(ON HOLD) The Forgotten Android (Connor x Reader) Detroit: Become Human

Chapter 4: An Unexpected Friend

It felt as if I had only closed my eyes for a second, when I was being shaken awake. Locke had returned, and even though I knew it must have been morning, there was still no sunlight reaching the dark room.

"Get up, get up," He jostled me, and I swiped his hands away, standing up on my own. I let him guide me in silence down the corridor. There were no longer any screams in the darkness, and the sound gave me an unsettling peace.

We soon traveled through the elevator once again, and I watched as the numbers on the monitor indicated that we were returning to the surface.  When the doors slid open, I gazed at an entirely different corridor, and I wondered how many floors this building had.

This corridor was similar to the one that I had just left behind, except sunlight filtered through the dirty windows. I assumed that this was a place for the servants, or where the other staff worked in this large building.

Locke forced me to move forward, as I wandered past various rooms, some with simple beds and mattresses, others with what looked to be kitchens. I remained quiet, taking in the homely feeling of this new place. Out of all the rooms I had been in this building so far, I liked this floor the best.

Locke hurriedly pushed me through an old wooden door, into a small room. Women in grey and blue uniforms were washing clothes and doing various other chores. They barely gave him a glance as he moved me through the room filled with the scent of soap. He paused when he reached a woman with short cropped hair, scrubbing clothes with a washboard.

"Kara," He said, and the woman stood up. I finally got the chance to take in her face, and I was surprised to see how beautiful she was. Her short hair did nothing but accentuate her feminine features. Locke did not let her say a word as he continued. "I need you to clean and prepare this one for the arena. Make her presentable." Locke pushed me forward, and Kara caught my shoulders.

"I'll have her ready within the hour sir."

Locke did not spare me a backwards glance as he stormed out of the room. Kara gently took my hand, and I was surprised to feel how soft hers were, even though she had just been using the washboard to clean clothes. She moved me towards a room to the side of the soap filled room.

"Don't worry about Mr Grouchy," She said as she walked. "He doesn't have a happy bone in his body." I was surprised to hear her speak so openly about the guard. "What's your name?"

"I'm [F/N]," I replied, and Kara nodded her head, as if she already knew it. "What did he mean when he mentioned an arena?" I asked hesitantly, as Kara led me into a different room, filled with multiple beds.

"Well..." She murmured, unlocking another door and pushing it open. This led to a small bathroom, and you realized where the smell of soap had been emanating from. "Sometimes those who defy the lord get sent to the arena. You're quite fortunate really... it means he saw something in you." I looked back at Kara in surprise. Kara laughed as she pulled bottles out of a cupboard and began filling the small tub in the middle of the room with water.

"It's true. If he ordered your execution, that would've been it. In this way, you still have a chance." Those words did not reassure the panic rising in my chest, but I had no time to protest as two more women in grey and blue uniforms walked inside, one carrying clean clothes, and the other carrying what looked to be makeup. I had never worn makeup before, but I had seen it in the holographic advertisements.

As if it was the most normal thing in the world, Kara walked towards me and began helping me out of my dress. I suppose that, being a maid for the higher androids who did not mind nudity, the thought of anything uncomfortable had never crossed her mind. I felt my cheeks flush, and I tried to remain confident as the cold air touched my skin.

The women helped me into the bath, and began using the different coloured suds to scrub the dirt and grime off my body.

"We'll have you glowing in no time," Kara said, as she got to work.

Before long, my skin felt soft and fresh after layers of dirt that had been there for years was cleared away. I reached up to touch my hair, and was surprised to find how clean it felt.

The procedure continued, with the women leading me to another room and painting my face in a layer of the makeup. I could not see what they were turning me into, but it felt odd and foreign to me.

"We won't use too much," Kara told me, "Just enough to accentuate your beautiful features."

They curled my eyelashes, and sprayed something on my face. Sometimes, the smells made me cough, and other times I felt like I was strangely exposed.

The clothes they dressed me in were simple, a plain white dress with flowing sleeves, and yet it was more fancy looking than anything I had ever worn in my life.

When the maid were done, they stood back from me, nodding at each other in approval. It felt like I had been there for hours, yet from the sun streaming through the window, I could tell it would have only been an hour.

Kara gently placed a hand on my back and led me towards a full length mirror. I was startled when I saw the girl looking back at me. It was the version of myself that I had always envisioned, the me that I wanted to be.

"You look beautiful," Kara insisted, giving me a kind smile. I watched as she reached around the back of her neck, to where she wore a necklace that I hadn't noticed before. She unclasped it, and gently clasped it around my neck instead. It was gold, with a tiny gold triangle at the bottom that reflected the light of the room.

"A good luck charm," She assured me. She gently took the necklace and tucked it into my shirt. "Don't let anyone see it." Her touch lingered for a moment before pulling away.

Kara was the one who continued to lead me down another hallway. I knew that I was approaching the 'arena' as I heard voices grow louder, and music from a sound system. Kara squeezed my hand as she led me behind a dark curtain, where the noise from the crowds were deafening.

"Will you come with me Kara?" I asked, and she sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"I'm sorry... this is as far as I can go." To my surprise, she pulled me into a hug. I had barely known this woman, and yet she had become an unexpected friend. "Remember, the power lies in you." I flinched slightly as I heard a loud beeping sound over the system, and men in blue uniforms moved towards me.

"I have to go now," Kara said. "Good luck [F/N]."

I watched Kara until she was out of sight, and felt myself being pulled back by the men. I feebly struggled against them, but their grip was too strong for me. I could only let myself be pulled forward, into the bright lights, and voices of the arena.