DETROIT: Become Human [one-shots]

#47 | Stress Levels ✿ Connor x Fem!reader

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Title: "Stress Levels"

Pairing: Connor x Human!Female reader

Warnings: none

⚠️BEWARE OF SPOILERS⚠️

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The DPD had never had as many open cases as it had that morning. Humans and androids worked full time, together, and slowly but surely the number of cases decreased until only a dozen remained pending.

All this disproportional amount of work took a heavy toll on the RK800 android, who, after specific reasons given by Captain Fowler himself, had to oversee each of the cases—including all the evidence gathered—before closing them for good. Connor had been specially designed to handle this kind of work, and for lengthy amounts of time. However, even an android as intelligent and resilient as him had its limits.

A little after lunch time was over, Connor had a few notifications popping up in the periphery of his vision—stress levels marked 75%, and rising. The large quantity of information he had to process in so little time increased both his stress levels and heat, to the point where he had to reach out for manual ventilation; what humans would call breathing.

With his chest rising and falling each time he took and released a breath, his temperature decreased, yet his stress level didn't, and remained at a steady 78% for the next five minutes.

Until another message popped up—an incoming call from Hank Anderson's house phone.

Connor quickly glanced over his terminal, and sighted the slightly slouched figure of the lieutenant typing something on the electronic keyboard, all the while he mumbled incoherent words under his breath. His narrowed eyes focused on something written on his own monitor, and didn't notice the quizzical look Connor sent his way.

Connor answered the call, nonetheless, realizing who it was fairly quickly.

"Connor?" her kind voice asked as soon as he answered.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry for calling you, Connor. I... I know you must be very busy, with all the new cases and all, but... I need some help. Quickly."

She spoke nervously, her voice slightly restrained, although Connor didn't pick up on that detail—he had paused his work just to listen to her rambling, and that thought alone managed to increase his stress levels to 80%. The higher the levels, the more unstable he grew. And the new but already known feeling of anger coursing through him made a scowl form on his face.

"I need bandages...?" she continued, her voice sounding unsure. "Hank told me once where I could find some, but I've already looked in the bathroom, in the first aid kit, and there's none."