Chapter Text
Chapter 1
Reader’s POV
Warm colours surrounded me during my walk, soft greens and oranges falling from the trees and brushing past my feet with the breeze. It was almost peaceful enough to calm my nerves, the events of the past few days shrinking as if they didn’t really matter, but too much had happened for me to forget so easily. I only felt the slightest semblance of peace when a familiar house came into sight. I gulped nervously when the door opened, the robotic voice welcoming me back like it was a regular visit. As usual, the place was immaculately clean, not a single thing out of place and two little robotic yellow birds chirping away in their cage. My feeling of being out-of-place kept me from going farther than the staircase, and soon enough a friendly face revealed itself to see what was wrong.
“(Y/N),” Markus smiled, “Carl didn’t mention you were coming today.”
His voice calmed me enough to give him a composed response, “Yeah, I just decided to drop in. I was hoping to get some good dad advice.”
Of course, nothing gets past Markus, so I wasn’t surprised when his smile dropped and was replaced with a look of concern, “Is everything alright?”
“Is my dad awake? I’d just prefer to get all this out in one go…” I felt horrible for not confiding in him straight away, he was family after all. Ever since he was gifted to my father, Markus has been caring and sweet to us both, despite being a little robotic at first. With time he learned that he was allowed to make mistakes -even if they didn’t happen often- and every bit of individuality was encouraged.
He nodded, hand raised to gently beckon me towards the living room where my father sat in his wheelchair, eyes lighting up when he saw who his guest was. “Sweetheart! What a nice surprise this is.”
I gave him a loving smile, his bright demeanour chiselling away at my remaining nerves, “Hi, dad. Sorry if I’m intruding, I know I didn’t give much notice.”
“Now why would you think that? You’ve never been a burden, has she, Markus?” Seeing the kind android shake his head, my father continued, “So, why don’t you sit yourself down and tell your old man what’s wrong. Markus, can you get (Y/N) a drink, please?”
Nodding, he walked into the kitchen before reappearing with a glass of water, knowing that it’s what I would have asked for anyway. By now I was sat down, my father having wheeled himself around the room until he was on the opposite side of the coffee table and Markus took a seat to my right after making sure I’d taken hold of the glass.
With both their eyes on me, I sighed, “Richard and I aren’t together anymore. I’m pretty sure it’s for good, too.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, sweetheart. I know you were really happy with him-“
“It’s not that, really. I’m upset because… I’m pregnant.” It was silent as I stared down at my lap, but I was sure of both their reactions. Carl is probably looking at me with sympathy, knowing now why I’m really here; I’m scared and alone, the only one left to run to being my beloved dad. Markus, however, likely isn’t too sure how to feel. He’s designed to be a household model, one that cares for physical needs, and no matter how much he’s come to understand regarding emotions, he won’t understand the weight of a lonely soon-to-be mother. “Seven weeks. I told him two days ago, but I found out a week ago. He got mad, told me to get rid of it and left when I said I wasn’t sure if that’s what I wanted.”
A pair of legs slowly entered my line of sight, a wrinkled hand reaching forward until it was clasped over mine. The other was soon patting down my hair, encouraging me to look up, “It’s okay. It’s all going to be okay. You have me and Markus.”
I released a stifled laugh, my breath coming easier than before and a few tears falling while they could. I’d been holding everything in all morning, trying my best to keep the outburst to a minimum after two days of constant tears and hyperventilation, but now finally felt like the end of it. Looking to the right, I found Markus smiling, his natural calmness easing the sadness back until it was obvious; I definitely had someone to turn to when I needed it. “I can’t pay for that apartment on my own,” I huffed, tired of crying and resigning myself to the fact that I had more problems than I knew how to handle.
Dad chuckled, “I guess you’ll just have to move in here then. It’ll make it a hell of a lot easier not being on your own.”
“No, I couldn’t. I’d just be a nuisance to the both of you.”
A gentle but firm hand placed itself on my shoulder, my head whipping in the right direction where I found Markus shaking his head, “Of course you wouldn’t. In fact, you being here might give Carl the chance to finally win a game of chess.” An undignified snort escaped me, Carl’s howling laugh not helping as I tried to keep in my giggles. The android looked so smug as he watched us express such raw emotion, but it settled into a content smile when I reached up to squeeze the hand on my shoulder.
When I found myself calm enough, I looked at the two men with a fondness only they could bring out in me. Nowhere else would truly be home without them. “Alright. I guess it’s happening then.”
It’d been almost five weeks since moving back in with my father, the moving process not taking very long when all I needed from my apartment was clothes and a few sentimental items – absolutely none of them related to Richard. I wanted nothing to remind me of him and his abandonment, how he was probably far away by now, drunk and in bed with whatever woman said yes.
To clarify, I’m not mad at him for not wanting a baby, for possibly doubting his ability to be a parent. I’m disappointed that he wouldn’t talk, that his first action was to yell instead of considering our possibilities. He’d made it clear that he didn’t want a baby, but after my hesitation, he made it clear that he didn’t want me either.
But in the end, it was okay that he left. We both made our choices and I was looking forward to what would come next. Especially now that I lived with both my father -a man who’d been my biggest inspiration since I could retain memory- and Markus – an android who was more human than any I’d ever seen before. It was an experience, living with him now. He was far more doting than before when I’d visit, always offering to cook or draw me a bath. Apparently he’d been studying ways to help with pregnancy, from dietary needs to exercise to everything that could potentially be dangerous. I’m now no longer allowed to eat raw meat or eggs, something I certainly had no intention of doing but was warned against anyway.
The most surprising thing that came with being his new patient was the doctors visits and how insistent he was on knowing how to better care for me. It was quite funny watching the doctor’s first reaction to the android who’d perched himself in the chair next to me, but she soon regained her professional stature and talked me through the process of my very first ultrasound.
“This is going to be just a little cold,” she hummed, squeezing the blue gel over my midriff until half of the tiny bottle was empty. The probe moved easily against my stomach thanks to the gel and, after the doctor tapped away on a keyboard, the large white machine in front of her started making a rhythmic sound. “That right there is your baby’s heart beat,” she explained, watching the screen carefully until she smiled, finding what she was after, “And there… is your baby.” In the middle of the screen, among a mess of black and white lines was a tiny, tiny little blob. The image froze, a single tap on the doctor’s keyboard capturing the first picture of my innocent little child. “I’ll give you a moment alone.”
I offered her a small and quick smile as she stood to leave, my disbelieving laugh only heard by Markus once the door was closed. It was near impossible to tear my eyes away now, so I tried to get him to tell me what he was thinking, “Do you see that, Markus? This tiny little peanut… There really is a baby in there…”
“Indeed there is,” he mumbled, his voice carrying what I could only describe as happiness. I didn’t need to see it to know he was smiling. Carl was just as enthusiastic when he got his first glimpse of his grandchild, bright grin spreading across his face and a proud laugh rumbling deeply from his chest.
The prospect for a full and happy family getting closer every day.
I wasn’t sure if it was just the hormones, or if Markus’ company was getting better and better. My bump was now extremely difficult to miss, twenty-two weeks marking that I was over halfway done with this pregnancy and over halfway through the second trimester. With the additional weight growing in my stomach every day, aches and pains started developing along with it. Being mildly emotional was another side effect, and while mood swings are more prominent during the first trimester, they followed through for me and I keep catching myself taking the occasional glance at Markus’ tall, lean form.
I’ve always cared about Markus, always considered him part of the family without actually thinking which part of it he was. I already had a brother, and the android was certainly a far cry from being like him, but I also never considered him the mentor-type like my father.
And this strange desire to watch him move about the house may have changed my perspective of him. Do I like him more than I think? I’d try to shake these thoughts as quick as possible whenever they appeared, because in what kind of world would falling for an android not turn you into a national joke. He couldn’t properly agree to a relationship like that, and I’d be just as disgusting as the patrons of the city famous Eden Club. Although, sometimes I think he knows what he’s up to when he offers to help me with the previously mentioned pains.
“Would you like me to rub your back? I’ve done some research on pressure points and techniques that can help relieve aches caused by pregnancy.”
Did he really have no idea what his words did to me? The excitement that ran through my body forced me to forget any kind of back pain I would have at the time, the only thing I could focus on would be controlling how fast I complied to his offer.
But, no matter how easy it was to hide any thoughts and feelings from Markus, it was practically impossible to hide anything from my father. “Markus give you another massage this morning?” The smirk in his voice was hard to miss, even if he was suspended off the floor by a crane-like machine so he could reach the top of the ceiling-high canvas.
“Dad!” How glad I was that Markus wasn’t home right now. “He’s designed to help, isn’t he? He’s just doing what he thinks is right.”
Carl laughed, “If it were just his job, then why accept every offer so eagerly?” Smartass.
“Focus on painting, old man,” I smirked.
The door connecting the studio to the house slid open, a familiar and handsome face stepping through, stacks of books in hand, “I’m back. Has everything been alright while I was gone?”
“Yes,” I answered before Carl had the chance, “We were just talking about what I might do for work after the baby’s born. Hopefully I won’t have to go back to the garage.” Shortly before finding out I was pregnant, I’d left my job as a mechanic in hopes that I’d find something with a better pay check. A degree in Robotics and Engineering could only get you so far, though; not exactly Cyberlife material.
Markus placed the pile of books on the art table beside me, giving me a better view of each title, “These will help you brush up on some of your studies. I bought as many paper volumes as I could find, but they all have relevant information for current-day automobiles and older models.”
Surely I’d find a decent job after reading all these. One book caught my eye and I was curious as to why it was added to the pile, “What’s this one? Android Anatomy and Advanced Wirework.”
“Android anatomy? That sounds a little suspicious to me.”
“You would think so, Carl,” Markus smirked. “It details how to understand android components and what you can do in the event you want to repair one.”
Flipping through the pages showed that it even specifies what to do with different models. “Wow, Markus. This is great! Thank you so much.” He smiled down at me, his green eyes so bright I didn’t want to turn away. Looking further up, I found my dad smiling fondly at us both.
Week thirty-four, soon to be thirty-five. I woke up at half past nine with a craving for egg fried bread, a quick detour to the bathroom the only thing separating me from waddling to the kitchen and rummaging through the cupboards like a woman on a mission. I noticed the silver tray set out for Carl’s breakfast, utensils and plate already placed on top with the food covered by a matching silver dish. Markus would likely be home soon to make dad’s morning tea before waking him up for the day.
By the time I’d cooked and cleaned away cracked eggshells and the used pan, I was seated on the isle, humming at the delicious fried bread. The kitchen door sliding open revealed the sound of footsteps and chirping birds, “Good morning, (Y/N). I see you’ve already made your own breakfast.”
I nodded, swallowing before opening my mouth to answer, “I was driven, this morning. I recall the end of my dream involving fried bread, so when I woke up…” I raised the fork, a square of egg-covered bread pierced on the end of it.
The android gave a sweet smile in response, “I apologize for not being home sooner to make it for you. However, I did pick up your new dress while I was out.”
“You never have to apologize for not making me breakfast, you aren’t a maid. If you were, you’d be wearing a skimpy black and white uniform.” My heart skipped a beat when he smiled again, something akin to amusement in it. But, speaking of uniforms… “What happened to your shirt?”
His happy demeanour didn’t falter, but I noticed how it was diluted into just a calm smile, “Nothing to worry about. I was simply caught up among some demonstrators near Bellini Paints.”
I kept my eye on him as he moved, hands moving quick and expertly as they arranged the tray and prepared a pot of tea. He definitely didn’t look like he’d taken any damage from the protestors, but I knew how some androids could end up after an encounter with them and to think it could ever happen to Markus… “As long as you’re okay, then I guess I have no reason to worry.” Finishing the preparations for Carl’s breakfast, he stepped around the isle to collect my now empty plate, placing it out of the way in the sink to be cleaned later. With a perfectly balanced hand, he offered to help me off the stool, taking extra care when I stepped down with one hand in his and the other balanced on his shoulder. Pretty much any opportunity to be close was taken lately. “I better go make sure this dress fits,” I coughed, taking a step back, “With my luck, it’ll fit perfectly and dad will decide he can’t be bothered with the gallery’s opening tonight.”
“I’m sure he’ll take the excuse to get out of the house for the evening,” Markus stated, his LED flickering to blue. When had it turned yellow? “I’d best go wake him up now – it’s almost time for his medicine.”
Nodding, I watched him leave through the door he entered, his footsteps almost silent as they paced up the stairs. I sighed and placed a hand over my stomach, looking straight down at my stretching nightshirt. “What am I gonna do with him, huh?” A soft tap against my hand brought a smile to my face again, happy that my child was listening to my voice, “Thanks for not aiming for the ribs this time.”
As it turns out, the dress does fit perfectly. The extra material around the midsection making it the perfect maternity dress without looking too big or slouchy. The sleeves ended at just the right length and my chest wasn’t too restricted by the seam that sat well above my bump. Now, I just had to hope that the money spent wouldn’t go to waste. It’s not like I plan on being this round or busty in the near future.
Stepping out of my room in casual day clothes, I got the perfect view from the balcony of Markus wheeling my father into the studio. It seemed that the afternoon would be a creative one.
When I stepped foot in the studio my attention immediately landed on the android shuffling between shelves, his hands rearranging boxes and paints to make the place a bit neater. I knew from previous lectures that he wouldn’t let me lift a finger to help him so, with a faint smile on my lips, I waddled my way over to the paint covered table and plopped myself on a stool. A sigh came from the man suspended by the small crane, his body leaning away from the painting that covered a portion of the wall as he used the controls to lower himself back to the ground.
“So… What’s your verdict, Markus?”
Curious to hear an opinion from him, I listened intently, “Yes, there is something about it.” My father hummed, encouraging him to continue, “Something I can’t… quite define.” His words were interesting to me, seeing him really think to find his own opinion making me somewhat proud. It made him so human. “I guess I like it.”
While I smiled at his decision, Carl seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, “The truth is I have nothing left to say anymore… Each day that goes by brings me closer to the end… I’m just an old man clinging to his brushes…”
“Carl…” Markus sighed, eyes scanning over the large piece again, as if he wasn’t sure what to say next.
The older man seemed to pick up on the sombre air, his tone picking up as he turned to me, his eyes shining with a bright idea, “But enough about me… Let’s see if you have any talent, Markus! Give it a try. Try painting something.”
“Paint? But, what would I… What would I paint?”
“Anything,” I said, catching his adorably lost eyes.
Dad nodded, “Anything you want! Give it a try.” He gestured towards a clean canvas in the corner, the poor android shuffling on his feet and looking very confused. After a moment of contemplation, Markus smiled, the change in attitude causing Carl to pass him a well-used pallet tray. I was so eager to see what he’d paint that I quietly slid off the stool, tiptoeing until I was behind my father’s wheelchair. It didn’t take him very long, after one quick look over the table beside him, before the image on the canvas was an exact replica of what we could all see. “That is a perfect copy… of reality. But painting is not about replicating the world, it’s about interpreting it, improving on it – showing something you see.”
Markus’ eyebrows furrowed, “Carl, I don’t… think I can do that. It’s not in my program… I…”
“Go on, go, try. Grab that canvas,” dad insisted, not relenting in the slightest. I almost felt bad at the look of confliction on the android’s face, but I really did want to see what he could do with his own imagination, what he felt. He cast a quick look upwards, his eyes locking onto my own. I gave an encouraging nod, my heart fluttering when his shoulders dropped slightly as if relaxing. He switched over the canvases, a plain one now leaning against the easel, ready to hold whatever the painter wished. “Do something for me: close your eyes.” When he didn’t comply straight away, Carl’s tone softened, as if trying to encourage a child, “Close your eyes. Trust me.” Had he been human with a working set of lungs, Markus would have likely taken a deep breath as he turned back to the canvas, his eyes now closed and all I could think was how at peace he looked. “Try to imagine something that doesn’t exist. Something you’ve never seen. Now concentrate… on how it makes you feel… and let your hand drift across the canvas.”
Not once did his eyes open, but his hand never stopped moving, various colours added across the expanse of the canvas until a picture started to form between them. He started to slow down, small strokes being added here and there until, finally, he stopped. The green eyes I’ve come to adore opened, the android looking over his work as if in disbelief that he himself really created it.
I released a small, amazed breath, my eyes almost obstructed by tears at the beautiful portrayal. In bright shades of yellow and orange, there was me and my father, nothing like the perfect painting he’d done earlier, but done with a style that was his own. Some say you can tell how an artist feels through their paintings, whether they paint with passion, hate or love. Looking at this image made me think of home, but seeing the way Markus had painted me made me wonder if he saw that kind of beauty in me all on his own.
“Oh my god…” Carl breathed in awe.
We were all so lost in the moment that we missed the sudden appearance of a less-than-welcome guest. “Hey, dad. (Y/N)…” Leo looked less put-together since the last time I’d seen him, and while he was looking between me, dad and my stomach, I didn’t miss the way his hands shook.
“Leo… I didn’t hear you come in,” Carl muttered.
My brother let out a small laugh that sounded too forced to be casual, “Ah, I was in the neighbourhood… I thought I’d stop by… Didn’t know you were visiting, (Y/N). It’s been awhile, right?” he nodded in my direction, eyes looking directly at my rounded stomach as if trying to start a friendly conversation.
No one could ignore the constant sniffling and shaky movements he made, even Markus stood tall with a protective air about him. “You alright?” Carl asked, “You don’t look so good.” While dad slowly inched himself away from his twitchy son, I shuffled closer to Markus, knowing that he’d be the most defensive should Leo act out.
“Oh, yeah, yeah, I’m fine… Hey, listen, uh… I need some cash, dad.”
“Again?” Carl continued to appear calm, avoiding making his son too aggravated now that he knows why he’s here, but seeing just how off the rails he’s become had me rolling my eyes, hand protectively covering my belly while keeping in Markus’ vicinity. “What happened to the money I just gave you?”
I was surprised to hear this, not knowing that Leo had made a recent visit. He’d made it clear earlier that he didn’t know I was living in the house, but I thought he’d been avoiding contact for so much longer.
“Uh, well… It just goes, you know?”
“Yeah…” Markus placed the paint pallet down on the table, carefully stepping closer to the old man while making sure to keep between me and my sibling. “Yeah, you’re on it again, aren’t you?”
Leo spoke too eagerly to convince us that Carl was wrong, “No, no, no. I swear it’s not that…”
“Don’t lie to me, Leo-“
“What difference does it make!?” he spat, “I just need some cash, that’s all!”
While his outburst may have unnerved me and put Markus on higher alert, dad didn’t back down from his stern standpoint, “Sorry… The answer’s no.”
“What? Why?”
“You know why.”
Looking between Markus and I, Leo leaned back, “Yeah… I think I do know why. You’d rather take care of your plastic toy here than your own son, eh? And daddy’s little princess gets a free pass when she gets knocked up and dumped on her ass.” His attempt at insulting me didn’t have the intended effect, but his attitude towards Markus had me plenty pissed off. “Tell me dad, what’s it got that I don’t? It’s smarter? More obedient? Not like me, right?”
“How about a conscience? God knows you’ve never had one of those,” I hissed.
Leo looked surprised at first, but he only licked his teeth and rounded back until he was right in the android’s face, but Markus didn’t waver. “But you now what? This thing is not your son. IT’S A FUCKING MACHINE!” Using all his strength, he gave Markus a heavy shove, but it wasn’t enough to make him lose balance.
“Leo, that’s enough! Enough!”
I was a good four meters away from him now, both hands covering my bump as if to protect the baby from the shouting. But, thankfully, it looked like things weren’t going to escalate further. “You don’t care about anything except yourself and your goddamn paintings. You’ve never loved anyone. You’ve never loved me, dad…” Finally, he turned away and began walking out of the studio, but stopped to make sure he got the last and final word, “You never loved me.”
The room remained silent for a while, dad taking some deep breaths before he beckoned me closer. One of his wrinkled and inked hands reached up and carefully rested over my stomach, “How are you both doing?”
Finding Markus appear next to me with cautious eyes, I smiled, feeling relieved that it was just the three of us again. “We’re alright.”
At almost 10PM we arrived home from the gallery opening, my feet protesting from the low heels. I’d taken them off during the drive home, but it didn’t offer much relief now that they were back on for the walk to the front door. The usual robotic voice welcomed us home as we crossed the threshold, but Carl ignored it in favour of complaining, “That was by far the most boring party I’ve been to in the last twenty-five years. Every time I go to one of these, I ask myself: what the hell am I doing here?” I giggled, pulling off the dreaded shoes while Markus hung up my father’s coat and umbrella. “All the schmoozers that go there.”
“Well, it’s a chance for all those people who admire your work to meet you,” Markus cut in, stating what Carl already knew but didn’t say in favour of moaning.
“Yeah, yeah. No one gives a damn about art.” Oh, does he like to play the pessimist. “All they care about is how much money they’re gonna make out of it.”
I tapped his arm on my way through the hall, “Oh, hush. It could have been worse. At least you had me and Markus to keep you company.”
Insisting that he needed a drink, dad was soon being rolled in the direction of the living room, “I think my favourite part about tonight was that woman who congratulated you two on the baby. She looked horrified when she put her glasses on and saw your LED!” Carl was howling with laughter once again, just like he had during the actual incident. A woman who appeared to be around the same age as my father decided to trap us in conversation, giving the android and I her best wished for the baby and looking awfully confused when I turned beet red and Markus gave his lost puppy look. She’d apologized to me profusely once her glasses were on and she realized just who Markus was. It’s easy to laugh at the situation now that we’re behind closed doors, but it was pretty damn uncomfortable while surrounded by all those people.
“Well, it was much less awkward than being asked where my husband was. That snooty rich guy didn’t seem all that impressed that the daughter of such a prestigious artist was ‘lawfully unwed with a baby on the way’,” I huffed, planting myself in one of the many comfy seats around the room. “This is why I didn’t follow in your footsteps, dad.”
He chuckled, watching Markus pour a neat scotch and scoffing at the jab about what his doctor would say, “He can kiss my ass! I’m old enough to choose my own medication…” Before he even had a chance to accept the drink, he was turning himself towards the door at the end of the room, “Did you leave the light on in the studio?”
“No… No, I’m sure I didn’t.”
“Call the police.”
I pulled myself up, hand supporting the bottom of my bump while we waited for Markus to make the call. “This is Carl Manfred’s android, at 8941 Lafayette Avenue. We’ve just returned home and found the lights on. There may have been a break-in…”
“Let’s go check it out,” Carl insisted. When the android started walking towards the door alone, he grumbled, “Markus, no! I wanna come with you!” He didn’t respond, just kept approaching the door with caution, so to appease my father I slowly pushed him in the direction he desired to go. I wasn’t all that surprised when the intruder we found was my very own brother.
“Leo,” Markus sighed.
Said man turned his head, hands still messing around with some unravelled paintings, “Oh, look who’s here… My father’s plastic toy!” Seeing no reason to act defensive, he turned back to the artwork.
“Leo…” Dad’s tone was borderline scolding, but we both knew a simple slap on the wrist wasn’t going to deter him now. “What’s going on?”
“You refuse to help me, so I’m helping myself… It’s crazy what some people will pay for this shit…”
Carl raised his voice, trying his best to get across to his son, “Don’t touch ‘em!”
“Look, they’re all going to be mine sooner or later anyway…” I briefly wondered what could have happened to my older brother to make him see the world in such a black and white way. “Just think of it as a down payment on my inheritance…”
Seeing no chance of reasoning with him, my father gave in, “Markus, get him away from there. Get him outta here!”
Leo watched with the same subdued anger he held earlier as the android approached him, even Markus’ tone reflecting the distaste towards the other man, “Be reasonable… this isn’t going to get you anywhere.”
He was completely ignored by the shorter man, Leo stepping around him to get a better view of dad, “All you ever do is tell me to go away… What’s wrong, dad? I’m not good enough for you? Not perfect like this fucking thing!?”
“That’s enough! Get out, right now! Go on, move!”
“Will you just listen for once, Leo! He said leave!” I wasn’t too sure if it was the pregnancy hormones that put me in a bad mood, or the sight of Markus being pushed around again by this rambling lunatic, but I did know that I’d never see my brother the same again.
Once again, he refused to listen, even when dad rolled himself closer to get between his son and his caretaker, “What makes it so special anyway, huh? What’s it got that I don’t?” Carl cried out for Leo to leave Markus alone, but was winded when a hefty shove sent him rolling in another direction. “Come on, let’s see what you got!”
“Markus…” Carl breathed carefully, trying to steady his heart, “Don’t defend yourself, you hear me?” The LED in his temple spun yellow, displaying his conflicted state. “Don’t do anything.”
Leo licked his lips, taking another step closer, “Go ahead, hit me! What you waiting for? Think you’re a man? Act like one!” He delivered another hard push, but Markus continued to keep face, though his LED quickly switched to red as his stress increased.
“Stop it!” my father coughed, his heartrate increasing too much.
“What’s the matter? Too much of a pussy?”
Another shove. “LEO! Just fucking leave him alone!”
“STOP IT, LEO! STOP IT!”
Red turned to yellow, but his expression gave nothing away. “Too scared to fight back, you fucking bitch?”
A punch this time. “Give it a rest, already! What do you have to prove!?” I was almost reduced to tears when a backhanded slap sent Markus to the side, his hands supporting himself against a table.
“Oh right, that’s right! I forgot, you’re not a real person… You’re just a fucking piece of plastic! Listen to me…” His hands were gripping at the grey shirt over the android’s chest, corralling him closer to the wall by force.
“No, Leo! Leave him alone!” By now Carl was barely able to speak through his gasps, body hunched over from the struggle.
I rushed forward, gripping at my brother’s elbow and used all my strength to pull him off, but I was sent to the floor screaming when that elbow made hard contact with my stomach. I clutched the dress I was wearing as tears escaped my eyes, panic overtaking me so fast I felt like I could no longer breathe. I’d tuned out Leo’s threats, and I didn’t look up when a loud metallic bang echoed throughout the room, too scared of what I might see. Careful hands wrapped around my shoulders and I jumped, teary eyes widening at the green ones that stared back. “(Y/N)! Are you hurt?”
“Leo!” I looked over to find my father sat with my unconscious brother, determining that the noise from earlier was Markus defending himself.
I couldn’t bring myself to feel the same remorse as my father, my concerns lying with the discomfort I felt lower down. With an arm around Markus to help me sit up, I ran the other hand over my thigh, underneath the dress. The sight filled me with dread and the tears doubled.
Blood. Lots of blood.
Looking back up, concern turned to outright horror on Markus’ face. He had no idea what to do and it only added to my helpless terror.
When Markus stood up, I could see my father clearly, as well at the tears streaming down his wrinkled cheeks. The heartbreak he felt for his injured son showed easily, but the vulnerability of my state had him weeping.
“Carl, I…” The android was lost for words, his LED spinning red and pure stress radiating from his entire being. I’d never seen him like this, so much negative emotion that it was painful.
“They’ll destroy you, Markus!” His green eyes widened, but Carl had to get the point across before it was too late. He didn’t have time to be delicate. “You gotta go!”
“Please, Markus! You have to,” I sniffled, arms encircling my baby in the hopes that faith alone will save them.
Dad cried again, “Get outta here!”
“Carl, I… I… I didn’t mean to…” Sirens cut off his desperate explanation, the crash of the front door sending another wave of fear through me. Markus just stood there with no idea what to do despite my father’s yelling, almost begging for him to escape.
But it was too late.
One sweeping glance of the scene left the officers with one answer: an android turned on his owner, attacked his children and may have caused fatal casualties. Their solution? Shoot it.
“NO!” I screamed as the gun was fired, the body of someone I cared so deeply for collapsing in a matter of seconds. I cried harder than I had in years, mourning, regret and anger all coursing through me at once. But, either from the stress or loss of blood, it didn’t take long before I fell unconscious.