Do you like me that much?" she raised her head a little bit and looked at Adam squinting.

"You're the only one who knows the language," he replied with a serious tone and poker face.

"Aha..." she muttered.

For the first time, he couldn't refrain from laughing seeing the expression on her face. Laura, even though she was a bit angry at him, silently stated that it was a wonderful sound and even if she was the matter of it, Adam can laugh as long as he wants. Seeing him like this is a victory itself.

"Don’t be silly. I have to admit, I don't regret letting Faridah abducting me. After all those hours spent at the company, it was a nice change.""At least one good thing I managed to do." Adam sighed not wanting to comment on that. Laura underestimated herself for some reason. Maybe someday she would open up to him enough to know her secrets. Still, he had learned more about her in just two days than he had since they first bumped into each other at the company. Jensen was still troubled by this ex of hers, and more by the fact that there was little he could do about it, other than watch the girl a little more closely.

Faridah came a few minutes later, pleased to note everything was back to normal and even better than before. Jensen had apparently finally decided to let go of his sick rules that were leading to nothing good. After completing all of the taking-off procedures, VTOL gently raised over the ground and said goodbye to Sweden.

"Can you tell me something about Washington? What's this place I'm supposed to check out?" asked Laura moments after takeoff.

"Mhm, I'll give you some background information on what you should be prepared for," he replied. "I can show you the earlier report to review."

"Great, that will help me a lot," she smiled.

Adam reached into his bag and took out a black leather file. He unzipped it and then searched for the particular page with the detailed plan of the building.

"Standard four-story rectangular-plan structure. Completely exposed. Quite a solid fence, but it can be jumped over, I tried. There's a watchman at the gate, but you can say anything to just walk in," he informed as he ran his finger over the various locations on the plan.

"Listen we have a little problem," Faridah interrupted them. "I received a message an announcement about the weather deteriorating so we have to fly a little slower. There was a mention about thunderstorms, so it might shake a bit, but I'll try to level it down to a minimum."

"Great," Laura muttered, thinking Adam wouldn't hear. Storms were the last thing she wanted at the moment. She had been afraid of them since she was a child but has not been able to overcome this fear until now.

"Are you afraid of thunders?" he asked, glancing at her with a smile.

"Not at all, why should I be afraid? It's just Thor getting angry," she replied pretending to be tough and fearless to which the man nodded pretending to believe it.

After the first strike, Laura showed no sign of fear, but in spirit, she was a scared cat. Jensen waited patiently for Miss Werner to finally give in and admit that thunderstorms are not her favorite weather phenomenon.

"Everyone enters through the main gate?"

"Mhm, they'll be checking passes on the ground floor and monitor whoever enters. The video surveillance system appeared to be working during my last visit. "

After the second strike, the auburn-haired girl's hands were shaking. He saw it when she asked for more details while pointing her finger at places on the plan.

"These stairs are quite open, someone will be guarding them?"

"Yes, we've ordered SWAT for the occasion as well as several smaller security groups."

Laura bit her lip thoughtfully. "What is this conference about, anyway?" she regretted the question as soon as she had said the last word.

"It concerns the research of Megan and her group of scientists. Sarif said it was something very important, so we need to ensure top security."

"I understand," she replied trying to act normally but whenever Laura heard her name she was reminded of her place in the hierarchy. "If there is another entrance then the participants of the conference should enter through it," she continued, separating her duties from personal matters.

Adam apparently noticed that for some reason Laura was not reacting very well to the presence or even the mention of Megan, so he decided to spare her further pretending that everything is ok.

"Let's leave the work stuff for later. You should get some rest," he recommended, taking the leather file, and the piece of paper laid on top of it, from her.

As he put everything in his bag, it thundered for the third time. Miss Werner squealed in fear as she clutched his coat.

"So you're unafraid because..." he didn't finish, she interrupted him with a poke in the side.

"Faridah I’m asking you very kindly. Throw him out the airlock."

"We don't have an airlock," she replied laughing.

"Too bad," Laura muttered. "Do you think this unannounced inspection will succeed at all?" she asked Adam.

The storm was a great excuse for her to be able to snuggle up to Jensen for longer with impunity.

"I came in unexpectedly last time, too. That's the whole charm of this job. You walk in and all of a sudden everyone is in a panic because someone from the top has come to check on you. You see how many of them are watching TV, how many are playing on their phones, and how many are actually working. After such a raid you know what to expect. Thanks to your skills, we will do even more."

"You are overestimating me. Yes, I know quite a lot about hacking, cybersecurity, and such but..."

"You know more than you think you do. Trust me. Just start to belie in yourself," he interrupted her.

Laura sighed theatrically for lack of argument. What he said was really nice, but she was not used to such compliments so she felt quite uncomfortable. Right now, she just wanted to do her job well, which normally was difficult with Frank and his constant complaining.

Washington.

Laura didn't even know when the storm had ended. Adam kept her distracted with the conversation, so she couldn’t think about the fear. She wasn't sure whether it was deliberate or a mere coincidence, but was grateful. A few minutes later Faridah informed them that they were about to land near the conference center. Unfortunately, due to weather problems, they arrived in Washington later than expected. Jensen took the leather file with him and left first. Laura double-checked to make sure she had taken her not-so-legal special tasks phone and followed him. She was nervous because she didn't know if she will be up to the task.

"Ready for our inspection, Miss Werner?" Adam asked, reaching out his hand towards the girl as she walked down the steps of the VTOL.

"Of course, Mr. Jensen," she replied formally, trying to remain calm and gently grabbed his hand.

Next to the helipad, they landed on were two more. All of them were well lit by a row of lanterns emanating intense light. Laura noticed cameras on poles, monitoring the area, but the fence really left a lot to be desired. It was over six feet high by the eye and was made of smooth gray stone at the bottom, but horizontal bars at the top between the posts made it easier to pass through.

"Take a look Mr. Jensen," Laura pointed a finger in the direction of the fence. "This is one of the weak points. The cameras on the poles have a limited area of view and only monitor what's happening on the helipads. Meanwhile, someone can walk sideways through the blind spot. Along the way, he has several spots behind which he can hide and wait. Let's start with this palm tree; its trunk is thick enough for at least one person to hide behind it. Then we have these ornamental shrubs, which I have to admit are quite lovely and blend in well with the surroundings, but are the perfect hiding place. There is no camera there, so at least one security guard should patrol the area."

Adam was again impressed by her perceptiveness. He had noticed the same things as her, but he had much more experience and visited this place before. Jensen wondered where she had acquired it. He enjoyed working with Laura even if their methods differed dramatically. If he had to evaluate her abilities, he put her almost on par with Frank. Pritchard had more experience, which made him freer to act, but he was a terrible whiner. Laura needed more days like this to gain freedom and self-confidence. According to his observations, Miss Werner while working with Pritchard was mostly focused on writing reports or fixing minor errors. That was not conducive to spreading wings. Unfortunately, apart from this unexpected task, he had no way of ensuring that Laura's duties were varied.

"Well done, Miss Werner," he nodded, though now this pretending of formality seemed awkward and funny to him.

"Can we take a look at the back entrance to the building?" she asked. "Though I'm beginning to doubt whether we should even think about letting anyone more or less important entering through there."

They walked closer to a long, rectangular building which, apart from its sinuous-shaped roof, did not stand out in any particular way. Just as the Chief of Security had described, it had four floors, front and side walls consisting almost entirely of rectangular translucent glass panes in black and gray. The back was most likely made of smooth, beige stone or something resembling stone. Above the entrances hung rather thrifty signs with the words: "Speak Up" Conference Center. What an original name, almost as original as an engagement in a pigsty, Laura thought as she focused on the cameras hanging on either side of the entrance.

"The walls are lit well, that's good, but the camera's field of view could be a bit wider, it's just a minor correction in the numbers. Nevertheless, there should be more cameras on the walls of this length." Adam noted with dismay that not much had changed since his last visit. He considered swapping the place, but it was a little too late for that. The door was locked, so they walked along the wall towards the front. Someone from security became interested in their presence when they came around the corner. Normally they should be checked shortly after landing, meanwhile, anyone could explore the area and flee with quite a lot of valuable information.

"Please leave this area; unauthorized visitors are not allowed," they were stopped by a middle-aged man, not much taller than Adam. He was wearing a black uniform, with a badge on the front and a large, fluorescent ‘Object Security’ sign on the back. "We checked your VTOL numbers and it's not on the arrival schedule."

Jensen had clearly been eagerly awaiting this moment. Laura saw the spirit of an entirely different person possessing him. The man swiftly reached into his back trouser pocket and pulled out his Chief of Security’s card like a police badge.

"Adam Jensen, Sarif Industries. I'm the Chief of Security, and this is," he pointed to Laura with his hand. "Miss Werner, Cyber Security Specialist."

"Without ID?" the security guard muttered and squinted. "I'm sorry but..."

"I can call my boss," Jensen interrupted, reaching for his phone in his inside coat pocket. "He knows we're here, and I can assure you he won't be happy of being bothered for no reason."

"Fine, I'll let you in, but such visits should be earlier arranged," he muttered.

"So that you can prepare before I show up? Since my last visit not many of the changes, discussed with your superior, have been made. This does not speak very well of the staff working in the object of this format.”

During this exchange of words, Laura had managed to notice one of the cameras was damaged and that the boxes adjacent to the back wall of the building, which was most likely responsible for the power supply, could be hacked and explode.

"That's something you'll have to talk about with our boss." He wanted to add he was just guarding the place, but in the current situation he would only be submerged so he resigned, instead of informing, "You can find him in his office on the top floor."

The security guard walked away with a quick step, disappearing around the corner of the building after a moment. Adam looked at Laura as if to ask her if she had noticed anything else, but the girl resumed the subject herself.

"Damaged camera and environmental elements that can be hacked. It doesn't look very good."

Laura shouldn't care what happens to Megan. The assassination would be in her favor; she would get rid of the problem, but she never wished anyone bad things. She couldn't help it if Jensen preferred the elegant and smart Dr. Reed to some tasteless strayed girl.

"I doubt anyone would play such subtleties as hacking the power supply to blow up anything."

"Mr. Jensen, I'm not calculating the statistics of the occurrence of the particular thing. I'm just presenting the possibilities as the hacker sees them, and there are quite a few of those here. Besides, with all due respect, I know a little more about this stuff."

Adam sighed, at least he hadn't heard something like: ‘You have no idea about computers and security because you’re just the ex-cop.’ This is some success. He still thought Laura was being too thorough, but maybe that was a good thing. Better to know about a possible threat than to be surprised. He followed her towards the front of the building or actually ran because he stayed behind.

"Same as everywhere. Lots of good hiding places, few cameras, no security. Time for the final test,” she announced, taking the not-so-legal special tasks phone from her handbag.

She booted it up just the same way as at Chiron Building, but this time HAL 9000 reported that 90% battery is available. It took her longer to hack into the building's network than it had for the Chiron Building, but it was within the skill range of the average hacker. Laura could see what was connected to what, she had an overview of the rooms, access to the preview from the cameras. She could report to Adam, with no delay, what was doing the particular person. One security guard was watching a baseball game, the second was watching porn on his laptop, and another was sleeping in the video surveillance room. A few were actually doing their duties, but she guessed they were rookies undergoing their trial of passage to the new, better world of doing nothing. She should show everything to Adam but decided, to have fun at the expense of the slackers. "Wait a minute, wait a minute! What kind of test are you talking about?!" the Head of Security asked, but she stopped him with a hand gesture. "Miss Werner please immediately...!"

He didn't have time to do anything. Meanwhile, Laura started to feel at home in their network. At first, she set the camera view to the laptop screen and forwarded the transmission to the video surveillance room. Loud and indiscriminate moans woke the sleeping guard, who looked with horror at the close-ups of the erected penis just thrusting into the wet vagina. The screams from which he caught "Ohhh fuck me hard!" or "I want to feel your cock in my ass" somehow did not convince him to continue watching. Instead, he decided to deal with the culprit of the confusion, knowing perfectly well who he was. After a while, he was already in the next room and shouting at his subordinate.

During the second phase Laura, to Adam's displeasure, was playing with lowering and raising the bulletproof blinds, thus proving that simplifying a possible attack is a matter of a few commands. Later, she locked and unlocked the doors to individual rooms, toilets, and emergency exits. With regret, she had to admit that overcoming all security measures was way too easy. It would probably only take a few minor adjustments to reduce the risk of an accidental break-in. Standing outside, she saw the staff running chaotically back and forth without knowing what was happening.

"Stop that right now!" Jensen growled, wanting to take the phone from her, but she stepped aside.

"No way! You need to be safe while you're here," she said without a second thought right after trying to change her words. "You all need to be…"

She wanted to walk away, but he grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to face him.

"What or who do you want to protect me from?" he asked in a soft tone, looking intently at Laura.

The girl stood motionless, trying to think of what to answer, what lie to sell him this time. She could say anything, but Adam could still see the truth in her eyes. "From him, from myself," that’s what Laura wanted to say.

"Listen to me carefully. I know this whole situation scares you, but I'm quite a strong, adult man who can take care of himself. So don't worry because nothing bad can happen."

"So don't worry because nothing bad can happen as long as you are watching over me." Laura read from his eyes, which always said so much more than his gorgeous lips. She just nodded, trying to smile. She knew he liked to see her happy.

"Can I go back to work, Mr. Jensen?" she asked looking at the phone screen.

"Okay, but use less invasive solutions."

"Like this, for example?" she asked as they passed through the twin portal access with the built-in metal detector and found themselves in a vast, bright lobby.

Laura typed in a few commands and watched impatiently as the timer counted down from five seconds.

"Mhm, those might..." he didn't have time to finish.

All the power in the building went out. First, the lights, then the cameras and computers shut down, the electronic locks and laser security devices stopped working, all the emergency exits and the main entrance were blocked one by one. They ended locked in a glass trap, shrouded in darkness.

"What the hell are you doing?! Didn't I make myself clear enough?!" Adam was pissed off, he didn't like it when somebody didn't listen to him.

"Understand finally what I'm trying to tell you!""You're trying to show off and prove to me that I don't know what I'm doing. Just like Frank!" he growled indignantly at her.

In the meantime, the building's power came on and everything went back to normal.

"If you think so, then you are the greatest idiot I've ever known!" she replied just as harshly as he spoke. "I'm sorry..." she muttered after a moment of silence. "I just..." she bit her lip. "I wanted to show you the worst possible version of events. You don't need a talented Frank for that; all you need is the basics and a bit of training. "

Jensen paced back and forth across the floor, which was paved with rectangular olive-colored stone slabs. He pretended to look at the optical turnstiles with wood cabinets then looked up at the other floors visible from the lobby. Covered corridors ran along the back wall and the shorter ones. He saw the security guards running behind the glass railings, trying to find out what had just happened. Double stairs in front of the entrance led to the second floor, one of them was the escalator. On either side of them, two single ones were reaching the third floor. The latter belonged almost entirely to the owner and his closest associates.

"We should clear up this mess," he said in a rough tone, though he didn't mean to sound that way at all.

"As you wish, boss," she muttered teasingly.

Adam did not allow himself to be drawn into a verbal skirmish. The same guard they had met earlier let them through the turnstiles, but he didn't look happy about what had taken place. Jensen looked at the man, trying to let him know that he had been through similar situations himself. The guard nodded slightly and cheered up a bit.

"We would like to speak with the owner of this building, if possible," he said.

"I'll ask if he can find a moment for you," he replied, connecting through the earpiece in his right ear to someone out of their line of sight. "Mhm, okay," he replied into the microphone after a moment of silence.

Laura was standing at the back, this time she didn't feel guilty about doing something wrong. On the contrary, she was furious with Adam for the way he had treated her. While they were waiting for permission to pass, she glanced at the phone and noticed an unread message. Laura tried to open it, but the guard replied that boss wants to see them so they at once followed him toward the elevator on the left. Miss Werner entered first and stood behind Jensen, thus demonstrating that she was merely the executor of his will. She used this moment to read the message, wondering who might have written it.

"Little Orchid are you there?! Little Orchid!"

Her face brightened momentarily.

"Is that you, Navras?" She wrote back hastily.

"Repent your sins. We will meet soon."

Unfortunately, the joy did not last too long. Instinctively, she wanted to drop the phone as if she had red-hot coal in her hands, but she restrained herself at the last moment. Laura stopped, unable to hide her horror. Her secret channel was no longer safe. Adam turned around, noticing something had happened, but there was nothing he could do right now. Miss Werner caught up with them moments later, keeping her emotions under control.

They entered a small rectangular office, furnished in a modern style with small antique accents. In Laura's opinion, it looked like the owner didn't have the heart to get rid of the mementos so he squeezed them into this room, giving it a slightly caricatural look. To her left, she saw a row of plain, light gray bookcases containing documents and some books. On one of the shelves, there was a dark brown wooden casket decorated with a golden floral ornament. The diamond-shaped floor tiles in ivory color gleamed like a glass pane. Several magazines about geography and travel lay on the plain black sofa, and the right wall just above it was disfigured by a painting with two white squares on a black background in a gold frame. Miss Werner was disgusted at the mere sight of modern art if this thing on the wall could be called art at all. It will soon come to the point that dog poop will be worth a fortune because there will always be someone who will find its form extremely attractive. She looked away from that stuff.

The man sitting behind the antique oaken desk in a modern armchair did not improve her aesthetic experience at all. His glory years were long forgotten, though it seemed he didn't care at all if they stayed with him longer or not. She somehow tried to find understanding for him, but couldn't think of a single argument to justify his bloated, pig-looking face and sallow, unhealthy complexion. She forgave him the baldness on the top of his head because it might be something he could not influence. She estimated him to be over 50 years old, although in his current state he looked much older. He held his sweaty palms on the desktop, barely able to fit his belly behind it. He wore a branded dark blue suit, a tie of the same color, and a white shirt. He was a typical profit-counting businessman who hated to lose. Laura had only seen Sarif in photos and during TV interviews, but if she were to compare the two gentlemen, who were probably close in age, she would say that David was a young god.

Adam sat down in one of the two armchairs upholstered in black fabric, and Miss Werner took the one on the right. She decided not to say a word, but instead carefully examined the black business card with the gold inscription ‘Samuel Newman’ on it.

"I had to ask for an appointment with you, Mr. Newman because our inspection got a little out of hand," Jensen tried to gently explain Laura's inappropriate behavior.

The auburn-haired girl silently laughed at how the Head of Security efforts to tell the stories. She still saw nothing wrong with what she had done. Temporary power shut down, no big deal but huge fuss as if at least she blew up half of the building. She actually wanted to detonate the generator at the back of the building but gave up.

"A little out of hand?" Newman wondered. "On the contrary!"

Adam felt as if he has lost balance, which made him uncertain of how he should respond. He was prepared that he would have to listen to many unpleasant words, and maybe even Sarif would find out about everything. Meanwhile, that guy seems to be grateful or just pretend it.

"Mr. Jensen, I learned through this demonstration how weak our security systems are. In order to meet our customer requirements, we need to raise our standards. That's why I'm asking for your Cyber Security specialists to cooperate with ours. If that is not possible, at least a report with suggestions for change will suffice."

Jensen was about to point him out what had happened with his last report, and where are those ‘raised standards’, but didn’t say a word.

"I think this issue should be discussed with my partner. This…” Jensen hesitated for a moment. "The show was her initiative."

"I understand." Samuel looked kindly at Laura, but it was the kind of fake courtesy she knew perfectly well. "So will you take on this task?" he asked, playing with his fountain pen.

"Well, if my boss agrees, I don't see a problem," she replied, hoping Frank would object to this ridiculous plan.

"Of course, you can't jump over the links in the chain of command," he laughed, at the same time letting her know not to underestimate the more important ones than herself.

"In any case, you'll definitely get a copy of the report. That I can promise," Adam interjected, seeing that Laura might be unable to stand that insult and say one word too many. "In the meantime, if you have no further comments, we will take our leave."

"Are all systems operating as before?" Newman asked, resting his elbows on the top of the desk and intertwining his fingers.

"Yes, the cameras are active, so are the portals, optical turnstiles, and lasers. Oh, and the monitors in the video surveillance room are showing the right images. Everything is in order,” Laura replied exhaustively, sliding her finger across the screen of the phone.

"Great, great. So until we’ll meet again."

Samuel slowly got up from his armchair and shook hands with both of them. As soon as they left, Laura was again gripped by the anxiety caused by the message she had read. Jensen walked with a quick pace, asking nothing, even though he knew he should. The visit to Washington did not go as he expected, which made him even angrier. Adam didn't know why their cooperation suddenly broke down. Faridah apparently noticed the change as well but decided to keep the observation to herself. They both took their places in the VTOL, still remaining silent.

"We'll be in Detroit in no more than half an hour," Malik informed them shortly after takeoff and turned off the loudspeaker.

"I'm an idiot," muttered Adam after a long moment of silence.

Laura looked at him, unable to be angry for long. She wondered which words would be appropriate to not make the situation even worse.

"Why so serious? There’s no need to dramatize. We just have different working methods, that's all, ”she shrugged.

"Yes, we do, but I shouldn't compare you to Pritchard or accuse you of showing off. It was…"

"Unprofessional," she finished for him. "Oh, come on, it's normal for us to argue. I… ”she lowered her voice, hoping not to hear. "I really want you to be safe."

Adam didn't answer, just hugged her tight to his chest and kissed her forehead.

"I know, Laura. I know,” he whispered after a moment.

Adam didn't want to ask now about the message she got earlier, but he assumed who was the author of it. For the first time, he was afraid to leave her alone after returning to Detroit. He lived just across the street and watched her almost every day, but it was still too far. Jensen didn't care before, but now everything was different and every threat related to Laura made him at least anxious. He was afraid to name what he was feeling, Laura talked about friendship, but unexpectedly something more connected them. Adam had predicted long ago that things between them might follow the forbidden path. The path which in the end allowed him to find his missing link.

"I hate those fat hogs who demonstrate their superiority at every turn," she said with irritation in her voice.

"You can't help it. I have met many people like him. It is best to avoid confrontation by allowing them to enjoy the power they possess. "

"I doubt I can do that."

"You can, it's a matter of practice, observing and judging how much you can afford. In this case, I had an advantage, because we had this conversation last time too. That guy would like to have everything, but preferably for free. Therefore, hardly anyone does anything there. He doesn’t care about his employees, and it’s mutual relation."

"So I’m guessing I didn't do very well?"

"There is no well or very well. In front of Samuel, there is only bad or terrible. As for the rest, it has already been discussed. Don’t worry too much. I wasn’t good either at the beginning."

Laura nodded slowly and tried to smile. Adam was a patient mentor willing to guide Miss Werner through the tricky parts of working as a Security Specialist and teach Laura how to cool her temper.

Detroit.

It was shortly after 6 pm when VTOL gently descended onto the helipad with the Sarif Industries logo on it. Adam unwillingly let Laura out of his embrace. He didn’t need much time to get so used to it. Now it's going to be hard for him to change anything. The truth is, Jensen didn’t want to change anything. They both got out unhurriedly, Faridah joined them moments later.

"Don't wait for me. I need to take the machine back in the hangar," she informed.

"Thank you for making this journey possible for me," Laura said, smiling.

"Stop it or I'll cry, and there's nothing worse than a crying Chief Pilot. And remember, at my place tomorrow, no excuses allowed,” she warned a little more seriously.

"I'll be there with Stalker," she replied, and together with Adam, they walked towards the door.

The company was still filled with employees. Jensen was silent all the way to the exit and was as formal as ever. Unfortunately, the sad, gray everyday life returned, and she had to accept that fact. Past was in the past. The streets were already dark which only reminded Laura of what had happened. She wanted to cling on to the Chief of Security so badly, but she couldn’t. For a split second when he moved his arm, she hoped he would embrace her right away, but he only reached into his coat pocket for his cigarettes and lighter. It hurt, even a lot.

"How long will you stay with Faridah?" he asked, exhaling a cloud of smoke through his mouth.

"For the next week, or so" Laura replied, and she was almost certain she saw a shadow of sadness on his face. She had managed to melt the ice of his heart at least a little. No doubt about it.

Adam caught himself already missing Laura and was looking for millions of excuses that would force her to visit him at least for a while. It was ridiculous, not his style, unacceptable, not professional, but true. Again he tried fighting with himself, to bring back old resolutions, to forget he had ever allowed himself moments of weakness. He couldn't erase her warmth, her closeness, her care, and the taste of her lips out of his mind.

"I guess Frank will flood you with trivial problems again," he tried to keep the conversation going, but still couldn't talk to her as freely as he did with Megan.

"I got used to his whining and coming up with dozens of nonsense things to deal with just for preventing me to be smarter," she shrugged as she fixed her backpack.

"In my eyes, you already are smarter," he said quietly, finishing his cigarette and watching Laura blushing.

"Thank you it's nice of you to think so."Adam shook his head. „I’m not thinking. I know it. I see it. Remember one thing. When I say something nice it’s the only truth, not just empty words to make somebody feel better.”

They parted near the door of her house. There were no hugs, kisses, no more nice words. They said their usual 'See you tomorrow' and Jensen crossed the street with a quick step, disappearing into the Chiron Building. Laura followed up the stairs and opened the apartment. She turned on the light in the hall with a heavy sigh, tossed the keys on the dresser, left her backpack on the floor, then took off her jacket hanging it on a hanger. She stepped towards the living room, but some unexplained force or gut feeling made her look to the left. "I was here." Said the word on the mirror, written in blood. The girl froze in terror, but quickly regained consciousness reaching for the keys. She grabbed the longest one with a firm grip as if she was holding a knife in her hand. She slowly walked on and peered around the corner. The living room looked empty, with no signs of the break-in or clutter indicating that someone was looking for something. She didn't notice anything unusual in the kitchen either. She checked the places where someone could hide, but there was no one even behind the couch. The glass in the large patio window was intact. She couldn't understand how anyone could get in here if only she had the keys. Laura entered the bedroom, considering checking it as a formality. She turned on the light, wanting to finally lie down and fall asleep. Her sudden scream broke the silence and echoed off the walls. All the bedding was red with blood and dirty with sperm, and in the sea of red, there was a newspaper wrapped in plastic. Laura carefully reached for it, even though she knew she shouldn't touch anything. She ran her eyes over the letters of the headline, merging them into two words, "Mexicantown Massacre," under which was a portrait photo of Adam, aligned to the left and two columns of text to the right.

"The commander of the SWAT unit refuses to carry out the shoot to kill order, thus leading to bloody riots that spread over the entire city. The underaged augmented terrorist was armed and dangerous, those he killed were simple people who had no way to defend themselves. The criminal was eventually neutralized, but nothing will return the lives of his victims. Will Adam Jensen face the consequences of his actions? Does his conscience allow him to sleep peacefully, knowing what bestiality he allowed to happen?"

Laura couldn't believe what she had just read. Not long ago she would have a different view, and hate Adam even more for what he had done according to the press, but not now. He could be forced, manipulated, but there is no option that Jensen would do such a thing willingly. That's some kind of misunderstanding, sick lie, not possible. She took the newspaper out of the foil and put it in her backpack, deciding to take care of the matter a little later. She reached for the phone in her trouser pocket and called the police.

"Susan Donovan, Detroit Police Station, how may I assist you?" she heard a fairly friendly female voice.

"I wanted to report a break-in," she informed.

"Your personal data, address, and phone number," asked the officer and confirmed each piece of information given with a short ‘Yes’. "Wait a moment please."

The woman must have covered the telephone receiver with her hand because muffled voices could still be heard.

"Jenny, are you free?"

"Currently yes, what do you need?" asked a second female voice from afar.

"Will you take the break-in case? Currently, I’ve got no free patrols. It’s not far from here."

"Sure, sure, although that's not my job specification. Give me the address."

"Laura Werner 423 Gd. Rd., Apt. 303"

"Okay, I'm on my way there."

"Officer Jenny Alexander will be with you shortly. Please don't touch anything."

"Thank you. Goodbye," Laura replied and hung up.

This was not how she had imagined returning from Uppsala.

Adam entered the apartment, put his bag by the entrance, and took off his coat. He didn't really know what to do. He always felt uncomfortable at home when he came back from somewhere far from it. Jensen sat down on the sofa and crossed his arms behind his neck. He stared at the ceiling for a long moment before deciding to drink some whisky. Adam got up, nimbly climbed up a few stairs, and made his way to the kitchen. After opening the wall cupboard, he took the clean glass. Jensen returned to the living room, set it on the table, and reached for the bottle standing next to it, it was half full. Without much thinking, he opened it and was about to pour a little, but the sound of police car sirens focused his attention. With a quick step, he stepped to the window and noticed a car standing in front of Laura's house. For a moment he ignored that fact, cause she was not the only one living there. When the light came on and two more figures appeared in the window, he was sure that something had happened. A gut feeling told him it wasn’t anything good. Without thinking he ran to the door, grabbing his coat on the way. With a few quick steps, he walked to the elevator, pressing the button nervously.

"Come on! Damn it!" he growled under his breath.

Once inside, he stomped nervously on the floor as if that would speed anything up. He ran out of the building and in a moment he was already outside Laura's apartment. It wasn't hard to find if you followed the sound of voices.

"So you just got back home from the weekend, yes?" the officer was questioning Laura while her companion collected the evidence and took photos.

Jenny was a dark-skinned woman about Adam's age or not much older. She was about 170 cm tall, with grey eyes and black hair barely visible from under her police cap. Miss Werner found her to be pretty, with something magnetic about her and a nice attitude for a police officer. Usually, they were sort of people who only cared about doing their job and going home. She had paid a lot of attention to her before she moved on to gathering information. Laura wanted to give an answer already but didn't have time to do so.

"Laura, what happened?!" Jensen asked, barely crossing the threshold. He didn't even try hiding the fact that he was scared to death.

"Someone has been here... At my house, in bed and goddamn knows where else!" Laura was almost crying and her voice was trembling.

"Adam? What are you doing here?" Jenny interrupted them, raising her eyebrows in surprise. "I should ask you to leave. This is a crime scene," Jenny stated with a firm tone.

"Please let him stay," Laura reacted almost immediately. After a moment she considered it might have been inappropriate and embarrassing for Adam.

The Chief of Security smiled in thought hearing her words. He felt needed, and that meant a lot to him.

"Laura and I know each other. We are working at the same company she's my... friend." He struggled to say that word, but it was the most appropriate one he could find.

Jenny nodded slowly, glancing at the notes in her police notebook. She took a moment to think about what she should do.

"Okay, you can stay, but only for the sake of our friendship," she replied, although according to procedures, she shouldn't let him be here. Jenny looked at Laura expecting an answer.

"I just walked into the house a few minutes ago, I was away since Friday night until now," she said.

"And everything was the same as always? Nothing unusual, not even a tilted window?" inquired Jenny.

Miss Werner shook her head negatively. She looked at Adam as if that would give her strength.

"Tony, did you find anything specific?" the policewoman asked the slender man who was just closing a container with a blood sample.

"Blood and sperm on the bedding, note written in blood on the mirror. No fingerprints, no hair, fibers, or signs of forced entry. Not even shoe prints on the carpet. We don’t have surveillance recordings yet."

"Whoever was here, must have had the keys and was prepared for this," said Alexander.

"Do you have any enemies?" she turned the question to Laura. "Any suspicions about who might have done this?

The girl thought for a long time what to say. She discreetly glanced at Adam, whose gaze seemed to urge her to tell the truth.

"I was raped a few days ago," she said quietly.

"And you didn't report it?" The irritation could be heard in Jenny's voice, though she had been calm and pleasant up to that point.

Adam scolded the officer with a short glance. He had known her long enough to know she was quite touchy on this subject. She considered it a duty to report such cases, not accepting explanations that someone might be afraid or unwilling to talk about the details of the incident. He partially agreed with her but found her methods too radical.

"No, I didn't report it," Laura hissed. "Imagine that not everyone is as brave as you are. I do not wish anyone bad, but if you felt what I did then, you would certainly not be so haughty now," she replied, trying to remain calm.

Jensen was afraid for a moment that this conversation would have a fatal ending, but Laura showed strength with great composure and restrained her temper.

"I'm sorry, that was inappropriate, but if you change your mind I'm willing to listen and help as much as I can," Jenny replied.

"I've got it all," Tony announced, to which Jenny nodded.

"Then all that remains is to complete the testimony and check the recordings. We can do it right away, but if you feel tired we will postpone the matter until tomorrow," she offered kindly.

"If that's not a problem, I'll come tomorrow. I just got back, I wanted to get some rest and I have to get up early in the morning," she explained reflexively.

"Fine. I'm on duty between 3 pm and 11 pm. At the reception, they will guide you. See you soon," she replied as she headed to the exit.

"Can I clean up this mess now?" She asked before they left.

"Of course. We already have all the evidence."

Adam's stern gaze didn't make her feel any better at all. She knew he was about to say 'I told you so' and lecture her as befits an officer, then he would return to his place. She walked away without a word, picked up her backpack, and carried it to her bedroom. She began rolling up the dirty bedding, with her hands trembling more and more. Jensen moved behind her and grabbed her arm as she tried to gather everything.

"Leave it..." he muttered under his breath, pulling her closer to him. "You can't stay here." He embraced her tightly, just as he did back then in the alley.

"I'll pack my things and call Faridah. I'm supposed to stay with her anyway," she replied. "I still have to pick up Stalker."

She wanted to pull away, but he wouldn't let her get away, not this time. Adam very quickly drew conclusions and lessons from his mistakes.

"Stay with me, at least this night," he offered, but he felt he hadn't convinced her. "Please," he whispered.

Laura knew it wasn't the usual 'Please' you say every day. It was a kind of desperate plea for a second chance. Adam wanted to tell Laura that he would only be at peace with her close to him. The girl squinted in a moment of hesitation.

"Fine, but on the condition: You will lose the towel again," she said deliberately, knowing full well how he would react.

It happened exactly as she had predicted. First, he let her go, then he turned his head, avoiding looking in her direction, then he rubbed the face with his hand, and finally, he spoke up.

"I'll wait outside. Take your time,” he informed and left. In fact, it was actually a good thing, because during this time he could safely call.

Laura had been scared and close to crying, but now she couldn't help but laugh. She packed the bedding into a garbage bag in disgust. Immediately after that, she took the dirty clothes from the backpack to the bathroom adjacent to the bedroom and tossed them into the laundry basket. She took the laptop, both smartphones, clean clothes for the night and for work. She made sure all the windows were closed, turned off the light, and joined the waiting Adam.

"I still have to check in on my neighbor. It won't take long."

Laura felt a little awkwardly that Jensen was standing in the corridor waiting for so long, but he did it willingly. She closed the apartment, knocking on the next door a moment later. The conversation didn't last long, but the curious Stalker slipped out into the corridor and approached the Head of Security. The man looked at the cat. He could have sworn that the furry one didn't like him at all. Laura ran over, took the pet in her arms, and handed it to her neighbor.

"Your cat doesn't seem to like me," Adam muttered, lighting a cigarette just after leaving the building.

"He doesn't like anyone much, least of all those who have or had a dog. That's just the way he is," she shrugged.

Jensen lifted the corner of his lips in a sparing smile. Laura noticed he had managed to smoke almost an entire cigarette on the way from her house to the Chiron Building.

"You shouldn't smoke so much..." she said with care. Laura was really concerned by his addictions, though until now she had been no better herself.

"And you drink," he replied, tossing the cigarette butt in the trash and walking faster.

"You're right," she replied once they were in the elevator.

Adam was surprised by her answer. Now he realized she wasn't malicious at all before, and he was dumbfounded. When the apartment door closed behind them, he could finally breathe with relief. Laura already felt quite comfortable at his place. She hung her jacket on a hanger, took off her shoes, and walked into the living room with the backpack in her hand. Jensen, meanwhile, threw the dirty things into the laundry basket which will be taken to the laundry in the morning, and went to the bathroom. When he came back, the girl was sitting on the sofa with the laptop in her lap.

"What are you doing?" he asked leaning over the backrest right next to the girl's ear.

"Don't sneak like this!" she scolded him genuinely scared. "I'm writing the report for tomorrow," she replied reaching for her phone.

"You can do it tomorrow. There's no rush. Now get some rest,” he ordered in a soft tone and kissed her temple. "Would you like some tea?" he asked while already in the kitchen.

"Yes please," Laura replied looking at him. She smiled warmly.

Several minutes later, Adam returned with a black, cast-iron kettle and two cups. The one decorated with the Maneki-Neko kitten he put next to Laura, and the one with a samurai drawing he took for himself. He waited a moment longer and poured tea into both of them. Laura was so engrossed in the report that she didn't notice this small gesture. She was very anxious for Jensen to be out of trouble tomorrow at work.

"Leve it for tomorrow," he repeated his request, handing her a cup of tea.

Laura nodded in acknowledgment and took a sip. Her right hand froze over the laptop keyboard.

"It’s Genmaicha... Adam, where did you... How did you… I..." she couldn't find the right words.

Jensen put a finger on her lips. "A secret," he whispered with a smile.

"I’m really sorry, I was so absorbed with this report, I shouldn't have but…"

"Don't explain, I know you want to help me, but neither of us is going to the company tomorrow."

"Out of the question, Francis will murder me and cut into quarters in any order. Besides, you promised Sarif a full report. "

"Relax. Everything is under control. While you were packing things, I called my boss and told him that I would not be at the company because we have to prepare the report. David knew about everything because he was contacted by Newman."

"Well okay but that still doesn't solve my problem."

"Call Pritchard. If he will cause problems, I'll take care of it myself," he said in a more firm tone.

Laura reached for the phone and found her boss's number. Of course, he greeted her with his grumbling and grievances.

"I love you too..." she muttered. "I won't be at the company tomorrow. I have to write the report for Sarif, it's very urgent."

"Nothing is more urgent than our work!" His shout was heard even by Adam.

"You wanted to say from filling out the paperwork?"

"Don't be impertinent, girl! Remember who is the boss here, and who can fire you!" He continued yelling.

"Let me talk to him for a moment, because I can see you can't win it by yourself," Adam asked.

Laura was more than happy to hand him the phone because she knew the Chief of Security had more power than she did.

"Pritchard, stop yelling and listen. Sarif knows all about it, so he won't be happy if he doesn't get the report tomorrow. So be a good boy and let us do our duty unless you want to get hit by a ricochet. It's possible you'll be the one who ends up out on the street, not Miss Werner."

Frank continued to whine for a while but had to give up. Jensen hung up and handed the phone back to Laura.

"It's done. If he starts oppressing you again when you get back to the company don’t hesitate and just come to me with it."

"Thank you, Adam, that’s…"

"Don’t thank me over and over again. Just accept it,” he didn’t let her finish the sentence.

"I'm nervous about this testimony," she said quietly, changing the subject.

"Unnecessarily, I'll go there with you." He embraced her and kissed her temple. "How are you feeling?" he asked, though he was afraid to bring up the delicate matter.

"Better, despite all this." Laura took a chance and hugged Adam. „Still shaken, but less than a while ago thanks to you.”

"You should…" he didn't finish, although he should. Adam’s heart almost stopped when she passed out at Uppsala.

"I know, I should do a medical examination because this isn't normal," she sighed heavily.

Jensen hugged her tighter. He could feel her trembling with fear. He didn't want Laura to be scared at all but they would both be calmer if the doctor assured them that everything was fine.

"You have to want it otherwise it doesn't make sense and if you make the decision, I won't leave you alone with this."

For you, for you I would bring down the heavens on this earth For you, for you I would even trust the devil for rebirth

Laura couldn't remain passive to what Adam said, even if he would push her away now. She put the laptop back on the coffee table and slowly turned to the Head of Security. Immediately after that, she sat astride on his thighs. Laura wanted him to sense her intentions so that Adam could be able to react in time. She took her time. The auburn-haired girl ran her fingers through his hair, gently touched his cheeks. How could she hate him? She slowly brought her lips closer to his. Adam didn't protest at all. He seemed to be waiting for Laura to finally stop hesitating so much and gather her courage. Her lips tenderly touched his lower, then his upper lip, and each kiss was the deepest ‘thank you’ she could ever give him. Jensen wrapped his arms around her back, feeling Laura’s trembling under his fingertips more and more, but this time it wasn't fear. He had already forgotten about his rules. Laura had awakened a sense of life and joy in him. All of that was possible thanks to the fact that he allowed Faridah to be abducted to Sweden. Adam eagerly responded to every movement of her lips, demanding more and more, prolonging that moment. Jensen would probably have moved further, but he restrained. It was far too early, they have a lot of time, no need to rush.

"I'll make an appointment in the morning," she said, reluctantly parting her lips with his.

"Everything will be fine, you'll see," Adam tried to reassure her with these words, though he was scared equally as Laura.

Laura smiled, kissed him once more, this time long and greedily then moved back to her place on the sofa next to Adam. She lay down on her back, resting her head on Jensen's lap. Miss Werner closed her eyes land suddenly her mood faded.

"Adam... That message I’ve received in Washington. He was the one who wrote it," she said, looking up at his face, which had also lost all its joy.

"I figured it out but didn't have time to ask. I didn't want to push you either."

He wanted to reach for cigarettes. When he was upset or nervous the urge to smoke intensified. Laura's eyes were clearly trying to say him that this was not the solution as well as her killing problems by drinking. Adam moved his hand back, not for the sake of pleasing her, but because she was right. Instead, he leaned down and kissed her.

"I wouldn't tell you anyway," she replied softly when he parted his lips with hers.

"Because you don't want to make me trouble, and spare me worry," he sighed with resignation and a shadow of anger.

Laura sat down and reached into her backpack. She handed Adam the newspaper she had taken from the home. The Chief of Security didn't need to read the article. From the headline and photo, he knew what it was about.

"Where did you get this?" he asked somewhat irritated.

"It was foiled and lying in blood on my bed. I didn't want the police to take it," she explained, pulling legs toward her chest.

"They know the case anyway. I'm more interested in what you think about it," he looked at her carefully.

"I can't believe it's true. You are always looking for a good solution and want to help. If you really refused to follow an order, you would have good reason to do so,” even though it sounded like an attempt to win his favor, it was true.

"It took me a long time to recover from that." He reached for the teacup, which had long gone cold. "I needed the help of a psychologist, who step by step helped me deal with this nightmare. I managed to get back some of my old self, but Mexicantown is not something that you can just forget."

Laura wanted to interrupt him, seeing how difficult it is for him to return to those moments. She looked at Adam almost pleadingly, he smiled faintly and kissed her forehead. Laura could feel his pain burning inside her. That was something unbearable, something that bound them stronger. She knows how does the hell looks like, she saw too much and now can understand him very well. Her mission now has new objectives, and no sacrifice is too great to achieve them. This is the right cause.

For you, for you I would walk forever through this barren land For you, for you I would hold a deadly viper in my hand

"I knew killing that kid was a very bad idea, but no one wanted to listen to a rookie."

Adam wanted to smoke again, but this time Laura grabbed his hand. He wanted to free it but again succumbed, overwhelmed by her gaze. The girl had a salutary influence on him. Jensen was sure he could stop smoking and drinking for her. He wouldn't need to do that, knowing she was supporting him as she is right now. Adam gave up to that emerald ocean which emanated with peace even after what happened today.

"I refused to follow that order, so someone else brought the matter to a conclusion, and then hell unleashed," he resumed the story. "I foresaw all of this and it could have been avoided if anyone there had been reasonable enough. I quit SWAT; after all, there was no place for me there anyway. As you can see, my superiors turned me into a monster, abomination."

Laura didn't know what to say. Enriched with this knowledge, she was angry with herself for treating him like a simpleton and a scoundrel for so long. The mission became the most important goal, and she was willing to sacrifice everything for it. Because she was told to do so because the debt demanded it. No more bowing to false kings, no more being someone's puppet, it's time to finally be free and make her own decisions.

"You’re not a monster, never were and never will be," she whispered.

Laura felt guilty more and more for all of the false accusations she had made against Adam before.

"Stop blaming yourself. I wasn't fair either, so you had a right to dislike me," he said as if he could read her thoughts. "I'll take a shower. We should both get some rest," he added, slowly getting up from the sofa.

During this time, Laura turned off her laptop and took out a blue t-shirt and green sweatpants from her backpack, which she placed on the backrest of the sofa. She was really starting to believe that Kratos' strength had diminished drastically since Adam was by her side and thanks to that she could keep an eye on him at the same time. She didn't count how long it was before he came back, she picked up the empty cups and the kettle. She decided that at least she would be of use to something and clean up. Through the long, rectangular window without glass, embedded in the wall separating the kitchen from the living room, she saw that Adam had returned dressed in sleeping clothes, carrying a pillow under his arm and a quilt in his hand. She suddenly felt sorrow flooding her, but Laura promised herself not to run away this time. On the way to the bathroom, she took a make-up bag from her backpack, but due to distraction, she forgot about the clothes left on the sofa.

She could escape and breathe deeply while taking the shower as the warm water washed away the sadness. When she got out and wiped her skin with a towel, she noticed that she forgot to take the clothes. Great, she thought. Laura was secretly counting to see half-naked Adam again, but in the meantime, it looked like she was the one going to provide him entertainment today. Laura cautiously peeked out of the bathroom and quietly walked across the bedroom toward the living room where she had left her things. She frowned, seeing they weren't lying where she had left them. They were also not on the seat, next to or under the sofa.

"Is that what you are looking for?" Adam asked, coming out of the kitchen and waving her clothes.

"Filthy little thief! You took my precious! It's not funny at all..." she hissed, pretending to be angry with him.

"Smile please, that face doesn't add to your beauty," he muttered, greatly amused. "It's just a little revenge of mine," he added, leaning his arm against the wall.

"What are you looking at?" she mumbled as she sat on the armrest of the sofa fixing the unwrapping towel.

"I'm admiring the view..." he murmured with a wild satisfaction. „Could you just drop it for a short while?

Adam knew Laura would definitely blush after those words, but he was just a guy and one who had forgotten how beautiful women were, especially this one. He also noticed a large scar on her back as she just turned around. On the right shoulder blade, it was quite extensive, reminding him of a five-pointed star, and on the left shoulder blade, he could see only a few thin lines. Adam couldn't tell how far down it reached. He also didn't want to ask about it now, so he simply pretended he didn't see anything.

"Have you feasted your eyes already?" she asked when he threw clothes towards her.

"Not quite, but it must suffice me for the time being," he replied teasing her.

Laura pretended indignation and went back into the bathroom to change. When she came out Adam pulled her close to him, kissing her fervently on the lips.

"Good night, bad girl," he muttered smiling slightly.

"Good night, Mr. Grumpy," she muttered back.

Laura felt this strange fear again when he went to sleep in the living room. She slipped into his bed and lay down on her right side. She looked at the wall, at the cupboard standing beside it, admired the floor. This time she managed to fall asleep, or at least take a nap, but she greatly missed the awareness that Adam was right next to her. The mere thought of going back home made her scared. The rape, the dreams, the notes, the blood, the fainting. It all suddenly came back with one swift stroke. She sat down on the edge of the bed, looking to her left expectantly, hoping that Adam would change his mind and come in a while. She wanted to ask him earlier to stay with her, but she lacked the courage. Laura was still unsure of his reactions and didn't want to spoil anything. She couldn't sleep anymore, so she got up and stepped to the window. She looked at the sleepy city below and the flashing neon lights.

Adam was restless, he felt he was making the same mistake again and history would repeat itself again. He couldn't let that happen again, couldn't let her slip away a second time. After all, they had already crossed the line, so why pretend otherwise? Deceiving himself, let alone deceiving her would lead to unnecessary suffering. What's wrong with sleeping next to her? They already did that in Uppsala. Jensen got up, took the quilt along with the pillow, and marched into the bedroom. He noticed Laura standing by the window, so he left the things on the bed and walked slowly to her putting his hands on the girl's shoulders.

"Can't sleep either?" he asked, leaning over and resting his chin on the top of her head.

"Somehow I can't. I wasn't going to run away if you perhaps were worrying. You won't get rid of me this time," she replied quietly.

"I wouldn’t let you leave,” he stated firmly. "Come on, maybe I can do something about that insomnia," he said softly, stepping back and reaching out his hand to her.

When she took his hand, he led her to the bed. Laura watched as he put the pillow and quilt back to their place, wondering if he really wanted to stay or just thought it was the right thing to do. She lay down on her right side as she had before. Adam carefully positioned himself right behind Laura and put his arm around her.

"This is highly unprofessional, Mr. Jensen," she muttered, turning her head towards him.

"You're wrong, Miss Werner. This is highly professional target recognition," he whispered in her ear. "Now close your eyes and think of something pleasant," he whispered in her ear again.

"I don't have to think, because everything I could possibly want is right here next to me," Laura replied.

Adam kissed her temple in response, and she intertwined her fingers with his fingers closing her eyes. They both fell asleep almost immediately. It seems that the simplest solutions are the best ones.

All chapters can be found: [AO3], [dA], [Wattpad] and [Tumblr]

#Deus Ex #DXHR #Deus Ex Human Revolution #Adam Jensen #Shadowfanfic #crunchy-shadow #Shadow's Showdown #Nifriel #I never asked for this #Fanfiction #Evie Dormer OC #Joe Mando OC #Cyberpunk #Writers on tumblr #Chapter 20: The Simplest Solutions.

1 note · View note