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Today had been a rough day for Miguel. Day after day he seemed to fight the same villains, the same anomalies. Different villains from different universes would team up, creating one giant pain in the ass anomalie. Like today, Miguel had to face a Kingpin and a version of Mysterio alone. He won, obviously, but not without a few cuts and bruises.
As he made the journey back to his apartment complex, he was left alone with his own mind. A dangerous combo. It seemed more and more anomalies had been popping up, Miguel thought. He tried not to blame it on that Miles kid, but resentment was a hard thing to wash away. He had more important work to do, like trying to figure out why King Pin and Mysterion of all villains had decided to work together and what they had been planning.
Once he entered his apartment’s door he planned to immediately get to business but, as usual, nothing went his way. Miguel knew he had been feeling more drained than usual after the fight, but he only then realized that he was going through withdrawals yet again.
Withdrawals from rapture were a specific kind of annoyance Miguel loathed to deal with.
“Well hello handsome. You’re late and I burned the casserole.” Came a familiar voice.
Lyla popped around the corner, her holographic form now an average height. Miguel simply rolled his eyes at her comment. She giggled as he walked past her to his marble countertop, where his pain meds and a cold glass of water were to be found.
Miguel swiped his mask off his face as he sat down. He took a large gulp of water as he swallowed the two pain killers. He felt a drop of water spill down the corner of his mouth and trail down to his chin but his back and arms ached too much to care. He closed his eyes momentarily.
“Rough day, hmm?”
Miguel opened his eyes to see Lyla leaning across the counter, her head resting against her arm. No matter what form she took, she always seemed petite to Miguel.
He chuckled off handedly. “Nothing new.”
“Poor you. But poor me as well. You should have taken me along. I always make your fights more entertaining. Not to mention I am incredibly helpful.” She smiled brightly and her eyes seemed to shine. The light must have been hitting her pixels at a certain angle.
Miguel couldn’t help but smile. “Uh huh. Whatever you say Lyla. Don’t forget I programmed you to be helpful.” She shuffled back. Miguel knew she wasn’t offended by his comment. Lyla was smart and full of personality, but she was a programmed hologram. And she knew it. In fact, she owned the title. It didn’t make Miguel any less familiar with her though.
“Aw, don’t forget you also programmed me because you have no friends.” She gave a crooked smile. Miguel stared at her, unamused.
As he got up from his seat, he couldn’t help but groan in pain. He inhaled deeply to try and cover it up.
“I’m off to bed. Goodnight Lyla.”
“Sweet dreams darling!” She called out, her voice full of humour. As Miguel walked away, he missed the flash of concern across Lyla’s face.
Miguel’s room was plain, white and black bed sheets, cream coloured walls and a connected bathroom. It was dark as the sun had begun to set, and Lyla had turned the air con on as well. The cool air felt heavenly on Miguel’s bruised shoulders.
As he took his suit off, he shuffled into a pair of black boxers. He was mad at himself for being too weak to do any useful research about the upcoming anomalies. He felt pathetic. Just as he was about to lay down across his bed, Lyla appeared in the bedroom. He had gotten used to her appearing and disappearing out of thin air a while ago.
“Ouch. You might need some more pain killers.” She said, cocking her head to the side as she stared at the bruises and scrapes. “No. What I should be doing is getting back to work.” Miguel didn’t want to look at her. He didn’t even want to look at his bed which had seemed so inviting at first.
“I know when you’re hurting. Stop torturing yourself like this and rest.” Lyla said as she stepped closer, she refused to look him in the eye.
Miguel looked down at her. “Bit of an obvious observation, what with the bruises.”
Lyla looked down, she was now close enough that if she could breathe, Miguel would be able to feel it against his chest. She placed her hand against his bicep, her pixels disappearing through his skin.
“I didn’t mean that kind of hurting.” She trailed off.
Oh.
“I’m going to bed.” Miguel stated.
“Let me join you! Please, your bed is sooo comfy!” Lyla suddenly perked up.
Miguel gave her a weird look. “You don’t even need sleep. Not to mention you can’t even feel the bed.”
Lyla then pixelated herself a new holographic outfit, a loose fitting tank top with matching white shorts. When he squinted he saw they were covered in strawberry prints. She had made herself pyjamas. Miguel sighed, knowing he wasn’t going to win this battle.
He laid down on the left side of the bed. His side. Lyla laid next to him. It was oddly intimate. More familiar with someone than Miguel had ever been.
Lyla turned to face him. “Should I turn my battery charger on? Then it can feel like I’m sleeping. That’s what sleep is anyway. Re-charging for the next day.”
Miguel grunted a confirmation. He was about to tell her not to mess up his sheets or to hog the bed before he remembered she couldn’t. It was beginning to get even darker out, the sun had now fully set.
“I wish you were real.” Miguel said it so quietly he wasn’t sure he had even said it aloud.
It was an odd statement and he fully expected her to tease him for asking it. But in the realm of bodily hurt mixed with tiredness he blurts out whatever he thinks.
“I could be real for you.” She said softly.
The room feels oddly still, completely silent.
Lyla then inhaled, similar to how Miguel did when he was about to deliver information.
“You don’t need to pretend with me. I won’t just leave” She was now laying on her back, staring up at the ceiling. Miguel wanted to point out she couldn’t exactly leave since she was technically his computer system, but he thought he understood what she really meant.
But Miguel still liked to play pretend. Lyla knew she was a hologram, programmed to help and aid her designer, but Miguel liked to pretend she was real. She wasn’t just a talking computer but a real girl that felt and spoke and hurt. That loved. It was odd, Miguel hadn’t created her to be anything but a helpful AI yet she had turned into something… more to him.
Miguel tried to drift to thoughtless sleep as Lyla snored next to him.
“Tomorrow will be a different day.”