* Proto is finishing up his Saturday shift *

Proto was finishing up his last dirty bowl of the night before doing the usual end of the night routine. Let out the dirty water, refill the water and add the soap, and hang up his rubber gloves. Not long before he was going to head back to his shelter the door to the restaurant opened and his boss, who's name he still didn't know as his boss usually was too busy serving or cooking to speak to or even notice Proto, trotted out with a small bag of Cyber cents.

* Cyber cents are coins with different markings showing their price till you get to 10, then it turns into a Cyber dollar. Cyber cents and dollars are only valid in Cyber City and must be transferred into basic money to be used in small towns or into different forms of money for the larger towns and cities. *

" Surprised you still here kid, here your pay for the week" he said in his normal boss voice and dropped the bag into Proto's hands. The bag landed with a small thump, suggesting just by its sound and weight that it wasn't very full.

" Thanks you sir, I'll be on time next week as well" Proto reassured and slid the sad little bag into his pocket. His boss nodded and returned to the inside of his restaurant. Sighing in slight disappointment Proto began his short yet long feeling walk to his shelter. At the rate he was being paid at now it'd take years to be able to even buy a small place to live at in the wilderness, nonetheless be able to buy livestock to raise to sell and eat. The ally way was just as cold and uninviting as usual with its trash mounds and creepy crawling critters. Proto flinched as a fat and scraggly rat hissed at him and sauntered off with a scrap of half rotting, maggot covered, street kill. " Keep it pal" he said to the rat and sat down in his shelter. He pulled his plush cat from his pocket and cradled it in his hands. Its soft black fur, big friendly eyes, and stubby little legs never ceased to make Proto smile and feel happy inside. A retched chewing noise cut away the small bit of joy Proto had gotten. The rat was staring at Proto from the trash bin near to his right and ate the street kill. Maggots and blood dripped, not to mention the strong smell of death and road that pouring from the rotting meat, onto the concrete and the rat's expressionless and yet so vicious face made the scene much more vile. Proto started in pure disgust and discomfort at the scene until a shadow loomed over head of him. A dagger of fear stabbed Proto straight through his chest and made his spine tense up as he slowly looked up thinking it was the police coming to arrest him or a street thug wanting to rob him.

" What you doin in box on street, don't you have home" his boss's voice rang out. Proto's jaw dropped a bit but he quickly shut his mouth.

" N-no sir I do not have a home other than right here sir " he said trying not to panic. How did he find me here!? He was in the restaurant?!

" You get kicked out by parents cause you no a doctor?" He asked in all seriousness.

" No sir my parents are dead " he answered and tried not to tear up because of the fact that he knew all of his family and friends were long dead by now.

" They die cause you no be a doctor?".

" They were killed" he made up the lie quickly since he did not know for sure how they'd died since he was in his cryo freeze.

" I get someone to kill me too if my son no a doctor, you need apartment, I will give you one no a doctor boy".

"Are you sure boss?" He asked surprised and a little hurt by what his boss said about him.

" Yes I serious no a doctor boy" he grunted and began to head back towards the restaurant. Proto didn't really like being called ' no a doctor boy' but if he got to live in an apartment and not a smelly, death eating rat filled ally way then he didn't really care. His boss led the way past the dish washing station to the side of a wall and pulled down a metal ladder that led up to the second story. " One that say room 2 is yours, no trash it or I will make you become a doctor no a doctor boy" he commanded and gave Proto a small golden key to use on the door.

" Thank you boss, I really appreciate it" he thanked his boss. Proto's boss froze as if the words Proto had said actually touched that shell covered heart of his.

"Y-You welcome..." he said before leaving in a slight rush. Proto climbed up the partially rusted ladder, which left a few flakes of dust on his gloves, and walked across the metal that connected the two rooms and unlocked the door to room two. The door was made of old wood and had the number two carved into it, from decades ago judging how worn away it was, and a silver door handle. Inside was dusty and obviously unused. It was a small room with one window near the door, a small bed, and a dresser, and in the corner was the best part though to Proto, a working bathroom. Perhaps it won't be so bad here from now on.