[EDITING] wanderlust | detroit: become human

thirty nine - unable

a wave of fear washed over me as i looked around me, not recognizing a thing. the blindfold was pulled off by a hand with a harsh pull. as my eyes adjusted to the light, i recognized melina standing in front of me, "good morning, ajax. did you have fun on the ride here?"

i snarled, "you aren't going to get away with this, melina!"

"honey, i already did." she smiled, "no ones looking for you. and they won't ever look for you." she pulled my braids back and looked me in the eyes, "you're just an android. you can be replaced. you aren't important." her eyes glimmered with a sense of humor, and sinisterly laughed, "you're just a piece of plastic."

"shut up!" i shouted, clenching my hands behind my back.

melina looked up from my eyes, "leo, put the tape on." she ordered.

suddenly, the rubber adhesive wrapped around my mouth and i was stuck breathing aggressively through my nose. the duct tape had another connected to the side that covered my mouth. i couldn't use my tongue to push off the tape.

melina let out screaming laughter, "would you look at that? little baby girl isn't able to get out of the restraints." she crossed her arms, smiling, "well, now since you're keeping quiet, let me tell you some stuff. in hopes you won't say this to anyone. leo, keep that duct tap tight." leo used his hands to pull the ends of the duct against my mouth. "let's talk, ajax." she sat in a chair, in front of me, "the story starts all the way back in 2006, you know, the good old times. that's when everything fell apart." she twisted the ball of her wrist, "i was only 12. i worked for a memorial center. somedays i woke up before morning traffic. people would walk in, sobbing and absolutely stunned to the point no tears came out."

while she spoke, my hands curled around the piece of broken glass i was able to feel around for in the back of that van. i was ready to start cutting away the plastic zip ties, but with leo standing guard right behind me, it wasn't going to go well.

melina stood up, running her hand against my neck and pushing my head up, "i'm a puppeteer. an oracle. i turned them against each other, and succeeded. i can't believe your little cop buddies didn't see the cult coming through." she chuckled, turning to a metal cart with an array of items set on it, "see this beautiful crown? this inspired by the crucifixion of jesus. god's own lamb. and see this wonderful little contraption? did you know this is used to pull off hangnails?" she chuckled, "but, i've found it extremely good for picking off nails, or fingers. which ever you prefer," she placed the thorn crown on my head, ignoring the crimson liquid that dripped down her hand and onto my face as she pushed it into my skin.

i let out a moan and scream as the thorns sat deep in my skin, but it was only muffled by the duct tape.

leo pulled his hands off the tape and stood behind melina, who now sat in the chair in front of me, "well, leo, what should we do now? taking her hands from the binds will only make her use it to her advantage. maybe we should use this?" she lifted a scalpel from the tray.

leo's eyes went wide and he let a nod escape.

unsteady hands began to use the thick piece of glass to cut through the plastic binds. i had to get out of her, i had to warn connor.

"you know, ajax, you may have others fooled, but i know what you are." she chuckled, inhaling a deep breath of red ice, "i know you're that western detroit killer. i'm not stupid. the news described you, but yet, when i saw you, i remembered word for word." holding the scalpel to my nose, she lightly tapped it against it, "i won't tell if you won't."

i wanted to shout. i wanted to rip off the tape and yell at her. i wanted to say that she doesn't understand anything that happened to me, and that i was in no way like her. my wrists began to grow sore, and i twisted my wrist around, muffled speech behind the tape.

holding a hand to her ear, she pretended to listen, "huh? what's that?" she joked, placing the dull end of scalpel against her cheek, "hm, i can't hear you."

as i struggled against the binds, i used the glass to cut through them. the prolonged dragging began to go dull, but, i worked for it.

"hm, leo, let's get her out of those binds. i'm bored of watching that blue shit drip."

i paused the cutting, and held the glass in my hand.

"uh, boss," leo sighed, "i think the zip tie breakin'," he rubbed his head.

melina clenched her teeth, "then, get a new one." leo ran off to get some new plastic zip tied, "poor leo. i would use him to help keep the murders going, but, he's not too right in the head, if you couldn't tell. and i couldn't let him down like that, he looks up to me." she sighed. "now, poor little ajax, i'm going to just pull your little fingers off, one by one, okay?"

as i heard the rapid footsteps of leo approaching, i cut the plastic quicker, and once i was free, i lunged myself at melina, the chair i was trapped in falling backwards and the authentic thorn crown flying off my head.

my ankles were still zip tied, and much more secure. two different ones on each ankle, but a single one tightened to keep them close together. i threw punches left and right, ignoring leo's screams for help.

melina's face was slowly falling, she ripped off the duct tape and pushed me away by my head.

i paused from punching her, and stared her in the eyes, "you'll never... know me. you don't know what i'm capable of."

the pride that once filled her eyes slowly began to dissipate and be replaced by fear. her grip on my face began to loosen.

grabbing the scalpel that laid on the metal tray, i looked her in the eyes once again, my voice shaking, "you'll never amount to anything!"

before i could meet the scalpel with her neck, she used the hangnail clippers to grip the skin around my finger. the synthetic skin that was once there began to disappear, and i watched the blue blood drip through the wound, the plastic software showing.

"haaa," i panted, staring at the wound, "my... m... my finger."

melina chuckled, "let me complete it for you; "my finger. you nearly cut off my finger."

the adrenaline that rushed through my plastic body began to strike, and i began to feel sleepy. but, i fought against it. my hand never loosened on the scalpel, and i quickly was able to meet the item with melina's jugular while she began to monologue.

her eyes filled with fright, as she fell to the ground, a dark crimson flooding her.

picking up the crown, i lifted her head and set it softly on hers. pulling the scalpel from the wound, i held it tightly.

i needed to get to the dpd, and quick.