[A/N: This is an au wherein Markus is a human living on the streets of Detroit after his father died and left him with more debt than his paintings could pay for. Simon is a deviant PL600 domestic home assistant who just wishes to be free. TRIGGER WARNINGS: blood, allusions to violence, and character death.]

The wet and heavy snow that dripped from the greying sky above coated Markus and froze him to the core. Crystalline flakes hung precariously on his eyelashes as he pulled his coat tighter around him. His dirty hands shook as the freezing wind seemed to pass right through him.

This was his first winter season on the streets, and it made his heart long for the time when he could wrap himself in his blankets at home, and share a mug of cocoa with his recently departed father.

The human's boots barely made indents on the covered sidewalk, the wind was unforgiving and blew away any trace of him. He sort of wished it would blow him away too.

It was near sundown, so the man knew he had to seek shelter soon- his temporary home the last few months had since been burned down by some overzealous anti-android protesters.

Markus pulled his hood over his shaven head, praying that the wind and cold would wait until he was safe inside some abandoned building somewhere.

The last place he stayed was an old CyberLife android store, the building abandoned and the goods inside relocated somewhere better for business.

Markus didn't have an opinion on the whole android versus human debate- Carl had always taught him, that should these beings gain a true consciousness and wish for freedom or in essence, 'wake up,' it was their God-given right to do so, plastic casings and all.

Who were they, humans, to decide what was alive and what was obsolete?

The human rubbed his frozen fingers together and the breath that left his nose danced opaque shapes through the darkening world.

"I miss you, dad." His emerald eyes scanned the buildings as he passed. Some still had lights on, some seemingly occupied, he didn't dare risk finding out. "You should see me now…"

Less than a year ago, the people of Detroit held a candlelit vigil for beloved artist and father, Carl Manfred. HIs passing was of no surprise to the public, his health had been deteriorating for years until his heart finally tired and stopped while he was sleeping.

Markus being the artist's only living son, was given full rights to his father's estate and community affairs, including but not limited to, all of his hidden financial debts that he kept secret. All of the paintings in the world couldn't have repaid the money he owed for both his hospital bills and loans taken, so Markus' only option was to sell his father's estate and everything he owned.

Markus' eyes glittered in the twilight- the neon lights he passed made his eyes shine with unshed tears.

The human was officially debt free- but also lost without a home.

He'd been able to survive during the summer and fall, employers were hiring anyone they could find off of the streets when hiring available android laborers became sparse. As soon as production rates at CyberLife increased, and the cost of androids went down, more and more humans were laid off. Markus being one of the unlucky few.

The human laughed to himself quietly, not like anyone would hear- the particular street he shuffled down was completely empty. But nonetheless, Markus knew android's weren't to blame for the unfortunate circumstances humans found themselves in- it financially made sense to business owners. Why pay more for a human when an android could be perfect in every way and still get the job done in the most time efficient way possible? After all, they didn't need bathroom breaks or food or any sort of accommodation to do their jobs absolutely perfectly.

Markus rounded another corner as the sun began to eclipse behind a nameless skyscraper- with the sun slowly dying Markus began to lose feeling in his toes.

Twenty degrees fahrenheit outside with a windchill of close to zero degrees, the human began to panic.

The streetlamps that lined the empty road gradually brightened as the sky dimmed. It wasn't much, but the illumination allowed Markus to see into the decrepit buildings as he continued his way.

Markus' ears were numb, and his flushed cheeks began to sting as the wind sliced through his hood.

Maybe it was the hypothermia talking, but as he neared the final building on the lane, Markus knew it was either now or never. He'd rather take his chances being shot by a random hostile inhabitant than freezing to death like a lost animal on a forgotten street of downtown Detroit.

"Please please please…" Markus' voice was lost to the howling wind as he neared the front door.

There was something about this place that screamed 'hope' to him. Every window was boarded closed, and the fake wood siding was peeling away with every new gust of wind. A 'closed for renovations' sign hung precariously next to the iron knocker.

He raised a knuckle to the wooden door and tapped. If there indeed was someone living inside, surely they'd open the door or yell at him to go away. Better to be yelled at than being shot or arrested for home invasion.

His tapping offered no response. No yelling, no shotgun sounds. Absolute silence.

The whipping wind seemed to usher him inside, and so without a second glance back, Markus turned the doorknob, and released the breath he'd been holding when the knob turned without resistance.

It was like walking into an abyss at first, as Markus closed the door behind him, the darkness inside seemed to swallow him whole.

"Hello? Anybody in here?" His voice was hoarse and static from the cold outside, but his words seemed to bounce off the empty walls and echo back to him.

No one responded.

It was much warmer inside, there was no wind to peel away his skin layer by layer, and his clothes were given the chance to breath seeing as there was no more snow to suffocate them with.

As his human eyes adjusted, the darkness seemed to disappear like mist. The streetlamps outside deemed useful as the white lights bled through the cracks in the windows or reflected off of nameless objects in the room.

Markus shed his winter coat on a nearby chair, and removed his boots and socks next. As a child, he loved to watch survivor shows with his dad Friday nights- some information deemed useful. Having wet clothes while temperatures were below comfortable was a sure fire way to get yourself sick- or worse.

His body was still shivering as he padded through the rest of the main floor of the house- his bare footprints left wet trails on the wooden floor. Markus wrapped his arms around himself as part of him hoped he'd find a spare blanket or forgotten clothes lying around so he could dry off.

The main entrance area was void of anything useful, as was the empty kitchen and long forgotten living room.

Markus clenched his jaw as another wave of chill electrocuted his body- he passed through a hallway and into what seemed to be a dining room when a dim, pulsing red light caught his attention.

There was a door across the room- the slight space between the wooden panel and the floor was just enough to let the red sneak through.

The responsible part of the human debated grabbing his clothes and running away as fast as he could- but the other part of him couldn't be bothered to worry. It wasn't as if he'd have been missed anyway.

Despite the cold, Markus' hands were clammy as nerves and anticipation took control.

The human lightly tapped his knuckles against the door, the hollow sound rang in his ears.

Markus placed an ear to the door, the wood cold against his cheek. His stomach turned leaden when the faint sounds of ragged breathing gripped his heart and froze him in place.

"M-my name is Markus-" He began to turn the handle and crack the door open. "Is there anyone here?"

As the door slowly swung open, Markus' senses were hit with a wall acid and iron. It was a new scent to him- almost like blood, but almost like a fried electrical outlet.

The red pulsing light began to shine brighter as he stepped into the room- the toilet to the right was covered in cerulean blue, and the bathtub in front of him…

"Please, I don't mean anyone harm." The voice that poured from the dirty bathtub was low and soft. "I just wish to left in peace."

Markus stepped forward and clenched his fists tight enough to draw blood on his palms.

There was an android in the cracked and grimy tub- his eyes were closed as his head rested against the wall.

The once blonde hair was tinted a darker shade of blue, as trails of tears and thirium traced streams down his pallid cheeks.

There were handprints leading up and into the space that was now occupied by a broken android body.

The android's shirt read "PL600" though Markus had a difficult time reading the letters through the mixture of dirt and thirium.

Bile rose in the human's throat as he fought the waves of emotion that festered in him. Fear swelled in him, both for the wellbeing of the android, and fear of what this android may have done. Pity, for the human assimilation that was currently bleeding out infront of him. Anger fought against any chill he felt as he imagined who could have done this to another person- granted it was an android, but still someone who was created to serve and protect humans. They did the dirty work no lazy human would want to touch- this android couldn't have deserved this kind of treatment.

Two emerald eyes traced the outline of the android's bruised chin, down his swollen neck, and to the open wound in his chest that seemed to cry tears of blue.

"I'm not gonna hurt you," Markus knelt down on one knee so he was eye level with the android. "What happened?"

The blonde PL600 chuckled and a half smile cracked across his stained lips. He opened his eyes a sliver, and two crystal blue skies held Markus suspended in time.

"You have already hurt me. I am not afraid of you anymore," the android's voice was haunting, there was a hint of static to the edges of his voice, and yet his low tenor seemed to fill the room. "Anything more would be a mercy."

Markus was speechless, the words he tried to form were caught in his throat as the android's works sank in.

Humans had done this to him.

"What's your name?" Markus tried to hide the fear and desperate shaking in his voice. He wanted to help, even if this android didn't know it.

"Let me die with at least a little dignity. I no longer serve you," another tear trickled from his ocean eyes, and thirium dripped from his lips. Markus' chest ached. "I'm free."

"Please-" The human's voice cracked, and his body began to shake all over again. This time, it wasn't the cold that gripped his nervous system, it was sadness and pain. "Let me try and help you."

Lush grass met a vast sky as their eyes collided. Two separate worlds were colliding into one as an android fought to be freed, and the human fought to be found.

"Why would you help me? I am nothing but an object to be used and disposed of at your nearest convenience." The hole in the android's chest hadn't stopped bleeding, and Markus dared pry his gaze from the android's face until his eyes settled on the wound. "Humans do terrible things, Markus." The kneeling man froze, his name on the lips of this stranger seemed to keep him trapped. "You know that as well as I do. Humans abuse us, they murder their own land, and even murder each other for the simplest superficial reasons-" A hot and heavy tear slid down his frozen cheek, and the human was lost in such a trance he couldn't be bothered to wipe it away. All the things the android was saying, was true. It was so painfully true, Markus didn't have a single good reason to defy it. "So tell me Markus, why are you here?"

"I-" Markus sighed. He couldn't apologize on behalf of the entire human race, but he sure as hell could speak for himself. "I think you and I are alot alike. Maybe not physically-" Markus felt the android's angry eyes burn holes in him. His ice blue eyes lit his face on fire. "-but I think we both can agree that humans are shit creatures." The android sighed, Markus couldn't decipher it from agitation or understanding, so he continued anyway.

"I am very lost right now. Less than a year ago I lost my father- I lost my whole world." Markus didn't know where he was going, but the raw and painful emotion just seemed to pour from his lips and he couldn't stop now, no matter how hard he tried. "Before that, I lost my brother. He had gotten mixed up with the wrong group of humans, and was shot not two blocks from our house." Markus had never admitted it out loud, not even talked to Carl about it- "I blamed the android medic for months, because he was unable to resuscitate him. Then, my father died. He'd refused a domestic android because he believed that androids were more than just machines, and he died because no one was able to take care of him. I blame myself every damn day that he's gone." The blonde android had closed his eyes to listen, the pulsing crimson LED had faded into a yellow pulsing light at some point- Markus didn't notice until now. He'd lifted his eyes and was staring at the android's face as he continued.

"I don't believe either race, neither human nor android are entirely good or entirely evil. I've seen androids deviate and murder their own, just as I've seen humans to the same. I lost my entire family due to the choices that certain humans made-" The human instinctively ran a hand through his short hair, and released a sigh. Somehow the cage that his heart had been trapped in was finally unlocked, and it finally felt good to breath again. "-I refuse to blame any group of people as a whole, based upon what a select few do."

The android opened his eyes once more and looked at Markus. The anger behind his plastic features had softened, and his lips traced a soft straight line.

Markus felt weightless, like his body was suspended in the clouds and he was freed from the anger and sadness he'd been festering the past few months.

"I just ask that you do the same." Markus stood, and hid his hands in his pockets. "I can see you as you, will you try and see me as Markus?"

The prone android in the bathtub stared up at Markus with childish eyes, they were bright and big, lost in wonder and awe.

"My name is Simon."

Markus hid a laugh- the anxiety he had felt was being deflated with every breath that he took.

"Hello, Simon." Markus flashed a shy smile and looked down to his purpling toes. He'd just started to gain feeling in his extremities again, and it pulled him back to the present.

"Now, I'm no robot expert, but how about I try and help you out now?"

Markus looked again at Simon, and his smile fell.

The once orange and pulsing LED was now dimming, and barely protruding the darkness that surrounded the android's body.

Simon's lips barely moved as he spoke, "I see you, Markus. Thank-you for everything."

Markus' blood froze, the thundering in his chest did nothing to help the rest of his freezing body.

"Simon? What're you-"

Before he could finish, the remaining light from Simon's LED turned cold and disappeared into the room like a snuffed candle.

A light smile was still frozen on Simon's lips as the oceans in his eyes turned grey.

Markus couldn't breathe. He fell back down to his knees and traced a finger over the android's forehead, pushing the stray blonde and blue hair aside.

"I see you, too."

Markus would never be able to tell him, but even though the human couldn't save the android's life, Simon sure as hell saved the human's.