Page 57 of Garbage

One picked up another crowbar. The other one, a heavy mallet with a three-foot handle.

The cops were nowhere in sight.

Evan was too frozen to even take a step back. His tongue felt thick in his mouth, and his vision narrowed.

He could die today. They both could.

One of the men laughed. “Little robot lover’s not so brave any more. Maybe we shouldn’t destroy the spark. We can just keep him around for entertainment… where you’ll never find him. And if you testify against us…” He left the threat open, heavy boots thudding on the cracked concrete.

Evan took one more look at Quincy’s blank, broken face. The face that he loved so damn much.

All he had to do was survive this, and then he’d come back for Quincy with reinforcements. Wherever he was. The minute that he could.

Which meant he needed to get away now.

He turned to run…

But it was already too late.

Chapter 13

Quincy

Quincy couldn’t see Evan’s face when he stepped into view. Just his navy work pants, and practical brown shoes, though he knew they hid a pair of fanciful socks with cute animals on them.

Evan had come for him.

Just like he’d known he would.

Love exploded inside him, making the pain momentarily disappear.

Evan wasn’t large or strong. But he knew things. He’d scared off the Bad Men before.

The man in front of him spoke again. “Open your dirty little mouth.” Quincy’s body wasn’t his own. His mouth fell open against his will.

Every word cut into Quincy from the inside. How could these men have so much hate and violence? Quincy knew so much more about politics and psychology now, but it was never enough to give him answers.

Pain exploded across his belly, sensory circuits crunching and bleating alarms that he registered, but couldn’t stop.

He willed himself to move. Even a little finger. Just a twitch of his one remaining eye, so he could see the man he loved. He could endure for just a little bit longer, until Evan saved him.

His breastplate was cracked, but that was repairable. He couldn’t tell if his arm could still move or not. His circuit boards were mostly still solid, since they were mostly stored in his legs. He couldn’t shut down the pain, but he could focus on Evan.

Evan, who was always there for him. Evan, who would…

“Take care of him,” the Bad Man snarled.

From his limited range of vision, Quincy could see that one held a crowbar, and the other a heavy mallet.

And Quincy suddenly realized that maybe Evan couldn’t save him.

Evan wasn’t made of silicone and metal. His body was soft. Breakable.

He probably didn’t even have a weapon. One hit and his fragile organs would smash. Evan could die.

Quincy silently screamed inside, helpless. A small, broken sound passed his lips.

But if he could control that…