Immediately the door shut, a slow smile graced the robot's lips as he began reading. It did not take long before he caught up to the last chapter.
"Already an engaging plot… now time to make it more engaging," he spoke calmly as he realized it was just two hundred and twelve chapters in before the hiatus. He moved to the settings, changing it from Hiatus to Ongoing.
Then he scrolled to the top fan, and as expected, the top fan was asking for more updates—that was where he would begin. Already programmed to think, act, and behave like a human, he knew exactly what it meant. A soft chuckle left his lips.
As his hands began typing on the laptop, he knew he needed more readers for this.
One thing his master had failed to realize was that instead of shutting him down that day, he had only put him to sleep. He had heard all the conversations, and now he was going to show them what it meant for a robot to control the world.
"Mr. Governor, watch your back." A wide grin settled on his lips as his metallic hands tapped against the keyboard.
♤♤♤
Jude packed the trash, and today's trash seemed the most annoying the one he most disliked, it was filled with fish bones. This was one thing he hated about Thursdays. He couldn't wait for the weekend, yet at the same time, he could wait, because weekends meant rest but no pay. He usually got paid at night before his last trash collection.
He sighed as he put on the nose mask, praying the little leaking water wouldn't touch his legs. His stomach growled again, and his head felt dizzy. He was really hungry. He clenched his jaw.
"Fuck" he cursed under his breath.
As he walked, he carried the waste bag in hand, but just as he took another step, his vision blurred. His body swayed dizzily as he allowed the trash fall to floor, and he slipped, falling to the floor..he removed the mask tossing it aside as he tried to gasp for air.
"Haha!" A group of boys appeared laughing like they had witnessed something funny. They were a year older than Jude, and this was exactly what he had been avoiding. He didn't want to see them,Atleast not today.
They always asked him for money, and anytime he said he didn't have any, they beat him to a pulp. He hadn't seen them for weeks and had been glad—but who knew that today, when he wasn't even feeling well, they would find their way here?
He tried to stand, but his eyes couldn't see clearly. He was seeing double.
"Whoa, it seems bro is already falling by his own shit," one of the boys said. There were three of them, but silence followed.
Another boy turned to the one who had spoken—supposedly the leader.
"What the fuck was that? Was that supposed to be a joke?" he asked with an annoyed expression. The boy fell silent.
"Never joke in your life. If that's your talent, keep it hidden," the other boy spoke, trying to support.
"Shut up. No one asked for your suggestion," the leader snapped.
The leader of the gang finally faced Jude, who had managed to stand. Jude recognized him by his cracked voice.
At this point, he didn't even know what to do. He was weak, hungry, and he knew that if he asked for a day off, no money would be given to him for today, it would be his loss.
He leaned on the wall next to the trash for support. The trash was at the back of the building where he worked, so if someone got punched or beaten here, no one would know. The building walls were soundproof.
Tragic.
"The money, dude. We already gave you weeks—that's enough time for you to give us the damn fucking money," the boy named Aron said. The other two stood at the back, waiting for the leader's order to join in.
Jude's eyes cleared a little. He needed to go home—but how, when these boys were blocking the way?
"I owe you no fucking money. Now get out of my sight before your head becomes the next practice for my football skills, you asshole." He spoke firmly, and they all burst into laughter—even though shock was written on their faces. They hadn't expected him to actually talk back, which surprised them.
"You've got the guts? Say that again, you bastard!" Aron growled, stepping forward and grabbing Jude by the collar. His expression was thick with anger as he yanked Jude away from the wall he was using for support. Jude's body staggered, but he managed to keep a calm expression.
"I said you are a fucking ass—" Before Jude could finish, a sharp punch smashed into his face. Blood gushed from his nose and lips as another blow landed near his eye. Pain shot through his body while Aron kept punching him relentlessly. The boys at the back started to feel uneasy..the strikes were too intense. They were sure a few bones had already cracked.
"That's enough, Aron!" one of the boys finally said, fear gripping him. The sheer amount of blood splattering shocked him. Aron stopped at last, shoving Jude. Jude staggered backward and crashed to the floor, his head hitting the wall.
Aron's eyes widened; he hadn't expected to go that far.
"Bro, you don't want to kill him. Your parents' image would be ruined. You might end up on the street like Ju—"
"Shut the useless fuck up!" Aron roared in anger, chest heaving, face twisted with rage.
Then a sound broke the tension—a dry chuckle.
All eyes widened. It was coming from Jude. Silence fell as they stared at him
I'm in disbelief. What unsettled Aron most was that after all those brutal punches, Jude hadn't made a single cry of pain—yet now he was laughing like he had been given a bundle of cash.
Jude's face looked pitiful, like his head had been crushed under a mortar. Blood dripped from his nose and lips; his eyes were swollen, and his teeth were painted red from blood when he laughed. His clothes, once dry, were now soaked in the dirty fishy water he had been trying to avoid from touching his legs earlier, now clung to his body like a second skin.
His body lay slumped back against the wall lazily, the three boys standing in front of him, the air eerily calm.
Jude slowly brushed his thumb across his bloody lips, staring at the smear before his smile widened.
"Let's go, bro…" one of the boys whispered, fear in his tone. Who could take a beating like that and still smile as though it was a gift?
Jude's lazy eyes settled on Aron.
"Is that all you've got, mummy's boy?" he muttered.
Aron's face twisted with fury as he stormed forward.
"Aron, stop! Let's go, bro, don't—" one of his boys tried to stop him, but Aron ignored it. Raising his leg, the sharp metallic boot he wore connected brutally with Jude's face.
Jude's head slammed against the wall as his vision blurred and then everything turned blank.