Markus and Simon walked down the street, holding hands, their artificial skin was retracted, their white chassis being shown. Markus was holding a bag of painting supplies. “Hey!” A man called out to them. “Hey! I’m talking to you, plastic pieces of junk!” Simon looked over at the man, who had a bunch of people around him. He was holding a crowbar. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t the android himself. Markus.” The man said. “First you steal our jobs and now your allowed to run free!? Your allowed to build houses and marry whomever you want! Stop trying to be us, androids!” The man stepped closer. Markus stepped in front of Simon, their artificial skin going back to normal. “Don’t touch him.” Markus warned. “So bossy.” The man smirked, holding up the crowbar, the man yanks the bag out Markus’s hand, dumping the continents on the ground. “Painting supplies? You really think you can paint? You really think you’re better than us!?” The man shouted angrily. “We are better than you. In every way.” Simon said. “Shut up! You were meant to serve us!” The man yelled. One of the men grab Simon and shove him to the ground, they start kicking him. “Stop!” Markus yelled at them, his LED spinning red. Simon shielded himself with his hands, thirium getting spilled all over the sidewalk. Markus grabs the man’s crowbar. “Get away from him!” He yelled at them, the people back off. Markus throws the crowbar to the ground, he knelt down and helped Simon up. “Are you okay?” He wipes the blood off of Simon’s face. 

RUNNING DIAGNOSTICS

SYSTEM CLEAR. NO DAMAGES DETECTED.

“I’m fine.” Simon smiled, Markus pulled Simon close for a moment before picking up the surprisingly good conditioned art supplies from the ground, he puts them back in the bag, walking back over to Simon. “Leave us alone.” Markus said, he helped Simon back to New Jericho and cleaned up his exterior wounds. Simon hissed in pain when Markus brushed the rag over the gash on his side. “Sorry, baby.” Markus frowned, he mumbled something. After Simon’s drawn out bath, they both got in bed and tried to go to “sleep”.