Chapter Text
He doesn’t remember how long he had worked for Zlatko. Although “worked” might be too tame a word to describe the circumstances Luther had found himself in. He had been enslaved by Zlatko. Reprogrammed to obey Zlatko’s every order. But now, slowly but steadily, his memories were coming back to him. Thanks to Kara and the little girl.
A part of him wishes that he didn't remember. The android getting crushed by a falling shipping container, right in front of him at the shipyard, where he worked before he came to Zlatko. Luther had stood in the android’s place just a few moments before. The trauma had caused a break in Luther and he had run away. Hiding was hard for anyone of his size and stature, but as he sat at a bus stop, an android approached him, telling him that he could get help at Zlatko’s house.
Luther’s newly found freedom was quickly snatched away from him when he arrived at the place he thought to be a safe haven. The time with Zlatko is still blurry, but he remembers things. Things he would rather forget.
Dragging kicking and screaming androids down to Zlatko’s basement for reprogramming, so they could be made docile.
The abominations Zlatko created down in that basement for his own sick amusement.
The abominations Luther had helped him create. He had dragged them from their cages, held them in place until Zlatko had secured them to his worktable. And when Zlatko was done experimenting, Luther had been the one to put them back into their cages. They had feared Luther as much as Zlatko, and Luther had been indifferent about it.
At night Luther was haunted by the eyes and the red LEDs of Zlatko’s experiments, glowing in the darkness of the basement. The ones that could move shrinking back into the shadows as best as they could whenever he passed their cells.
But as the house of horrors had burned behind him, casting long, dancing shadows, Luther had found back to the light. Kara protecting Alice had stirred something in him, and once again that barrier keeping him in line had been broken.
Every smile from Alice or Kara was like a ray of sunshine. And even though he had not been programmed to care for others, he knew that he would gladly lay down his life for them, just so they could have a chance at a better and safe life. And until then, Luther was happy to be part of their little family.