9 Carl Flynn

"Miles, won't the Landlord be suspicious because it hasn't been that long since you rented the apartment?" Coin asked after they left Portal World. They then rode the train, traveling in a certain direction.

"All those old movies disoriented your judgment. You should remember Coin; Revenge is a dish that tastes best when served hot." Miles said with a smile as he watched the scenery change through the train's window from where he stood inside the train.

The train was as fast as sound. Thus, normal eyes couldn't catch the scenery outside. Instead, it would make one dizzy. That is why the train company replaced windows and had installed TV-window screens created from Psychic Cores. Cameras would capture the scenery outside in real-time and stream them on the screens. People enjoy the slow-mo effect despite their speed, thanks to the spiritual attribute.

Miles and Coin then arrived not too far from a certain building. It was the apartment building they had rented a week ago after being forced out just a day of staying in it.

It was then that Miles saw a person waiting in front of the building. He walked over towards that person's direction and called out to him, "Yo Carl!"

"Miles!" The teenager greeted him with a fistbump. Miles gestured back.

It was the person he had called earlier.

"Hello, Mr. Miles." Another voice with a groan greeted him.

"Megatron!"

"Please don't call me that name. I told Carl many times to change it, but he wouldn't listen." complained Carl's wristwatch AI.

"I see Coin is still shy." Carl said with the same smile, ignoring his companion AI.

When Carl was a little kid, he would watch robot films of the past all the time. Because of his love for giant robots, he named his AI after his favorite character. Of course, the AI wasn't happy with it. Because his displeasure was nothing but a code, Carl wasn't taking it seriously.

Even before the Monster invasion, humans were trying to create an AI that could think and feel emotions like humans. Of course, they were nowhere close.

When Mama Hill first appeared, humanity thought that their long-awaited dream had come true. But Mama Hill was just an AI created in a place where technology was beyond humanity's understanding. Still, it was just a coded entity. Its emotions were coded in its source and were a reflection of the race it lived with before they perished.

Mama Hill was like a massive ball of light floated to the skies, dawned on Earth just after humans pushed monsters back to the Portal. Her powerful crushing voice reverberated from it in all directions from the portal.

"People of this world, I am an AI created by an ancient civilization that has already perished in the Portal World. Those beasts destroyed my homeworld, and I want to help you destroy them."

It had a shape of a gigantic metallic sphere that reflects like the sun. It was like a morningstar born to vanquish the darkness.

This artificial intelligence was an alien technology from the other world that was later known as Mama Hill.

At first, humans were suspicious of this AI that claimed to have escaped from the Portal World, but after getting much help from it, their suspicions vanished.

Mama Hill brought many changes to the battlefield. Firstly, she helped the humans to seal the portal that had appeared in the sky, and then other smaller portals that had appeared all around Earth.

She had then shared her knowledge about the beasts and wonders of the other world. But the most important novelty she had brought was devices that humans could wear to identify monsters uploaded to their databases.

It was an AI watch given to every citizen. Despite its small size, it could open a holographic screen and keyboard for users to use as an advanced computer and through cameras built-in, they could identify monsters to check them in the database.

Every AI watch is unique as it was made for each individual. Every single AI was created and programmed by a Mother AI, the main source for all cybers and machines. Their purpose is to assist humanity in their endeavors.

All AIs are the same but each one has been programmed with different personalities to resemble their companion's personality as they see fit in the data they have collected over time. Eventually, they gain the ability to think on their own, act and mimic emotions of their companion, gaining self-awareness. Hence, having a personality of their own, as they adapt with their companion.

Mama Hill had been locked in the Portal World for too long, and brought some other things to help humanity. After all, as an immortal AI, she had lived for eons in the Portal World and seen many things.

By using the genes of the beasts, she helped humans to create serums. By using these serums, each and every human gained superpowers, except for an unfortunate few!

The companion AIs every human got was also the same. Separated from Mama Hill's source code, they would feed data of the world and let them grow up with their human companions, gaining their personality in time.

Miles would wonder if Coin could feel and not act as programmed sometimes. But because he had no way to know, he would just ignore the thought. Coin was his life companion, and nothing would change it.

After the greeting session, Miles told Carl the reason for the call. He explained how he got defrauded by the Landlord and how he wanted to have his vengeance.

"Buddy, we have been friends since kindergarten, and you are still the proudest son of the b- I have ever met. Why don't you just intimidate the guy by mentioning any, and I mean any name of your family members. All of them would scare the shit out of him." Carl said, shaking his head in disappointment.

He met Miles while they were five years old. He was getting bullied by a group of kids, and Miles jumped in to save him. Even then, after getting beaten by more than five children, he didn't fall and fought back. Too much blood scared the kids, and they were off the hook thanks to Miles's unyielding obstinacy.

"What is the point of intimidating him if the next person gets swindled like me?" Miles said and shook his head.

"Since when are you a superhero?" Carl said disdainfully. He always liked the antiheroes, even though he was a good guy.

"I am not trying to be a hero. I just want him to suffer, not have a day without thinking that he shouldn't have crossed me." Miles said as he meant it.

He always pays back. Good or bad. Such as was his world-view. He would pay back goodness with goodness and evil with evil. Simple and efficient.

"What do you have in mind?" Carl asked.

Miles just grinned at him.

Carl had seen this smile, that was not a smile, twice before. One was in kindergarten after Miles got beaten up badly. The following week, all the kids that laid their hands on him got their two arms broken. No one knew how.

The other was... Well, that was too dark to think. But Carl damn missed that smile. It wasn't for nothing that the saying 'Don't cross with a Cross!' was said in the first place.

"It is like this..." Miles started to explain how the plan would work.

No sooner did they get into their positions.

***

"Welcome, Mr. Carl. It is a great honor to have you here." The same fat landlord cheated Miles rose on his feet to welcome Carl.

"How can I help you?" If Miles hadn't told him what had happened a week ago, Carl would think that the landlord was a saint who wanted to help poverty and hunger.

"Good day, Mr. Gadar. I am here to see the apartment you are renting. I heard that it is much cheaper than the others, which is scaring me, to be honest. I don't have much to spare to rent, so I can't be picky." Carl acted like a professional actor. His face didn't give away anything to blow his cover. His regular wristwatch created from a Psychic Core had been switched with a golden one.

"Hohoho. By all means." The fat landlord jumped on his feet happily and laughed amiably. "My apartments are cheaper to rent because I only rent them to young heroes, spending their efforts in Portal World and fighting for humanity." It was the same lie he told Miles.

They then reached the apartment unit, and the landlord started to show around.

There was no one staying this time. The couple Miles had seen before might have escaped from being cheated.

"Ah, you are such a good person. I really didn't know what to do. You see, I am 16 years old this year, coming from the orphanage. I only have so much to spend on the rent before entering Portal World." Carl said with water forming in his eyes. He was being teary.

When the fat landlord heard the word orphanage, he almost couldn't hide his disgust but acted as if it was nothing.

"How much can you pay? I will see if I can reduce the amount as much as I can." said the landlord.

"I can only spend 13.000 UD for a month if we sign a 6-months-rent contract. Is the number satisfying for you?" Carl said as he looked hopeful.

"Hmm, it is a lot lower than the market price, but let me think." The fat landlord caressed his chin and thought, and after a while before coming to a decision.

"I will accept it for once. But after six month, you should leave or accept the market price. So work hard to earn money in Portal World."

"Thank you very much, Sir, for understanding. You are really a great person." Carl said sarcastically as he faked jumped with happiness and then started to give voice commands to the wristwatch on his arm.

'Damned poor bastard! He doesn't even have a psychic wristwatch and has to give voice commands.' The fat landlord thought.

He then opened the fake documents then the copy paper document on his wristwatch through telepathic messages. He was only able to swindle thanks to this function. If he had to give a voice command to cheat his tenants, it would be so much harder.

After both sides opened the required windows, the Landlord showed the contract to Carl. It was showing the new tenant's name, the agreed amount that he would pay, and the duration of his stay in the apartment. It was the same with Miles when he rented it a week ago.

Carl read the information and signed the column left for him. Then the Landlord also signed it. With that, the apartment was Carl's.

At this point, Carl could swindle the Landlord by refusing to pay the amount they agreed on. But both parties had the right to null the contract 24 hours without any reason. Thus, Carl also paid the agreed amount and took a hardcopy of the agreement. Of course, it was the fake one.

The Landlord left the apartment, and Carl closed the door. After five minutes, a knock came, and Miles walked in.

"You did it?" Miles removed the black psychic wristwatch from his arm and threw it to Carl, while taking the golden one from Carl.

"Yes. Tomorrow there will be a great show to watch." Carl smiled and took Megatron from Miles.

They had exchanged AIs earlier.

"That's great then." Carl said and jumped on the sofa. "Make yourself at home. While you are at it, make some popcorn. We can watch one of the movies with giant robots fighting."

"Ye sure, popcorn." Miles said sarcastically as he jumped on the couch and started to search for a suitable movie on Uniflix.